Christmas Eve

Every Christmas Eve we go to my Grandma's house. We eat dinner, do a nativity, dance around the Christmas tree, and exchange gifts.

Brock played baby Jesus in our family's nativity. He did great (especially being held like a "little baby") He didn't wear the "swaddling clothes" so he kind of looks out of place. But he didn't cry or fuss once during the whole thing.



The whole cast


My family is from Norway, and we have actually kept many Scandinavian traditions. One of them being dancing around the Christmas tree. (you can kind of see it in the background). Every Christmas eve the whole extended family dances in a circle around the tree while singing Christmas songs, we mostly sing carols and hymns, but we end singing a Norwegian song, none of us know the words, but we do know how to mumble and dance! We think it is great - those who marry into the family (i.e. Jason and Travis) think it is weird.


This is my sister Katie and her cute Audrey!

Christmas Morning

My parents gave him a rocking horse (his name is painted along the bottom on the other side)


Opening presents with mom

We spent the night at my parents house and opened presents Christmas morning. Brock is at a great age for opening presents, he LOVES tearing paper and cardboard boxes, so he was just in heaven. I was so excited about the rocking horse, I had one just like it when I was little. I loved my horse, I have several pictures of me falling asleep while on the horse. (My name was also across the bottom ((I hope i am not living vicariously through him :) ))

Thoughts on Christmas

I have been thinking a lot about Mary the past few weeks, and the role she played in the Christmas story. I would like to share them with all of you.

I think that sometimes we expect God to just take care of things, or make them easy. I think we expect this a lot more when we feel that we are doing his will. We think things like, "If God wants me to ______ then he will do_________." But if you take a look at Mary and her attitude you will see a true "hand maiden of the Lord." Mary was pregnant with the Son of God, the Savior of the World. This was absolutely God's will. On the night of Christ's birth Mary had traveled to Jerusalem with Joseph. As we all know there was no room for them in the Inn and she gave birth in a stable and laid Him in a manger.

Now if I were Mary I would probably have a few thoughts running through my head. 1 - I would probably be a little mad at my husband for not ensuring I was taken care of. After all I AM pregnant and he is supposed to provide for me. I might be mad that he had not made prior arrangements or couldn't figure out how to make sure I had a suitable place to deliver our baby.
2 - I might be a little mad at God. My prayer that night might say, "God, this is your Son, this is your will, you asked me to carry this child, and now, tonight, you have not even provided for me. Did you forget about me? What about what I want? I am willing to do what ever you want me to do, but why is there no room in the Inn, why did things just not fall into place?"

I am grateful to Mary to teach me what true humility is. I am grateful that we have the beautiful Christmas story, and that through her obedience, grace, and understanding, she was not selfish or prideful, but willing to quietly give birth to her son, my Savior, in a stable. I pray that when things aren't going the way I think they should go, rather than blame someone else, I will have the quiet strength, faith, and courage to truly be "an handmaiden of the Lord."

Things I learned from Super Saturday

I am the Second Counselor in our Relief Society - and as such I am in charge of enrichment, which means I was in charge of our Super Saturday for Christmas. It was a few weeks ago, but I am just now recovering, so I am only now able to reflect on the things I have learned. I thought I might share them with you, knowing many of you might find yourself in a similar situation.

1 - You don't need 500 different crafts, although you might want diversity, most people sign up to do all of them, and then they don't have time to actually do all of them, so you waste money buying the stuff.

2 - Once Saturday has ended - end it! Do not do make up days, or continue to let people buy stuff - this only increases your chances of going over budget, and in the end you will not be able to make everyone happy, and it isn't fair to just make a few happy.

3 - Don't ever reduce prices until the day of - it will just be a nice little bonus if they get there and don't have to pay as much. Last minute spending is always more than you thought.

4 - Delegate. I say this with a little bit of hesitancy. I had plenty of people volunteering to help, but I just wanted to do it myself. I know that if I did it again, I still wouldn't delegate much, but it is still useful advice. Looking back, I guess, there were some things I could have given up control of.

5 - Don't expect to get your own crafts done. I actually thought I would.

I hope this was a little helpful (and humorous to those of you in my ward). I loved Super Saturday and am glad I got the opportunity to participate. I am proud to report I have finished all of my crafts and stayed within budget (it got a little scary at the end).

Temple Square

I love temple square any time of year. To be honest spring is my favorite time, but the holiday lights would have to come in at a close second. Although it was cold outside, Brock handled it very well.

Ward Christmas Party

We went to our ward Christmas Party last week. We had a nice dinner, got family pictures taken, and Brock got to sit on Santa's lap. Jess took some great pictures (as always)!

Our family picture.

