Our Very Merry Christmas

We had a great Christmas! It was a miracle that Jonathan got Christmas Day off. He came off of a 30 hour shift on Christmas Eve, took a short nap, & then joined us for Janie's birthday party. And he was there when the girls got up for Christmas. It was so wonderful to have him there!

I am still putting the tree on a table. Maybe next year we won't have too. I was worried that the girls would pull it down on themselves. It was so fun getting ready for Christmas this year because the girls loved everything. Jonathan and I were excited for Christmas morning so we could see the girls' reactions to their gifts. We were not disappointed.

Aunt Sarah reminded me to put out cookies for Santa. Sami loved the idea. And it was truly magical when she realized that Santa ate her cookies! 

 Janie would have been happy with just her stocking. She loved her sunglasses, coloring books, stickers,and polly pockets. It sure is lucky that Santa knows them so well.

One of the favorite presents (and most fought over) is a collection of dress up clothes from Grandma. They LOVE being princesses! 

   

 On Christmas afternoon, we went to Grandma's house for lunch & more presents. Unfortunately, Jonathan couldn't come because he went for a 10 mile run on an empty stomach & was throwing up. Bum-mer! He is getting ready for a half marathon, and pushed himself just a little too much.  One of my favorite gifts is a quilt made by Grandma Trish. It is so beautiful and truly a gift of love. She also made gorgeous quilts for Sami & Janie that match their rooms & personalities perfectly. It is wonderful to have loving Grandmas in our lives.

Now we are all done with the parties and my tree is already down. I am ready for the new year. (Except the girls are currently sick, and I am hoping that ends before the new year.) 2010 has been such a great year for us! I feel so blessed on every level. I have truly seen Heavenly Father's hand in my life, and that makes me want to be a better person. 

Janie is 2!

At 2 years old, Janie:

-loves dress-up, pretend make-up, & baby dolls

-her main goal in life is to be just like her sister & do everything she's doing

-is very sensitive & tender hearted

-loves, loves, loves books & wants to be read to a lot

-is a great sleeper & a great eater (I'm so lucky!)

-enjoys being outside

-is a great dancer and does a jig that is hilarious

-is almost ready to start potty training

-has constant bouts of constipation & is on a laxative regime right now

-thinks nursery is great, but only if Sami is there (we're in trouble come January!)

-loves chapstick & it will calm her down faster than anything

-favorite foods are mandarin oranges, chips, tacos, grapes, & all snack foods

Janie is my Christmas miracle, literally. I am amazed at how much sweetness she brings our family. I remember so clearly after her delivery, I sat by myself in my hospital room. Janie was in the special care nursery & Jonathan was home with Sami. It was a beautiful Christmas Eve day, & I thought of Mary, giving birth to the Savior & laying her newborn in a manager, while I lay surrounded by doctors, food, a tv, & a bathroom and my newborn was getting great medical care. Janie will always remind me of the true meaning of Christmas: life. Because of our Savior's birth, life, & death, we can live together forever, with our loved ones. And we are so grateful that Janie is our lives.

Happy Birthday, Janie! We love you!!

The Christmas Spirit

  

Today at church I felt the Spirit so many times as we talked about the true meaning of Christmas, and I hope and pray that I can teach my children the true meaning of Christmas. I feel like this Christmas is almost magical for Sami. She loves the tree and makes sure that it's still there every morning when she gets up. She told everyone "Merry Christmas!" in the enthusiastic way that only she can do today at church. The thought of presents is almost more than she can handle and she wants Jingle Bells  nearly every time we get in the car. Children really do make the holidays special. I am so grateful for a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!  

Thanksgiving in Nebraska

We've been home for over a week, and life has seemed nonstop since we've been home. Just catching up on housework, getting ready for Christmas, celebrating Sami's birthday, and my calling in Young Women has kept me very busy. But I wanted to write a few things about my trip.

