December House

I am quiet in my soul.

Peaceful and Grateful.

This was a very good season.

Three little Christmas Houses remind me of the cold and blustery day in November that my Mama, Ashley and I (with little Poppy) ventured out to Nell Hill's in search of Holiday goodness.

Candles burned all month long.

Evergreen, pumpkin spice, and peppermint crush were the scents of this season.

New stockings!

Before we ever had children I purchased the bow and flower stockings at an after Christmas sale.

Each and every year I would lament the fact that I didn't make new stockings to accommodate our growing family.

This summer, unbeknownst to me, David dug the two stockings out of our tub of Holiday decor, and took them to a very talented lady who created two new matching stockings for my boys!

How very very thoughtful.

You bet I cried when David presented them to me this October.

New Books!

My favorite Christmas gift.

Admittedly, they never get a lot of action the morning of.

There are other shiny new things.

But books are friends that last longer than all the other toys and goodies.

Last night at 10:30pm, Roman snuck into my room with his new book.

We read about Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne by the light of my lamp.

He loves that Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel Mary Anne.

I am looking forward to the new year, but sort of want to hang on to the last bits of loveliness this December has been.

so well loved

A sister makes life infinitely more interesting.

Toys thoughtfully displayed around each blanket, carrier, swing and chair.

A song in the morning,

and a parade of ponies in the afternoon.

I've thought about hiring a professional...but then I wouldn't have access to pictures like this:

Oh Friends.
See that little Tasmanian Devil front and center?
This might be the roughest Christmas picture yet.

Fantastic Indeed

After Thanksgiving, we headed down south to watch Kyle play basketball.

(Tis the season!! YAY Basketball!! YAY Kyle!!)

We totally stopped by Fantastic Caverns.

"America's Only Drive Thru Cave!"

I love the picture they take when you enter.

Roman is covering his head with his hood, he was a little nervous the whole time,

and my brother Kevin's face is awesome.

Leave it to him.

...only those labors where the sacrifice is greater than the reward.

We had just come from a soccer game.

I had 2 shopping carts and 4 kids.

David showed up about 10 minutes in and saved me from shopping alone.

(But not before he hid in the produce to take these pictures ha!)

The kids were actually well behaved on this trip, but I suppose we were still a sight to see.

Twice that night, we received less than encouraging remarks from strangers.

Dude...why are strangers so hostile?

One lady told us we should stop having kids :)

Um. Noted. Thanks.

I was feeling a bit discouraged...maybe embarrassed.

I guess I care what strangers think, dang it.

The resolution to this internal conflict came just a few days later.

I listened to President Monson's retelling of The Mansion during the Christmas Devotional.

(if you want to hear the story click here, it begins at minute 5:20)

Why is this message so easy to forget?

I don't know. But how blessed I feel for the reminder.

I say to myself,

"Will you be paid twice?"