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!

Silver Rush CD Concert

Last night at the High School they held the Silver Rush CD Concert, and I was SOOOO proud of Dallin!

Him and Anson sang their original song and earned the cheers and applause of the crowd in a big way...GREAT job boys!!! YOU ROCK!!! 

 All of the performers did an amazing job, but I just really loved getting to hear Dallin's voice across the room, he doesn't sing for us much, and I'm trying to encourage him to put that talent of his on a candle stick and not underneath a bushel...;)

Plus, Dallin was the MC for the night so seeing him in between every other song was a bonus! 

Great job Dallin! :)

Also, yesterday was my big day!

 Here are some before pictures...

 ...just so that I have something to compare it to when I'm done...

 ...and then here are my after pictures!

 After I got my braces on!

 I may or may not feel like a kid in these things...I'm not too excited about them right now, but I am excited to see my new smile in about a year and a half!

Silver Rush and A Christmas Carol

 It's Silver Rush in Riverton!

Silver Rush every year is something that everyone in the community looks forward to and gets involved in during the month of December, and this year because Dallin is a Student Class Officer, he is right in the thick of it all! Activities, assemblies, fundraising, and odd jobs...anything and everything to help raise money for the "Shelter Kids" this year! 

Shelter Kids is a charity that helps those who face homelessness, which actually includes some of the very students that attend Riverton High. This Christmas season, all of the hard work they do and the money they raise will actually benefit people right here in our own hometown...how cool is that??

Last night as Dallin was out and about, he told me of an elderly man who was so kind and invited all of them in to his home. He asked each of their names and spent time with them and was very emotional crying over these "good youth" of today. Through their conversations Dallin found out that he was a patriarch and his love for these kids was very evident...and Dallin felt it, and loved it, and loved him.

I too am grateful for the good, strong youth who try their hardest to stand out, be a light, and be different in distinct and happy ways...I am so grateful that Dallin is having these opportunities to experience some very important things in life, and to be reminded what REALLY matters. It's all about people. :)

Also last night, we received a Gift of Time from Santa and were able to go to the Hale Center Theater to see the play "A Christmas Carol!"

 Santa sent us to go with some of our very favorite people, and since Dallin couldn't go because of Silver Rush, Kambriella was able to bring her friend Mya, and they had a GREAT time!

 Have I mentioned how blessed I feel to be surrounded by so many good gifts??

I feel as though I am constantly surrounded with good people, good things, and soooo many blessings that the windows of heaven just keep on pouring...and I don't ever want to take them for granted...

 I am so very grateful for every good gift that I know comes from my loving Heavenly Father, and who is the source of everything that is good in my life. It's a very Merry Christmas indeed!

Precious In Primary...and Braces For Gavin

 On Sunday December 2nd, Kesslyn went to Primary for her very first time! :)

For the whole month of December the little nursery kids "practice" going to primary since they will get to go in January! When I heard that she went  in to primary I was sooo happy, but so sad that I didn't get a picture of it. (I just knew it would have been a precious one...;) and then today, as I was out running errands, I received a text from a sweet angel teacher that had witnessed this sight and decided to take a picture because it was just "too cute!"

 She told me how big she was, and what a good mother I am for raising children who love each other...Kambriella saw how Kesslyn was a little nervous and didn't want to let go of her hand, and so she went and sat beside her the whole time. Melt. My. Heart! She was even trying to teach her to be reverent and fold her arms... :)

Oakley, thank you so much for being so sweet and so sensitive to the spirit and for taking these pictures for me, and then for sending them to me!!! You have NO IDEA just how priceless your text message was to me today!

I loved you before, but now I love you even more!!! ;)

Thank you for this gift!

 Also, yesterday I took Gavin in to get his braces on!!!

 This sweet boy was excited and didn't hurt too much...now he is going to be living on Danimals and yogurt for the next few days...

I hope I can be as brave as him when I go in for my turn tomorrow!!! :)

The Giving Machine

 Saturday marked the first day of December and it was the world wide day of service!

