Christmas Recap

Christmas Eve is traditionally a very special night at Grammy and Grandpa's and this year we held a wonderful Fake Christmas Eve earlier in the month at Greg and Andrea's house. Their house was beautifully decked out for Christmas and the food was fabulous. We had a wild nativity. (But if you want to see photos to prove it, you'll have to follow the link.)

So on real Christmas Eve we called in the skeleton Summerhays crew. We had Greg, Andrea, Will, Max, Claire, Jennifer F., Jonny and Haley over for a traditional turkey dinner. I only got one picture of the evening. Macy truly loves Jonny and Haley and instantly becomes super hyper when she sees them.


Christmas morning we knew we were in for a good day when this was Macy's response to the first candy cane she pulled out of her stocking . . .

Before:


After:

Macy wanted to play with the things she unwrapped and we had to persuade her to open another present. The hit of the day was the toothbrush that plays music.

That afternoon we went to Tom and Mine's adorable house for some crazy fun.

Opening presents:



And the Fifth Annual Pinata (which has become a much anticipated Christmas Day tradition)

Before:


After:
We had a magical day and hope yours was too.

Merry, Merry

We were supposed to prepare a musical number for our family Christmas party. Macy practiced for weeks beforehand to memorize her favorite tune. Since she tends to freeze up around crowds (and because we didn't want to tote her piano to the party), we just pre-recorded her performance. Please enjoy, Have a Very Macy Christmas:



If you like this, go out and buy David Tolk's Holiday CD (or download it from iTunes). It's quite simply the best Christmas album ever. Macy's working on his version of Good King Wenceslas for next year because it's her dad's very favorite Christmas song.

Photos (and I mean A LOT of photos)

We took 173 photos for our Christmas card this year. We went to Murray park and let her loose. And she ran . . .


And played with the geese .
And we caught the expressions I try to burn into my memory every day. The faces we don't normally capture in pictures. The looks that make up the day.




And I am reminded just how priceless pictures can be.

Christmas 2008

Christmas Trees

Macy made searching for the perfect tree magical for me. She ran up and down the rows laughing and laughing. She LOVED it.
And then marched right up to the tree.

Yep, the big tall one.

I wish I could have captured the awe on her face when she turned around and saw the tree on the car.
And with fond memories of the theme trees my mom used to create for us, we got Macy a little tree and decorated it with her animalz. Unfortunately, only the gorilla remains. A lone animal left to fend for himself.

What Goes Around, Comes Around

Yesterday, I went out to my car to get the goods from an earlier Target trip. I was wearing only my shade undershirt and jeans, no shoes. Macy tried to follow me out and turned the lock on the door handle. Locking herself in and me out.

So very, very similar to JD a few weeks ago, in the window I went. This time instead of me laughing at JD, it was Macy laughing at me. But lucky for me (and all of you) she didn't have a camera.

Now, I am really grateful we got locked out that day. I knew a quick way to get into the house before Macy got upset or into trouble. I am also lucky that I had the window open to air out the bacon smell from Monday's dinner. I have been vigilant about locking the windows after posting on the internet how to easily get into our house.

Meeting Mr. Claus

2007

Macy's 2008 meeting with Mr. Claus started out just like 2007 . . .


. . . but ended with a scream.

Gratitude

"Gratitude is a Spirit‑filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God. Through it, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God's love. This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction. When we communicate gratitude, we can be filled with the Spirit and connected to those around us and the Lord. Gratitude inspires happiness and carries divine influence."
- Bonnie Parkin

Keeping this gratitude journal has changed my attitude. I really felt like I had a good attitude before but I now truly feel the incredible extent to which I am blessed. As I looked at everything I could write about I no longer saw what I don't have or wish I did.

I am grateful for the transformation expressing gratitude has made in my life.

Let it Begin

I am so grateful for the Christmas season. It can be a crazy time of year but on the whole people are kinder and happier. And I love that we celebrate the birth of our Savior. I love all the music so closely tied to the emotions and memories of Christmas. Some of my favorites lyrics are the latter verses of Away in a Manger.

I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay be my side
'Til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus
I ask Thee to Stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray

Bless all the dear Children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there

Digital Cameras

I am so grateful for digital cameras. It is so wonderful to take as many pictures as you want and edit them. I have been working on Macy's Scrapbook online and it is such a fast, fun and easy way to create.

I can't wait to finish it.

Happy Thanksgiving

"The pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving."

-H. Westermayer

I am grateful for the pilgrims' quest for freedom of religion. For the sacrifices they made to journey to and settle America. I am also thankful they had the inspiration to set aside a day of thanks despite all the hardships they faced.

Sunshine

I am so grateful for the gorgeous, warmish weather we are having. It is fabulous.

In the Still of the Night

Every once in a while, Macy will wake up crying in the night and allow me to rock her. These are precious moments. I hold her tight as we rock in the still of the night. She nuzzles her head on my shoulder and tickles the back of my arm. As we rock back and forth, my heart swells.

