A Tender Mercy...

It is a serious tender mercy to me when I step on the scale in the morning after eating a brownie and icecream the night before and being down a pound. Seriously. 

Even though the physics of it might not make sense, I feel like the Lord knew I needed that brownie. He also knew I could not emotionally handle my pants being one bit tighter.  And that is a tender mercy to me.

PS You can read more about some serious tender mercies here.

The Book of Mormon and Water

I am the Personal Progress leader for the Young Women in our ward.  This is great because I also get to work on my Personal Progress, which are basically just goals to help you become a better person.  One of the goals is to read the Book of Mormon from start to finish. I have done this several times, but the past several years I have mostly just studied by topic...and that is when I study at all. ( I know...Pretty terrible!)  I swear I am so ADD sometimes that the thought of sitting down and just READING scriptures seems so hard.  Having a goal this year to read the Book of Mormon start to finish is just what I need.

And you know what?  When you dive in and actually read (not just here and there) it is like reuniting with an old familiar friend.  (Some of you may not know this feeling since you never leave your familiar friend, I don't recommend it.) It made me think of a refreshing drink of water.  I often think I am hungry, and so I will try everything in my fridge or pantry and I don't feel satisfied. Then I foolishly realize that I was not hungry...I was just thirsty!  Ryan tells me this all the time, because he drink a ton of water.  This is probably more so because I am nursing...I have a baby depending on me for some serious liquid, and so I need to drink that water even more.  I realize at the end of the day I am completely dehydrated! 

So it is with the scriptures.  So often when feeling unsatisfied I go looking everywhere...I read books, magazines, blogs, television...and often in the end can be left feeling still unsatisfied.  Then when reading the scriptures I think, duh, I was not "hungry" for all those other things...I was just thirsty and needed to read the scriptures.  The answer seems to simple, and too boring!  (Just like water)  When I am nursing and have someone that needs me, I need to up my water intake.  I had an epiphany that as a parent my babies are "dependent" on me for my spiritual "liquid".  So often at the end of the day I realize I am "dehydrated" so to speak, and don't have much to give.

So, don't get me wrong...I need my "food" in both instances.  I am not going to stop eating, reading and watching TV.  (This is a presidential year, my favorite time ever for politics!)  But I AM going to focus on trying to get in more Book of Mormon time AND drinking more water!  I know I will be better off physically and spiritually for it...

Christmas Day

Christmas was a little different this year since we had church at 9AM!  My kids really are not early birds, so we held off opening presents until AFTER Sacrament Meeting. I thought it was actually kind of nice. Christ is the whole reason we celebrate Christmas and so it seemed kind of appropriate to go do that first, then come home for Santa.  (Not saying I would want to do that every year!)  Anyway, that is why the kids are not in their usual Christmas attire-PJs!  

 

James got a remote control car from Santa.

Sophie got a little Radio Flyer that is just her size, all the kids love riding it.  It has been a hit!

Joshua got a cell phone and I think these pictures pretty much say how he felt about that!

 Luke and Michael both got this castle-thing they had been wanting.  PS That shopping cart in the background-piece of junk!  Took it back to the store.

Luke and Anne got Coaster Cars and I can't recommend them enough.  EVERYONE loves riding them and they have been non-stop fun.  Hands down, best present.   Here Dad is trying one out with Sophie.

Dad got a new Speedo!  Does it fit? 

My favorite gifts are ones that the kids made.  Michael made us a calendar at school.  I loved the wrapping job!

Sweet letter from Luke: "I hope you have a very happy New Year and a very, very, very good good Christmas.  I hope you get very good presents."  

A bird house Michael made us at Scouts.

Another picture from Luke.

Annie and Luke both got this kitchen set.  I still remember the kitchen set that I had growing up. It was also red and white and I loved this one!  I think I was just as excited as them about it. 

I love the boys faces when they exchange their gifts.  Joshua had REALLY been wanting this nice little deodorant set from Luke.  You know, as Luke says, "He needs it to get all the ladies."

Joshua had Luke and got him this Bubble Gum Machine-I think he likes it!

Michael saw this Tiger's Head in a store a few weeks before Christmas and it was love at first sight.  He was pleading to Santa to bring it to him!  Ryan told me, "I always wondered who buys those sort of things when I see them in stores, now I know....my son."  :)  Michael has already brought it to school for show-and-tell.  It is pretty sweet, don't ya think?

After opening all the gifts we had a late breakfast of German Pancakes and fruit. 

Later on Christmas evening we all went to Grandma and Grandpa's for a delicious Turkey Dinner.  I was trying to get a shot of Sophie with her twin cousins Max and Will (7 months) kicking it in their onsies.  They were not being too cooperative.  Could you imagine having all three of these cuties as triplets?

Sadie and Emmaline did a little dance perfomance for us.  I love this picture of Sadie! 

Here is Emmaline, dancing with attitude!  (Love those back-up dancers too!)