The ward Christmas party was on December 8th, my birthday was on December 9th, so that is what we did for my birthday. I think i just need to know that every year for my birthday i will probably be at some sort of Christmas party. I guess it is ok because i love Christmas. Jason did make me breakfast that morning, and then we went to my family's house for Sunday dinner, so all in all it was a good day.

Thanksgiving

Life has been crazy. I have had no time to blog. But I plan on changing, so I need to catch up.

Thanksgiving was so wonderful! Jason's whole family came to town. The whol family hasn't been together in 4 years, and the 4 grandchildren have never been all together. We were only all together for like a total of 14 hours, but they were a wonderful 14 hours. I din't get a lot of pictures of the family, but we tried to get a picture with the grandkids and Jason's mom. Here is how they turend out.

I've been Tagged - NOW AND THEN

I know everyone has pretty much been tagged - but this was really fun and nostalgic - I definitely recommend. And if I brought back any great memories - make sure to leave a comment!

Favorite movies:
Childhood: Mary Poppins, Frosty the Snowman, and Wizard of Oz
Elementary/Middle school: Clueless and Now and Then
High School: Empire Records, and A Walk to Remember
Now: The Notebook and the Bourne series

Favorite TV Shows:
Childhood: Today's Special, Little Bits, and David the Nomb
Elementary: Full House, Saved by the Bell, and Boy Meets World
Middle School/High School: Dawson's Creek and Friends
Now: The Office, 30 Rock, and Law and Order SVU

Favorite Books:
Childhood: Little Critters and Sarah Plain and Tall

Elementary: Sweet Valley Kids
Middle School/High School: Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones and Go Ask Alice
Now: Any church book and still Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones

Best Friends:
Childhood: Jamison Robert Harrigan and McKenzie Foisey
Elementary: Niki Engh, Jenny Rasmussen, Karli Curtis, and Katrina Hammond
Middle School: Karli Curtis, Katrina Hammond, Megan Wray, and Alyse Hair
High School: Karli Curtis, Katrina Hammond, Megan Wray, Megan and Nicole Hair, Jason Herbert, and Tom Sorensen
Now: Jason Herbert, Karli Bell (Curtis), Katrina Taylor (Hammond), and Megan McGary (Wray)
Note: Although Karli Curtis made it all of the way through the list - we were best enemies until college :)

Boyfriends/crushes:
For the most part mine are all "boys who were friends" rather than "boyfriends"
Childhood:Ryan Garretson (crush), Jamie Harrigan (friend)
Elementary/Middle School: Joey Ulrich (friend - but for the first time I am going to admit a deep dark secret - I always had a crush on Joey - yes Katrina I lied to you for many year - I ALWAYS liked Joey, ever since third grade, I have never told a soul, I figure we are all adults now, so there you go), Jake Rosevear (Friend), and Conner Egan (Boyfriend - for like a week), Lucus Burbank (friend)
High School: Jason Herbert (Boyfriend), Tom Sorensen (friend), Bryan Roylance (friend)
Now: Jason Herbert (HUGE CRUSH)

Hobbies/Games/Past-times:
Childhood: Barbies, house, Nintendo - I always had to be the princess :)
Elementary: Barbies, What-sha-ma-call-it (inside joke), gymnastics, softball, spin the bottle (yes in elementary, we played in Joey's backyard all the time, and we kissed on the hand - EEW), night games (kick the can, sardines, ghost in the graveyard), sleepovers and going toilet papering
Middle School: Stage Crew, Video Productions (go Knight Vision), hanging out at the mall (trying on prom dresses), doing makeovers and taking glamour shots
High School: mostly falling in love with Jason (you all said i would regret spending so much time with him... well... I don't! :), scrapbooking, embroidering, exercising, going on drives, and gaining my testimony
Now: scrapbooking, cooking, playing peek-a-boo (and all other things baby:), being with Jason, organizing

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy

When Jason feeds Brock, it seems that they are unable to either keep it on the spoon, or keep it in his mouth. I had enrichment, so Jason had to feed him his cereal that night. I guess he got so messy, Jason felt the need to take pictures. (Notice the cereal on his Bumbo and leg) He LOVES his cereal, and loves even more that he gets solid food. So today I gave him his first, non cereal food, avocado puree, and he did not love that. He wouldn't even swallow it. Funny baby!

Halloween in West Virginia

These are our other nieces and nephew from West Virginia. Jamison is a Care bear. Kaleb and Alaana are clowns with their parents, Jon and Marissa. We are sad we don't get to play with them, but they are all coming for Thanksgiving, and we are excited to spend time with them!!!

A Bat in the Night

Brock and Jason carved the pumpkin.



Brock and Emma - She was a butterfly

Brock - Bat, Audrey - Dora, and Emma - Butterfly

We went to my mom's house for Halloween. Brock was the cutest little bat. (Thanks Karli and Payton for the costume!)

