Christmas Wishes to Our Dear Friends

We did not include a letter this year with our Christmas cards but included a link here to our blog. For those of you who may wander onto our blog we wanted to leave a Christmas message to you our dear friends that have made the journey of life a little easier.
As the warmth of another Christmas radiates through the air, we pray that you and your loved ones will be together to celebrate this season. We hope that this year was a good year for you and pray that this next year is even better!
We have had a year filled with joy, happiness, and a few tears here and there. The thundering trio are growing and learning in leaps and bounds. They certainly have moments where we want to pull our hair out but the majority of the time they are absolutely amazing. We are blessed beyond measure that we have the opportunity to be their parents. Shawn and I are plugging along at UCA holding on despite the turmoil within the university setting. We have had some opportunities to work with some amazing students who make the day to day frustrations worth it. Despite the minor annoyances of life, our life is good & we have much to be grateful for.
We pray that our Heavenly Father will bless you all for the kindness that you have shown us & others & that this season will be one to enjoy friends & family & to remember & celebrate the birth & Life of our Lord.

Something to think about this Christmas Season

Christmas list from Jesus
An unknown author wrote something which I believe is important. He called it a letter from Jesus about Christmas.

“It has come to my attention,” Jesus begins, “that many of you are upset because some folks are taking my name out of the season . . . How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate my birth, just get along and love one another!

“Now, having said that, let me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting my birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all my followers did that there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

“Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were.
If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1-8.

If you want to give me a present in remembrance of my birth, here is my wish list. Choose something from it to really make a difference.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way my birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don’t have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing to the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don’t you write and tell him that you’ll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can’t afford and they don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of my birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don’t know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit-picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren’t allowed to wish you a “Merry Christmas” that doesn’t keep you from wishing them one.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary - especially one who takes my love and Good News to those who have never heard my name.

9. Here’s a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no “Christmas” tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don’t know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other Christian charity, and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to me, then behave like a Christian. Don’t do things in secret that you wouldn’t do in my presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don’t forget; I am God and can take care of myself. Just love me and do what I have told you to do. I’ll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I’ll help you, but the ball is now in your court.

And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those you love and remember . . . I LOVE YOU, JESUS.”

Missing my Jaxon

My little Jaxon has been kidnapped for 2 weeks. Alright kidnapped is a bit extreme (Shawn's parents took them back to Utah with them). It is amazing how different life is without him! We talk on the phone frequently. He sounds so grown up. His language is phenomenal and the details he gives about his day is quite impressive. I just spend the entire conversation wondering where my little boy went b/c this guy sounds so big! He is so smart. Nana & Papa were spoiling him rotten. Nana decided maybe we should curb this a bit since Santa is visiting soon. She gave him 4 tokens for toys. She told him that he could have 4 more toys just give her the token for each. He could have them anytime he wanted but once he used the 4 tokens they were done. He used 1 token for the next 4 days. On the 5th morning he knew he couldn't have any more tokens. So, he walked up to Nana and asked "Can we go get a Happy Meal?" He is a bright boy knew he could not have a toy but a Happy Meal has one! Love that boy! Counting down the days till I can see you Jaxon! I love you!

Dance Class

Ashlin had a Christmas party last week during her dance class. We were able to watch her dance class and then after all the treats you could want and more. Being the biased parent I am thought she was the best dancer in the class. In all honestly, she really is becoming very graceful in her movements. I am so thankful that I was able to be there and enjoy some quality time with my little princess!

From our Family to Yours!

Thanks Shawn!

This post is dedicated to my Dearest Husband! I just wanted to say I am very thankful for him. He is a great provider, husband, father, friend, teacher, mentor, teacher, researcher ..... I guess you get the picture. I am especially grateful this evening for his support. I have had an incredibly difficult time the past 2 weeks at work. He has listened, shared words of wisdom, let me cry on his shoulder, and gave me a blessing when needed. I don't say it often enough....but I appreciate you and all you do from and our family! Happy Early Anniversary....we made it 9 years.....ha and you did not even think I would show up!

Our Very Own Pianist!

