Gifts given

Where did December go? We have been busy with recitals, parties, school programs, holiday traditions, and our travels, so no wonder its been about a month since I updated. Kylie did great with her piano recital. I couldnt find where the fetch she was mixed in with a billion other kids in her school program, but saw a lot of our cute neighbors. Daniel went to Toasts program and said he sang his little heart out. We made our traditional graham cracker gingerbread houses, visited the Christmas village, read our Christmas stories each night, walked around the neighborhood looking at all the yuma snowmen(inflatable) and all the twinkling lights, we listened to a million Christmas songs, delivered gifts, and then headed up to my beloved Utah. We spent 2 days in Logan with the in-laws, and then 2 days with my family. Daniel thinks we are at the point were we should travel up after Christmas, but since he is the unselfish one in our relationship, he drives us up each year so I can spend my most favorite day with my family, doing all the Christmas Eve traditions that make it my most favorite day, and then doing Christmas morning with grandma and grandpa.

I love getting gifts, and I love giving gifts, and I love seeing my kids light  up with excitement over their new treasures. I love getting new jammies, I love the new book my mom gives us Christmas eve, i love the kids acting out the nativity. I love love love Christmas! And I love the traditional love note I get from Daniel on Christmas mornings. truly that's my most favorite gift each year. I'm seriously so lucky to have this guy in my life.

Each year we kinda struggle with what to give my parents. They say they dont "need" anything, so we kinda scramble to find something that will be useful or meaningful...but I have noticed that each year my siblings and I seem to give my mom updated pictures of the grandkids- which she loves- but they always end up in her office, crowded on the counter. SO I emailed my siblings- and we formed a plan. This year we created a picture wall with the pictures of each grandchild. I took a few shots while we were up there for Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law took a few and sent them over to me, and another sister in law sent me ones she had done of her baby girl, so we printed them all up, framed them and wrapped them up for Christmas morning. It was really a joy to see my mom open each picture and see those sweet tender feelings come through her facial expressions. That was part one.



my mom is always busy. she works full time and on her off day she is busy cleaning, shopping, serving and the like. So i knew, as did my siblings, that she would love the pictures, but unless someone took charge, they wouldnt get hung up for a while. so part 2- was getting them hung up. First we had to have her approval on where to hang them all. Counting our Phineas and another baby on the way, my parents will have 30 grandkids. So we needed a BIG space. I gave my mom some options, and finally at 10 pm on Christmas night she finally decided which she liked best. I told the 2 guys how it was to be done, and Daniel and my dad got to work measuring and hanging it all up. I loved how it turned out, and loved that my mom and dad loved their gift this year.

I find it pretty amazing that my parents have raised 7 kids, 5 of which were boys..and that each of us..while we have our challenges and struggles and have given them many many gray hairs through the years..and continue to do so...we each have a testimony of the gospel, each of my brothers served a mission, each of us were married in the temple, and each of us are doing our best at teaching our children as well. I often get a little nervous wondering if my kids are gonna end up making good choices through their lives. I hope each of my boys will serve a mission, I hope each child will have a firm testimony of the gospel, of the plan of salvation, of the love their Father in Heaven and their savior Jesus Christ have for them, i hope they get married in the temple and have as much joy in their marriages and families and i have in mine- but I know they all have their agency, and that even if Daniel and i are teaching them, they may choose another way... and that thought kinda breaks my heart to think about, but I look at my parents and I think.... they did it.. and I have hope. My parents have never been blessed with riches when it comes to the worlds standards, but i look at my family, my siblings, their families and I think wow- they/we are rich indeed. we have each other, we have the gospel and that is something one cant put a price on.
Anyway- I hope that as my parents see this grandkid wall each day that they will know how much they are loved, how grateful my siblings and I are for them, for their influence, for their testimonies, for the way we were brought up and taught and loved. As i looked at that wall I just couldnt help but think of what a great legacy my parents have. 30 beautiful grandkids who are all being taught in their youth..and that it wouldnt have been that way without them. That was really a fun project/gift to give this year.
SO now that Christmas is done, we are on to the next adventure.
We bought a house!!! We've been renting this one for a couple of years and while its a good house, its TOO big for me. I am not a fan of stairs-especially when pregnant, and hate going up and down with a million loads of laundry, and hate hauling the vacuum up and down as well. So I am excited to have a house that will be easier to clean, one that fits our family a little better, and one that will be ours... I have a zillion projects already planned out for my dad to come and help us with and then when its all said and done- we will be getting ready for our little Phineas to start the next great adventure.
So for this next 3 weeks, I am trying to organize and clear out the clutter and unneeded items. Goodwill here we come. And I of course cant move into a house without an extreme Kimmy style scrub down. Daniel is so good to just roll with me on this, as he knows I become obsessive compulsive and with the added wacked out hormones I kick it up a notch from extreme to extremely extreme, but its gonna be GREAT!
SO if I slack in the blogging dept again this next month- I will play catchup when we are settled into our new home.