What is Blogging?

I thought I would do one that reveled something about myself- rather than just Brock. (I still exist as a separate person... I think anyways??)

My thought for the week is... What is blogging??

At first I did it to keep up with family, old friends, and my ward friends that are moving to all ends of the country.

Then I thought, "Blogging is nigh unto journalling" - right? Can I really pass off my blogging as a righteous endeavor, am I keeping my family history? I have decided... yes. I'm going to print them off and keep a hard copy - now I can claim to keep a family history. yea!

But as with everything - opposition in all things. I have discovered the negative to blogging. I think we all want to post our "best selves", our vacations, beautiful houses, fun trips, cute babies, and brag about our wonderful lives. And while that is all well and good - I find myself thinking that every one's lives are glamorous and mine is...well...not. I find myself being envious and thinking, "if we just had more money" or "if we moved" or "if we were older".

So there you go. My thoughts on blogging. I think it is wonderful and fun- as long as I keep it in perspective, and count my blessings everyday.

If you have any insight - please leave a comment - I would hope I am not the only one with internal struggles.

(oh yea - it has improved my typing skills) :)

Just For Fun

I think he looks so old in this picture.

Farmland

I swear to you he was happy - I just could not get him to smile at me!



We went to farmland at Thanksgiving Point this week. For the life of me, Brock would not smile in the pumpkin patch. But I think his non-smiley face is cuter! (Only a mother's love...) I am so excited for next year when he can actually do all of the fun things, and he will have a fun time. But for now, I just pretend he has a good time. Luckily he is a good baby so i just take him everywhere.

Family Football Game

Go Bengals! Go Michael!

fun in a laundry basket

Why do we buy toys??

Mother's group

The mother's group (well the ones at that activity)




For another mother's group we went up to sundance and walked around. It was Thursday so I had Payton Bell with me (Karli and Skyler's cute little boy). We had a great time. I just love the other mother's in my ward and it is so wonderful having a day to get together with them. Brock is getting so good at sitting and he also likes "playing" with other babies. He feels their faces and tries to hold their hands - it is so cute.



My life in a few years (Or on Thursdays)

These two are going to be great friends!
(Brock's like "Waz up yo")


So cute!

My friend Jess takes GREAT pictures. Thanks!!!

Audrey and Brock

Brock went through a phase of sticking his tounge out instead of smiling.

Finger Sucker

Men are that they might have joy

As I am trying to put Brock down for a nap I often get frustrated because he doesn't really like to sleep. And when he does sleep it usually isn't for very long. So I have a lot of things to do in a very short amount of time. So when he gets tired and fussy I am eager to get him down so I can take a shower, eat breakfast, clean the house, do homework, make dinner, work etc. So when he is not eager to go down, I easily get a little frazzled and just wish he would sleep for a few hours. When he finally falls asleep, I set him in his crib, and sneak out of the room. Twenty minutes later, still at the beginning of my checklist, I hear him screaming. I think to myself, "no, go back to sleep, I am not ready for you." I let him cry for a while, hoping he will fall back asleep. When it is apparent he is not going back to sleep, I go into his bedroom, a little bugged that I did not get my to do list accomplished, I peek over his crib railing and see this:



At that moment my heart is filled with absolute complete joy, and I think to myself, "Why have you been sleeping so long, I missed you so much!" He smiles at me, and my checklist fades away into the back of my mind, I pick up my son, and spend the next few hours singing songs, reading books, and desperately trying to make time stand still.

Every moment of frustration, sleepless night, bitten nipples, ruined shirt from spit-up or poo, every day I go to bed with a messy house, or dinner not made when Jason gets home... It is all worth it just for that one second that I peek over his crib railing and get that moment of utter joy, and I know what life is really all about.

I love being a mother and I am grateful to Heavenly Father for letting us have this experience.

Just when I thought I would never sleep again...

Sleepting at Flaming Gorge


Sleeping on Dad

Sleeping with Mom


Brock LOVES to be swaddled TIGHT!!

For a little background, Brock started sleeping through the night at about 3 weeks, and then about 4 weeks ago he had a bad night and woke up every hour... and he has been awake ever since!!!! I found this last month to be more exausting and frusterating then when he was first born, for a few reasons:

1 - when he was first born I expected to not get any sleep

2 - when he was first born I knew he couldn't go without eating for that long

But now it is so frusterating because he is just awake for no reason, he doesn't want to eat, he is just... awake!!! Not to mention we have both been sick, so neither of us were getting better. I was at the end of my rope!!!

And then... without any warning... he slept all through the night on Wednesday, I didn't want to get too excited, but then he slept through the night last night! I am finally feeling better now that I have had a good night sleep.