Birthday Pics

A few shots of my big 4 year old girl on her big day. It honestly was the perfect day, I do believe. Friends and family+ fun games and creative pursuits+ the perfect food+ lots of hanging out. I'm hoping for the same great kind of day later this week when we ring in the New Year.
**Addie isn't necessarily rocking the mouthful of marshmallow look. I didn't really get decked out for the 4 year old bash (aka no makeup and I maybe ran a brush through my hair). I'm not sure any of these pictures capture anyone all that well. But it's for posterity, right?**

Jingling all the Way

Addie had her first preschool program for Christmas, and I was so glad we went. It was almost not to be due to a little illness, but we completed her first antibiotic shot in the nick of time and she felt up to performing. The kids sang a few Christmas classics, and ended with a visit from Santa himself. Addie was not interested in sitting on his lap, because in her words, "I already sent him a mail letter." Here are a few distant shots (hopefully you can find her in the crowd-she's in the cream sweater on the front).

December Recap

In case you've been waiting around for pictures from the Relief Society Christmas party, it's your lucky day! Candis was a total rockstar with the decor, and the food was delicious (a menu of garlic/onion pork loins, roasted vegetables, spinach salad, and rolls- yum!). It was one really long day, but people are still commenting on the great time they had, so I think mission was accomplished in a great activity. Or maybe I just thoroughly embarassed myself dancing The Nutcracker with the rest of the Relief Society presidency, and showing my song and dance skills when Candis and I performed Sisters a la White Christmas. I've already started thinking about March's Enrichment...

Lovely lights draped across the gym added to the mood.

Notice the awesome tissue paper poof balls, and the trees wrapped in lights. Shout out to my mama for helping wrap those trees in lights.

Candis, Ella, me (scantily clad due to my ballerina number shortly before) and Bonnie

Glad Tidings

May your hearts be full, your homes warm, your travels safe, your meals delicious, your stockings stuffed, your nights peaceful, and your thoughts turned to the babe who began it all.

The 411 on the 4-year-old bash

Addie had a great time at her party Saturday. I thought I'd share a few of the details in case anyone is planning a winter soiree for the younger crowd.

We went with a snow theme with the original intent of playing outside in the snow, but temps that were forecasted not to hit 20 made us change to an indoor snow theme. We started off with some great low key party games: pin the nose on the snowman, snow ball (instead of hot potato, using a bag filled with ice cubes), and a snow ball relay where they tried to keep cotton balls on spoons while racing.

Decorations were a la Candis, I must say. I used poof balls leftover from our Relief Society party, this banner, and a half dozen red and white balloons. I'll share some pics of the poof balls on another post soon.

We had a few fun crafts. I let them loose with glue and cotton balls and instructions to create a snowman on construction paper, and there was some impressive creativity. We also made these (and they turned out too cute, if I do say so myself) and we ran out of time for these, so I think they'll be pulled out as a Christmas day activity.

Lastly, the kids enjoyed these cute and festive treats, although Addie requested pink cupcakes and pink snow (frosting), so ours were a little different.

Watch for some pics coming soon with the birthday girl enjoying party mayhem.