Ashlin started taking piano lessons in April. She took the summer off and resumed when school began. She enjoys playing and picks it up very quickly. She spends quite a bit of free time at the piano. My grandparents gave me the piano. Last Sunday, Shawn and his Dad drove to Canton Texas back to pick up the piano for Ashlin. It was a long day but we appreciated it greatly! Ashlin has put it to great use!
Special thanks to my grandparents, Shawn, and his dad for making it possible for us to have a piano. We love you very much!

Pictures with Santa & More

On Black Friday, we went to see Santa. Santa was at Papa's favorite store (ie. Bass Pro Shop). There pictures were free and they would let you take your own. Of course, the kids had other things on their mind.....especially Jaxon. I really wanted to get a family picture while we were in Branson for our Christmas Card. That definitely did not happen. Jaxon hates picture and unless he is very excited about something it's nearly impossible to get him to smile for the camera.

Christmas Area they had fun little stations for the kids entertainment.

Beautiful Christmas tree at Andy Williams Theatre!

We tried to get a family picture here....didn't happen.

All of Ashlin's treasures from Branson shows!

Tears due to Nana's departure!
Off on his grand adventure to Nana's in Logan Utah!

Thanksgiving 2010

This year we spent Thanksgiving in a time share condo in Branson. We had an absolute wonderful time. Shawn's parents took Ashlin a couple of days early and spent some one on one time with them. They took her to several different shows. One of them "Cassandra, A voice of an angel" she absolutely loved. She was able to get her autograph on the CD afterwards. Cassandra asked if she sang and Ashlin said, No but she played the piano. So Cassandra said keep playing the piano. Ashlin thought that was the neatest thing ever!
Shawn, the boys, and I stayed back and enjoyed their Thanksgiving celebrations. Each of them had a nice Thanksgiving dinner at their preschool. We enjoyed the time with them and meeting all of their friends.
We drove down Tuesday night and was ready for some much needed rest and relaxation. Wednesday, we went to Lamberts in Springfield for my birthday. Their food is amazing and they throw rolls at you...what more can you want? That afternoon we went to see Tangled a must see for all interested. We absolutely loved best Disney movie in awhile. We came and enjoyed some Cold Stone Ice Cream Cake. I finally got a new camera which I was very excited about mine was literally falling part which is part of the reason why posts have been sparse. I also got a fossil watch. My broke a year ago. So these birthday presents were real treasures! Thanks family for making my birthday just perfect.
Thanksgiving day, Shawn's mom made the traditional Thanksgiving dinner in the condo. We enjoyed another yummy thanksgiving dinner and each of us talked about things we were thankful for. The kids were very cute and loved that they could continually think of things they were thankful for. I think I learn more from them than they learn from me. That night we went to see another movie. At 10 that evening, Shawn and I were ready for Black Friday. The Branson outlet stores opened at 10 pm. We went shopping and were able to find some amazing things for the kids. It was very nice both the people working and the shoppers were very pleasant. I think it's because it's much easier to stay up all night versus getting a little sleep and then waking up. We spent most of the night at the outlets had a soda and Chili cheese fries from A&W around 2. We made it to Target at 4is and got a dual screen portable DVD player for a steal and a few more Christmas gifts. We went to Kohls saw a few things we liked but decided we were tired of standing in line. We picked up Krispy Kreme for breakfast and surprised the family. We took a little nap went to Branson Landing for awhile. We had dinner and then went to the Andy Williams Christmas show. Loved it! 2 years ago we went and it was just as good. Although, Shawn did doze off a bit at first. Can't imagine why! Saturday, we returned home.

We have many things to be thankful for this year! There would never be enough words or elegance in which to express our gratitude sufficiently to our Father in Heaven. I will mention a few.
We are especially grateful for the Gospel in our lives. It brings a knowledge of peace and hope into our lives.
We are grateful that we have a relationship with our Father in Heaven to provide a place to turn to for comfort when we have those moments in lives that we feel down and out.
We are grateful for the missionaries opportunities that we have had this year. The spirit we have felt in our home from listening to the lessons and the new friends we have met along the way!
We are grateful for our friends. They are a much needed source of comfort being so far from family.
We are grateful for our family for their continual love and support. For the prayers they say on our behalf that we feel each and everyday!
We are grateful for our Sweet children! They add joy and laughter each and everyday. I can't imagine my life without the trio & Shawn. They make life complete and whole!
We are grateful that life is eternal and that our earthly life is not the end! That the relationships we build here are eternal!
We are grateful for our education and our jobs! We are grateful the trio has wonderful educational and leisure activities to be involved in!
There are 2 things I especially feel grateful this year for. I am grateful I listened to the missionaries and accepted the Gospel when I was 16. I am grateful that I was brave enough to move to Utah after I graduated high school. It was very hard to move so far from home, but I needed to place myself in an environment that would help me to make better choices. I don't know if I could have done that in Texas there was a history in Texas of making bad choices and I don't know if I could have broken away from that.
I am so grateful that my children have a safe an loving home. They have the opportunity to go to church every Sunday. I am so grateful for their growing testimonies. Ashlin gave her first testimony in October. She practiced and she went up their all on her own and she gave it. It was one of the most precious testimonies I have ever heard.

