Why I believe in Santa Claus...

 
Years ago, when I was around 12 years old, I knew what I thought was the "truth" about Santa. I was excited for the Christmas season, but also a little apprehensive because I knew that my parents didn't have a lot of money & that Christmas this year would be a little tight.
We were living in Iona, Idaho at the time & my parents made sure that we were feeling the true meaning of Christmas. We served others, spent time as a family, went to piano recitals to listen to easy-played Christmas music, had Family Home Evening, & tried to keep the normal traditions. I remember as always, singing songs like "Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" as all 9 of us drove around in our blue mini van in our little city. Even now as I hear these songs, it reminds me of being a kid & the closeness of our family.
This one particular year, I could tell that my parents were somewhat stressed with the holiday season. As much as they tried to keep the season happy & joyous, they were still nervous about what our reactions would be come Christmas morning when there is little under the tree.
On Christmas Eve we were all at home when there was a knock at the door. As someone opened the door, there stood Santa Claus himself- coming for an early visit to see our family. He walked in carrying bags of presents. Even now, it brings tears to my eyes as I think of this kind gentleman who chose to bring light to our family & spend Christmas Eve with us. He pulled out present after present out of his bags for each of us. I remember each of us watching in awe at the number of gifts that soon began to fill our living room. Santa then came and sat on a chair and one by one we each went and sat on his lap. After each one of us had a turn, I remember him looking at my Mom & telling her it was her turn. She said it was okay, that she didn't need a turn & he told her that everyone needed to tell Santa Claus what they wanted for Christmas. I'm sure that my Mom said that she had everything that she needed & that what else could she possibly need when she had the happiness of her family & a stranger bringing joy? However, I watched as she went and sat on his lap & with tears in her eyes talked to him. Then it was my Dad's turn. :) As I tried to smile as I watched both of my parents on Santa's lap, I couldn't hold back the tears myself as I realized how much they were sacrificing for our family, and how much this special visit meant to them- other than just the gifts.
Santa Claus stayed for while & when it was time to go, we all thanked him with smiles on each of our faces. He wished us a Merry Christmas & then he was gone. A couple of seconds after he left, my Dad went out to see if he could see his sleigh (or a car) leaving. To my Dad's surprise, he couldn't see anyone or any trace of our Santa. I have even asked my parents a couple of times since then if they knew who Santa really was. My Mom said they honestly never knew- he was Santa. Years went by & when people would say, "There's NO Santa" I knew they were wrong. He had come to my house in the spirit of giving & love. He sacrificed his night to be with our family & brought peace & joy. And so, since then & for always... I believe!

The best part of being 1- Birthday Cake!

Brian was right- he guessed that Landon would dig into his birthday cake & go to town eating it! Landon LOVED his chocolate snowman birthday cake. I made a little too much & we had LOTS left over! Landon ate almost the entire head of the snowman. I tried for about 10 minutes to take a picture of him without his cake filled hand in his mouth. He is such a cute little guy & we had such a fun celebration with him. My parents, Kaylie, Brittany, Steven, & Carson came, and Janelle & Karen came too. We had such a fun night & we all enjoyed watching Landon. Jackson wanted to see what it was like to have frosting on his face so he took a huge bite out of his blue cupcake- funny boys. :) I'm just a little nervous to see Landon's diaper today.
 
 
 
 

