Friday, December 31, 2010

IMG00135-20101231-2025.jpg

Color looks sickly, but the sweet new beautiful baby makes up for it!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Its a beautiful Life....

Life is a complicated thing, it has such highs, and lows, challenges and gifts.

I wonder if the more we focus on those gifts and blessings if the trials actually diminish or of the strength to over come them is magnified.

I don't know, but I do know when I have awoken and the first thoughts are of my blessings, or of the wonderful gifts I have been given, of friendships, relationships, love, and opportunities I seem to spend the remainder of the day with a growing, swelling, over whelming happiness that over takes the frustration of the monotony of daily tasks.

This Christmas was a tough one, traditionally we adopt from the "angel tree" and each of the kids has the opportunity to pick out gifts for kids their age. They have so much fun, and they all giggle and talk about how much these kids will enjoy the presents they have picked out.

We got hit with a hum-dinger of a (financial) surprise on November 20th, and it may well take us the rest of the year to recover from it.
NO funds were available for extras, we were blessed to have enough to pay all the bills, but food & gifts were going to have to wait.

As a family we discuss with our kids all of the details for these types of situations, and of course they were disappointed and sad, but they never complained or made me feel bad. as a matter of fact, they each recanted their holiday wish list (which they are allowed 3 things, an item they need, an item they want and a freebie)
The kids and I made cinnamon rolls, (and ate them, then we made them again, and tried to deliver them, and ended up having a ice storm day. so we never made it to deliver treats to the wonderful friends we cherish.

I was positive that all would work out, and it did, through some anonymous help and some dear kind friends we had enough for Christmas morning, enough that we were able to share with another family that ended up staying with us for the Holiday, as their car broke down and the ice storm (that never was) grounded them to our home.

We enjoyed having them with us, and the sweet family had 3 kids and no gifts. we were THRILLED that we had enough to share! it made the Gift opening spectacular!

Its ALWAYS better to give than to receive!

and the yummy foods we were able to share with the Missionaries on Christmas Eve, and our other good friends, the Whole holiday was made with memories of sharing, caring, and loving. Couldn't ask for a better gift!

I feel so loved.

Heavenly Father knows me, and He Loves me.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Tradition




Our family tradition for the past 6 years has been to host the missionaries for Christmas Eve dinner.

We felt so blessed to have extra friends who could join us for the Sacred Holiday celebration.

We had Tammy C. and family

Christina J. and family

and Elders Koch & Brilliant.

It was a fantastic night!

We enjoyed a Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings, Pies, cinnamon rolls, Hickory Farms candies, Zack made home made Mint Andes. it was all wonderful!


After eating, we had a Nativity reading and sang Hymns.

The Glory to God Chorus, reminds me of my sweet Grandma Clara who is in Heaven singing with the Angels now... and every time I sing that chorus I choke up with the memories of all the Love she has shown me and those she came into contact with. She was a wonderful example of Christ-like love.

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

When we have done it unto the least of these....

Ye have done it unto me.

Done something lately? Are you called to repentance? Or are you smiling that you have reached out, lent a helping hand, offered a healing balm, loved the unlovable, served, sacrificed, and in the end, who is it that benefits, who is it that reaps blessings, and receives all that our Father in Heaven has in store?

Yup.

Us. NO matter what we do, no matter how much we give, sacrifice or offer, we are always indebted to Him.

H i m

This is His season, His Birthday celebration.
What are you doing to show how grateful (FULL) for His Love.

His Mercy.

His support.

I have so so so much to be grateful for. I have 6 Amazing, beautiful and wonderful children. That not a day goes by that one (or all) of them wraps their arms around my neck (or girth) and squeezes, pressing all the love and affection into my very core.

My adorable Zeke said to me, gazing across the sofa table, after reading scriptures. "Mom, when I grow up to be a man, I'm gonna marry you."

Nothing.
NOTHING is sweeter to me than hearing this.

I try so hard to deserve this devotion.

I never will. I fall sadly short every mark of the way.

And there is more. More room in my house, more room in my heart, and more children that need me. O- scratch that, I need them!

I have SO many goals, and the kids' and thier sweet spirits spur me onto attain those goals. I want to become better for them. I want to succeed with them.

I am building my mansions.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE being a mommy!

I was thinking of a few scriptures;

Proverbs 28:27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.

Matt 25:40
. . . . . . . Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

So what have i done, have I hurt, judged, lashed out, criticized , or have I
Loved.
Shared.
Complimented.
Embraced.

HE LIVES....

am I Living for Him?