Joy to the World

I've been thinking about this post all month, so I'm glad I'm finally getting a chance to put it into words. As far as Christmas hymns go, Joy to the World had become one of my favorites. I can’t sing it without hearing the full Tabernacle choir and orchestra in my head, I can’t sing it without feeling like I’m proclaiming the greatest truths of the gospel to the world, and I can’t sing it without tearing up as my heart is full with the joy I feel knowing that my Savior HAS come and the He will come again. In the first verse of Joy to the World, one phrase that always hits me is “let every heart prepare him room.” I’ve thought a lot about what that means. It’s significant to me because although there were no inns with room for the Savior, we all have the opportunity to make room for Him in our hearts, always, but especially at the Christmas season. Last year my big epiphany was how the holiday season works together to testify of Christ- I become grateful and my heart is softened at Thanksgiving, my heart turns to my Savior at Christmas and I long to become more like Him which prepares me to make goals at the New Year to repent and improve. This year I realized that I didn’t want to wait until the New Year to improve (although I’m sure I’ll take stock then and set goals once again), but I wanted to give my own gift to the Savior throughout the Christmas season. I wanted to prepare my heart to have room for Him. As I have made room in my heart for Christ, I have become aware of changes I need to make so that He can have room to dwell there and be comfortable in doing so. It's been a humbling process, but one that has brought me great joy.
I also loved the following excerpt from this talk by President Eyring. It's changed my perspective greatly.
"Jesus gave his gift freely, willingly to us all. He said, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself” (John 10:17–18). I bear testimony that as we accept that gift, given through infinite sacrifice, it brings joy to the giver. Jesus taught, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). If that warms you as it does me, you may well want to give a gift to the Savior. But he seems to have everything, doesn’t he? Well, not quite. He doesn’t have all of us with him again, forever—not yet. I hope we are touched enough by the feelings of his heart to sense how much he wants to know each of us is coming home to him. We can’t give that gift to him in one day or in one Christmas. But we could show him today that we are on the way. If we have already done that, there is still something left to give. All around us are people he loves, and he wants to help them—through us. One of the sure signs of a person who has accepted the gift of the Savior’s atonement is a willingness to give. The process of cleansing our lives seems to make us more sensitive, more generous, more pleased to share what means so much to us. I suppose that’s why the Savior used an example of gift-giving in describing who would finally come home to him: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: “Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. … “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matt. 25:34–36, 40). And that, I suppose, is the nicest effect of receiving great gifts: it makes us want to give and give well. I’ve been blessed all my life by such gifts. I acknowledge that. Many of those gifts were given long ago. We’re near the birthday of the Prophet Joseph Smith—December 23. He gave his great talent and his life that the gospel of Jesus Christ might be restored. My ancestors left home and familiar ways to embrace the restored gospel—as much, perhaps more, for me as for them. And so what shall we do to appreciate and to give a merry Christmas? “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matt. 10:8). I pray that we will freely give. I pray that we will be touched by the feelings of others, that we will give without feelings of compulsion or expectation of gain, and that we will know that sacrifice is made sweet to us when we treasure the joy it brings to another heart.

Sweet Adelynn

Today Miss A is the big 4! I've been totally sentimental (in true mom style) thinking back to Addie joining our family. Tonight when I was finishing up her bath I was telling her about cuddling with her for the first time 4 years ago and all of the people who came to see her at the hospital. Kids just love hearing their own story- she was thrilled listening to the parade of hospital visitors and how I was so hungry after I had her and dad brought me a smoothie and what a good big girl she was. Oh, those sweet first moments.

She and I have really had a struggle the past few months. Just in the past week she pulled the stubborn card so hard that we ended up with 3 days in a row of antibiotic shots in lieu of the "yucky pink medicine" she just couldn't stomach to combat her ear infection. Now I'm crossing my fingers it really goes away so we're not in for more rounds of daily dr. visits to administer any more medicine. But despite our power struggles, she really is an amazing girl. She's funny and creative and sweet and has quite an imagination. She loves a good book, a good coloring session, a good movie, and a good tickle. She's ecstatic to visit the library, the ice cream store, and her cousins. She is the queen of treats and pork tacos. She is a deep thinker and a great conversationalist. We had a great day together today, and I put a lot of work into it. It made me realize that if I put a lot of work into everyday, we would probably have a lot more great days together.

I am so grateful for Addie. I can't imagine life without my girl. Tonight we were in the car and she was singing I Am a Child of God and I thought about how it will be so different in four more years when she's turning 8 and she's probably singing the same song, but not as eagerly, and four years after that when she's turning 12 she won't be singing at all. I think 4 is going to be a great year. I can't wait!