Christmas Morning

We started Christmas bright and early. Thomas woke up around 12:30 and then again every 25-30 minutes after for the rest of the night. Needless to say, neither he nor I got much sleep. Finally, around 5:00 am I told him he could wake up everyone else. We also Skyped Grandma and Grandpa Powell so they could watch our morning with us. It was so cool to have them "there" with us and sharing in the morning. Thomas had an especially hard time this year that we weren't with them so this was a great way to help ease that for him. The kids were so cute with each other. Joshie even knew just what to do. At one point we had to buckle him in a booster seat so he wouldn't open any more presents without us knowing. He was content to be buckled too, which was a pleasant surprise. The kids loved their new bikes or scooters from Santa. How grateful I am to have such a wonderful family to share this time of year with. I love the excitement of Christmas and the many opportunities to remember and reflect on our Father in Heaven's love for us in sending us His Son, our Savior and Redeemer.

Later in the morning we drove up to Fairfield to be with Grandma, Grandpa, Emily, Tammy & Ty, Jared & Haylie and their kids. The kids enjoyed playing with their cousins and aunts and uncles. The next day the kids helped portray the nativity and we had a little "Christmas Olympics." We visited a little more before heading back home that evening so we could be here for church on Sunday.

Christmas Eve Festivities

What a great day today has been. I woke up at 4:00 am and couldn't go back to sleep. Finally, around 5:00 am I got up and decided to be productive. I made a batch of caramels, homemade bread, and did 2 loads of laundry before 7:00 am. Thomas was up around 5:30 and he kept me company. It was fun to have that time with him. Joel finally had the day off so he cleaned the carpets and changed the oil in the van this morning as well. I'm so grateful he was willing to do that to help me out.

Sammy was so excited that today was finally Christmas Eve. He kept asking us throughout the morning and afternoon, "Can we start Christmas Eve?" We finally figured out that we wanted to open his traditional gift for Christmas Eve. We were able to take some goodies around to friends today. We enjoyed that time as a family. After dinner we made "reindeer food" and the kids went outside to sprinkle it on the grass. Sammy was convinced he needed to use Daddy's ladder so he could climb onto the roof to sprinkle the reindeer food. Fortunately, we FINALLY convinced him he could just sprinkle it on the grass and the reindeer would still eat it. Then we came inside and read the Christmas story from the scriptures. As Joel read he would stop and talk to the kids and ask them questions. I am continually reminded of how much Thomas and Spring are growing up and am humbled at their insight to the scriptures. Following that the kids each opened the traditional Christmas Eve gift...PJ's. Joshie was the first one and he knew exactly what to do with his gift. After ripping off the paper he tried to put the PJ's on all by himself. Then, the kids made Santa's snack. Spring and Thomas came to us earlier today and told us they wanted to leave some vegetables for Santa also so he wouldn't get too sick from all the cookies he would be eating. Sammy decided Santa needed chocolate milk because he would probably get sick of all the regular milk from the other houses. The 4 older kids are all sleeping in the same room. The older ones were going to sleep pretty easily but Mary was just moving around and refusing to lay down. Joel went in to lay her down and Mary told him, "Me no like Santa so me not need to go to sleep." Joel told her if she didn't go to sleep then she wouldn't get any presents to which she replied, "OK. Me not want any presents." Fortunately, as she said this she layed down and stuck her thumb in her mouth!

I am so grateful for this wonderful time of the year. I am grateful for traditions that our parents shared with us as we were children that we are able to pass on and now share with our children. I am excited to see their reactions and excitement in the morning.

Joshie's Antics

Joshie is quite the character. We worry that he is following in Sammy's footsteps a little too much! He has really become a climber lately. I find him on the counters, on the table, and the other day I found him on the top of the piano. He also loves to sneak into Spring's room whenever she leaves her door open for a split second. He loves to get into her markers. His sweet smile is so worth it. We sure love this little guy.

