Ornaments

We have the tradition of making homemade ornaments every year. This year we had so much going on and just were not focused so they never got done. Before we tucked away Christmas we decided to get the stuff out and get them done. Alex came up with the idea of doing marbleized glass ornaments. I did some research and it looked fairly simple to do. It didn't end up being as simple as the directions made it seem but we still had fun. Alex and Andy even figured out a way to plug the top and wind your arm around as fast as you could to swirl it. We had a blast and can't wait to see these on our tree next year.

Prayers of the Heart

This holiday season has been one like I never knew existed. The hole in my heart was more pronounced and I could not get into the holiday mode. I had prayed that somehow I would have enough strength to survive Christmas and enjoy my boys. Well I woke up on Christmas Eve and the ache was gone. I still missed my little girl but I wasn't looking at the world through a gray cloud. It was a wonderful and spiritual weekend. (I will post more about the details of the holiday in another post.)
I need to write this experience down to remember that even through the darkest hours we are being carried and the Lord knows the desires of our heart. I had never spoken out loud my desires for Emma's headstone. I knew the finances just weren't there to get it in when I truly wanted it. I had it all designed mid-November and had planned on setting up a finance plan to pay for it. This is where angels come in. I had been praying for some way to have Emma's headstone in by her due date. I didn't know how this was going to be possible but I really wanted that. I wanted that chapter to be complete.
Well my prayers were answered. We had some generous friends and family give of themselves to make it happen. They had no idea that this was my prayer, I had not even told my husband. We had all of the money we needed and then some to even put in the vase Alex wanted. I am so grateful for those who have listened to the Spirit. You will never know how much your act of kindness means to me. Thanks you from the bottom of my heart!!!!

The Forgotten Present

A couple of days after Christmas I was in the store with my boys. I had a oh crap moment when Alex asked if he could by a Nerf basketball hoop. I realized we still had a present under the tree. It was Logan's present to Alex. We hurried home and let Alex open it. He was thrilled to find his own basketball hoop.

Service Stocking

We wanted to start a tradition to honor Emma every year for Christmas. We decided on a service stocking. We had a stocking for Emma on our wall and wanted it to be just as full as the others on Christmas day. Throughout the month of December we would do random acts of service and then write them on a piece of paper and put it in Emma's stocking. On Christmas Eve we read all of the things we had done in Emma's name.
That night Alex came up with an awesome idea. He said why don't we send the pieces of paper to Emma in a balloon. A few days later we took those pieces of paper and rolled them up into balloons and sent them off to heaven. It really made Christmas have a special spirit. It was great to watch all of our service going up to Emma. I am sure this will be a cherished tradition in our house.

Christmas

I have to admit Christmas was a lot tougher than I thought it would be. It was my mental mark I had given myself in my head that if I could just make it to Christmas baby Ras would be here shortly thereafter. Instead the day just brought with it a reminder that there would be no babe at the beginning of the year. It also brought a more reverent feeling in our home that if it weren't for a babe over 2,000 years ago we would have no hope of seeing sweet Emma again.
We were so blessed this Christmas with gifts dropped off at our house or gift certificates sent. We don't know who they are from but if you read our blog, thank you. It truly made our Christmas.

Waiting for the go ahead to go downstairs

The before shot

SCOOTERS!!

Our fam

Stockings

Opening presents

Riding the scooters


Nerf gun wars

Christmas Eve

We kept Christmas Eve simple this year with a family dinner and the opening of one Christmas gift. It was a nice relaxing evening to focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

Modern Santa

Santa has discovered technology and sent each of our boys, including Andy, an email. They were able to view a secret North Pole operation and he also had some words of advice for them. They loved seeing him!!






Then while Logan and I were at Wal-Mart one of Santa's helpers came to our house. I was so sad that Logan didn't get to see him. Alex's was looking out his window after we got home and noticed that Santa was at the neighbor's house. He put his shoes on and ran out to get him to come back. He is a great big brother. Logan loved seeing Santa twice in one day.

Our Christmas Card

I am sorry I have not been on top of it to send out actual Christmas cards this year. We truly have been blessed with such great family and friends who have supported us through some really dark times. Thank you to all of you!!!
Emma: Our sweet angel was born too perfect for this world. She has truly impacted our lives in a way I can not express. We will all try to live worthy of being with our sweet daughter and sister again.


Logan: He is a 4 year old firecracker. He started preschool this year and has loved every minute of it. He is all boy and loves big trucks, Bob the Builder, and any kind of ball. He is talking up a storm and wants to know where everything in our house has come from. He loves his daddy more than anything else in the world. He has such a tough exterior but he has really turned into our cuddle bug lately. His favorite thing lately is zerbet kisses.


Alex: He is in third grade and he was baptized in Feb of this year. He is really starting to grow up and it is making his mama sad. He loves to read. His daddy took him to a BYU football game this year and now he is obsessed. (Much to his mom's dislike) He has had 2 boys move into the neighborhood that have become his best friends. He is always outside exploring with them.


Andy and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary this year. We have been through a lot together and I am so grateful he has been by my side. He truly has been my rock the last little bit and I am so grateful for him. Right now we are just trying to figure out where we want the next 10 years to take us.


This year more than ever we are truly grateful for the temple and the promised blessings that are there. Eternal families has a whole new layer for us. Most of all we are grateful for our Father in Heaven and his son Jesus Christ. We hope you all have a chance to reflect on all the blessings our Savior has given for us. We love all of you and are grateful for each one of you in our lives.

Ice Skating

Logan has been asking to go ice skating for a while. I saw in the paper that they had a mommy and me class so I decided to surprise Logan with it. We had so much fun and he did really well. We will have to go again as a family.

Secret Santa

Our ward did a fun Christmas activity this year. Each family had another family in the ward that we would do secret acts of service for. The boys loved running to the door and then running away as fast as they could so they didn't get caught. They also loved running to the door when they would hear a knock hoping there was something fun waiting for them. One night the knock on the door came while I was home alone. The boys were so excited to come home and find gifts with their names on it. Thank you to whomever had our family. It made it a great Christmas!!