Thank you Heavenly Father for all of this and so much more!
Our family has been blessed continually blessed by Thy Love!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas

Not really Christmas but a cute picture nonetheless!

We put up our Christmas incredibly early this year and I am not one bit embarrassed! Traditionally we put it up the weekend after Thanksgiving sometimes the weekend before. This year we decided to put it up for 2 reasons. Shawn's parent were coming for a visit & we wanted them to be able to see our house decorated. Also, we are going to be in Utah for Christmas & wanted to enjoy the decorations ourselves. The missionaries appointment had fallen through so we put them to work putting up our Christmas tree. I love Christmas decorations and music!

"Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved. Augusta E. Rundel"

Happy 5th Birthday, Jaxon!

Jaxon turned 5 on November 8th. I hate to be cliche once again but I can't believe how fast the kids are growing up. SlOw DoWn! We had many fun moments this year to celebrate Jaxon's birthday. The Friday before we had dinner at Larry's Pizza with all of our favorite Conway friends. We had a wonderful time with our friends and enjoyed his "How to Train Your Dragon" birthday cake.

Jaxon's with his school friends!

Jaxon enjoying his cupcake!

Jaxon's teacher, Ms. Jamie

On his actual birthday, we took "How to Train Your Dragon Cupcakes" to his school and his friends sang him Happy Birthday! He was so cute the whole time. He had a big smile plastered on his face. You can tell he was happy......because he let us take pictures and he even smiled for them.




For their fifth Birthday, we take the kids to Build a Bear....that way they can fully enjoy the experience. Jaxon has been looking forward to this awhile. He went and picked out the abominable snowman....thank goodness he changed his mind for this bear. He is a very cute Bear named "Jaque" who sings Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. He has a Batman outfit, Star Wars Jammies, and a Batman Dress up. He is very loved by Jax man. We had a nice dinner at Olive Garden his choice and then we came home and opened his family presents. He has 3 new additions to his Mr. Potato Head Collection: Iron Man, Woody, and Buzz. Jeron had found Iron Man and told Jaxon. As Jax, would open his gifts he would say Nope not Ironman and toss it aside. Once he opened that gift he went back and enjoyed the rest.
Happy Birthday Jaxon! You have given us 6 years filled with joy and happiness and a few grey hairs. You help make our family complete and are count our blessings that Heavenly Father sent you into our lives. You have grown up so much this year and learned so many things. We will you a year filled with many happy moments filled with love & laughter!

Fall Break in Texas

We made a quick trip to Texas during Fall Break. My grandaddie had back surgery the first of October and I was anxious to see how he was doing. It was a much needed break from the daily grind. It's been an adjustment returning to work. We continually stay busy with work, the many activities the kids our involved in, and church service. We are very grateful for the many opportunities we have but sometimes you just need a little rest and relaxation. David and Katie met us for lunch and a little time at the park before we left for home. As always, it was good to be with my family! One of the highlights of the trip was seeing Shawn hold a gun. The crows have been hanging out in the orchard and annoying my grandparents. So, Shawn went out and fired the gun to scare them away. He is not completely a city boy!

Dancing with the Sugar Bears!

Waiting for the big moment!

Getting pictures with her favorite dancers!

Heading out to the field for Half Time.

Learning new moves.

Ashlin went to her second Dance Clinic with the Sugar Bears. They do it twice a year once for football season and once for basketball season. They spend have the morning clinic with the dance team. That night they dance during half time. She absolutely loves the clinic and being in the spotlight during half time. In the video she is second from the left in the front row!