The Christmas Spirit

I saw this yesterday on www.lds.org and we loved it. It's to good not to share!
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The Christmas Spirit

This is a test, this is only a test!

This is something I sometimes have to be reminded of hourly. We are here for a purpose, to be tested to see how faithful we will be keeping the commandments, serving, learning (sometimes the same lessons repeatedly because we are to dense to get it the first time, or maybe because we have some sick need to make things harder on ourselves then they really need to be!!!) repenting and just a general test of the most amazing gift, our free agency.
All throughout the scriptures are stories of God testing his people. Especially when they had been prosperous because for some reason that causes us to be prideful, lose site of our priorities and harden our hearts to the teachings and example of our Savior.
We are no exemption and unfortunately I think we as a people have gotten pretty ugly. We will be tested, but we have much to be thankful for. We have an understanding of the plan of salvation and why we are here, not everyone is that fortunate. We are not alone. We have family, friends, church members and best of all a Heavenly Father who LOVES us UNCONDITIONALLY. He is there waiting to lift us up, bring peace to our spirits, if we will only be faithful and ask. Each of us will be challenged and tried in different ways, and it will be difficult. But the beautiful thing is NO MATTER WHAT, we have our families, our knowledge and all the promises from our Heavenly Father. They are ours, regardless of how much money is in our savings account, whether we have a job or not, whether we have lost a loved one or are suffering with a terminal illness. How we deal with and overcome our challenges is completely up to us and how we choose to respond! I am so thankful for this knowledge, for my family, I am thankful for friends and the examples they are to us, I am thankful for the lessons I have learned and continue to learn and most of all for my Savior.

To my sisters and family!

A little preface to my thoughts!

Being the oldest of 8 sometimes had its perks growing up and sometimes it REALLY didn't. I definitely didn't always appreciate being from such a big family but just like they say as you grow older and mature you learn to appreciate your heritage, realize how much you had to be grateful for and appreciate the lessons that come from sometimes difficult things. When we moved from our small Utah town which I had known my whole life to the huge Phoenix area it was truly a culture shock. I really struggled when I would tell people how many brothers and sisters I had and they would react like I was some kind of freak. We had really never thought anything of being from a big family. So me and my insecurities were sometimes embarrassed of my family. I was the oldest and a girl so with that came MANY responsibilities that most kids didn't have a clue about. I had more of a mother role, rather than a sister role and that somewhat affected my relationship with my younger siblings/sisters. I didn't really facilitate or nurture my relationships with them the way I should have. My four younger sisters were a lot closer in age and grew up pretty close friends and have always been a huge support system for each other. There have been times that I have felt a little jealous of their closeness but really didn't make a strong enough effort to do something about it and felt like I was doing ok on my own. as we have all grown and gotten married, started our families and faced personal challenges we have changed.
I feel so blessed to have grown up in such a diverse family. To have learned so many valuable lessons and even for the trials. The last few years have brought some real emotional challenges for all of us and was quite the process of overcoming those. For each of us it has been a different process but we have each worked through our issues and I feel we have truly come out on top, closer and more appreciative of each other. I am most thankful for family members who overlook my imperfections and quarks and love me just the way I am. I have not always been that way and I have learned more Christ like love from them.

I love my sisters, who are my dearest friends. I love how different we all are but how well we compliment each other. I am in awe of their crazy talents and creativity!!!! I am thankful for their examples and the things they have taught me. I love that our kids adore each other and will grow up to be each others friends and support system as well!! I am thankful that our family of 10 has grown by 4 brothers and 2 sisters and I love them dearly as well!!! I am looking forward to the future and all that it has in store for us and I pray that we can continue to grow stronger and closer. I pray that my kids remain as close and as good of friends as they are now forever and for always!!

