SLEDDING 2011

Who knew you could snowboard down a hill on a saucer...Christian apparently.



David getting ready to go again!



Jensen having so much fun! He never had been sledding before so it was so fun to see our typically hesitant boy to grab his sled and fly down the hill. I am not saying it didn't take him some time to go down again, it did but eventually there was no stopping him.



Dad and Julianna worn out.....



and here she is having fun again!

Like Him or Not.....

these were inspired words by our President:

"These men and women remind us that heroism is found not only on the fields of battle. They remind us that heroism does not require special training or physical strength. Heroism is here, in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens, all around us, just waiting to be summoned"

"As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let’s use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy and remind ourselves of all the ways that our hopes and dreams are bound together."

"After all, that’s what most of us do when we lose somebody in our family -– especially if the loss is unexpected. We’re shaken out of our routines. We’re forced to look inward. We reflect on the past: Did we spend enough time with an aging parent, we wonder. Did we express our gratitude for all the sacrifices that they made for us? Did we tell a spouse just how desperately we loved them, not just once in a while but every single day?"

"So sudden loss causes us to look backward -– but it also forces us to look forward; to reflect on the present and the future, on the manner in which we live our lives and nurture our relationships with those who are still with us."

"We may ask ourselves if we’ve shown enough kindness and generosity and compassion to the people in our lives. Perhaps we question whether we're doing right by our children, or our community, whether our priorities are in order."

"We recognize our own mortality, and we are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this Earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame -– but rather, how well we have loved and what small part we have played in making the lives of other people better. "

"And that process -- that process of reflection, of making sure we align our values with our actions –- that, I believe, is what a tragedy like this requires.
And I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us. "

check, check, and check

Airplane Tickets-check

Hotel Reservations-check

Fun Planned-definately check

Days Like This

On days like this I am grateful for my husband who every Wednesday morning lets me sleep in and makes chocolately cereal for the children.

On days like this feeling appreciated without even realizing you are is an unexpected surprise.

On days like this getting a surprise leaves you in tears of sadness because you weren't prepared for it.

On days like this relief from a trial makes your day and leaves you wondering what was I supposed to learn from it so I can become a better person.

On days like this you love your children more than you can describe.

On days like this you try to let someone down gently and hope they can understand.

On days like this you are grateful you are inclined to rely on the Lord more than yourself.

On days like this you are happy to be in service of your fellow man.

On days like this you are glad you have a box of tissues and chocolate available and pass on the chocolate because it feels that bad.

On days like this you are grateful for words of warning which reemphasizes decisions already made.

On days like this you are grateful for friends with a listening ear and sympathetic heart.

On days like this you are glad you can make someones day becasue it is the bright spot in yours.

On days like this your heart sinks because what you felt was true but didn't want to be was actually true and to see your child feel betrayed and feel like they can never trust again is enough to break your heart.

On days like this you want to climb under the covers and never come out.

On days like this you realize there is another day ahead of you and are grateful for it on DAYS LIKE THIS!!!

Of the Things that Matter Most

Every year at this time I have a "new year resolution" but it isn't really a resolution it is a thought or feeling I keep with myself all year. This years thought comes from a talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf called Of the Things that Matter Most(you can read it here ) and the quote that has stuck with me from the moment I heard it was this.... "In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e"
I always feel like it can be more time but I can't add hours to the day but I can take time in the moments with them. To look them in the eyes and say I love you, to read them just one more story, to sit down and eat breakfast with them instead of running around getting ready to head out myself,to turn the music off in the car and talk. We can't build relationships with anyone without taking the time and so for this year time is what I am giving to the Lord, my family, and my friends.