New Beginnings - Seeking For Treasure

Stoddard Ward Young Women -
Danica is on the far right on her friend's back. I was not in the picture and I can't believe I didn't get a picture of Danica and me together in our pirate costumes!!!!

The YW doing their awesome skit (that I wrote!) - they did a good job.

The treasure chest we put all of our jewels in (faith, divine nature, etc) adn on the table you can see the little treasure chests with the WE Believe necklaces we gave the YW. We also gave them a plaque with the 13th article of Faith. You can't see them very well on the table.

The decorations.

The PORT OF VALUES.

More decorations.

The pirate New Beginnings. It was really fun and I think the YW enjoyed it. My talk went okay -I think- and we sang "Walk by Faith". The YW had never heard it before - it was one of my favorites when I was in YW's. And best of all - it is done and over!!! YEah - that is what i spent most of my week doing.

Life in Pictures

Funny Kids

We took the kids to see Tangled on Monday - a FHE activity and nice to spend the day with dad after he was gone for two weeks to Oklahoma City - anyway, it is superb!! Great movie. All the kids and even Jared loved it. As soon as we left the movie, Anders said - " I am BlueJean." And he was running around being a brave hero - and we laughed and laughed because he meant "Eugene" the hero of the movie. Tuesday, he was helping me make bread and he said " I have a really hard decision. I want to stay home with you but I want to go to school." I told him he could stay home with me (save me a trip and getting the baby up and in the car seat) and then he said "I know!!! You can come to school with me!" It was so sweet! He is so funny. He came up in the middle of the night while Jared was gone and told me "my voice hurts." That was really funny too.
Devaney has two teeth and she is a sweetheart. I love to cuddle her and she gives the best hugs. She squirms all over and loves to watch Anders running around jumping and fighting. Jared is finally home and I survived the two weeks of being a single mom. It was rough. Just trying to get kids everywhere they had to be was hard. And my house is finally clean. Sorry mom and Lindsay who had to stay at my house when it was disgusting. So, things are pretty good here.

Merry Christmas!!

Pictures

Visiting Santa Claus
Christmas Show at Abravanle Hall in Salt Lake City.

Waiting for the show to start.

My Christmas Tree.

Asleep in the high chair.

Danica's Birthday.

She wanted cookies not a cake.

Devaney looking soo big!!

Anders finger.

Myles babysitting.

Anders and Devaney Sword Fighting

A couple of days ago, Anders found some straws and was playing with them. I had put Devaney in her swing so I could do some batches of laundry. When I came back into the family room, Anders had put one of the straws in her hand and he had a straw in his hand and he was "sword" fighting with her. It was hilarious! She was smiling and him and seemed to think sword fighting was great fun too. I have the cutest kids ever!

Catch Up

I am at work so I can't post pictures - I will have to do that later - but I thought I would try to catch up on all the happenings.
The weekend before Thanksgiving we got LOTS of snow. Monday(after the weekend of blizzarding) I measured the snow in the front yard and it was 16 1/2 inches!!!! Tuesday the weatherman predicted another big storm and so school was let out early but we only got another 2 inches. But Saturday, in the blizzard, I had to drive down the canyon to take Anders to the emergency room - he slammed his finger in the door and it degloved the whole tip of his finger. I called Jared and he met us at the hospital. He got five stitches. Then Sunday I worked and so I stayed at the hospital since the roads were so bad- the nurses helped me put my Christmas presents for my YW together so it was still productive. Monday I got to drive down to the doctor again and once again it was blizzarding. Myles had strep throat- he got a shot in the behind. Poor kids.

Thanksgiving was wonderful!!! I didn't have to work Wed, Thur, Fri, Sat, or Sun so the kids and I had a great weekend. Wednesday Jared took Danica, Myles and Lynnaea in the morning to the shooting range to practice shooting their 22 gun. They all took hunter safety in november and all failed because they couldn't hit the target 50% of the time (they all aced the written part). Then that night Jared took the five oldest kids to a Jazz game (he found tickets the day of for $3.33 each). They were pretty excited. Thursday morning we watched Toy Story 3 together and then that afternoon we went to the Barney Thanksgiving dinner in Pleasant View. Friday my entire family (in the Utah area) plus my Aunt Laverle and Uncle Larry from Canada came to my house for a second Thanksgiving dinner. It was delicious and much fun. The kids had a great time playing and the adults visiting. That evening the adults played some games - Jared and I went to bed at 1:00am but my crazy siblings stayed up till 2:00am playing Settlers of Catan. Then Saturday, all my kids and Ana went sledding for 2 1/2 hours - they had a great time. After I made my kids clean the house spotless after all the company and then we went to see the play A Christmas Carol at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse. It was really good. I was nervous how my kids would do especially Devaney and Jared was at work so he wasn't there to help but they did soo good! They really enjoyed the play too. They are still talking about the ghost Jacob Marley. I had to go nurse Devaney for about 15 minutes of the play but before and after that she was super. It really was a fun holiday.

This Friday, Dec 3rd - the kids and I went to see the Weber State Institute Christmas Show. Lindsay came with us - and she sat in the middle with four of my kids while I sat by the aisle with Anders and Devaney. I was worried I might have to take Devaney out - she did get fussy but I just nursed her under a blanket. It was really fun. It had a hilarious song called Yingle Bells - reminded me of the song Derek and Brooke sang at Lindsay's wedding. Thanks Lindsay for helping me out with my kids!!!

Danica turned 12 on November 29th. I am in shock. I remember so well myself being 12 that it seems unreal to have a daughter that age. The YW in the ward went to do baptisms for the dead at the SLC temple on Saturday and Danica was old enought to come with us. It was really neat to be in the temple with Danica - plus my cousin Allan Walburger had sent us family names to do the baptisms for and so it was extra special to be doing our ancestors work. We walked around to see the lights on temple square after and I received a text from my mom saying my sister Kayli had a baby boy!!! No one knew she was pregnant!!! She was keeping it a surprise. Very easy to do since she lives in Switzerland so no one has seen her for the last year. But how exciting!! Devaney is surrounded by boy cousins - Sebastian, Jack and now Orrin. But now Brooke and Andrea are having girls in February so they can gang up on the boys. Plus, Lindsay is due in Aug so we will see what she is having.

Anyway, I think that is all. I will be sure to post pictures soon.