The Beach

 Our first "official" day at the beach house (not counting the long day of driving and the arrival at night) was just as I expected it to be...children running care free in and out of the waves and playing in the sand!

 Sand castles and exploring, chasing and building, swimming and splashing, and not a single care in the world...

 The 60 degree weather wasn't too warm to me, but nevertheless, it didn't stop the kids from taking the plunge at all hours of the day...
When the girls both got a little cold, they still enjoyed the fun on the sand and watching the waves and the boys that were like fish, never leaving the water!

 I most of all, most thoroughly enjoyed the view from our deck, and the sound of the waves...the beautiful sights all throughout the day, and magnificent sun sets each and every night...

 I think it was unanimously our favorite place to be! Cuddled up in our Minky's gathered around the fire...

 ...enjoying each other, our conversations, the fresh air all around us, and the simplicity of enjoying the beauty of God's creative hand, while doing absolutely NOTHING.

It was HEAVEN. :)

Christmas Day 2018

 Christmas Eve 2018 found us all cozy back at home after our fun nights away with long lost friends.

 Santa delivered Christmas pajamas to the kids like he does every year, and everyone was happy, excited, and ready for bed. :)

A few months ago, we had a conversation with our children about Christmas. We let them choose if they would rather spend money on getting each other gifts for Christmas, or saving that money and putting it towards our family trip that we will be taking coming up here at the end of May and into June. They unanimously agreed that instead of getting gifts, we should save the money and spend more TIME together and make our family trip a little longer. 

I was so pleased that that was what they all wanted to do! Not only did it make Christmas so much more simple and meaningful, but it told me that my children are understanding the worth of monetary things verses TIME and relationships and building memories. I would much rather spend my money on DOING things together rather  than BUYING things for each other.

With all of that being said, Christmas morning was simple, and the kids were excited to see what Santa would bring, since they knew that was all they would be getting. (Or so they thought ;) ;)

 Coincidentally, Santa had brought each of the children a suitcase (loaded with things ;), a back pack (to be used for a carry on item), and a similarly shaped wrapped gift...

 Santa is just so good that way...he must have known that we were saving for our trip coming up and knew that these would be things that would help us to prepare for that trip!

 But, little did Santa know (or maybe he did ;) that Clint and I had a surprise all our own for the children this year!

 I could hardly contain myself as they were busy looking at their stockings and the treasures that Santa brought...

 Inside their suitcases Santa brought each of them new swimming suits and beach towels, flip flops and clothes, and all kinds of fun things that they could use on their trip!

 They also got travel activities and movies...things that would be perfect for the surprise that Clint and I had planned!!!

(But HOW did Santa know??)

 As they ooed and awed over their new treasures, I got more and more excited for the next events our morning would bring...

 We were awaiting a phone call from our favorite missionary Anziano Trickett...

 ...and while we waited the children opened their wrapped gift from Santa only to find "beach themed" Minky blankets for everyone! Sail boats and surf boards, pineapples, and Minnie Mouse...

(Oh my goodness Santa! You are so good! Your gifts to the children not only got them excited for their upcoming family trip, but it also went hand in hand with the surprise gift that Clint and I had yet to give these kiddos that morning!!!)

 At 9:00 a.m.our excited family gathered around our little laptop screen and had a Merry Christmas visit with Carew!!! It was the BEST Christmas present a mother could ask for!!! We got to spend a whole hour talking to Carew and seeing his cute face! It was so good to hear his voice, and to see his expressions...to hear him laugh and tell us how much he loves us all...We all genuinely had a wonderful time talking with him, and with every belly laugh that everyone would make, I felt a surge of gratitude and excitement for the future moments that we will spend as a family laughing and catching up when we are all together again...it was seriously the BEST.

 I love him! I love my family! And I love the times that we share together. I love what Carew is busy doing, and I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love that by him spending 2 years out there teaching and serving others, that at the same time he is busy building characteristics that will mold him into a loving future husband and father one day. These are the things that a mother prays for, and these are the things that money could never buy. I am so grateful for our Savior, and for this amazing restored gospel. It is the foundation of all that is good in my life, founded upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whose birth is the reason we celebrate Christmas Day.

 After our visit with Carew had to come to a close, we said our goodbyes and then moved on over by the Christmas tree where we found 1 hidden letter and gift among the branches. We handed the letter to the kids and told them that we just couldn't go without giving them JUST 1 gift! So, we wanted them to unscramble the letters that were in their envelope to see what it said their gift would be...

They could NOT figure out what the words said...(probably because they were thinking of a "gift" and not a "place" which is what we were giving them!)

Finally after minutes had gone by, Clint and I gave them a clue...

"Just think of one of your very favorite places to go..."

BEACH HOUSE!!! Dallin yells out...