Much to be thankful for

I love, love, love the holiday season and most everything about it. I start getting excited in October and it continues right through the New Year until the post holiday blues kick in! We look forward to traditions, being with family, baking, and everything in between. This year I feel more grateful and at peace then I have in years past. We have been really trying to live in the moment and not take the little things for granted. I am most thankful for my family, our health and all the tender merices our Heavenly Father shows us.
It's been a few years since my side of the family has been together for Thanksgiving and we were really hoping to get all of our Utah peeps down here this year. Life kind of got in the way and none of them were able to make it but the rest of us (our family and my other 4 siblings, spouses and kids) still planned to get together for dinner and games at our house and we were all looking forward to it!
Eric and I and a friend of ours signed up to run a 10 mile Turkey Trot Thanksgiving morning. This was our first real race and neither one of us felt like we were totally prepared but we were committed and going for it and truthfully it was kind of exciting. It was fun having something to work towards. We all did pretty good (of course you always wish you did better) but for our first one we were pleased to have done it and finished!!!
After the race, it was race number two trying to finish getting everything ready before everyone got there. It is so nice having kids that are old enough and willing and able to help out! We are a good team!! It was such a relaxing and mellow Thanksgiving and I enjoyed every minute of it. I love that all of our kids love each other so much and enjoy being together! We played some kickball and had a Turkey Hunt and played games and ate a LOT of really good food! I am so thankful to have such an awesome family. I am thankful for the progress we have made as a family and for the trials we have endured that has helped us grow closer and appreciate each other and our diversities. Unfortunately I was a little to mellow and did a stinky job of taking pictures but I love this one we shot of the kids. Shadows, funny faces and all, I love these kiddos!!! We really missed the ones that weren't here but hopefully after Christmas!!

It's no easy task getting 16 kids all looking and smiling at the same time!!
This is as close as we got!!

Fabulous Friday!!

This week was awesome! Not for any particular reason but many small reasons. Just feeling overall good about life, happy and helpful kids, productivity, energy, the Christmas spirit in the air just to name a few and tonight was a fabulous finish to the week!
A few weeks ago our good friends the Stubbs asked if we and our two oldest kids would be willing to go to the temple and help do baptisms for some family names they were working on and of course we were happy to oblige. I made some serious goofs in the planning stages but we were able to make it work. So tonight The Stubbs, the Dutry's and their son Riley and the four of us headed to the temple. It was so special being there together and being able to participate in such an important ordinance. It was so cool watching Kiley participate for the first time and having her dad be the one to do the baptizing and seeing Riley and Braydon dressed up in their white shirts looking so handsome and being excited about being there. It was awesome!! Definitely something we hope to do again soon!! We walked around for a minute and looked at the lights and finished off the night by going to Cafe Rio, YUUUUM!!!

For the love of socks!!!

Keaton is the baby of our family, he is the most easy going and happy go lucky guy around. There are only a few things that really get him worked up. One is not being allowed to go outside and play, or being told it's time to come in, he would live outside if he could!! Being hungry, when he is hungry you had better feed him and he seems to ALWAYS be hungry! But the absolute biggest thing that will push him over the edge is his socks!!He has a thing with his socks. There will be 15 pair in his drawer but he won't wear any of them because he doesn't like how they fit. No one else would be able to tell the slightest difference but if you try and put a pair on him you will see the melt down of all melt downs!! How does this happen? I don't get it but I have learned there is really no point of trying to convince him, it ain't happening!!! The socks he will wear are practically brand new and have huge holes in them already and I have to watch to make sure he doesn't wear the same dirty pair for days in a row!! I really need to stock up on the ones he likes to wear but of course I can't remember where I got them. Hopefully his sock issues will be short lived. We still think he is one of the cutest kids around despite being a little obsessive.

Halloween 2009

Halloween snuck up on us so fast, it didn't even seem possible that October was almost over! I usually go all out making costumes etc. But this year it just didn't happen and it was ok! We have so many costumes that we can recycle, it worked out great! Keaton was pretty intent on being a Cardinals fan and I think we did a pretty good! We did our annual pot luck chili dinner with friends and went trick or treating. It was pretty low key, but we had a great time!

This Picture ought to be good for some serious blackmail when they get older!!

classic Keaton face!!!

The trading of the candy after trick or treating!!! HOLY pile of JUNK!!!

Still Catching up on posts!!!

