Sam's Pictures and Swimming Suits

Sam decided yesterday that taking pictures is really fun. In fact, he's going to be a professional photographer when he retires from his football career. (But they have to play every single Sunday, so maybe he'll just play in college.) He took some pretty cute shots that I thought I would share.Love the eyes, if we could just get past that little speck of chocolate...

You can see she adores grandma and grandpa's dog, Maddie.

And then there is Emma who got a new swim suit this week. (Crazy 8: fun new website, reasonable prices) Every morning she begs for her swim suit, and chases me around the house until I will find it for her, unless she is feeling ambitious, and she finds it herself. But then I am still met with the plea to help her put it on. And then if we have to go somewhere that she needs to be fully clothed (which would be anywhere we go seeing that the temperature has barely crept above 10 degrees this whole week.)she promptly tells me, "I'll wear it under." The other day I said, let's go outside, and she ran to the coat closet and pulled out the hat. I'm sure that will help:)

My Family

I have a goal to blog once a week. I haven't even looked at my pictures from Christmas, or from when my parents were visiting. But, I did look through these pictures we took when we were in Pocatello for a Lester family Christmas gathering the weekend before Christmas. Can I just say how much I adore my family? I don't know that a person could be as fortunate as I am to have such a supportive and caring husband with a great sense of humor. He's such a great dad, too. I don't know where to begin with the kids. I just adore every single one of them. I'm so blessed.

Look What I Did

Mom. this is mostly for you. When my mom was here for Christmas we had to visit the quilt shop in town. They had the most darling line of coordinating fabric and I got this brilliant idea that I would make aprons for the girls. Of course, I have lots of brilliant ideas like that: the quilts for the boys room, purses for the cousins, the nativity set like the one we had growing up... I was thinking that the chances of getting these done were pretty slim to none unless I really got after it. So, I spent the last two nights sewing until midnight, and I have some pretty cute aprons to show for it. I quite like my creation. Clearly, I left some room to grow, but these little models could make anything look good!

*Please note that the top binding around the neck isn't finished. I didn't want to wake the girls up at midnight to be sure it fit over thier heads right.

Christmas Cards

If I had sent Christmas Cards this year, this is what they would have looked like.

I hope you've all had a Very Wonderful, Fabulous, Merry Christmas!

Our Life

The View From My Front Windows. Can you beat that? If you can, I'd love to see. Gingerbread House Time. I'm not sure where more candy ended up - in the tummies, on the floor, or on the house. It still remains one of my favorite Christmas time traditions. Thanks to the convenient kits, it's easy to do with 4 kids. BTW, the tinkerbell there is a daily thing.

1985 versionLove this picture of Amelia at dance. She's a great little dancer, and follows instructions the best her little body knows how. She LOVES to dance and do gymnastics.

Is it really possible that my boy Sam is old enough to have his own pellet gun? Hunter's Safety starts at age 9! I would love not to be that nervous mom, but I'm not really quite sure how. I know that guns are only as dangerous as the people who carry them, so it is my hope and insistence that Sam be educated and careful. I know Nate will have nothing less than that as well.

9 candles on that cake!?!?!?!?!?! Isn't he getting so handsome? Where does the time go? Just today, while we were playing "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader," Sam knew that the Andes were the highest mountain range in South America. Are 3rd graders supposed to know that already? He's such a smart, charming, and busy young man.

What I Love About Christmas

The First Presidency Christmas Devotional

Lights on the Christmas Tree

Setting up the Nativities

I got this one this weekend. An early Christmas present because I'm spoiled. It is absolutely breathtaking. The expressiveness of the gestures of protection and love inspire me. It is an amazing work of art.

This one is made from the lava/ash from Mt St Helens. Nate got it when he went to Washington to be with his brother when their baby was born very prematurely.

This one is from Guatemala. Nate got it when he went with Hirsche Smiles a couple years ago.

This is the one I started collecting for the girls to add a touch of Christmas to their room.

And then my very first Nativity is at Nate's office. The Boyd's Bears just fit the theme there.

Buying Presents

Christmas Parties

Getting together with Family

Christmas Cards in the Mail

Holiday Colored M&M's

The Magic and Goodness that Springs from Every Soul all month long

Baby Jesus

Lights Everywhere

Christmas Music

Baking cookies, breads, and other treats

Wrapping presents with pretty bows

The Messiah

Most of all, I love Christmas because I love my Savior. I love to celebrate His Life, His Mission, and the Light, Love, and Happiness available to all of us because of Him.

Snow

OK, I'm back. No excuses.

We've really been waiting for some snow here. When we hadn't had much by Halloween, we were a little concerned, although not too sad. The girls and I have been loving our "recess" out on the tramp, and walks at the state park. But, this good thing (the warm weather) was destined to come to an end. And an end it has with 6 inches of snow overnight. But with every change in the weather there are new adventures waiting. It wasn't even 8:30 am when the kids were all tracking down their snow clothes to go play in the snow. And of course, it took longer to get Emma dressed than she lasted outside. But, a few cute pictures later, and a picture of Nate's unsuccessful attempt at taking the car to go help at the wrestling tournament this weekend (love the truck), Emma and I went inside while Mia and the boys fought over who got what shovel, I mean, worked on a snow fort.Next time we have two truck loads of gravel dumped in our driveway we'll check the forecast :) They didn't quite leave enough room for us to get by.