Elder Robert D. Hales

Yesterday we had a special stake conference where Elder Robert D. Hales was invited to come & speak along with our stake president, an area authority, & the Provo Temple president (Pres. Daines) and his wife. We were able to have a nice view & the kids did really well. However, by the end of the first hour, Hallie had had enough of the meeting & was being loud. I took her out into the hallway & walked the halls with her and tried to listen. At one point I took her into the mothers lounge hoping I could hear some of Elder Hales' talk. We sat down and Hallie looked at the mother sitting next to me and said, "Mommy- that your friend?" I said, "Yes" She then said, "Mommy, your friend name Missa?" (Melissa) "No Hallie, her name isn't Melissa, I don't know what her name is." Morgan, Jackson, & Landon all sat really well through the conference. Hallie was good, but then her curiosity came out & she was BUSY! Finally, once I heard the choir start to sing we came back in. Hallie found her own way back and when she saw me a couple of minutes later she said, "I beat you Mom!" :) Funny girl!
Well, I debated writing this on here, because it was a special spiritual experience for our family. However, I feel that the main reason why I do a blog is to keep a history or journal for my family. This is something I always want our family to remember & to be a part of their testimony-
When the conference was over, Brian & I gathered all of the books, crayons, garbage etc. on our row and got the kids ready to go. We both looked up and saw the majority of the congregation leave & then we both watched Elder Hales as he went to people to shake their hands. Brian was able to talk to him for a minute in the foyer when he first got there, but he really wanted the kids to meet him. So, we decided to go and see if we could all meet him. I don't want to forget the feeling of love & the strength of the spirit that came as I watched friends & ward members of mine line the aisle to shake his hand. I saw one man in my ward who I admire & I thought- "I hope he gets to shake his hand." I saw his wife behind him, who is also a dear friend- who had stepped back so her husband could shake his hand. I saw another dear family who has done so much for our family, and I thought- "I hope their boys get to shake his hand, and feel of his spirit- they are old enough they will always remember this, and they are such good boys!" I saw other families from our ward & watched as they shook his hand & could feel of the love and strength from being around him. It was then our turn- I had tears in my eyes, which I was trying to hold back, as he came and shook each of our kids hands. (well, he just patted Landon who was asleep) Jackson looked so handsome in his suit & Morgan & Hallie looked beautiful. As he stopped to shake Hallie's hand, instead of Hallie holding our her right hand to shake his, she held out her left & set it on his hand. She smiled at him as though she was a beautiful princess- unlike the crazy 2 year old she had been for the past hour. As I watched his look when he looked at Hallie, I noticed it was different. He paused for a minute, smiled at her & gave her a look that she & her generation were the strength of the future & that she would do great things. I could feel the spirit so strongly as he shook my hand. I thought of how he gave Hallie a look that she was so special, and even though, she had been testing my patience, he loved her just as the Savior himself would. When we got home, I told Jackson & Morgan that they felt warm in their hearts because that was the Holy Ghost telling them that Elder Hales was an apostle of Jesus Christ. I also told them that I always wanted them to remember this day & how warm they felt. Meeting Elder Hales was even better then meeting Santa. :)
Elder Hales gave a wonderful talk & I am grateful for the example he is of loving his family. He told us to tell our family we love them, and then to tell them again. I am so grateful for the blessing it was to gain an even stronger testimony that these men, the 12 apostles, are chosen to represent the Lord Jesus Christ. Each one of them are so powerful in their own way. I am grateful for the confirmation of the spirit to know that when the Savior comes again, that the feeling will be even stronger. I can't wait for that day when not only will I be able to shake the Savior's hand, but to embrace him. What a glorious day that will be!!!
I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ ( www.mormon.org ) that is on the earth today.

A visit with Santa

I love that all year we tell our kids to not talk to strangers, and to even THINK of sitting on a strangers lap! However, as soon as we see the man in the red suit with the white beard, we rush over for our kids to sit on his lap. :)
Yesterday after Morgan and I were done running errands, I looked over & saw St. Nick at a store. Morgan & I stopped and Morgan sat on his lap and told him she wanted a Zhu Zhu pet for Christmas. We then decided to go & get the rest of the family so they could see Santa too- (The also had a free lunch & samples of different kinds of foods & we hadn't eaten yet) Hallie & Jackson were so excited to see Santa this year. Jackson kept yelling across the parking lot, "Hi Santa! Hi!" Jackson told Santa he wanted a Jack in the box, and Hallie told Santa she wanted a bike. I'm not sure what Landon told Santa he wanted.
    

Landon's Birthday

For Landon's birthday we wanted to do something fun as a family. There aren't a lot of things to do with a one year old, but we thought he might like the lights at Temple Square. The kids were so excited to ride the "train" (trax) which made the night VERY long, but hopefully they'll always remember! Landon was so sweet on his birthday- the whole day! We opened presents when Brian got home from work & then we went to Chick-fil-a & then up to Temple Square. We all loved seeing the lights and the temple looked beautiful! Our favorite part was looking at the reflection pond that had all the smaller balls of light in them. It was so peaceful there & we loved seeing the statue of Christ & feeling the spirit. I'm sure Landon won't remember going to see the lights for his 1st birthday, but the rest of us will.
 
 
 
 

Landon's 1st Birthday!

Yesterday Landon turned one! I can't believe my sweet little baby is one already. He was so happy yesterday- I'm sure it was because it was his birthday & he knew it. Landon has been such a calm & peaceful baby. The only time he really gets bothered is if I have left in his high chair for too long and he is ready to get down and play. At church when Landon is tired, he crawls over to Brian & puts his head into Brian's chest, and Brian knows he's ready to take a nap. I hadn't ever seen this happen until last Sunday. As soon as Brian put Landon in his carseat, he went to sleep & it was that easy. I don't ever remember it being that easy with the other kids. Landon is crawling all over & loves to explore in drawers & cabinets. He is starting to stand by himself but isn't ready to walk yet- I do mind at all! The kids & Brian & I love being around Landon because of how sweet & peaceful he is. There is something about him that just helps us feel calm. I feel so blessed to have been able to spend this last year with this sweet little baby. I'm excited to watch him grow & love him even more. Happy Birthday Baby!
These were some of my favorite pictures of him. He was so happy & good!
    

