O Christmas Tree, O Christsmas Tree

This year Arik and Dad J took the girls and I to get a tree. Thanks you them for dragging us along. I wish I would have had the camera with me but I couldn't find the charger and the battery was completely dead. So no pics. Brookelyn walked up the steep hill all by herself. Arik packed Kira in the backpack. Brookelyn and I had many laughs as we tried (with no success) to get up the hill. Each step we took we slid down the hill a couple of feet. We finally said a prayer and got up the hill. When we reached the top and Arik we said another prayer thanking Heavenly Father for helping us get to the top. What a great learning experience!! On the way down the mountain the girls and I slid on our bottoms while Arik and Dad dragged the trees down. The girls had a blast. Kira just took off, if she ran into a tree she just rolled over and kept going. We were all laughing and giggling. What a great family day!!! So here is our tree. It wa s 12 feet tall but then Arik cut it so it would fit in our house. The girls were so proud of it. They are really into Christmas this year. It is awesome!! It makes this time of year fun and not as stressful seeing their delight and enjoyment with everything. They waited patiently as Arik and I (okay mostly Arik) hung the lights and the tinsel and then the girls went at it. They had so much fun!!Our finished project. The girls are so proud of it. The lights are on as soon as they get up in the morning and we turn them off after they go to bed.

Welcome tree to our family for a few short weeks. Thank you for the joy you have brought to our girls and the feeling of Christmas you have brought to our house.

Your how old?

On Sunday I met a new lady in the ward. It was after church and I was getting coats on the girls. The lady asked how old Brookelyn was. I said, "4 in a half." Brookelyn looked up at me and yelled (for everyone to hear), " I am not 4 in a half until after Christmas. I am still just 4." The lady looked at me and I said, "I'm sorry, I stand corrected." Everyone around us just laughed.

The last four years...

On Monday Arik defended his thesis. This is where a group of THREE people decide if the last FOUR years of Arik's life was worth it or a waste of time. After three hours of prentations (which Arik did awesome on, a question period(Arik had a hard time with this, and a commitee crueling session) Arik PASSED!! He did it!!! The last four years were for something after all.

He still needs to revise a few things and jump through the hoops the grad department has but that is easy compared to what he did do.

I am so proud of my husband and all the work he put into it. I love you sweetie!!!

Thanksgiving 2009

This Thanksgiving we went to Boise and spent it with Arik's sister, Anji, and her family. She is having a baby within the next few weeks and can't travel so we all traveled to her. It was a lot of fun and I was able to get all my Christmas shopping done and only went over budget by 50 dollars. GO ME!!!

This Thanksgiving I really sat down and thought of things that I am truly grateful for. (these are in no specific order)

• A husband who loves me unconditionally, who is my best friend and who I can share everything and anything with. He loves me on my good days and even more on my bad. He is my eternal companion and I get to share all of life's challenges with him. (Which makes them so much easier to bear.)
• Two beautiful girls. As hard as we are trying to have another and the difficulties I am having this time, I am grateful that I have even two. (For those of you struggling with your first please don't think me insenitive. I understand your struggles and I am in NO WAY making light of how hard and difficult it is for you right now.) I love them to death. Brookelyn is such a joy. She is like my little best friend. We tell each other secrets and talk about "girl stuff". She thinks she is 15 and is so much fun. Kira is my brute. What would I do without her? She puts up with a lit being the smaller and littlier one. She gets left out of stuff and trys to grin and bear it. She has such a positive outlook. (Don't get me wrong she can cry and gets upset with the best of them, but she is a little more laid back which is good with a sister like Brookelyn.)
• My family. This includes both Arik's and mine. Arik's family (all of them) have completely accepted me and taken me in. My family because no matter how far away they are we try and do little things to keep together. GO FANTASY FOOTBALL!!
• Brandee, I know she is part of my family but still. I never understood the big differences in ages in a family until I moved away and realized that I am really only truly connnected with her. I love Melanie and Garrett to death and I know I am horrible at showing them that. Brandee lives somewhat close to me and even closer when we move. We have been through almost everything together. I am grateful for a sister that was only 18 months younger than me and can only hope that Brookelyn and Kira can be like us.
• My job. I love my job so very much. I love to teach and am grateful for the opportunnity to interact with these kids every day. We have fun and I love them.
• Coaching. Once I left high school and after college I realized that my talents for sports was not going to get me very far in life. People just can't use those talents. So I am grateful to coach and be able to use the talents I have in helping young people grow not only in sports but in so many other things as well.
• My religion. There are not words to express the gratitude I have for parents who taught me the gospel, for Arik's parents for teaching him. For all the primary leaders, Sunday School teachers, Young Women leaders and the bishops and others that have taught me the things I know. I am grateful for personal revelation that allows me the chance to talk one on one with my Father and to have Him talk back. I love knowing why I am here, where I am going and what my purpose here on earth is. I love knowing that I can make mistakes and through repentance be made clean again. I love knowing that there is NOTHING that the Savior does not understand. He truly knows what I am going through, what I will go through and how to get through all the crap when it feels like there is no way out. I love being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and try everyday to live up to that.
• I am grateful for the little things that we forget about sometimes to be grateful for:food, water, shelter, clothing, tv, internet, phones, cars. (All the worldly things that we need or want or whatever)
• Arik's job that really supports us. For all his work that allows us the things that we have.
• Schooling. I am grateful for parents that pushed thier daughters to get an education. I am grateful for that education and the knowledge I have recieved from it. I also grateful that I can use my education to better my family and others around me.

