Aubrey's Testimony

A couple of months ago Aubrey leans over in fast and testimony meeting and tells me she wants to bear her testimony. I am a bit wary, thinking she doesn't fully understand what this means. I try to disuade her gently without discouraging the good intention but she is insistent. I tell her I won't be able to help her, she will have to do it all on her own. She is quite sure this is what she wants to do. So up we go to the stand, me a bit nervouse about what she will say. Once again she amazes me! She gets up as confident as can be and says "I know Jesus hears our prayers, because once when I broke my leg Garrett said a prayer for me, I love my family and Jesus is my Savior". What a sincere and honest testimony straight from the heart. What only our family knew was that the story she told about Garrett praying for her truly was a miracle. The night that Aubrey broke her leg Garrett came upstairs to wait for the fire truck and ambluance. He said a prayer that they would get here quickly and not get lost. When the truck got here the fireman commented to Scott how lucky they were to find the house so quickly because our house was so new it was not on the maps. He said how amazing it was that they made each turn exactly right and didn't have to turn around once. We had just shared this story in family home evening the Monday before testimony meeting. Aubrey really did have something to share and she listened to the Holy Ghost telling her to get up and share what she was feeling. Oh the lessons learned from our children. I am humbled and blessed every day to be a mother!

OK, So He's the Fourth

In all my picture adding I thought it would be a good idea to add some of our little Layton. I swore I would be a good mom and take lots of pictures of my sweet baby boy. But alas, the camera gets taken out of the bag for soccer, musicals, holidays and birthdays and not so much for the "look he's blowing bubbles" or "wow, he's holding his toes". Not that it's any less important- just a little misplaced in the hustle and bustle! So here are some pictures of the best baby in the whole world (albeit at events where the camera is alreay out).

He is honestly the best baby I could have asked for. He is sweet, happy, content, a good sleeper and eater and so wonderfully snuggly. He is 100% pure joy. We have so much fun with him every day. Aubrey said the other day, "Mom, aren't you so glad we have a Layton in our Family". Oh yes, Oh yes: I couldn't imagine our family without "a Layton"!

Tradition! Tradition!

What would Christmas be without our annual Christams Eve Sledding. It was so much fun this year to share in the tradition with Bret and Kathleen. The snow was perfect, the location great (just 5 minutes from our house) and the company couldn't have been better. We sled and stomped and played until we were beat- the reason the tradition started in the first place with our parents 30 years ago! What better than to have worn out kids on Christmas Eve. Traditions make a holiday great!

Christmas Sing Along

The Holiday is not quite complete without the annual Prairieview Christmas Tradition Sing Along. Aubrey and Garrett were sensational in their respective Christmas parts. Aubrey sang with full heart and just the right lisp to "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" while Garrett got to play his recorder and had the honor of a speaking part (only one of 8 kids in all the k-3rd grades). Layton was the cutest kid in the audience and did a tremendous job going with the flow as always!

Wow Mom Look, We're All Twins!

We were so glad this year that Bret, Kathleen and their gang braved the snow and the hectic Christmas travel to spend Christmas eve with us in Spokane on their way up to Wentachee for Christmas. We had a blast with them here. It is such fun for our kids to have cousins the exact same age. And Grandma makes sure they have fun with the exact same PJ's! It makes me giggle every time the kids shout in pure amazement that they have the same PJ's yet AGAIN! Wow, how does this keep happening. Must be fate (either that or a very busy Grandma). We attempted a Gingerbread house, (mom didn't quite read the directions) But who says a Gingerbread house is meant for looking. Pure agony in our house to have something sweet that is purely edible with candy blinking and twinkling seductively with a "no touch" sign banning little fingers. Might as well just let the walls fall down on the house and dig in with pure delight.

Record Snowfall!

It was most definately a white Christmas December of 2008 in Spokane. Record snowfall hit as we were dumped on day after day. The kids thought it was great! We all were home bound as we weathered the weather. It extended our Christmas break by 5 days. 2 before the actual break and 3 after. Dalyn decided that his snow gear was a bit too much to handle so didn't venture out too much but Garrett and Aubrey sure had a blast! We had our traditional "hooray school is out" Igloo Cake. It was particularly appropriate this year as we weren't sure exactly when to celebrate school being out. As you can see by the pictures, we could have made our igloo outside as well as in!

December 2008: Dalyn and I have had so much fun this year with his Mother Goose Time Preschool. It is a co-op preschool with 5 other mothers. We rotate between houses and use an AWESOME curriculum that has everything organized and pre-cut. It has been just the right amount of time (we each teach once every 12 weeks for 2 weeks) and so much fun to see the kids interact with each other and learn. I have loved every minute! One of the moms had the great idea of putting together the Nativity for a retirement home this year for Christmas. It was amazing. The kids did a wonderful job and were so polite and thoughtful with the older residents. It was a memory we will carry with us and cherish as we look back at our Christmas Holidays.