Our holiday guest... Eddie the Elf

The other night, Janelle (Brian's sister) told me that she wanted to make sure that Santa got
help getting his little elf to our home. I told her we would LOVE to have an Elf stay at our house this Christmas season. I told Morgan & Jackson the next day, that we would be having a Christmas guest from the North Pole staying with us, and that we needed to be on our best behavior so he could report good things to Santa. Morgan & Jackson were so excited!
Last night, after dinner at Karen's house, the doorbell rang. Morgan was the first one to answer it and was a little confused until Jackson came to the door. He said, "Oh! It's Eddie the Elf! He's here!" Janelle said, "I bet Santa dropped him off!" Morgan got so excited and said, "Santa was here!" I gently placed Eddie (as we named him) on top of Grandma's window. All of us adults were VERY entertained as we heard the kids say things like,
" Hey, look- he moved his arm!" "He moved his legs!" "He moved his eyes!" However, none of the adults ever actually saw him move. The kids were very serious that he was moving. :)
We carefully brought Eddie home with us & put him on the piano so he could watch us. If we touch him, he looses his magic and isn't able to fly home to tell Santa about all the good things were doing. I am amazed at how well behaved the kids, especially Jackson have been with Eddie here. Today Jackson was crying because I told him he couldn't have a friend come over to play until after lunch. I said to him, "Oh, do you think Eddie can hear you crying?" Jackson said, "Oh, yeah, sorry Mom!" My favorite part was last night when Eddie was sitting on the piano and I was in the kitchen talking to Morgan. I could hear Jackson talking to Eddie. This is what he said, "Eddie, for Christmas I would really like a Criss-Cross Crash set & a Jack-in-the box, but if I can only have one thing, I would like the Criss-Cross Crash set this year, and the Jack in the box next time. Okay, thanks Eddie." Eddie is able to fly home at night & tell Santa what we would like. If you notice in the picture, there is a list that Morgan wrote down of things she would like for Eddie to take to Santa. Jackson was sweet enough to put the list by Eddie so he wouldn't forget. Jackson's best friend & our next door neighbor Makell has an elf also- Peter. Jackson thought it would be a great idea today if he and Makell could play together while Peter and Eddie play together, and then they can fly to the North Pole together tonight. :) Today after school, Morgan and her friend Mckenzie ran into the house so that Mckenzie could see Eddie. Morgan informed me that more of her friends would be coming over to see Eddie. I love the sweet innocence & magic of believing in this stage of life. There is something so magical & exciting about being a kid & the imagination of Santa & the North Pole. As for me & an experience long ago, I will always believe in Santa Claus & the North Pole. :)
 
 

Morgan's New Glasses

A couple of weeks ago, Morgan kept coming home from school and was so grouchy. She would get mad at all of us and blame us for her bad day at school. She didn't seem very happy & wasn't acting at all like herself. I went to help out one day in her class and when I went to leave she literally clung to me and wouldn't let me go. She was in tears and I felt terrible. I wondered what was wrong and asked her one night if someone was being a bully at school. She said that kids were saying that she reads slow, and walks slow, and moves slow. While talking to some friends the next night, one of them, who teaches at the same school, said that maybe I sould have her eyes checked. So, a couple of days before Thanksgiving, I took her to the Optomotrist & sure enough- she needed glasses to wear all the time. The doctor explained that she has something called Amblyopia, which she has had from birth. Amblyopia basically is when the brain does not stimulate properly to the eye to make it work. So, because of this, Morgan has never been able to see cleary since birth. The reason we noticed now is because she had gone up a level in reading & since the words are smaller, it was harder for her to read.I feel terrible that she's never been able to see clearly, but I am so happy we are finding out now instead of later. She is reading so much better & is actually able to see!
Morgan liked trying on all of the glasses and was really excited to show her friends. She didn't want to tell them she was getting glasses, she wanted to surprise them. When we went to pick them up, Jackson was kind of upset that he wasn't getting glasses as well. He started looking around the room as he shifted his eyes back and forth and said, "Mom, I can't see, I think I need glasses." :)I told him we would have to wait for a while and see. Afterall, these aren't cheap like a $5.00 pair of sunglasses- I wish! This morning Jackson found glasses that Brian & I had worn so he & Hallie tried them on. Morgan is very responsible, so I hope the glasses will be well taken care of--- I hope. :)
 
 
 
 

One of the best dates ever! :)

Brian's Dad gave us tickets to the BYU basketball game at the Energy Solutions Arena. (Delta Center) I was a little nervous about leaving the kids for 6 hours, but after getting 2 great babysitters to babysit for 3 hours each, we were ready. We had a hard time finding parking in Salt Lake & once we finally did we had to walk a little ways. While we were walking, Brian noticed a man in front of us and said, "I think that's Elder Holland, does it look like him?"