I offer a silent prayer of gratitude for this incredible little spirit that Heavenly Father allowed to come to us. In the still of the night, I concede that the wait to get her here was a small moment considering the treasure we have received. And if we live worthily, she's ours for eternity. How grateful I am for this knowledge.

Emma and Joseph

Our Relief Society lesson was on the beautiful letters Joseph wrote to Emma. The letters showed so much love and tenderness. It was a wonderful view into their relationship.

Their lives were incredibly difficult. The trials they endured are unthinkable. I am so grateful for them both.

** The book available at Seagull and Deseret Book is made up of the actual letters. Our RS teacher said it is basically a duplicate of the lesson manual but has pretty pictures.

Winning and Losing

I am grateful that the Jazz won tonight. Although the BYU vs. Utah game went well for everyone who came to watch the game at our house, it wasn't so pretty for us. So, at least the Jazz ended our night on a good note.

I would also like to publicly rat Jenn out as the craziest fan. She was sweating, her face was flushed and she had to take several timeouts throughout the game. Hilarious!
*Brooke, Katelyn & Rosie showing off the huge pizza

Dream Job

I am so lucky to have my dream job. The hours can be long . . .


But the pay can't be beat.

Friends

I have had so much fun this month seeing and talking to several friends from high school. I am also so excited to go to lunch with my friend from Merck. I am so blessed to have these friends. I am so grateful also that my best friends are the members of our families.

Two Big Blessings in Little Bodies

November is national adoption month. I feel so strongly about adoption because both sides of our family have been blessed greatly by it. Two adorable and hilarious nieces. They don't come any cuter.

The Mirror in the Girl

Now that Macy talks a little bit and role plays a lot, I'm learning more about myself. I must say "yeah" and laugh a lot on the phone. I love to see how much she kisses and hugs her dolls. And if anything goes anywhere near the toilet she yells "no,no, no!!"

But as a parent I have also learned more about my relationship with my Heavenly Father. This has been a significant blessing to me for which I am very grateful.

A few days after our most recent miscarriage when JD had just returned from another trip to the emergency room for kidney stone pain, I was feeling a little forsaken and not much like praying. I felt that praying had become a useless exercise for me. I've been praying for years for JD to be relieved of the excruciating pain he lives with daily and for us to be able to grow our family. I felt that there was little use in me praying for what I wanted and felt we needed. Obviously, my will was not God's will, so why keep asking?

That morning I was washing all of our bedding and Macy was devastated to see her beloved blanket go into the washer. She was lying on the closet floor sobbing. I kept trying to pick her up and comfort her but she wouldn't let me. I said to her, "I'm right here, let me comfort you." And in that instant my heart softened and I realized that my Heavenly Father felt this way about my stubborn resistance to come to Him. This was a turning point in my healing.

The Places We Go

I am so grateful for all the fun places Utah has for kids. In the past few weeks we have been to the Discovery Children's Museum, the farm at Thanksgiving Point, the little Dinoland at Southtown, and library classes. Before the month is out we will probably also visit Wheeler Farm and the Zoo.

We are so lucky to have all these places close and most very affordable.

My Grandma

Today we went and visited my Grandma, Anna Laura. She is 91 years, 10 months old. She was so happy and grateful for her family and the care she is receiving living at my aunt's house.

I am so grateful for her and her example.

Locked Out

I am thankful we were locked out of the house today because I have not laughed this hard in a long time.

JD to the rescue, new suit and all.

Creativity

I saw the following quote from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf on a blog I like to read (kellymccaleb.typepad.com).

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty. Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty. You might say, 'I’m not the creative type. When I sing, I’m always half a tone above or below the note. I cannot draw a line without a ruler. And the only practical use for my homemade bread is as a paperweight or as a doorstop.' If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative being in the universe. Isn’t it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God? Think about it—your spirit body is a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination. If you are a mother, you participate with God in His work of creation—not only by providing physical bodies for your children but also by teaching and nurturing them. You may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us. The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter."

I am grateful for the divine gift of creativity. For me, the strong desire to create comes in waves. There are times in life when I'm not into creating and other times when the desire is overwhelming. The past few weeks I have had trouble sleeping because I am thinking of new projects and trying to decide which I want to do first.

In the picture above, Macy is wearing the skirt I made for her. It is the easiest sewing project out there. But I was so thrilled with it, I can't wait to make another.

The J-Dizzle

I have been looking forward to this one all month. I am grateful for JD.

He is long-suffering, patient, and passionate. He is a guardian of truth, a thinker and philosopher. He truly loves and seeks to protect the English language. When he does something he seeks for perfection. He believes in the golden rule and really lives it. He is an involved, loving and fun dad. He is quirky and obsessive compulsive. He is brilliant. But what truly won me over is he is funny.

JD is my best friend. Macy and I are very lucky to have him in our lives.

Good Night

Tonight I am thankful for a nice, soft, warm bed with clean sheets. I'm exhausted, Good night!

Prayers

I am grateful for all the prayers for the missionaries throughout the world. We love and miss Grammy and Grampy so much. We know their load is heavy. It is so reassuring to know so many prayers throughout the world are said on their behalf as part of the force of missionaries seeking to bring others the gift of the gospel. We are so proud of them.