First of all, it was COLD! Fifteen below with the wind chill, for most of our trip. There were a few sunny days, but even with the sun out, it was much, much colder than we're used too. Good thing I had found some warm coats for the girls at yard sales before our trip.  They had never been so bundled up.

My family wanted to have a birthday party for the girls while we were there. My mom made the girls' favorite: macaroni and cheese. My sister Rachel went out searching for balloons, which totally made the party for the girls! 

This is my only sister, Rachel, and my nephew David. Rachel has lost 100 pounds since the last time I've seen her! She looks amazing and has so much more confidence. I love her.

 My dad with ALL his grandkids:

I love my family. We, like all families, have our issues and problems to work through, and some of these issues made our trip a little stressful, and the fact that we all got sick a couple of times. But I am still glad we went. The girls loved getting to know their cousins and aunts and uncles. It was fun for me to see how loved  Sami and Janie felt with my family. I am so grateful for the family that Heavenly Father put me in and has blessed me with. They are such a blessing to me.  

Samantha is 3!

At three years old, Sami:

-loves Dora (Super Babies is her favorite episode), & all sing-along dvds

-loves to sing and dance

-is very independent

-loves picking out her clothes each morning

-loves tacos, chicken nuggets with ketchup, and macaroni and cheese

-asks to go to the store everyday

-will do almost anything to help make cookies

-now enjoys every holiday

-loves nursery and all her little friends

-when she sees Janie getting into troubles, she tries to stop her (which doesn't go over well with Janie)

-shares Mom's love of yard sales and looking for "treasures"

-favorite toys are Polly Pockets, books, dolls, dress-up, and kitchen

-looks forward to art time and book time

-is terrified/fascinated with the garbage truck & the vacuum and their accompanying noises

-would spend all day outside and at the park if she could

-loves people and is extremely outgoing

-is really good at picking up (most of the time☺)

-is such a joy in our lives!

I can't believe it's been three years since we first walked into that hospital in Raleigh, NC, to meet our sweet Sami girl! I am still amazed and awed that she got to come to our family and that we get to spend eternity with her. She is such a blessing to our lives and our family.  When I look at Sami, I see God's love for me, in giving me such a miracle.  It was meant to be. And I love her, her birth family, and my Heavenly Father for the joy that she is in our loves.

We love you, Samantha!!

Staying Busy

Life is busy, but good. We are getting ready to go to Nebraska for Thanksgiving. My mom has a countdown until we get there. I am loving the cooler weather (although it was still so hot last week that the girls went swimming twice!). We love walking to the mailbox, going to the park, and baking. I am grateful that my girls love the little things in life, and that I get to enjoy them with them. 

Our Princesses

Have you met our princesses?

Sami LOVED Halloween this year! Except for the scary costumes that showed up on our door. Then she kept saying "monsters no scary, monsters no scary." We assured her that monsters wouldn't hurt her. So did Grandma Carol, who called to see how the girls were doing just when Sami was needing to be reassured. She took Grandma's word for it. 

She did so good saying "trick-or-treat" to everyone and then a "thank you." After the ward trunk-or-treat, she said "I love Halloween! It's so cool!" 

Janie was a fairy princess. We just threw together a costume from her dress up. (All costumes came from yard sales, of course☺.) She had a break down just before we left for the party. I thought I would have to bring her home early, but she pulled through. These two pictures were taken seconds apart. 

I love that she kept her princess hat on the whole night, in the car, at the party, for the games. She was so tired for the trunk-or-treating that at one point she just fell down. As for the trunk-or-treating, she just walked up to people and started taking candy. It was kind of funny.

These cute little girlies are best buddies. They go to nursery together and love each other. The girls love nursery and their little girlfriends are mostly why. Everytime we mention church, Sami starts listing off all people she loves: Rachel, Sidney, Kaari, Ella, Elise, Harris (the most beloved nursery leader), and Mason (he's a boy but they love him too ☺). 