Knowing this and wanting to do something a little different as a family, we took a trip to Salt Lake for a special kind of service...The Giving Machine!

 Saturdays for us are always packed with activities, and miraculously, we didn't have anywhere we needed to be until noon, so we got the kids up early and were down at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building by 9 a.m.

We had heard about the Giving Machine and that EVERYONE loves going there at Christmas time. The line can sometimes wrap around the room with people waiting for their turn at the vending machine, but we got there right as they opened and there was no line! I was so happy because that was exactly my plan, and I wanted to fit a few fun things into our morning, so it was perfect. :)

 We let each one of the kids (plus one cousin ;) choose one thing that they wanted to give out of the vending machine. (All of these items that you buy are given to people in need all across the world)...

Dallin bought a cow :)

 Gavin bought a goat :)

 Xaxton bought 5 Pairs of Eye Glasses :)

 Kambriella bought a Volleyball

 Kesslyn bought 2 Pacifiers ;)

(Kambriella helped her punch in the numbers and when the item dropped down in the machine, Kesslyn couldn't understand why she couldn't get the Pacifiers out!) ;) ;)

 Clint bought 2 Chickens :)

 And I bought a Resuscitation Kit for Babies:)

I was totally hit by the Spirit when I was looking in the machine when it was my turn. I had a little prayer in my heart to know what I should give, and when I saw the kit I immediately was overcome with emotion. Tears filled my eyes and I couldn't speak, and Clint smiled at me. I knew that as a mother I would be forever grateful for a gift like that that would give my baby life. In these 3rd world countries where they don't have medical technology, death is common for these little babies, and so my gratitude and desire to give was confirmed by the spirit I felt and knew that this is such a good thing.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is just awesome if you ask me...:)

 Children who need glasses will be able to see, families who need food will have it, and children who don't have toys will receive a ball that will keep dozens of them happy for hours...what a modern day miracle!

 After we were done with our turn at the machine, we took a few pictures...

 ...we walked around an art exhibit (and fell in love with the artwork of Greg Sargent!)

 We watched Mr. Krueger's Christmas in the Legacy Theater there..

 ...listened to stories from missionaries there, met new friends from Idaho who offered to take our families picture only to find out that they work for Bannock County Sheriff's Department...;)

 We went in the old Tabernacle and found baby Jesus...

 ...listened to the Nativity story and the angels sing...

 ...and enjoyed EVERY minute being together. Temple Square is quiet in the day time and it was so peaceful. Even though lights weren't on, there was so much to see and do, and it literally was the best way to start out our December and the Christmas season.

We headed home around 11:30 where Clint dropped me off at a church where my training meeting with Elder Renlund was to be held, (which is the same place that Dallin got to attend a fireside with him the night before) and then Clint took the kids to lunch. 

After my wonderful meeting, Clint and I went to visit our 100 year old friend Bernice, went to Kambriella and Gavin's basketball games and then had dinner as a family. It was such a good day.

Happy Monday and Merry Christmas everyone!

Taught By an Apostle of the Lord

On Saturday December 1st I was blessed to attend a leadership training conference with Elder Dale G. Renlund and his wife Ruth. Elder Renlund is an apostle of the Lord and a kind and loving man.

We were able to arrive to the meeting an hour early in order to sit and ponder and prepare spiritually for the things that we would be taught. 

I loved how they made each individual feel needed and important in the work that we all do. We shook their hands before the meeting started and then the very first words he shared with us was this:

"Thank you."

I felt the genuine appreciation and love in his message and knew that it was really how Heavenly Father feels about the work that we are engaged in. I felt his love even greater at the end of the meeting when he bestowed an apostolic blessing on each one of us. Tears fell down my cheeks and I was grateful for so many things..but most of all for my Savior Jesus Christ, for my testimony of the restored gospel and the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints, and for living prophets and apostles.

We were taught all about ministering, teaching in our homes, and how to have a close relationship to the Savior. I am grateful for the opportunity to live among saints here in Zion and I love the gospel with all my heart!