Christmas in Michigan

This year was our families first year to be away from "home" for Christmas. Having just been home and visiting both of our families I wasn't sure how it would be not being with everyone for Christmas. Turns out it was quite nice. Not to say that we didn't miss everyone, but I didn't miss spending most all of Christmas day in the car racing from one place to the next. Christmas Eve we made Candy Cane Cookies, set them out for Santa along with some carrots for Rudolph and the reindeer. Then tucked the girls in bed. Eric and I stayed up waiting to see if we could catch Santa, but were zombies on the couch relaxing until 2:30am and didn't have any luck we Santa.

We had a leisurely morning arising at 9am unwrapping presents and playing with them as we went along. Both girls insisted that we have breakfast before unwrapping presents. You know what's on their minds when they wake up. Who cares if the room has magically filled with presents during the night, we want our Reese's Puff's and Cheerios!!


Sadie got big into opening presents and started handing out and unwrapping what she could. It was fun to watch her rip individual pieces off and take 5 minutes to open one present. It was fun to watch her do it herself. One of Brooklyn's first comments was "can I open it now? It's Christmas!" I loved it when we were asking her about Santa and how he came in, she ran over to the fireplace and tried to look up and see if he was still there. He wasn't but she sure looked hard to see for herself.

After taking the morning easy we headed over to a friends house to have a Christmas lunch/dinner with them. Worked on a puzzle together, ate some good food, Eric played a round of ping pong while Brooklyn and Sadie chased Brownie (a king Charles spaniel) around. Then we returned home and enjoyed some of the benefits of technology and had video conversations with both of our families. So in a way we still got to be together for Christmas, even if it was just a conversation through our computer monitors.
I had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed being able to relax with my own little family. I hope you had a very merry Christmas too!

Thanksgiving, Birthdays, Haircuts, Misc.

Exciting birthday presents a camera and everything your baby doll could possible need!

Brooklyn's 3rd birthday cake.

Happy Birthday Eric!

Our 2nd Thanksgiving dinner at Zehnder's the largest restaurant in America it can seat 1500 people at once! The food was great too!


Sadie's ready to go swimming! This was our Thanksgiving day adventure. I'm too young to have to cook dinner all by myself! :) So we went out instead! Mike came and brought Rachel and Rebekah with him. We had a great time!

Brooklyn's First Haircut. I actually did it myself! It was so long and would get caught in her seatbelt getting buckled in. It was time for a trim!

Christmas Service

Today I was asked "what time are you going to church on Christmas?" I was quite surprised and had to really stop and process what I was asked. (Yes, I still am adjusting to the culture out here, it's not like Utah.) I responded with an "I don't go to church on Christmas, I just go on Sunday every week." From the surprised expression on her face I told her that we have a special Christmas program on the Sunday near Christmas, but that we didn't have an actual service on Christmas, unless it fell on a Sunday. This thought crossed my mind, why don't the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints go to church on Christmas and Easter? It seem that the rest of the christian population (my knowledge is extremely limited as far as who goes and who doesn't) heads off to church on Easter and Christmas. That if you're going to go to church at all Christmas and Easter are definitely the times to go. It provides me with something to think about. Any thoughts?

Midnight Ponderings...

I can't believe Brooklyn turned 3 today, well yesterday considering it is after midnight. The time passes so quickly. Pregnancy seems like it will never end and then it does, one final push and it's over. There you have your beautiful baby in yours arms never again to have a life you can completely call your own. Your new calling of a mother is something that will never be taken away. You wonder if the sleepless nights will ever end. (here I sit on a night perfect for me to be sleeping and yet here I sit at the computer). You are anxious for the first bottle, the first time rolling over, the first crawling, the first step, the first tooth. Soon you know it and all the big firsts have come and gone. In the blink of an eye your baby is no longer a baby as another beautiful baby has entered your life. Then you start all over with another set of firsts and wish the major accomplishments of the older child will slow down. Realizing all too soon that childhood is such a fleeting thing, never appreciated enough to truly understand how precious and wonderful it is to be a little child. The wonder of the world seems to fade as we get busier and busier. The beauty of children is that they draw the wonder back to you. "What's that thingy?" says Sadie. Or "What's that sound Mama?" asks Brooklyn. "Look!" Never a dull moment, dull insect, dull rock, dull pile of dirt, dull frog or snake or ladybug, they all filled with awe and wonder. I wish I could not get caught up in stupid things that don't matter and really, REALLY, take the time to explore and learn as quickly as my daughters do the beautiful things that surround me. To take the time to stop and take in all the scenery to see the little ant crawling on the sidewalk, to see the dead dried up worm and actually stop and look at it. To take pleasure in climbing trees, hiding in forts, dancing because it's fun, and wearing what you want without feeling silly in public. Where do all these obstacles to letting ourselves be ourselves come from? They didn't seem to bother most of us as young children. I hope I can be more like my children and take joy in the simple things, the things I don't notice by myself and not worry about how others might perceive me and just let me be me.

As Brooklyn has recently commented to Eric, "let Mama be the boss." Sometimes you just don't want to be the boss anymore. Sometimes you wish that someone else can step in and do it all for you. On occasion it can and does happen but it doesn't last. Usually just long enough for me to pick myself back up, try to brush all the dust off and begin again. If we could be as resilient and forgiving as children how much offense would be taken in the world? Would we hold a grudge for long periods of time and drive ourself crazy? I don't think so. Sometimes I wish my biggest concern would be that I didn't want to have a birthday party because I don't want all my friends to eat all the cake (as said by Brooklyn). I need to make life more simple and know what will make ME happy!

Where have you been and Thanksgiving

Let's face it sometimes it's just not worth taking the time to really do my hair and put on my makeup. On the occasions that I do, today for example, Brooklyn woke up from her nap and told me that I had pretty eyelashes. The she looks at me while pondering for a few seconds and then says "Where you been?" I guess I only wear it when I'm going somewhere. She's an observant little thing.

For thanksgiving this year Eric's dad flew out with a couple of his nieces Rachel and Rebekah. We have had a blast. We drove to an indoor water park and got soaking wet, ate 2 thanksgiving dinners/meals in the same day, enjoyed playing the Mario Kart on the Wii and Attack of the Killer Bunnies. Not to mention who can get the most M&M's using a straw. That's a challenge with 7 people smashing their heads together trying to get one small package of M&M's. The funniest part was Sadie got in close enough like she was going to use her straw but just looked back and forth at everyone which cracked us all up. I could hardly get in between Sadie and Eric, next time I'll use a longer straw.

But we have had a blast! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!