Gingerbread House Extravaganza

Last night we were blessed to have three other families join us in our tradition of making gingerbread houses. My family made gingerbread houses every year when I was growing up and I am so glad we have carried this tradition on with our children. Our home was full of gingerbread, candy, frosting, people, and fun. We began FHE watching "The Nativity" and then we had fun with each family creating their own gingerbread house. It was so fun to have everyone here and we are so grateful for wonderful friends that are willing to share in our tradition with us.

New Christmas Outfits

The kids were very excited to wear their new Christmas clothes to church today. Sammy kept rubbing his suit jacket and saying, "It's just like Thomas and Daddy's "soups" (he calls suits "soups")." Spring loved looking at herself in the mirror as she put each new thing on; her dress, then after her tights, then when she put on her shoes, then when her hair was brushed. I tried to get a picture of them but it was difficult. Mary did NOT want a picture and Joshua kept walking to the camera. So, here is what we got!

Thomas' 9th Birthday

To top off the day, it was Thomas' 9th birthday. He has been so happy all day and after the spelling bee some of the teachers were telling him, "What a great birthday present!" His dinner request for the evening was BBQ hotdogs (with cheese in the middle "because Mom's never bought those before") and hamburgers. And he made sure to let us know that he wanted to do the BBQing with Dad's help, not Mom's help. So he and Dad made dinner tonight. Then he opened his present, a remote control car, and had a great time playing with that. Then we had brownies with ice cream and toppings for dessert. All evening he kept telling us, "This is the best day ever." "Thanks Mom and Dad for making this day so great." "I don't know how I can thank you enough for such a wonderful day."

It's hard to comprehend that he is already 9 years old. It seems like he was just turning 8 and getting ready to be baptized and now he is already 9. He is such a sweet and tender hearted young man. He wants more than anything to make those around him happy and to be obedient. My life changed the moment I first held him and he continues to bless our lives each day. We love you, Thomas.

Our Spelling Champions

Thomas and Spring represented their classes today at the schoolwide spelling bee. They have been so excited for the spelling bee to come. I was grateful I was able to be at the spelling bee to watch them. Spring's grade went first. Thomas was able to watch Spring compete and he smiled whenever she got the word correct. I think I was more nervous than they were! About 5 minutes into the spelling bee Joel walked into the room. You should have seen the smile that immediately came across Spring's face. She was so happy to have Daddy there too. Well, Spring was the only girl in the spelling bee and she held her own. She did amazing. She won 2nd place for all of 1st grade! Way to go, Spring!

Then after sitting through the 2nd graders it was time for Thomas and the 3rd graders to take the stage. He did so well and it came down to just him and one other student. The other girl won 1st place last year and Thomas won 2nd place last year. For a while we all wondered if the spelling bee was ever going to end they were both doing so well. After a long battle, Thomas ended up winning 1st place this year! He will now be competing at the district level in January.

We are grateful for these two kiddos and their hard work and eagerness to learn and do all they can to be their best. Spring said our family prayer tonight and it was really cute when she said, "Thank Thee for helping Thomas and I do our best at the spelling bee and thank Thee that Mom and Dad could come and watch us." What a sweet girl she is!

Gingerbread Houses at School

I was fortunate enough to help at school this morning with making gingerbread houses. Spring was so happy and excited to have me come in and help and it was fun to see her interact with her friends throughout the activity. She told me this made her even more excited for our traditional gingerbread making which we will be doing on Monday night.

Spring's Note

Spring has really been into writing me cute little letters and notes lately. Last night she brought me out this cute note (when she was supposed to be sleeping, but who could get upset when it was so cute) written on a tissue. She is our little sweetheart. I appreciate her thoughtfulness and kindness towards me. She is so good at noticing when I could use a little help and just jumping in to help take care of things. I love you too, Spring!

Josh's New Pastime

Joshua is quite the climber lately. He climbs up on everything he can get on. This afternoon I was folding clothes and looked in to see Joshua climbing onto the table and then jumping onto the couch. He kept doing this over and over again. Unfortunately, he realized I had the camera and he is so fascinated by the camera that it thwarted his efforts a little, I am afraid. Whenever he sees the camera he hurries over so he can see the picture on the back of the camera. Anyway, we thought you would enjoy seeing him in action, at least in the action I could capture on video today.

