Happy New Year! Welcome 2010

We brought in the new year with our crazy kiddos at home. We let the kids watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail to get warmed up. (No worries, we skipped some scenes.) We thought they'd think it was stupid but to the contrary...they were bustin' a gut! That kind of humor never grows old.

Cheers with a little bubbly!

"What the honk?!?"

Maybe too much bubbly?

2009 was a BUSY and life-changing year. The year went something like this: We started the year with me in school, took a trip to Vegas in January for a boxing match; school, school, school; I started my preceptorship in L&D in March; road trip to Arizona in April; graduated in May; Curt and Debby visited; the kids started summer-break; our house flooded June 9th; I passed my national boards on June 10th; started working part-time; vacation to Yellowstone; Jake turned 8 and was baptized; 20th class reunion and vacation to Missouri end of July; vacation to Portugal in August; celebrated 15th wedding anniversary; kids back-to-school; Joe and I went back to work so we could pay bills after all the vacations; hiked to Summit of Timpanogos in September; Halloween festivities; Pie-Night; Thanksgiving with Tammy & Randy's family visiting; then on to the holidays and the rest is history! I'm tired just recalling it all.

It was a fun-filled busy year but we are grateful for all we did and especially all the people who made our lives wonderful. Thank you Heavenly Father for this experience we call life!

Wrapping up 2009

We spent New Years Eve gorging ourselves on all-you-can-eat crab at Magleby's. Yummy! What a perfect way to end an eventful year.
Good food and good friends.

Ummm, we need a new shell bowl. Keep the crab a comin'!!

My cute Hubby and me

Jae and John

Mike and Susie

Christmas Day 2009

Kids lined up...youngest to oldest

Santa has Arrived!

We had such a nice Christmas this year. It was snowy and cold outside and we were warm and happy inside. It was good to have a "chilled out" day hanging with the family. The kids were so much fun and we just cringe thinking they keep growing up and these days will not last forever. The best gifts I have are my family, health and the knowledge that Christ lives. Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Nativity

Friends and Family gathered 'round.

Christmas Eve was such a fun night. We started a tradition about 7 years ago with the Darrington family and Carol and Lynn. We gather together on Christmas Eve and we eat good food, sing songs, the kids perform on the piano or which ever instrument they play, we read the Christmas story from the bible and then we finish the evening reading "The Night Before Christmas," with everyone joining in.

Now that the Holdsworths have joined our circle of friends (for which we are so grateful) they have joined the tradition and for the past 2 years, we've had the celebration at their home. Mike & Susie had family in town from Arizona (Phil and Amy's family) so the group totalled 24 people. We had such a great time and I love that we can sit and focus on Christ's birth and the most important things in our lives...family and friends.

The True Meaning

(Here is a pic of my beautiful mom and kids in 2004, just as mom started getting sick)

So, it's that time of year when I start going crazy with all the shopping/projects/wrapping that needs to be done. It's also right about now when I think of my mother and how she captured these feelings so perfectly back in the 1970's. She wrote a poem when I was a young girl and it became family tradition to recite this poem every Christmas Eve, before bed.

I can remember my first Christmas in Utah, 10 years ago, after moving away from my family in Missouri. I was so sad that Christmas Eve to be away from my parents. I was so sad to be away from my mom and not hear her recite her poem. My husband, on the other hand, was very clever and thoughtful. After our Christmas Eve family scripture reading of Christ's birth, he hit the speaker button on the phone and there was my sweet mother, her voice ringing loud and clear, reciting her beautiful Christmas poem. My tears, that had been streaming for some time, turned from sadness to utter joy.

Even though my dear mother has passed on, it is still tradition to read her poem each Christmas Eve and it has more meaning than ever. I want to share her poem with you. I hope you will cherish it, as I do. This is the reason I celebrate! I love my Savior so very much. He gives me love, hope and strength. Because of His atoning sacrifice, I can return to be with Him and I look forward with anticipation to the day I can be reunited with my dearest parents.

The True Meaning of Christmas

The true meaning of Christmas, oh where can it be?
In the beautiful wrapped presents under the tree?
In the mounds of goodies we bake every year?
And then come the pounds we all seem to fear.

At times I forget what it’s all about.
In the hustle and bustle I just want to shout.
Give me more time! I need some more money!
At times I forget about my sweet honey.

Surely there’s more meaning to all of this rush.
I feel ashamed, I even blush,
To think that the true meaning of Christmas is pushed back,
To thinking of Santa unloading his pack.

Oh, there’s room for Santa and the spirit of sharing,
We need peace in our hearts in giving and caring.
The music so beautifully put down by pen, of
“Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Men.”

A time to remember Jesus Christ,
How on the cross He paid the price.
He died to save us from our sins
And how much credit do we give to Him?

The true meaning of Christmas, oh where does it lay?
With baby Jesus, upon the hay.
The wise men came and followed the star.
The story’s been told both near and far.

A King is born and the Heavenly hosts shouted!
As the angels looked, nobody doubted.
A Savior is born, a day to remember.
And now we celebrate in December.

Kaye Harris

New Family Pictures

It was time for our bi-annual family pictures!! Everyone wants to gripe and complain when I make them do this....but it is so worth the fuss. The kids are growing up way too fast and I want to capture every minute of all their cuteness. I sure love my family!! They make life worth living.














By the way, my photographers are Kate and Dan at Peekaboo Photography in case you want to check them out. I love them. You can find their website on the right under my "Favorites!"