happy seventeen

yesterday was dave and my anniversary.  

 sadie posted this picture of our first date on instagram.  

i loved it. 

i love being married to dave.  i love that we get to be parents to these five kids.  life is more demanding now, than ever before.  it is awesome and challenging and even though sometimes i feel stretched to the point it reveals more of my weaknesses daily, it is so worth it!!!  i just pray that i am up to the task as we continue to work at it together, AND enjoy this phase. 

i'm super grateful i have dave as my go to guy.  we make a good team.  

this year, we decided to not give each other gifts, but to do nice things for each other and just spend time together.  our goal was to go on a real date and enjoy being in love.  dave kind of cheated and brought me flowers.  i was so happy about it because i can look at them everyday--a visual reminder that he thinks about me.

sadie missed her team dinner so she could tend.  she did it willingly and happily.  it was a sacrifice on her part- a great anniversary gift.  vivian was super fussy when we left so abe took her by the hand and read books to her.   the kids all wanted us to have a night together and they each did their part so we could go without worry.  we went to the bombay house for dinner.  we used to go to an indian restaurant in arizona all the time and it was our favorite.  we shopped and then went to a late movie.  we got home around 2am.  we held hands and laughed.  it was perfect.

we woke up this morning at 5:15am to get abe to his 6am basketball practice.  sadie slept in and so dave rushed her to school.  when he got home, max, kai and vivi were all sitting at the counter eating breakfast.  music was playing.  sadie and abe's new favorite song came on so we started talking about abe's school dance this friday, which makes me so happy to think about- haha!  next thing we knew, dave and i started dancing on the other side of the counter for the three littles.  breakfast entertainment.  we were showing them some pretty awesome moves--vivian kept giggling. we danced to a couple songs and let our kids laugh at us. then,  finished charts, hair, shoes, backpacks, lunches, and not to forget the stuffed penguin (a must have for pajama day at school), then dave quickly got ready for work and loaded up the boys to drop them off at school...late:)   

vivian and i were getting ready for a primary meeting, but i realized i kept smiling to myself.  i completely loved our date AND i love our real life.  i think the last 24 hours have been total bliss.  i even looked up bliss and it means: utter joy or contentment....the joy of heaven.  

i think that pretty much sums it up.  happy anniversary dave!! 

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!!!!!