Christmas Morning

My mom made these fantastic pj's for all of the kids.

Merry Christmas

Then . . .



and now . . .

The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney With Care

The first of these 35 stockings was made by my great grandmother, "Granny" for my mother and aunt when they were little girls.



As they got married and had children, Granny made stockings for their families.



After she died, my mom and aunt continued to make them.



We now have three generations of these beautiful red felt sequined masterpieces. To me, these stockings are more than holding bags for Santa's gifts. They represent my family and the times I want to always remember. Though similar, each stocking is different and unique, just like it's owner. The first time it hit me that we had a "large" family was when I saw all of our stockings hung on the stairs in our Lexington house. I remember thinking, "Are all of those stockings ours?" I imagine my mom and aunt must have thought the same thing as they looked at all of our stockings this Christmas.

We Share Everything

Ruby and Aaron share clothes, toys, a room AND eye patches. (Ruby fell off a chair and put a chip in her cornea.) Seriously, what is WRONG with us!!

A Lovely Thanksgiving

We had a lovely Thanksgiving. We hosted Adam's family and Christy for a total of of 22 people. I was able to use my China and had a great time decorating the tables. I wanted the kids to enjoy a "fancy" Thanksgiving too, so I went to DI and purchased some China to use for their table. I was so pleased with how it turned out. Everyone pitched in so the cooking wasn't overwhelming and yet extremely tasty. Our beloved company stayed late into the night. We played games (including the name game) and talked. To me, it was a perfect Thanksgiving. Among many things, I am thankful to have in-laws I love and look forward to spending time with.

Turkey Trot

On Thanksgiving morning Caleb and I ran the Utah Human Race. It is a 5k fund raiser for the local food bank and the church's Humanitarian Center. The race was started by some good friends and has grown every year. This year, they had a several thousand runners and raised over 30,000 dollars. It was a great way to start a day of feasting. Caleb did an amazing job and really pushed himself. I was so proud of him. The raise was fulfilling on a lot of levels, but the best part was being able to experience this with Caleb. I hope Isaac joins us next year.