Now, here's a background story--- While I was younger, my family would come to Utah every summer, and we would always stop at Temple Square in Salt Lake. We would stop and take a picture by the temple with our whole family, because for my parents this is where their little family began. I have always had tender & fond memories of the Salt Lake Temple because of this. Usually on our visits, we would always go to the Church Office building because my Dad had to meet with someone & then we would go to the Joseph Smith building. I remember being younger and sitting in the chairs of the Joseph Smith building and watching the elevators looking for either the prophet or one of the 12 apostles while we waited. There were so many men in suits, and I was always scanning my eyes looking for a familiar face that I had seen while watching conference back in Texas or Nebraska. However, even though I tried my hardest to see someone, I never did.

So, when Brian said he thought it was Elder Holland, I immediatly looked and sure enough it was. I told Brian we needed to walk faster so we could keep up with him & we were going in the same direction. (We were all kind of in a rush, trying to get to the game before the tip off) Elder Holland was with his son & 2 of his grandsons & was right in front of us. We all stopped at the cross walk & I said, "Is this a generation outing?" Elder Holland said very pleasantly, "Yes, it is." I then reached out my hand to shake his and said, "How are you doing?" And he replied, "Good, thank you." And then we were all off as quickly as we could to watch the game. Elder Holland continued to stay in front of us & while watching him I was amazed that he acted the exact same way as he does in front of the camera for General Conference. The same man that I have loved hearing since a little girl was in front of me smiling, speaking kindly, & being friendly to anyone that spoke to him. I didn't think he would be different, but it showed me that he and the other apostles don't act a certain way just because they are being filmed, but it is how they live their everyday lives. They are true embassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ- they represent Him & live as He did. I have always loved the powerful messages that Elder Holland gives & it was a blessing & a privelage to see him and watch him in person, to see that he practices what he preaches so to say. This experience also taught me that we are constantly being watched, not only by those around us, but by the Savior himself- who hopes that we are living as He did as we take His name upon us.

The game itself was so much fun, and definatly one of my favorite dates. (Seeing Elder Holland was an added bonus)The first quarter of the game I was a little distracted. I kept asking questions to Brian & he told me it was a lot different watching a game with guys who are quiet the whole time. :) I did ask Brian if he would take a picture of me and the BYU Cougar-Cozmo, but he said that was for kids, so this was the best picture I could take. However, later on I noticed a girl my age taking a picture with Cozmo- maybe Brian wanted to avoid the embarrasment. :) We had a really fun time watching the game & afterwards went out to dinner. It was so nice being with Brian and being able to talk & enjoy ourselves with out any little interuptions. We loved seeing the all the Christmas lights & just being together & it was really one of the best dates.

  
  

Festival of Trees

Thursday night I went with Karen, Janelle, Brittany, & Jayden to the Festival of Trees. The trees were beautiful & it was so neat seeing how many different ideas people had. My favorite tree looked like it had just been freshly cut from the mountains- it even looked like it still had snow on it. It was also neat seeing how the majority of the trees were in honor of someone who had passed away- very tender & sweet. Brittany found some things that she would like for Christmas and modeled for us. :) The gingerbread houses were amazing & I couldn't believe the time that people had spent on both the trees & the gingerbread houses. We had such a fun time & it was a great holiday activity.
  
  

The best answer to a prayer...he's safe

Tuesday night after Young Womens, I came home & we had some friends come over to visit. When they left around 10 I went downstairs to kiss the kids goodnight. When I looked in the room, Morgan was sound asleep, and Jackson's bed was empty- he was gone. I thought maybe he had fallen asleep on the couch bed or in another room downstairs. I started looking around and couldn't find him anywhere. I asked Brian where Jackson was & Brian thought he was in his bed. We both started looking everywhere and couldn't find him. I was starting to panic- imagining the worst, and wondering how someone came and took him, or what if he was outside wondering around in the cold. I started thinking of how the next step, after we had searched our whole house, would be to call our next door neighbors and have them help. At that moment, I knelt down to say a prayer that we would be able to find Jackson. Meanwhile, upstairs, Brian also was having the same thoughts (although much more calmly) and he too stopped to say a prayer. (This is how worried we were) I decided to check once more upstairs, thinking that maybe he went under Landon's crib. While I was in Landon's room, Brian called out to me and told me he had found him. Jackson was supposed to be in bed, and didn't want Brian to hear him awake, so he hid behind a chair in our room & fell asleep in the corner. I was so grateful that night that he was safe & that we weren't spending the night looking all over outside for our sweet boy.
   
 

Hallie decided to come outside and help me shovel one morning. We got her all ready, and within 5 minutes of being outside she said her fingers were cold and that she wanted to go and watch a Moosie (Movie) :)