A Little Bit of Christmas

 Kambriella helped us to celebrate a little bit of Christmas by performing on the piano during her Christmas recital. She did fantastic, and her teacher Sarah just loves her! (But who doesn't, right? ;) She's like a little Christmas angel, our little Kambriella Noel...

Also, our family received a gift of time letter from Santa and we get to plan a get together at our cabin with our good friends the Christensen family!!! The kids are so excited to spend that special time with friends...I love that that is what our gift of time has been about this year. It has been so appropriate and we can really feel the true spirit of Christmas as we honor friends and family and remember that "people" and not "things" are what really matter most.

Angels Received From Earth

I woke up to this beautiful sky today, and heaven knows I needed it.

As I stepped outside and looked up, my breath was literally taken away by the love that I felt and the majesty of God's hand displayed across His painted sky...I felt as if heavenly choirs of angels were singing and rejoicing the arrival of  some of earth's finest angels...

My sweet friend Tiffany Jolley passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Saturday while cooking dinner for her family in her kitchen. She just collapsed and was gone. She was 45 and is now a literal heavenly angel...Heaven is so lucky to receive her...

Then around noon today I also received word of the sudden and unexpected death of our neighbor's daughter Kelsey Stone. At only 26 years of age, she is also now a literal angel...both girls gone so young, and too soon for their family's hearts to let them leave.

My heart is full , and heavy all at the same time...but when I look at this glorious sunrise and reflect on these recent events, I am still swallowed up in the joy of my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mosiah 16: 7-8

"And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ."

I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation, the Plan of Happiness. For through it we can be with family forever, and each pain and sorrow of this mortal journey can be erased through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. His life truly is a gift...both now at Christmas time, but more importantly, EVERY single day that we are lent breath to live.

Family At Christmas Time

 Wow what a weekend we had! Family and fun EVERYWHERE and it was wonderful! Just what we wanted for Christmas... :)

Grandma Panter arrived in town and got to spend a few days with us! The kids all had a fun time taking turns catching her up on things they love, and Grandma did her usual and made EVERYONE feel like they were her favorite and so very special...

Also, Santa sent us on a Gift of Time to see a display of over 700 nativities!!!

 We really enjoyed seeing all of the different nativities from all around the world...

 ...and if you couldn't tell...

 ...we kind of found...

 ...that the ones from Alaska were some of our favorites! ;)

 I also loved this authentic one from Israel...

 ...this beautiful, large crystal one...

 ...this original gnome one was pretty cute! ;)

 The one with the golden manger was Kambriella's favorite...

 ...along with the tiniest little match box one that was smaller than the palm of my hand...

 ...it was so fun to see these little nativities...

 After we saw them all we went ahead and had some Pizza Pie Cafe for dinner and then went home to wrap up some gifts for friends.

When Saturday morning arrived, me and the girls went to the Hale Center Theater with all of the girl cousins, aunts, and Grandma and Grandpa Trickett to see the Wizard of Oz! It was their gift to us for Christmas and it was so much fun!

This play was especially fun for us to go to because although we go to all of the plays anyways, Kesslyn has never been allowed to go because you have to be 5 to attend. But, this particular show was a special one for children ages 3 and up. It was so good and Kesslyn was so entertaining to see her reactions to everything that was going on...especially when the wicked witch of the west would cackle her wicked laugh!!! 

It was hilarious!

 Gavin also had a date with dad this day and they went to breakfast together (tried to play basketball together at the church but it was occupied...) did some shopping and some work, and even got this cute picture with Santa and Mrs. Claus. :)

 We also had some friend time at home where Kambriella and Paige decorated some sugar cookies, the boys played Smash Bros (which is one of their new favorite pass times;) and Clint and I went to Gavin's basketball games. It was another fun and busy weekend, but so much fun with so much family!

We even got to go see the new Grinch movie, which was such a good story line that it really made me cry...(But maybe I am just getting too sensitive in my old age...;)

  I also got to take my mom for a ride to Logan on Sunday for my nephew's mission homecoming where I got to see a couple of my sisters and some family that I hadn't seen in a long time. It was a great day. :)

 I am grateful most of all for my Savior Jesus Christ and for his gospel that is guiding and safe in an ever darkening world. I am grateful for the youth that go out and serve missions, and for little nephews and little brothers who look up to those coming home so that they can go out and serve too...

 It is an exciting time to be alive and to be witnessing God's work moving forward and the hastening of His work. Nick is the baby of 8 of my sister Andrea's family and will be the last one from their family to serve a mission next summer. These kids are all growing up too fast, and time needs to slow down.

I just wish I knew how to make that happen...but since I don't, I am going to continue to enjoy every single minute of it that I can with my sweet sweet family and try to hold on to them and the memories forever! 

Merry Christmas!

Silver-Rushing

 Silver Rush and odd jobs continue going strong around these parts...I love that Dallin is so happy to bring his friends over here for hot chocolate, pumpkin pie, stories that his mom and dad share about his childhood, and then how many times he tells us how much he loves us IN FRONT of his friends. He is such a good boy and I love him. But, I love all of my children that way...I am am blessed, blessed momma.