Primary Christmas Program

At the Ward Christmas Party the Primary children presented a program about the birth of our Savior. They took the program from the perspective of the Book of Mormon prophets that foretold of Christ's birth. We enjoyed all the wonderful songs they performed. Spring loves to sing and has been practicing for a long time. Thomas was able to be Samuel the Lamanite and read his prophesy of Christ's birth.

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Visit with Santa

Last night the kids were able to visit with Santa after our Ward Christmas Party. As you can tell from the pictures it was an occasion to remember. Mary was terrified, Sammy was just Sammy, Thomas and Spring were laughing at Mary's reaction, and Spring was about to drop Joshua!

Grandma Biggs' Birthday

Last weekend we went to visit Grandma and Grandpa Biggs for Grandma's birthday. We got there Friday evening and were able to stay until Saturday evening before driving back home. We had a good time visiting and spending time together. We also got to spend time with Tammy, Ty, and Bryce. The kids were so happy and excited to see "Baby Bryce." On Saturday we went to lunch for Grandma's birthday. They also told them it was close to Thomas' birthday too so they both got a dessert with a candle in it.

Christmas Lights at the Oakland Temple

Saturday morning we headed to Oakland to visit the temple with the family. Leo came along with us. We spend the day walking around the temple grounds and terrace and spending time in the Visitor's Center. We were able to watch the Joseph Smith movie also while we were there. It was fun to see the kids so excited about being at the temple. It was also neat to watch Leo's excitement and awe of the temple grounds. The night before Joel and I had gone with him to the Fresno temple for baptisms and he was so excited to see the Oakland temple. While in the visitor's center we ran into a family from our ward in Manteca. Junior, one of the YM when Joel was YM President, was so excited to see Joel. His grandma told Joel he has had a really hard time since Joel left and really misses him. He and Joel talked for quite a while. What a small world. Then we headed to the Stake Center to watch the "Magic of Christmas" performance. Joel and I were talking as we were waiting for the performance to begin and all of a sudden he said, "Hey, that's Bill!" He stood up and started calling his name. Bill looked over and then ran over to us. Bill was one of the counselors in the YM Presidency with Joel in Manteca. His family was there as well as his sister, Cara, and her daughter. Cara's husband was also in the YM Presidency with Joel but didn't come that night. They came and sat by us for the performance and then we had a great time visiting with them afterward outside. It was so wonderful to see them again and visit. We miss them and our ward in Manteca so much. For a moment it felt like we were home again. It really can be a small world! The kids were in awe when they saw all the lights turn on at once. What a beautiful night to end a wonderful day at the temple.

Decorating for Christmas

We had a great time decorating for Christmas this year. Joshie loved taking the ornaments to the older kids so they could put the decorations on the tree. He also liked taking the ornaments off the tree. Sammy was so excited to see all the Christmas books and soon snuggled up next to Thomas so Thomas would read the stories to him. After decorating, as tradition holds, we watched "The Polar Express" together. The kids ended up watching it 2 more times that evening as Mom and Dad went to the temple. I am so excited for this time of year. It is so fun as the kids are getting older and remembering and asking when we will be doing each of the things we do traditionally at this time of year.

Day of Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful day yesterday as a family. We had the traditional "pie for breakfast" in the morning. We invited friends that were going to be in town to enjoy this tradition with us. We had over 50 people join us and lots of delicious pies. We enjoyed the time to visit and share in each other's company. The kids all enjoyed playing with their friends for about an hour in the morning. Then we set to work getting dinner ready. Thomas helped make the green bean casserole and the mashed potatoes. Spring, Sammy, and Mary helped with the homemade rolls...easily the favorite part of the meal for the kids. We were fortunate to have a couple from our ward, the Jones, enjoy dinner with us.

