christmas theme

our 2013 family christmas theme:

we had a christmas theme last year and it was awesome.  it gave us focus during the christmas season and after.

sadie volunteered to come up with our theme this year.  she thought a lot about it.

she decided on

gloria in excelsis deo.

she heard it while listening to Pandora in the song Angles we Have Heard on High.  She decided to google the meaning of the latin phrase.  Gloria in Exclesis Deo means "Glory to God on the Highest".  Then she looked up the definition of glorify.  

"reveal or make clearer the glory of (God) by one's actions." 

 Sadie decided that this Christmas, she wanted our family to work on glorifying God through our actions.

we watched this for family night and loved it!!!

then...

i was in the post office sending my christmas cards.  i had quite a stack.  vivian wanted to get down but i knew right when i let her down, she would head straight for the door.   i proceeded to hold a squirming vivian with one hand and put stamps on my stack with my other.  an older man that i recognized, but didn't know, walked by.  we said hello and he said, "that's a pretty big stack of envelopes" as he rushed by and out the door.  i thought to myself, yes it is, and was slightly embarrassed that i was trying to complete the project in the entrance of the post office with a cute little girl that had other plans.  it was my one goal for the day though, so i needed to get it done.  i quickly turned my thoughts to all the wonderful people we know and how grateful i am for the friends and family we enjoy and are blessed to know.  suddenly the man reappeared.  i was a little shocked as he swooped in and before i knew it, took half my stack and some stamps as he said, "i got in my car and started to drive when that little voice said, 'that was a dumb thing to say!  here you have your hands full and i walked quickly by and commented on how much you have to do.  so i turned around.  let me help you because i have two hands and you have one."

i almost started to cry.  i don't know why.  i was surprised and thankful and immediately thought of our family theme and how we are watching for ways to glorify God through our actions....and here someone was doing it to me!  it made me realize that those moments are the best gift of all.

it is already making a difference in our family.  kai was stressed and tired, which means he was crying and struggling to get through piano practicing.  i was sitting by him, trying to help him.  max and abe quietly went and did the rest of his jobs for him.  kai was touched and stopped crying, which i had been trying to help him do for about 30 minutes.  he felt loved and better.  i also felt touched and better after the post office guy helped me.  we had a great conversation as we put stamps on my christmas cards.  as we left, i smiled and gratitude filled me.  vivian and i stopped to notice the poinsettias and christmas bells that just happened to be ringing in the town center.  it was a good feeling and my thoughts turned to God.    

gloria in excelsis Deo! 

"cutes"

cutest little fit and almost fake cry ever!  was she peeking to see if i would notice?  

other "cutes" this week:

 we drove into the church parking lot and she yelled, "YAY!!!"  this girl loves nursery.  too bad we were only there for tithing settlement.

she saw the christmas lights dave put on our trees.  she said, "preeee!"
  "buuuu-ful" and "preee" (beautiful and pretty)- two new words she uses a lot.

it's here

found these pictures from last year of max playing santa and felt a twinge of excitement!  

christmas is magical.  i'm glad it's here.

3rd grade program

kai's grade put on a program all about america.  it was extremely well done.  the kids worked for a long time learning the songs and dances and they even stood up and sat down ALL together.  perfectly.  i was amazed because we just did our primary program and i realize how hard that is. 

kai did a great job on his speaking part and i was impressed with his dancing skills.  one thing i always notice about kai is he takes these things very seriously and wants to do well.

a few veterans from the community carried the flag in for the flag ceremony.  at one point the kids sang the songs from the branches of the military.  the men stood when their song was sung and saluted the flag.  it was a touching moment inside the elementary school gym.  i felt the spirit and i felt grateful that my kids are having these moments at school.

 after the program, vivian and i found kai and being the awesome brother that he is, vivs got to go and sit by him in the middle of all the kids.  she was excited to find her big brother and spend a minute next to him.

max emojis

 haha!  i sent sadie emojis of max instead of regular emojis....why is her mom texting her at school?  idk, because i think i'm funny somtimes.

thanksgiving 2013

november flew by.  we made a gratitude tree in our window.  during dinner, we would count our blessings and add leaves with a dry erase marker for each one.

sadie had a her first basketball game two days before thanksgiving (she did awesome btw!  she played almost 3/4 of the jv game which was unexpected AND she nailed her foul shots! whuuut whoooo!!!  they kept playing the song 'that girl is on fire" -decided it was her theme song!)  anyway, sadie went to my mom's to help her get ready for the big thanksgiving day.  kai and max were lucky enough to go too.  thanksgiving prep with grandma is fun.  she always has plenty of projects, plus basketball games with grandpa.

this left abe, vivian and me (dave was working)

at home on thanksgiving eve, due to abe's basketball practice.  

it ended up being a highlight of thanksgiving!  

vivian and i went to abe's practice a little early so we could watch.  we were the only people there.  abe was on the high school gym court and we were in the balcony because all the bleachers were folded in.  there was a railing that that came just below viv's chest when she stood on the bar.  she kept yelling, "abe!  aaaaabe!  aaaaaaaaaaaaabbbbbeeee!"  it echoed a little.  abe would look at her and she would wave the cutest little wave with her fingers all together.  abe would smile.  right when he would look away, she would do it all over again.  he waved to her a few times when he was subbed out.  i let her keep doing it because it did my heart good.  it made me so happy to hear her yelling at her brother who she knows adores her, and of course, will stop in the middle of his game to smile at her.