We loved Halloween this year. I can easily say it was our funnest ever! Hope you had a great one too. 

My Little Intern of the Month:

Jonathan is working the night shift at the VA this month. It's been challenging. He jokes that residency is aging him. I didn't understand the stress that doctors are under until this experience. I mean, when you are in the hospital, you see your doctor for a few minutes, and then they are gone. What are they doing with all their time? Now I know. They are doing tons of paperwork, reviewing labs and charts, calling specialists, having meetings with administrators, admitting patients, monitoring other patients, ordering labs and prescriptions, and doing more paperwork. Not to mention the emotional toll of pronouncing people dead and having to tell their family what went wrong. Or having to tell people that they are going to die. Even when Jonathan is home, he is required to study a lot. I know, for a fact, that I couldn't do what he does. I couldn't handle it emotionally or physically. Yet I appreciate how hard is working for our family and how hard he tries to not only be a good doctor but to be a better husband and father.

So I am thrilled that the program recognized all his hard work.

Another First

Sami and Janie have had ice cream lots of times. But I have never given it to them in cones because I didn't want the mess. (I know, I am a party pooper mom. But sometimes I feel like I go from one mess to the other so creating scenarios for messes has never been a priority.)

But Sami's favorite shirt is neon green with a pink ice cream cone on it. She calls it "ice cream shop shirt" (thanks Katie!). It got it's name from a Baby Einstein movie with an ice cream shop in it. And then there is a favorite Dora movie where everyone gets ice cream cones on Boot's "special day". And the plastic ice cream cones in our play food are the most played with.

So it was time. 

And they loved it.

And the mess wasn't bad at all. Of course I had them strapped in their chairs with bibs. But they didn't seem to mind at all.

I Am A Child Of God

Sami loves to sing. When someone calls me, it is not uncommon for Sami to be by my side, asking to sing them a song. I love to hear her little voice, especially when she sings the primary songs. This one is my favorite.

For those not familiar with this song, the words are beautiful: 

I am a child of God

And He has sent me here.

Has given me an earthly home

With parents kind and dear.

Lead me, guide me, walk beside me

Help me find the way.

Teach me all that I must do

to live with Him some day.

More Pictures...

Here are more pictures. Some of these prove I spend way too much time in Photoshop. 

I love pictures!

When I found out that Jonathan had this last Saturday off, I emailed my friend Kristen and asked if she could take our family pictures for our Christmas cards this year. They were so nice to agree because they are expecting their fifth baby next week! Kristen and I were joking about how every stage of the girls' is documented on their camera and it's so true! This is our third photo session in a year. But I can't help it. They are so talented and so fun and so inexpensive. And I think the photos are priceless. Here are a few of my favorites...with more to come soon! Thank you Kristen, Mike, and the kids who tried to get the girls to smile.

We love this picture. We told Sami to give Janie a hug-and she did just that! Except it's more like a head lock...

Thank You

I have been thinking a lot about gratitude lately. Because I am teaching a YW lesson on it next month. And because Thanksgiving is coming up. And because there were two talks in General Conference on the subject; one by Elder Holland and one by our beloved prophet, President Monson. Both were great reminders to me to say "Thank you" and be grateful. 

Of course, I am so grateful for my family. Sami is so fun. Last night Jonathan called to see how we were doing. Sami wanted to talk to him and when she was done, she handed me the cell phone and said, "Mama, it's Daddy. He's so cute." We got a big kick out of that.

And Janie walks around saying "Oh, man!" in her tiny, cute little voice. Both girls like Dora, and I'm pretty sure that Janie doesn't realize that Swiper is the "bad guy" trying to "swipe" stuff, but she loves it when he says "Oh, man!"  

Jonathan is getting pretty beat up by his residency. But he's doing a good job and learning a lot. One of the key things he's learning is he doesn't like the hospital. He's great in high stress situations, like codes, etc., but he doesn't like the stress. So we're thinking clinic life is the life for us. I am so grateful, because I really want him home for weekends and holidays. He's trying to run again, to help with the stress, & the girls love stretching with him.