I am so grateful for a day set aside to remember our many blessings and to express gratitude for all we have. I am so blessed to have a wonderful family...my parents and siblings, Joel's family, and our little family that we have been so blessed to start. How grateful I am to know that these bonds and love can be eternal if we we choose to live worthily of that in this life. I am grateful for our Savior and His love for us and for temples of God which makes eternal families a reality. I am grateful for Joel's job and the freedom it provides for me to stay home and be a mom to our children. I am grateful for the peace and comfort we enjoy each day as we are together with our family.

Thomas playing Nutcracker Suite

Playing in the Dark

After dinner the kids love to go outside and play together. They think they are getting to stay out really late because it is dark! They like to play in the front yard in all the leaves. They even have asked our neighbor if they could "have all the leaves on their grass" to help make piles to play in. As you can imagine the neighbors had no problem letting them rake up all their leaves and bring them into our yard! They were disappointed last night when they discovered that I had mowed the lawn and all their leaves were gone! So, they decided to go into the backyard. They were pretending that the trampoline was the ocean. They took off the slide part and put that on the trampoline as their boat. They were pretending their boat was sinking and they had to get into the safety raft before they drowned. They were tying jump ropes around their waists and lowering each other through the basketball hoop and net to safety. It was quite comical to listen to them. They were all having so much fun. They played for over an hour. One thing I thought was really funny was how they had to wear their hats and mittens yet they soon took off their coats and Spring wasn't even wearing shoes! I love that they enjoyed playing together and using their imaginations.

Spring the Pianist

Sammy's 4 Year Pictures

I sure love this boy. He can be trying at times with his constant energy and movement; however, his smile and eyes will lighten any day and help me to remember what is truly important in life. Everyone loves to be around Sammy and Sammy loves to be around everyone. He makes friends wherever he goes and he is always telling me about his "new friend, so and so." Thank you, Sammy, for being the silly and happy part of our family.

Soccer Awards

Soccer season has come to an end. We enjoyed the season and Joel enjoyed coaching Spring. At the same time we are so excited for the end of the season so we can enjoy more time at home with the family and less time rushing off to practices and games. Saturday we had a little pizza party at the park for the team. After they ate lunch and played together at the park for a while Joel presented each of them with their trophy for the season. Spring was so excited to get her trophy.

Freedom

Yesterday Sammy and Mary were outside playing and I was getting some things done inside. After a while I realized I hadn't seen Joshua for a while. I found him outside with the other two. I think they felt sorry for him as he was standing at the door banging on it so they let him out. He was having a great time with the hose. I am just glad Sammy didn't turn it on while Joshie had it in his mouth. I am actually really surprised that he didn't do it. Joshie loves to be outside with the older kids.

Babysitter's Surprise

Yesterday Joel and I went to the temple and the kids enjoyed having a babysitter during the day because they got to play outside and they even went to the park. Well, their babysitter's friend came over to play with the kids too and decided to bring a surprise for the kids. He brought his pet rat, Buddy, for the kids to play with. The kids all loved it and loved holding him. I wasn't too fond of it, though! Mary kept calling it a "rabbit" and would talk to him with a big smile on her face. She would say, "Hi, hi, hi...me love you." I am glad they had their fun while I was gone! They kept trying to convince me that he was so cute and we needed to get one too...it didn't work!

"Daddy, Hold my babies!"

Mary is really into her babies and plays with them all day long. She lieks to dress them in her own clothes and wonders why the clothes keep falling off. One afternoon when Joel came home from work she decided that Daddy needed to hold her babies for her.

Our Fun with Grandma

We all had a great time while my mom was here visiting. The time always goes so fast and before I know it we are taking her back to the airport. That is always the hardest part for me. I wish we lived closer but I know we all value and appreciate the time we are blessed to be together.

I was not so good at getting pictures during this visit. We were so busy. Grandma helped us carve pumpkins and make fun Halloween treats. She came to Spring's soccer game and also to trunk or treat. She took just Thomas and Spring to lunch on Saturday and they all relished the time talking and spending special time together. Thomas and Spring were talking to me this morning and told me that was their favorite part of Grandma's visit. She was a huge help to me in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. I always look forward to having people visit us on Sunday so I can have some extra help with the little ones. We all celebrated Sammy's birthday on Sunday. Monday evening Grandma took us all to see "Where the Wild Things Are" and then out to dinner together.