"Do the letters spell it out?" I asked with a smile...:)

Yes they did!!!

And as they put the letters together, they were still unsure of what we were saying, so I handed them the small gift box that held individual gift cards to Disneyland. :)

In shock, disbelief, and pure JOY they all jumped around...Are we going to the Beach House and Disneyland???

Yes! I said...RIGHT NOW!!!! So go take these awesome gifts that Santa brought you and go pack a bag! We are going to the beach !!! They were sooo excited and literally in disbelief. They kept on stopping what they were doing and came over to give me hugs. Thank you Mom! You and Dad are the BEST!

Their excitement, enthusiasm, and gratitude was priceless. :)

So, we literally loaded up in the car and drove away...and Yes, those exhausted sleeping faces popped out once again. :)

 We stopped for Chinese for our Christmas dinner in St. George (Fa Ra ra ra ra, Ra ra ra ra. ;) and spent the night in Mesquite. Then headed on the rest of the way to the beach house on the day after Christmas. What a FUN surprise and wonderful way to celebrate Christmas and the end of one AMAZING year, by being with the PEOPLE you love in a place that you love! It was the best and we seriously may have a new tradition on our hands!!! We will see what next year brings!!! It was definitely a VERY Merry Christmas!!!

It's All About People

 People, people, people...

This Christmas, our gifts to each other, and our Gift of Time this year was all about PEOPLE!!!

 I surprised Kambriella and checked her out of school to take her to see the play "A Christmas Carol" at the Hale Center Theater that her friend Julia was playing in...She was so happy and SO surprised! :)

 We participated in secret service by helping to provide the 12 days of Christmas to a family in our ward, just to see the smiles on their faces...:)

We also met up with our good old friends The Penrod's and stayed the night at a hotel in Salt Lake!

 Catching up on life and things was so so good to do. We enjoyed eating out, playing games, and just talking and talking...

 The kids loved swimming...(even though we weren't the only ones with this great idea...;) 

The swimming pool was packed!

 Jessica and Kambriella are so cute together, just like bosom buddies. :) And the way they include Kesslyn in their play, and act like her little mother is just too cute! 

 They literally could not get enough of each other...

 ...or the water! :)

 We also experienced something that we had never done before...

 Lights at Temple Square BEFORE the sun came up!

 That's right! We left our hotel at 6:15 in the morning and had  almost the entire place to ourselves!

With hot chocolate in hand, we set out to explore temple square WITHOUT the crowds of people and it was AMAZING!

 The lights are so fun to see, but with the giant crowds of people that go there at night, it can sometimes be more work to not lose each other than anything. So, going early in the morning when everyone else is still snug in their beds, we were able to enjoy the lights AND not worry about losing each other! :)

It was so peaceful...

 We even took time to walk around and see all of the nativities that were displayed from around the world...

 I loved seeing the diversities in culture and their depictions of Baby Jesus...

 You realize just how alike we all are...although we may seem different on the outside, we are all just trying to get along in this life the same as any other family...

 ...and we all want to come unto that sweet Babe...our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 As the sun began to rise, we knew that it was time to get ready to head back to our hotel...but I will never forget the simple pleasures of those early morning moments at the lights...

 I just LOVE the Light!

 When we returned back to our hotel, we sat down to a delicious gourmet breakfast of waffles and omelets and everything yummy to fill our tummies. We all knew that even though our time together was short, it was worth every second. When you have friends like these, you will take whatever time you can get together... so we all felt blessed. 

 Upon returning from the hotel, we went straight to our church for the funeral of Kelsey Stone. With a loving and supportive crew, we were able to serve that sweet family and provide the luncheon for their family after they returned from the cemetery..

As I look around and see all of the angels that are out there among us, my heart finds joy and overflows with love for these beautiful women. We have covenanted to and are oh so willing to "mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort..."

It's just what we as women in the church desire to do...

 I have such a great love for each one of these beautiful women and the desires of their hearts...they are such great examples to me and I truly count them as my sisters.

Once again, my Christmas seems to be all about PEOPLE.

 As soon as we finished cleaning up and returned home from the funeral, we piled in the car and drove to the Trickett Family Christmas party in Roy! Clint's sister Ginger hosted the party this year, and here she is with her brother's (minus Chad who is in Japan).

 Cory even flew in with his boys that we hadn't seen in years, and it was so good to get to spend a little time with them. :)

 The next morning was Sunday! Our beautiful Christmas Sunday! We went to church and listened to angelic voices singing praises to our Infant King! It was beautiful and I loved feeling that beautiful Spirit of Christmas!!!

As soon as we got home from church, we piled back in our car and drove in a caravan down to our cabin and spent an evening of food, fun, and games there with another one of our favorite family friends the Christensen's! We love them so much but never get to spend very much time with them, so this was yet another Christmas blessing and Gift of Time to be with people that we love so!!!