And I am so grateful that the weather is finally cooling down.  The girls are loving being outside and I love it too. We all go a little stir-crazy when it's too hot to be outside.

One of my favorite quotes on gratitude comes from Elder Nelson who said: "Gratitude on a daily basis means we express appreciation for what we have now without qualification for what we had in the past or desire in the future." I love that. So many times I think, "It will be so nice when..." we get a minivan, our loans are paid for, when we can buy a house, etc. But really, my life is absolutely wonderful right now! I was giving Jonathan a hug the other day, and Sami ran up and threw her arms around our legs. It was such a wonderful moment for me because I remembered just then how many times I had begged Heavenly Father for such a gift: my own child hugging my legs! And now I have it! Times two. I am amazed that Heavenly Father, the God of the universe, takes time to listen to my prayers. He answers even the seemingly silly prayers, that don't really matter in the long run, but matter to me right then. I feel His tender mercies throughout every area of my life. 

And I am grateful for you, my friends. Thank you for being there for me, even when you see my weaknesses and shortcomings, you love me and care about me still. Thank you so much.

Wonderful Cake

My mom told me how to make an old, plain cake mix into a wonderful, moist, too-delicious-to-resist cake! First, substitute sour cream for the oil (I used low-fat sour cream and it was awesome!) Then add in a box of instant pudding. Just dump the powder in; I used vanilla (they used to put pudding in the cake mix but don't anymore so this really makes it moist!) Then add 1/3 c. more water than the box recipe calls for. Keep everything else the same. Then mix it really well. Bake as directed on the box. It will be so moist and delicious!

Then, for a fun change with your frosting, just substitute peanut butter for butter in your favorite butter cream frosting recipe and your mouth will love you!

I Wonder...

Tonight I was watching Sami eat her dinner and I couldn't help but wonder what she thinks about her little life.  She spent a lot of time in time out this afternoon. Once for chasing Janie around, trying to get her snack (that was actually comical-imagine Janie running screaming holding her snack with Sami right behind her, arms out reaching), once for yelling "no" when I told her it was time to go potty, and once for something else...can't remember because it's after 8 pm.

Truth be told, she spends some time in time out almost every day. Sometimes multiple times a day. When we have a hard day, like today, I tend to take it personal, like "if I was teaching her better, she wouldn't act this way." But then Jonathan reminds me that she is two, and she is just testing me. And I have to consistent and it will all be okay. But consistency is hard.

Some moms think I'm strict. And I agree with them.  I like to think it's better to fight the little battle than wait until it's a big battle later on. So I try to teach and reinforce the positive and discourage the negative. But some battles aren't worth fighting at all, and that's where it can get tricky for me. And sometimes I just don't want the fight. Some days I do better than others. But what I really want, more than anything, is for the girls to know how loved they are. Sami came up to me the other day and said "Sami good girl. Sami make good choices." I hope she knows that I am so proud of her, and that I will love her no matter what her choices are. She's my little sweetie, my angel girl.  I know she doesn't know anything other than her life with us, but I hope the cookie baking and yard sale memories will stand out more than the time-outs.  I hope that the one thing she never, ever questions is how loved she is.

Girly Stuff

I love having girls. I've been known to say that I want four girls. But I wouldn't mind having a little boy, not at all. In fact, I hope we do have a little boy some day. But he will probably play with dress up, polly pockets, and have afternoon tea parties with us.  For now, I just love all these girly things.

I am so glad they have each other.  When I get Sami up in the morning, I ask her what she wants to do fun that day.  Sometimes I get "yard sales," or "church," or "make brownies with Daddy," (she has extremely good taste, if I do say so myself) but when I have to tell her it's not the day to yard sale, go to church, or Daddy can't make brownies today, she usually settles for "dress up, with Sissy."  I love that they are friends.