in the evening, i put vivian to sleep and abe and i made pies for his first time!  he picked cherry cheesecake and grasshopper.   we laughed and had so much fun.  it was a haws thanksgiving year but we were doing pies with the tullis side in the evening (which i didn't get pictures of. lame!  my kids always look forward to pies with the tullis' and the tradition of one pie per person...so good!) 

thanksgiving day started with family pictures--early.

 my brother has an exchange student from africa and my mom really wanted a family picture with kenang and our family.  so, i played photographer and took some photos is a tree my mom had scoped out.  the lighting wasn't great, but i love the personalities of my kids in the photo...and vivian couldn't get down from where she was sitting.  she kept saying, "down" but she was stuck...it was helpful:)

 a few more....

i don't have a picture with just me and this little girl.  so glad i'm her mom!

dave was taking the picture.  why didn't i get someone to take it and have him in it with me?!  i'm glad he was there and that he made me be in a few pics with our kids.    

the whole clan. 

 i am so grateful for my family lately.  i mean, i always am, but lately i have thought about it more and felt it a lot.  maybe because we have relied on each other more lately.  praying for cousins on missions, really praying for one that was sick.  calls from my sisters.  i share a lot of my life with them.  my brothers are always willing to help.  abe went fly fishing with them the day after thanksgiving.  i love their willingness to teach him. 

  i think it was in the hospital that i re-realized that family is the most important thing and i felt the support of both our families so much!  that is what families are for.  to support and love each other.  i have felt it so much lately.

 this is the most unselfish, tenderhearted kid! 

vivian's first experience with seven layered jello!  tradition!  notice the menu.  my mom always makes a menu and uses my grandma dean's dishes....wouldn't be thanksgiving at my mom's without these things.

sitting up early, sneaking bites of jello....kai's FAVORITE part.

*notice the byu salt and pepper shakers.....my parents are true blue.

my mom worked so hard and it was wonderful.

 after dinner activities:

basketball

shooting of the deck:)

 playing around with cousins until....

 BINGO time!  

a haws tradition!  seriously my kids LOVE this.  when someone gets bingo they choose a hand behind my mom's back.  one has a chocolate dollar and the other, a real dollar.  

(max picking a hand)

abe...not doing so hot.

bingo gave abe serious probs this year.

kai scored with the chocolate

finally!!! 

*looks like ty has bingo:)

 oh yeah!

("whooot whoooo!"  "who is whoot-whoooing?!"  haha!!)

every year, the day after thanksgiving, the cousins all stay and set up the christmas village.  then, grandpa takes the girls dress shopping.  they each pick out a dress for the holiday season.  i went this year and it was fun and serious work!

 happy thanksgiving!!!!!

gratitude post

after school snacks are my fave!
they are a sign of affection...like kisses only better.
it gives my kids a chance to tell me details about their day, spend a few minutes together or at least know that i thought about them.

I have been thinking about gratitude, you know, because it's thanksgiving and all.  during family scripture reading a few mornings ago, we read these verses:

Luke 17:12-19

 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were ^alepers, which stood afar off:

 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the ^apriests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him ^athanks: and he was a Samaritan.

 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten ^acleansed? but where are the ^bnine?

 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

i have read these many times and always loved the idea of gratitude as a saving principle.  "whole" actually means saved and  i love how gratitude can save us from so many things--a deep thought for another day.   

this time around, these verses were so meaningful because it is thanksgiving AND sadie had just introduced our christmas theme for this year (she wanted to pick it) and i will tell all about it later, but it has to do with glorifying God through our actions.

i felt like these verses were in NEON shouting my name.  i had never noticed before the part about the one leper that was healed and when he was cleansed "turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face a his feet, giving him thanks....but where are the nine?  there are not found that returned to give glory to God..."

to me this meant that when we give thanks, we actually glorify God.  when i am grateful for what he has done for me and show through my actions, then i am actually glorifying Him. 

i want to do that.

So... here is my gratitude post:

there are so many things i am grateful for, but i want to return and say thanks for one that hits me again every so often.  yesterday, abe came home from school and was excited to see the cookies i made for snack.  i think he ate six.  the other kids weren't home yet and vivian was busy, so it was just me and him at the counter.  we talked and laughed.  i watched him with awe in my heart.  the last few weeks i've observed him play soccer, try out for basketball, work hard in school and also bear a sweet, sincere testimony about the miracles that have occurred in his life and that he knows he was protected.  i am so grateful that he is here and  i still get to watch him learn and grow as well as smile and laugh together. numerous people have asked about his accident, always wanting to know if he has any restrictions.  i hear myself saying over and over, "no complication and no restrictions."  he is back doing everything he wants to do and is so capable.  dave gave him a blessing at the beginning of the year that talked about joseph smith and how he also had some hard things and a surgery in his youth so that God could build his character. 

i am so grateful for the sacred experience we had, for the things i was taught through the spirit, for the miracles that occurred and for the love from people that we felt and for the compassion for others that i gained.  i am thankful that abe's life is in God's hands and that i get to be a part of it.

anyway, there is much to be grateful for, and i hope as i give thanks through my actions this thanksgiving and christmas that i can glorify God in the process.

LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN!!!!