2nd Annual YW Christmas Dinner

So, when you do something two years in a row it becomes an annual thing, right?  

I absolutely love our annual Progressive dinner with the Young Women.  I can't even begin to tell you how amazing they are. It is always such a great night to have a little fun, remember our Savior and spend time with one another.

Our leaders are so wonderful, too.  Each and every one of the them love the girls with their whole heart.  I can't even tell you how many blessings have come to me from serving these beautiful Young Women and with these beautiful Young Women leaders.

Tacky Sweater!

Friday was one my most favorite days of the year-- Tacky Sweater Day!  It was said that I looked like the mom from Home Alone.  It seems like you can almost hear me yelling, "Kevin!!"

And, Then My Life Changed

Over Thanksgiving, I was digging around in my unorganized tub of pictures looking for something super specific when I found this picture from a company party.  It was taken on August 10, 1996.  The night before Jessie was born.  I was so excited.  I went running in to show Jessie.  I was yelling at her, "Look at this picture.  It was taken the night before you were born.  Do you hear me? THE night before you were born.  Look at it!"

She was kind of puzzled and let me know that she didn't understand what she was looking at.  Of course she didn't.  She is nineteen years old.

I feel like this picture represents my life as I knew it.  All normal and carefree.  Then, the next morning, I woke up and out of nowhere, my life changed forever!  Okay, it wasn't out of nowhere, but it was earlier than expected.

Then, I found this picture and it kind of makes me laugh.  Most people look at their newborns with that new mother glow.  Boy, I did love her and I was so happy to be a new mom  But, this was one stubborn baby.  She was six days old in this picture and I didn't feel like we were ever coming home from the hospital.  I think I was staring her right in the eyes and trying to will her to take that bottle.  Trust me, that approach didn't work then and it doesn't work now.

Before August 10, 1996, life was fun.  It was filled with hanging out with friends.  We went wherever we wanted whenever we wanted.  We played in the lake on the weekends and went to every movie that was ever made.  I used to see a lot of movies.  We used to just hang out.  Doing nothing sometimes.  Or maybe we went out to eat.  There was a time when I knew each of my friends' usual orders at all of our favorite restaurants.  Life was easy.  We didn't have anyone to answer to.

I wouldn't change a thing, though!  I'm so glad that I woke up on August 11, 1996 and had my life changed forever.  Those little people (that aren't so little anymore) have added lots of love, laughter and happiness into our lives.

2014 Memories - Christmas at MaMaw and Grady's House

Last year, we celebrated Christmas with my side of the family on December 27th.  We had so much fun that I hardly took any pictures at all.  Here are a few of the pictures that I took, but seriously, I didn't take a bunch!

Cute Cousins!  Jessie, Lainey (my brother's daughter) and Logan (my cousin's son)

Logan entertaining Lucy and Sue

A thumbs up from Jessie

Lainey checking out Jonathan's new game

A Look Back at Christmas Morning 2014

Last November, I posted my 30 Days of Gratitude and then I started a recap of Thanksgiving.  After that, I took about a 4 month sabbatical from my blog.  I can't even give you a good reason.  Mostly, I got behind and felt overwhelmed.  I never recapped Christmas.

So, I'm going to start December off with a few pictures from Christmas morning at our house last year.

The stockings were hung with care.  We had a couple of extra stockings (that you can't see) for Grandma and PawPaw Larry.

Here is our modest little tree.  There were more presents tucked around the corner.

One of our favorite ornaments

A house divided.  Most of us are dog people.  And, then there is Jessie.  She is cat people.  

We enjoyed having Grandma and PawPaw Larry spend Christmas with us last year.  We had such a nice Christmas.  We tried to make it a very memorable and special Christmas for them.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 30

I am so thankful for this beautiful time of the year and the opportunity to celebrate Christmas.  I am thankful for the time that we take to celebrate our Savior's birth. I am also thankful for this time when people are a little bit kinder to one another.  

"Christmas, my child, is love in action.  Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas."

-Dale Evans

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 29

Ordinary, simple, everyday life is all the more beautiful because of the people God has placed in our path. - Sophie Hudson

These are my people and I love them!  Friends are the family that you choose, and these friends are so perfect for us. I thank my Heavenly Father for them each and every single day.

I hope you enjoy some of the older pictures, because I just couldn't resist!

Jonathan and Ally - they are both 15 so they've known each other since the day Ally was born (she is a few months younger)

Ally and Jessie - love these girls!

Madison - I always say that she is the life of the party!

These kids are all related except for my two, but they've always made them feel like family

The Garstka's - Dave and Fred were great friends before I even came into the picture.  And, then we all met Angel!