Family Pics 2009

Here are some of our family pics this year. I decided we should dress up. I know I know! I thought they turned out really cute. Brookelyn did everything the lady asked and Kira screamed a lot of the time. It could have been the time we took them or just because she is really hitting and enjoying those terrible twos. I hope you enjoy. I actually really like this one of the two of us.

Kira took her brithday pictures in this chair and remembered it. She loves to sit in it.

The lady tried to get both girls in this pic but Kira would have none of it so Brookelyn did it all by herself.

I like this one. I actually catch them at home like this once in a while. I can't wait til Brookelyn can read and she can read to Kira.

My girlies. I love them so much. I am grateful that I have them in my life and would not trade them for anything, not even a boy. I am grateful that Heavenly Father entrused me with these two beautiful, bright, intelligent girls.

This was Arik's favorite.

Team Jacob

Thursday night a group of us went to see New Moon at the midnight showing. This movie was better then the last movie. For those of you that have read the books I have always been Team Jacob but after watching the movie I don't know how anyone can not be Team Jacob. It was a good movie. Of course it is not as good as the books but what movie ever is!!

Life has been crazy busy. Arik has been running around finishing his paper and getting ready for his defense. Basketball has been going good. My girls' team is still undefeated. We have four more games after Thanksgiving. We have a great chance of winning all four. We have already beat three of the four teams.

Brookelyn has been great. The primary program was last week and she did great. She had her part memorized and didn't need help from her teacher. I was so proud. Afterwards, I told her that she did great. She said, "Mom, you did great watching me." She makes me smile.

Kira has been a handful. She is so much fun. Right now she busts out singing Can You Feel the Love Tonight. She sings it all day, during Sacrament and during any quiet moment she can. When we pray we say Sure Love Ya afterwards. Kira has taken it upon herself to say it after any prayer, Opening prayer at church, after the bread and water prayers, and the closing prayer, and after blessings on the food. It is cute but I wish she wouldn't yell it at church when everyone is trying to be reverent.

We have decided to move to Pocatello. It means that our family gets to see each other more and stuff. I will have to commute until the end of the school year, then I will try to find a job in Pokey teaching. Pray that we will be able to sell our house fast and that everything will work out. Life is great and all these new things are so much fun. As Arik once said, at least now when I have to move I get to move with my best friend and will never be alone.

Favorite Time of the Year

This is Arik's favorite time of the year. Better yet, holiday of the year. Arik loves Thanksgiving. He refuses to listen to Christmas music or put Christmas decorations up until after Thanksgiving. He loves the fact that he can eat all day long and not have to feel bad about it. In my family we always decorated for Christmas on Brandee's bday (my sister) so I am used to waiting. I love watching the leaves change colors and to see all the vivid colors there really are out there.

In less then two weeks I will be watching New Moon with my sister, sister-in-law, and a group of girls. We have tickets for the midnight showing. It makes it a lot easier for babysitting, though I know Arik would watch the girls if I asked him to anytime. This is one movie he is happy to send me off with a group of girls to watch and leave him at home. I love him so much!!

We started off the basketball season winning the first two games this past week. We won 26-13 and 23-8. In the second game all the girls scored and in both games everyone has had equal playing time. I don't know if that will last all season but it is starting off good. I have a totally different group of girls this year, not quite as focused as last year's team but they are getting better every day.

The first tri of school ends on Thursday. Holy Cow we are already a 1/3 done with school. Is time going super fast for anyone else? The girls are growing exponentally and I seem to blink and miss something else.

When we went to the doctor this past week Brookelyn was 36 inches tall and 34 pounds. Kira was 33.5 inches tall and 32 pounds. We will have twinners here in a little bit. (I mean Kira catching Brookelyn, not actually twins. :))

Arik is crazy busy wrapping up the thesis but he will be done and ready to go on Dec 7. I am so proud of him for accomplishing this and finishing it through not matter how frustrated he got. (Those of you who have helped him through this know what I mean.)