Annie and James got in on the action.

I think this picture of Melissa with Max is so cute.  You should see the twins bundled up in these outfits together! 

"Oh, what a feeling...when you're dancin' on the ceiling..." (Okay, you have be a child of the 80's to appreciate a little Lionel Richie.)  Anyway, all the kids kept asking Ryan to put them upside down on Grandma's ceiling.

And that was it...Christmas has come and gone until next year.  Anne doesn't quite understand.  She keeps asking when it is going to be Christmas again.  She figured out that Christmas is LOTS of fun.  I know Anne, we all agree...why can't it be Christmas everyday!?  (Because Mom and Dad would be passed out tired, we would all be over-weight and Santa would go broke!)  Instead, we will just try to keep Christ in our thoughts a little more throughout the entire year.  I left one of my Nativities up this year in the Living Room to help us remember.  I love having it out so much, I thought...why not!?  I wish I could get away with having a Christmas Tree up all year, but that would be a little crazy.  So, for now, we are going with the year-round Nativity set.  Merry Christmas!

Happy 1st Birthday, Sophie Rose!

I can't believe that it Sophie is one year already!  You might want to only read this post if you have a minute (or more like 20).  I couldn't help it...I tried to narrow the pictures down, but it was too hard!  Here is a review of her first year! 



I was induced on January 17, 2011.  Ryan thought it was perfect...it was his half-Bday!

Sophie Rose came out with the chubbiest little cheeks ever. We didn't know if the baby was a girl or boy...it was a great surprise to find out the kids would have another sister.

8 lbs. 13 oz.

The kids were so excited, and we came home a few days later. 

We had lots of visitors!  Here she is with Aunt Jennifer and Isabelle.

We went and got her picture taken professionally.

We took lots of our own pictures pretending we were professionals!

 

This bouncy ball got a lot of use!  I would put the boys to work bouncing Sophie up and down.  We quickly discovered she was a tad bit fussy.

Everyone took turns! (Sometimes they were a little more excited than other times.)

Sleeping alone in the carseat was rare.

Sophie, Anne wanted to hold you ALL the time, you didn't always appreciate it.

When Sophie was almost three months she made the trek to California to meet Nana and Papa!

She even got to play cards with Great-Grandma Critchlow!

When we got back to Idaho, Grandma could not believe how much Sophie had grown!

Our little Sophie Rose...AKA the Easter Bunny.

Sophie's first Easter Egg Hunt...Brrrr!

Getting older...


Sophie took a trip to Park City in June...

 

and then it was to Bear Lake in July.  Here she is with Anne before Church.


Grandpa and Sophie at Bear Lake


Sophie laying out on the deck in one of the cousin's sleeping bags.

Sophie loves Dad!  She gets so excited when she hears his voice or sees him in the morning.  She will start breathing fast and bob up and down.  All those days and nights of rocking her the first half of her life paid off! 

I am glad she likes Mom too!

More love from Annie...

Here Sophie is on her six month birthday!  (Remember...she was born on Ryan's half-bday!)  Like how Ryan is holding her while she sleeps as he blows out his candle.


More fun at Nana and Papa's...6 months.


Spending time with Presley, Aunt Michele, and Nana.


Bath Time in Nana's Sink



 Family Reunion in August.


Hanging out by the pool with Grandma...


Laughing over Chloe's shoulder


Here is the whole family...Sophie is about 7 months here.



The boys all went back to school in September and then the girls took over the house!

Sophie is lucky to have so many cousins that love to hold her, sometimes she is too fussy, but it is fun when she is willing!  (Here with Emmaline)


I think this was one of the last times with the Binky..she won't take it anymore, and I was pretty sad about it! I know in the long run it is much easier that way, but I miss having something to give her besides me!

Sophie was able to go back to Bear Lake in September, at almost 8 months.  Here she is with Michael on his 8 YEAR birthday.

Sophie lent lots of support to James throughout his football season!

Sophie was a Bumble Bee for her first Halloween.  She quickly discovered that she liked the candy!

 

 Here I am trying to get Sophie to walk to me.  She starting taking steps around 10 months.

While in Arizona, Sophie got to visit with her Great Grandma Bogren down from Canada at Thanksgiving.  What a lucky girl!

Sophie had two dogs come and go in one year.

First Christmas...

Ringing in the New Year with cousin Chloe...

Here is Isabelle encouraging Sophie to walk.  Even though she knows how to walk, sometimes it is just easier to crawl!  (Especially when we are trying to get pictures!)

What a year it has been!  Even though it has flown by, we can't imagine life before little Sophie Rose!  What would we do without her? You would think by the 6th child we would have her on some sort of schedule...but nope, not so!  We hold her LOTS, and yes, she still sleeps with us and still nurses. But hey, she is walking and um, that is about it.  She is our sweetheart, and we love her to pieces.  They sure change fast in one short year!  We are happy she is still nice and chubby and we can squeeze and kiss her lots.