It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . .

This is my favorite time of year!   I love everything about it -- the spirit of the season, the colors, the smells, the music, the excited anticipation . . . all of it.  HOWEVER, it can sometimes feel overwhelming with everything a mama must do to prepare for Christmas.  Here are a few things in our home that bring a smile to my face and chase the stress away . . .  I hope it does the same for you!

Giant jingle bells from Real Deals . . .

S's placement of the "baby ball next to the mama ball" (this pattern is repeated several times around our tree). . .

My Willow Tree Nativity -- each piece collected over the years and now complete -- I love that Mary is holding baby Jesus . . .

We have several smaller nativities around the house, and I love seeing what different positions they are in each day as little hands play and interact with them.  . .

I love my new snowman on a bike -- in honor of my hubby and his 109 mile ride last weekend . . .

This year both boys received an "outdoorsy" ornament for the tree.  BR's is a fishing bear and look what he caught -- A GINGERBRI!  . . .

And B's bear is canoeing down the red ribbon river  . . .

E made these adorable bottle cap snowmen for each member of the family . . .

And this crazy upside down photo (sorry about that) makes me smile because S wanted Ariel and the Snowman to dance on the tree!  

 

 

Day of THANKS

 

THANKSGIVING is sometimes hard for me because we generally don't spend it with extended family.  The year that my sister and her family came down is now referred to by the kids as "the best Thanksgiving ever."  But I have to say that this weekend was wonderfully relaxing and a chance to really reflect on how blessed I am to be a part of my little family.  We spent Thursday outside enjoying the 70 degree weather (sorry Utahans!).  We went down to the Desert Museum while the turkey was a-cookin', and came home to a deliciously smelling house.  After we ate the turkey and trimmings our neighbors came over to share pie.  It was wonderful to just be together this weekend -- to work outside, to set up Christmas decor, to go to the temple together . . . we all have so much to be thankful for when we stop and count our blessings!

GOALS!

 Saturday was a day of reaching goals for us.  E played her last game of her first volleyball season.  She has learned so much!  At the end of the 3rd game she earned 5 points off  her serves!!  At the beginning of the season she had trouble getting the ball over the net!  So, this was a great accomplishment.  She LOVES volleyball!  She wants to play again next season and go to the Uof A volleyball summer camp.  GO E!

BR played his last game of his first Coaches Pitch season.  He learned so much, too!  He had trouble batting the ball at the beginning of the season, but now he hits the ball each time he's up to bat!  And he learned so much about how to be part of a team and cover bases for one another, etc . . .  He's looking forward to doing karate with big brother after the Holidays.  B has been waiting so patiently for his turn, and has been great at cheering for E and BR! (Sorry this pic is sideways -- it refuses to turn!)

And D rode 109 MILES in EL TOUR de TUCSON!!  Yes, I wrote that right -- 109 miles -- and he did it in 7 hours and 20 minutes!!  He's wanted to do it for years -- he figures if you live in Tucson you should do it at least once.  I'm so proud of him!  We tried to see him between games, but missed him by 2 minutes or less -- I can't believe that!  The kids had made posters for him and we watched and waited and left sad that we had missed him.  (He had stopped to talk with a member of our stake presidency that was at one of the "watering stations"  and got a little off schedule).  He said the ride was a lot harder than he was expecting -- I'm sure the higher winds contributed to that.  At this point he's glad he did it, but has no desire to ride that far again :).  Sorry, no pics -- by the time he got home he was so tired I didn't make him pose for a photo.  There were some professional photographers along the course that we'll be able to order from (one lying in a gutter that gave him a start).

Things to love about Tucson

My memory isn't great, in fact I rely a lot on my sister to recount a lot of my childhood.  Thank goodness she has an amazing memory!  It may be a sign of early Alzheimer's, but regardless I find it interesting that I have a clear memory of an obscure conversation with my dad when I was about 13 or 14.  He had taken a trip to Tucson, Arizona -- a place I had never heard of. He came back telling us it had been 110 degrees --and I said, "Who would want to live there?!"  I could not fathom someone willingly living in that kind of heat.  And now many moons later I am here raising my little family.  I still miss big lawns and shady trees.  I haven't developed a love for rock yards or cactus, BUT I LOVE November through March in Tucson.  We enjoy 60 to 70 degree weather, sunshine most days and light breezes.  Ahhhh!  I really love it!  Yesterday we were able to participate in a Family Fun Run/Ride to celebrate the opening of a new overpass that has been 6 years in the making -- hurray!  D and B biked the 16K, E and her BFF ran the 5K, and I ran/walked/limped (I developed a bruise on the bottom of my foot the day before the race) the 5K with Br and S in and out of the stroller -- amazingly we still managed the cross the finish line in just 48 minutes.  So maybe this little post will entice some of you to come for a visit -- this is the time of year to come!