Conference was two months ago, I am just a little behind!!
We went on our Semi annual conference camping trip in October. We have gone to Stoneman Lake the last handful of times, but it is a good spot and it accommodates a large number of people pretty well! The weather was a little more pleasant then it had been in April (no snow this time!) The wind was at a minimum, we didn't even have to put up the huge canvas tent. This trip we were missing some of our usual families which is always sad, but we had some newbies! It is always a good time when new people join in on the madness, and the kids always welcome new friends!! Conference was amazing as always, I always look forward to being spiritually fed and uplifted. It is to bad conference is only twice a year. One of my favorite things about our camping trips is watching all of the kids have a blast together! They play and laugh so hard and are such good friends, it is awesome!! We are so thankful for such good friends and the opportunity to do things like this as a family!!!

I guess they are a little tired from playing so hard!!

We did an taco bar for our group dinner Saturday night. I think it was a hit. GOOD food!!

Action Packed and Sleep Deprived!!

Kiley is in Project I.D.E.A.L. at school (advanced language and reading program). The Jr High students have the opportunity to participate in a unique field trip and I was lucky enough to be chosen as a chaperon. I LOVE being able to do things like this with my kids and was pretty excited about it!!
Thursday Night
We loaded up on a charter bus and pulled out of the school parking lot at around 10pm to head to San Diego, California. The kids were able to talk, listen to Ipods etc till about midnight then the bus lights were turned out and it was QUIET. I really wish I could say I slept but I'm pretty sure that was an illusion, Kiley curled up in a ball and was out (one benefit to being small and young)! We got to the pier at 4 am, and then loaded a 65ft fishing boat for an oceanography experience. It was dark and cold but the kids were wide eyed and bushy tailed. They cast a special fishing net and then pulled it in to see what they caught and surprisingly there was quite a variety of sea life. The guide taught about each creature (very fascinating) except for the Round Sting Rays. They went back in the ocean to prevent any one from being stung, the rest of the creatures went in feel tanks for the kids to watch and touch. They also caught some plankton (spelling?) and were able to look at it under a microscope! We saw a bunch of sea lions, dolphins, and a variety of birds. It was awesome and nobody puked!! When we got back to the pier we piled back on the bus and headed to Denny's for breakfast. I had my doubts of how successful breakfast would be at a restaurant when 45 people walked through the door at the same time. Thankfully I was pleasantly surprised. They definitely have it down to a science. We all had our orders taken, were served, paid and were out of there in a little over an hour, it was so impressive!!! The next stop was the San Diego Zoo, and it was a beautiful, perfect day for it!! I really wish I had, had a pedometer on. We walked and walked and walked. We covered the whole zoo and some parts twice!! Some of the highlights were the polar bears, panda bears, my personal favorite was the orangutans (especially the baby) and the gorillas. The kids were so well behaved and we all just had a great time hanging out together. After the zoo we went back to the pier for dinner. They had a kid friendly buffet dinner on the pier followed by a bon fire on the beach. We got to make smores and listen to shark tales. I can not say enough positive things about the tour company. They were awesome, fun, organized and very efficient.We also LOVED our bus driver, anyone who can flip a U-ey in a charter bus, on a hill in San Diego is my hero! When we got to the hotel that night the adults were dismissed to go to our rooms and were off duty the rest of the night. They gave the kids their room assignments and explained the rules and off they went. As exhausted as we all were you would think we would have been out in five minutes, but NO!! We stayed up till almost midnight talking and the next morning I find out Kiley's room did the same thing!!

Saturday morning we were up early, got ready and loaded on the bus to head to McDonalds for breakfast. After breakfast our first stop was La Jolla beach to look at the seals and then on to Scripps Aquarium. It was so fascinating watching and reading about all the different fish, sea animals, and sea life. Outside was a beautiful man made tide pool with all kinds of creatures to touch and see. It was a beautiful day!! Following the aquarium we rode the bus to Sea Port Village where we sat on the pier and had lunch and even did some quick shopping!! I love that place, good food too!! Our final stop was the U.S.S. Midway, which is totally fascinating and mind boggling! It is a retired air craft carrier and it is huge and magnificent. We were given headsets and were able to have an audio tour of the whole ship. I think my favorite was the flight deck where they had dozens of different air crafts to see and sit in. I have always been so fascinated by this stuff! The kids all seemed to really enjoy the weekend as well. My only complaint was how fast it went and that we didn't have longer to stay at each place!! I really would have thought that we wore the kids out and they would all be crashed out on the way home. That was NOT the case! We played Ocean Idol on the way home, which was stinking hilarious. The kids were split into groups and had to write a song about something they saw or did over the weekend. They were so good and creative! We stopped in Yuma for dinner, we could choose between Panda Express, In and Out or Del Taco, good stuff! We feel so blessed to have our kids attend a school that has such amazing teachers, programs, and an AWESOME principal!