Gaining Balance

We have found a new balance for our family.  Jonathan has found that in order for him to have balance in his very unbalanced schedule, he has to give things up.  He has given up running, for now. When he's home, he's playing with the girls or sleeping. Or talking to me ☺.  

And I have found that I need to do more things around the house. I find myself taking the trash and recycling to the curb, pulling weeds, and hanging up pictures-things I always took for granted that J would do. But I am okay with it, mostly because I know that Jonathan wants to do those things but if I do them, it helps him out. He feels bad that a lot of times he has to sleep when he wants to stay up and play, but that is a reality.  So we do the best we can, get through the hard days, and look forward to the good days.  I love it when the girls hear the garage door open and they run to Jonathan yelling "Daddy, Daddy! Oh, hi Daddy!"  He loves it too.  

Piano Dancing

We are still listening to Jon Schmidt's love story.  Only now we want to be Jon.  And how can I blame them-he's amazing on the piano!  I just love the little body shake the girls throw in the middle of their concert.

Happy Labor Day!

7 awesome things I learned this week:

1. Sami will actually play in the sink for an hour! And unlike last year, she doesn't soak everything.  I stopped letting her play in the sink because when she was done I had to soak up the floor, counters, and changer her clothes.  Too much work for a few minutes of fun.  But no longer!  As  you can see, she does get wet, but at least it's now so worth it!

2. I can actually sew! Ok, maybe that's going a little too far. I guess I should say, "I actually sewed something!" Years ago my sweet and generous friend, Jill, gave me a sewing machine. I bought a pattern from "Sewing For Dummies," but finally gave up feeling very dumb and frustrated. But I was inspired by my sister-in-law and tutored by my mother-in-law and feel like I am ready to take on another hobby! I know that this isn't much, just a cover for a composition notebook. And I am too embarrassed to take pictures of the insides because it's very crooked.  But, hey, it is my first try so I'm giving myself some leeway.☺

3. Prayer and chocolate can make any day better. (I already knew this but re-learned it this week.)

4.  My friend Suzanne told taught me how to make my glass cups look like new.  They were looking very murky from the hard water.  You just fill up your sink with equal parts of warm water and white vinegar, and put your glasses in, let them sit and wa-la! It was like magic!  My glasses look new.  J has mentioned the "new" cups three times now.

5. I don't have PCOS. Last week a PA diagnosed me with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).  It's a hormone disorder that affects fertility, among other things. I was very distressed.  The PA basically said, "You have PCOS, but I can't tell you much about it so you have to go see a specialist (you can imagine how well that went over with Jonathan when I told him about it-he firmly believes you shouldn't diagnose unless you can answer any/all questions). I already had an appointment to see a new OB doc, and I took the same lab results to him and he said there was no indication that I had it.  (J didn't think I had it either but he freely admits that OB is not his thing.) I definitely feel confident in the OB rather than the internal medicine physicians assistant and am greatly relieved. Not to mention that I love this new OB, and Jonathan was able to come with me to this appointment and he was very impressed with him too. So I feel blessed. (Thanks, Whitney, for telling me about your amazing OB!)

6.  This video on vulnerability is so interesting and insightful.  I found it so true for my own life, and I am recommitted to living in gratitude and being joyful in the ordinary.  It's 16 minutes but so worth your time. I can't tell you how many times I have said, "my life is so good, I wonder when something bad is going to happen."   I am going to try to stop "foreboding joy."
http://mollyirwin.typepad.com/mollyirwin/2010/08/on-vulnerability.html

7.  One of the sweet & oh-so-cute young women that I work with has a new etsy shop that is so awesome!  Juliette makes and sells flower clippies and headbands.  Her prices are so reasonable and she hand delivered me my order the same day and refunded my shipping.  I took this picture of me with my new goods, which I was going to give to the girls but now I am keeping them! Her shop is called Bloomin' Cute, which is so fitting.

Life is good. ♥