The Millers - Dave's sister, Debi, her husband, John and their two girls Laura and Katy (Katy's not pictured-- although she is in the bowling picture above)

The DiSpignos - Dave's childhood best friend, Abie, moved to town after graduating college.  Of course, we adored him and so did the kids.  He left the area when Jessie was in elementary school and moved back to Chicago.  You don't even know how happy we were when he moved back several years ago.  He also brought us Stacey.  They are now married and have Isabella.

I am so thankful that Fred and Dave met and set the course for all of these beautiful, sweet friendships.

The Palmers - we met Tony and Kelly at church and we are so very thankful for their friendship.  They have been so good to us.  I always give Tony lots of credit for helping Fred find his way back to church and for that reason these two will always have a special place in my heart.

Jessie, Jonathan, Corbin, Conner, Fred, Tony

Corbin and Conner belong to Tony and Kelly

The Moffitts - We also met Rod, Ruth and their daughter, Jaiden at church (not pictured are Emmi and Jaxon). First of all I could just eat Jaiden up with a spoon.  I love her and her family so much.  They are all pretty darn amazing.

We love hanging out with the Palmers and the Moffitts.  We couldn't ask for better friends.

Some people make your laugh a little louder, your smile a little brighter, and your life a little better.

P.S. Jonathan looked at this post and I asked him if I missed anyone.  He told me that I missed the "family of the family."  That would be Dave's parents, Angel's parents, her sister and brother-in-law and their kids.  And, he is SO, right.  We have such great people in our lives.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 28

I am thankful for the amazing female friendships that I have in my life.  Each one is so sweet and important to me.

"True friendship is like the asphalt of life, it fills the potholes, and makes the journey smooth."

-Richard G. Scott

Ruth and I with sweet Nicole

Here is Kelly and Ruth.  (I didn't have a picture of Kelly, so I high-jacked her Facebook and then cropped people out of the pic-- I'm sorry for cropping those sweet faces out of the pic!)  I truly love these two beautiful women.  They teach me how to be a better wife, mom, leader and daughter of God.  They are Christlike women that I look up to.  I am thankful for their influence in my life.  I love them so very much.  Those two BFFs have a beautiful, sweet friendship that is very rare.  I am thankful that they let me in their little circle.  They bless my life and they are so very precious to me.

This is Cara or Yeates as I sometimes like to call her.  My heart just bursts with love for her.  When I first started serving in Young Women's with her, I thought to myself, "where has she been all my life?"  Then I realized, she's been just around the corner from me.  She literally lives just around the corner from me and I've missed out on her greatness, because I thought she was too hip to hang out with me.  She is funny, tender and sweet all at the same time.  Mostly, I appreciate how funny she is.  I love funny people.  I also appreciate that she appreciates my kids.  Those people have a special place in my heart.

Yeates sporting Wildberry (her pet name for me) on her Temple Walk shirt.

 My crazy, sweet co-workers.  I need a picture of Lisa Galvan, because she is just one of the best co-workers, ever.  I love her dearly.

Sarah, Lynn and I at Vision Expo last year.  I have the best co-workers.

 These are the Young Women Leaders that I serve with.  I love every single one of them and I feel so blessed to serve our Young Women with them.

  

Last, but certainly not least, I have known Heather, Angela, Tanya and Gracie for a very long time.  Our dear friend Abie brought Stacey (shown below) into our lives kind of recently.  I have so much fun with these ladies.  Every single time I'm with them, I laugh until I cry.  I do things that are absolutely insane.  We always make sweet and funny memories together.  It all started when two college buddies named Fred and Dave walked into a miniature golf place called Mountasia.  They decided to fill out an application.  They met two employees that happened to be best friends-- Angel and Gracie.  It took a little while, but eventually Dave and Angel married. All of these ladies were on a soccer team together when they were little called the Blue Birds.  I belonged to Fred.

Of course, there is also sweet Debi (Dave's sister).  Love her to pieces!  You really need a family tree or a road map to follow along.  But, these are my people and Heavenly Father put these people in my path when I was just a young woman to help make me a better person.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 27

I love note cards, cute pens (Flair Pens and Pilot Frixion erasable pens are my favs).  I love Washi Tape, stickers and self-inking return address stamps. I love the way all of these things make a note look and feel special.  I always say that it's all in the details.  One day, after I'm gone, my kids should make that into a meme.  I just love sending mail!  I'm sure the post office thanks me for it. Most of all, I love the way it makes the receiver feel.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to send notes that maybe make people smile. I'm thankful that I'm pretty good about getting birthday cards sent out, because people really enjoy feeling loved on their birthday.  

"Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today but the recipient will remember them for a lifetime."

- Thomas S. Monson

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 26

On this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful for my family.  I am thankful for my family that is near and far. I am thankful for the family that has already left his earthly world. There are so many family members to be thankful for that I couldn't show them all here!

We love our family so very much and don't know where we would be without them!