Of all the fun things I greatly enjoyed being able to visit with my mom, go shopping together, and watch the love our children have for their grandma. I am so blessed to have a wonderful mom and our kids are blessed to have a wonderful grandma. I can't wait to be together again.

(I love this video of Grandma and Joshie talking to each other.)

Sammy is 4!

Our little Sammy is now 4 years old. It is so hard to believe. He really seems like he has grown up a lot in the last few months. We enjoyed celebrating his special day. He requested spaghetti with red sauce and white sauce for his dinner. Then we had brownies topped with marshmallows and chocolate frosting. He loved opening his gifts from everyone. We were so happy that Grandma Powell could be here with us and celebrate his special day.

He continues to be silly and full of energy. He keeps us on our toes! He is very good to Mary as the two of them play together so well usually. He loves to be outside, jump on the trampoline, play with cars and Legos, wrestle, and make people laugh. We love our Sammy and are grateful for his sincere love of life and all things fun!

Happy Halloween

We went to the ward Trunk or Treat for Halloween this year. The kids had fun dressing up in their costumes made by Grandma Biggs. Spring was Mary Poppins; Thomas was Burt, the Chimney Sweeper; Sammy & Mary were the penguins, and Joshie was a Dalmation. It was fun to have Grandma Powell with us for Halloween. She rescued Joshie from the Trunk-or-treat and brought him home when he was too tired to stay but the older kids weren't ready to come home. At the trunk-or-treat Mary just wanted to be with her nursery teacher. So she sat in the trunk of her car and handed the candy out to everyone that came around. When there weren't kids coming to get candy she went through the bowl and found the candy she wanted and put it into her bag. So, even though Mary didn't even go to any other car she came home with a bag full of candy.

Leo's Baptism

Friday evening we were blessed to witness the baptism of Leo. We met Leo less than a month ago and have been fortunate to have him in our home as the missionaries taught him. He is amazing and is so prepared to accept the gospel in his life. We have learned so much from him and are so grateful for the friendship we have made with him. He is going to be a great instrument for our Father in Heaven.

Carving Pumpkins

We carved pumpkins Thursday evening. It was fun to have Grandma there with us. Grandma found some fun "Mr. Potato Head" type things for Sammy and Mary's pumpkins. It was perfect because they could really do it on their own. Thomas and Spring had a great time carving their pumpkins all by themselves. They still do not like getting the seeds out of the pumpkins and do all they can to have Mom and Dad help clean out the guts.

Surprise

Grandma Powell flew in yesterday morning to surprise the kids with a visit for a few days. Sammy, Mary, Joshua, and I went to pick her up. They asked where we were going and I told them we were going to get a surprise. Sammy wanted to go back and get Thomas and Spring so they could see the surprise too. I told him they would see it later. When Sammy realized we were at the airport I told him we came to see airplanes. So we looked for a while. Then he looked out the window and said, "That's Grandma!"

I usually help in Spring's classroom on Thursday afternoons so my mom came with me. We walked into her classroom and Spring looked over and all of a sudden had this look like she didn't know quite what to expect. She just smiled and was itching to get up and see grandma but wasn't quite sure if she should get out of her seat. Then her teacher told her she could come and give Grandma a hug but then she got a little embarrassed so Grandma went and gave her a hug. Spring loved having Grandma help in her classroom.

So, we told Spring she couldn't tell Thomas. We picked the kids up from school and Grandma hid in the backseat of the van. Thomas opened the door to get his surprise! It's so fun to have Grandma here with us.

Early Birthday

Grandma & Grandpa Biggs, Aunt Tammy, and Bryce stopped by on their way home from Southern, California this afternoon. Sammy got to open his birthday present from Grandma & Grandpa. He loves his new pajamas and sidewalk chalk. They went outside before dinner tonight and made some masterpieces on the patio. Thanks for stopping by to visit with us!