(Also, the girl on the far left in the red jacket is named Claire. She is the one who bought Dallin at the SBO auction and gets to take him out on a fun group date to Classic Skating in January...she bought him for $50 bucks! I'm telling you, she got a steal of a deal!!! ;)

Also, I had to include this picture that Emily sent to me from our little Christmas party with the Butler's on Sunday...look at how low Dallin can go on picking up the gift bag while balancing on one foot!!!

AMAZING!!!

Christmas Cards

I've been working on my Christmas cards! All 200 of them!

This year we took our family photo for our Christmas cards at our cabin on Thanksgiving! It was a perfect snow and I love how it turned out. :)

 On the back of our cards we included a picture of our missionary with his "Merry Christmas" in Italian! ;)

It's so fun to go out to the mail box and check the mail these days...It's like we are getting a visit from all of our old friends and family at Christmas time when their letters and photographs show up in our mail box! 

I put all of the cards we receive up on the wall by my front door where I can see their cute faces and smile at them every time I walk by...I love Christmas time!!! :)

Family, friends, and faith...everything that is important to me! 

(This is just the beginning of our wall though...by the time the holidays are through, these cards will wrap all the way around our front door! It makes me soooo Happy!!! :)

Miss This Boy...

Anziano Trickett has been on my mind a lot lately, and with the holidays I pray that he is feeling happy, loved, and surrounded by the Comforter. I know that comforting is one of the main roles of the Holy Ghost, and even I find comfort in knowing that he has that gift with him every single day... I hate not having all of my children around me for the holidays, but at the same time, I still can't think of anywhere else that I would rather him be...

And I guess that he is becoming quite the little chef while he is taking care of himself and his companions over there in Italy! :) He was so proud of this pig leg that they bought that they are going to cook together...maybe for Christmas??

I can't wait for him to cook for us when he completes his mission!!! :)

I love you Anziano Trickett!

XOXOXOXO

The Holy Family

One of my favorite pieces of Christmas decorations this year...The Holy Family in a woodland stable on top of my piano.

It's so peaceful to me...especially at night. :)

Merry Christmas!

Christmas All Weekend Long

 Silver rush continues on around our town and home...some of the kids stopped by with Dallin where I had them "organize" Kesslyn's stuffed animals...that IS an "odd job" right?? ;)

 The weekend was full of goodness and activities all around, including delivering  some sub for Santa gifts that a family in our ward is helping out for Christmas. (Bishop and Sister Higgins used to be Kambriella's primary teachers too, so she LOVES Leann!)

 We bought toys for 2 little sisters, and Kambriella was SO excited for them to get what we gave...her heart is SO big!!!

 We also went to Kambriella's dress rehearsal for her Christmas dance recital...

 (She's the cutie on the far left end...)

 We also took Panda Express and dessert to the high school for all of the SBO's on Friday night for the kids to have a yummy warm dinner after being out in the cold doing odd jobs all night...

 Kambriella also found out that if someone accidentally "touches" your elf on the shelf, that CINNAMON sprinkled around them will help them to get fixed and get their magic back!!

(We received these cute little elves one year as part of our gift of time at Santa's cabin in Midway!) They are such fun for the kids around Christmas...

 I also attended Kambriella's Recital on Saturday while the rest of the family attended the ward Christmas party. Kambriella was so sweet and so selfless as she told me, "Mom, please don't make anyone come to my dance recital. I don't want anyone to have to miss the fun Christmas party, and if they all get to go, then they can tell me ALL about it when my recital is over."

 She wanted to go to the ward Christmas party so bad, and I just thought it was so sweet how she didn't want anyone else to have to miss out on it too...

 I was very proud of her and the beautiful job that she did on her performance!

 Kambriella, you are an angel sweetheart!

 I had a very special gift for her after she was done, and I LOVED how her face lit up when she saw it!

 It was a lighted old fashioned Christmas alarm clock that plays 9 different songs...but our favorite one is Carol of the Bells...:)

 She just couldn't stop staring at it...and something about it reminded me of my childhood at Christmas too, like when I would lay underneath the Christmas tree and look up through all of the lights...it felt like I was somehow transported to the north pole or something. That's how magical it felt anyways...

 Sunday after church we also had a little Christmas party with one of our family friends, The Butler's.

 We had a delicious dinner of beef stroganoff, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, green salad, cookie salad, rolls, and homemade pumpkin pie and chocolate chip cookies for dessert!~oh, and Martinelli's sparkling cider too...an individual size bottle for each person!

(And can I just tell you that mashed potatoes and gravy have never tasted so good as they have with these braces on!)

 We played the cookie game, the gift bag game, and a round of Christmas spoons...

 We had prizes for the winners...

 We played a left-right gift giving game, had a family home evening lesson on the symbols of Christmas by Kambriella and decorated ice cream cone Christmas trees...

 I'm telling you it was a real party! Lots of fun for everyone!

 I love the creativity of each different individual...

 ...and the pride they all take in their creations...

Yes, Santa would be proud! ;) (Especially of the signs of frosting around the mouth...;) ;)

After the Butler's left, we went to the church for a Choirside that Kambriella sang in. It was a celebration of Christmas through songs from each ward choir in our stake, and then also one primary choir. It was such a good day, and when we all got home, straight to bed we went! It's always a fun time at Christmas, but its a busy time too...and we wouldn't trade any of this for anything else because TOGETHER is where we like to be and the BEST part of Christmas! :)

Happy Monday!