This bear was hilarious!!

While the parents are away the kids will play!!

First of all I want to preface this post by saying, that as a parent it makes my heart soooo happy to see our girls love each other and be such good friends! (Don't get me wrong they have their occasional disagreements but mostly they are great friends.) I love to check on them at night and find them snuggled up in the same bed together, or watching Kiley helping her sister with her homework or when they have friends over rather than locking each other out they are all laughing and having a blast together!! I hope they stay this close and can depend on each other forever! That is the true parent payday!!!

A few weeks ago Eric and I went out for a quick dinner date and left the kids home together as usual. When we came home everything was as it should be. Later that night, Kiley said mom Mal and I took some pictures with your camera will you upload them for us? I didn't think anything of this, they take silly pictures all the time. When I finally got around to looking at the pictures I just about died laughing. I had got the Halloween costume bins down out of the attic and they had a hay day making up outrageous outfits and just being their silly, obnoxious selves!!!

I have really STUNK at the journal keeping latlely!!

For the run of it!!

I had been taught the concept of setting goals as a child but never really GOT it until after Eric and I were married. The man is GOAL oriented and most of the time I really love that about him. I love that our kids are learning it and the importance of always having goals and striving to reach them. I get tickled pink to walk in to our daughters room and see pages of goals and reminders tacked up by her bed! At times it has been so easy for me to set a goal and achieve it and other times not so much but I guess as long as we are always trying it still counts for something!!!
With the kids being back in school, camp being over and me finally feeling more like myself it is time to focus again. I have for sometime wanted to train to run a half marathon or something of the like, and as if to read my mind a friend posted a request for runners for a relay team on her face book. After a couple calls and some research I eagerly agreed to be a member of her team and am sooooo excited to have a goal and a purpose to work toward.
We are going to be running the Ragnar Del Sol Relay, which is a 202 mile race running from Prescott to Mesa. We run as a team each girl running 3 separate legs of the race. It is going to be one LOOOONg, sweaty, exhausting running party!! I will probably be posting updates of my/our progress and FEARS as we go along but I am so looking forward to the process.

Back to School 2009

Wow!! How did this happen? I am pretty sure we just got out of school like last week and it is already time to start the madness all over again!! This year is another HUGE milestone year for our family. Last year our baby started kindergarten and our oldest graduated from 8th grade. This year our oldest starts HIGH SCHOOL (ahhh!) and seminary.
Keaton is in 1st, Malerie is in 5th, and Kiley in 7th. Dang we are getting old! It does come with it's advantages I guess. The freedom we have now from our kids independence it pretty darn good. They all love school, they are excellent about doing their homework and work really hard to get good grades. They wake up and get ready almost always with no problem with little help from us, and they like to make their own lunches. Not so bad!! This year Keaton gets to come home the same time as the girls which works out really well. They all walk to and from together!!
I've had a harder time sending Braydon to high school then I did sending Keaton to kindergarten. I feel like we are feeding him to the wolves. He has had such a shelterd pleasant life up till now and I am afraid reality it gonna come a knockin real soon! We feel so blessed that he had the opportunity at the beginning of summer to meet an awesome group of kids that he will be in seminary/school. They all hit it off right from the beginning and have hung out all summer long. They are such good kids from amazing families and I truly believe that they will all be a great strength to each other over these next few challenging years! We are so thrilled that he is excited about school and seminary and pray that it lasts!!
Thursday before school started we got a call from the P.I. teacher. She said they had been reviewing the AIMS test scores and Kiley had excelled in all the areas. Based on her score they offered her a place in the advanced language and reading class. She was so excited to get the opportunity and we are so proud of her!!
I am thankful for good schools and good teachers and am looking forward to another good year!!!



Braydon somehow thinks now that he is in high school he is exempt from having to do our annual back to school photo shoot. It kind of worked for him considering he had to be at seminary by 6am! But mark my words I am going to get a picture!!