 On Sunday we just visited and talked, and played games and talked...had dinner and treats and talked and talked. :) The next morning the kids all found themselves playing outside in the snow...:) Just the perfect thing to welcome in Christmas Eve morning. :)

 We ran down the driveway pulling sleds, and chasing wild turkeys...

 ...and then we would trek back up it. ;)

 Dallin found an old pair of skis in the garage, and used 2 mops for poles and tried his luck at going down the driveway too...but really...it didn't work out so well.

But we DID have a great laugh out of it, so I considered it a success! ;)

 When the sleds began to crack, we started using giant garbage bags for sleds. Kesslyn could NOT believe that "her sister was IN the garbage!!!" :) We laughed and laughed, and laughed some more...;)

 The boys played around and sledded in the frozen stream bed...

 ...and after more food and fun, cleaning up and packing up, we headed back home for a Christmas Eve at home. And let me tell you...this sight of sleeping children in the car was all too familiar this year as we squished in as much TIME with the people that we love as we could! We put our hearts and souls and everything we had into making TIME for what mattered most...people that we love.

And as much as I wish I could have had another months worth of time for even MORE people that I love, I am truly grateful for what I get, and the thoughts and loving memories of times past with other loved ones also filled my mind and made me feel happy at Christmas.

 I am so grateful for the relationships that we gain here while we are on earth, and that those relationships can be perpetuated beyond the grave. The reality of that statement means so much to me with every passing day, and every life lesson that is experienced and learned...

I can't wait to build our mansions all on the same street with all of the people that I love when we all get to heaven one day...;)

...but it's certainly going to have to be a long, long street. :)

Happy New Year 2019!

 Happy New Year 2019!!!

As we have said goodbye to 2018, so much has transpired and there is so much to reflect upon, and yet so much still to do!!! I have LOVED recording daily the happenings, promptings, lessons, and inspirations that I have received, and using this space for my journal, and a place to record my testimony...for when I have taken the time to record these things that are special and precious to my heart, I have been blessed and my cup of gratitude has overflowed...

Both life and death took me away from this computer space for the last few weeks as I tended to preparations for funerals of close friends and neighbors right before Christmas. I am grateful for the calling of relief society president that has placed me in positions with opportunities for unique and loving service, and for tender moments of deep and personal tutoring by the spirit.

Feelings have been tender, and Christmas and the spirit of Christ rang ever so clear to me as we celebrated the literal TRUE meaning of Christmas. I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement for each one of us.

 Months ago, we as a family also decided to forgo any gifts we would give to each other for Christmas this year as we would spend more of our time focusing on PEOPLE and not THINGS...this has proven to be a greater blessing than I could ever describe or ever would have imagined...as life and events and as days passed by, we could see so clearly how it really is the PEOPLE in life that matter most. 

We surprised our children with the gift of TIME and set off on Christmas morning for a beach house in Oceanside, California where we enjoyed our very precious TIME with each other until returning home tonight, January 1st, 2019. And while we were away, I was happy to complete the reading of the Book of Mormon as challenged by our sweet prophet Russell M. Nelson in the Women's session of General Conference just this past October. 

He said, 

 "I invite you to read the Book of Mormon between now and the end of the year. As impossible as that may seem with all you are trying to manage in your life, if you will accept this invitation with full purpose of heart, the Lord will help you find a way to achieve it. And, as you prayerfully study, I promise that the heavens will open for you. The Lord will bless you with increased inspiration and revelation. As you read, I would encourage you to mark each verse that speaks of or refers to the Savior. Then, be intentional about talking of Christ, rejoicing in Christ, and preaching of Christ with your families and friends. You and they will be drawn closer to the Savior through this process. And changes, even miracles, will begin to happen."

I testify with all the love in my heart that Jesus Christ lives, that He and our Father in Heaven know us and love us, and desire to be with and bless us. I am amazed at the amount of love and gift giving that they continually pour out upon us, as I see and feel their hand in my life. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ, I am so honored to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I feel greatly blessed to have the knowledge and blessings of the temple and eternal families, and I feel connected to and the power of the Book of Mormon in my life each day. I love our beloved prophet and the excitement of these last days...all that is transpiring and the amount of help we are receiving from beyond the veil...

I am blessed to have my best friend at my side as I conquer each day and face it with wisdom and faith beyond the abilities of my own...I know that I am so loved and a daughter of God sent here to succeed, and I am excited to experience each new day with the powers of heaven at work by my side.

It is an exciting time, and I am so glad to be here today to experience every minute of it! ~And like our beloved prophet has said...I am going to "get my rest, and take my vitamin pills" so that I can be ready for what is to come!

It's a Happy New Year...Bring on 2019!!! :)