WEEK after CHRISTMAS

On Christmas Day we went to Church. The girls didn't want to leave their toys, but we finally got out the door. I didn't get the memo about the time for church being changed. I was suppose to sing. When we showed up the meeting was half over and the program didn't say when my number was, so I thought I had missed it. Luckily, I hadn't because I was doing a duet and I am sure the Lily would have been a little caught off guard.

Directly after church, Nate and I loaded up the car and headed for Utah. Nate dropped me off and headed for California. He wanted to spend the week fixing our car with his friend who is a mechanic, it wasn't my idea of a vacation.

However, my vacation plans were all but destroyed by a bug from (a word I can't say.) It ravaged our home knocking off about three of us at every day. First, Jennifer, Derrick, and Emily. Then, Michael, Tamara, Kimberly, and Sierra. Then, Mom, Phillip, and Kate. You were holding your breathe waiting for your turn. I of course was last. Yeah. There was always someone in the bathroom with one end or the other in the toilet. I am only just starting to feel better and it has been a few days. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

There were a few highlights of the trip though.

1. Cleaning my grandparents home. They are both ill and I was there with my two older sisters and my mother. There was such a sweet feeling in their home. I watched my grandparents as they both held hands and feel asleep on the couch as they watched us dust around them. My heart was so filled with love for them and the beautiful life they have both lived.

2. Loving each of my nieces and nephews, even Kate gave me a few kisses. I have always been "scawey" to her. I am glad to have jumped that hurdle. I loved seeing my girls play with their sweet cousins. I don't think I saw Sierra the whole trip. Her and Emma were thick as thieves. Madison said to me "I am so excited to do beads with Tessie Sue." This is the first visit they have played with each other.

3.Going to the Temple with Emily. The lady at the front desk referred to me as her mother a few times. I corrected her and said she was my sister. She is only six years younger then me. Cracks me up. Do I look that old?

4. Going to lunch with Inez. She is applying to go to Oxford. She is an amazing artist. I would give anything to have her work hanging in my home. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I need to commission her to do a piece before she leaves because I will never be able to afford her work when she gets back. We had some great conversations.

5. Going to dinner with my Aunt Ruthie and my Grandma and Grandpa and my Uncle John and his wife. Ruthie and I weren't really apart of the conversation. We laughed about it. It was them and us. However, I did get their attention when I talked about having or not having more children. A topic they are both interested in. I did tell them I am in the processes of negotiating with the man of the house. I think he is going to let me have ten more, so we can have an even dozen. The power of persuation my friends. ;)Laughing!

6. Playing Sequence with Skywalker and Kimberly and Tamara. He is Tamara's boy and it was fun. Although, I felt sorry for the poor boy. Him against three Craven women, if he can survive that he can stay.

7. Making Gumbo for the whole Craven family. It was mostly for my brother-in-law Neil he served his mission in the south. I think a few of them actually liked it and that is huge. The Craven's have their staples and they don't venture out much.

8.New Years Eve at Jennifer and Derricks house. There was pizza and a huge salad. Karalee and Benji made fresh salsa. We played some more Sequence. Nate showed up halfway through the evening and we packed up and headed home. I read Pride and Prejudice all the way home. I love that book.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I was so excited about Christmas this year. I put some real thought it to what I bought the girls and I knew it turned out perfectly when the minute Christmas was over they sat down at their little table and chair and used their imagination as they played.

All Sierra wanted was art supplies and she got enough to supply a small preschool.

Madison got blocks and a couple puzzles.

They both got a baby doll and their table and chair set.

My mother-in-law put them together a tupperware container full of felt, so they could create. They loved it.

I made their pajamas. It was my first year sewing pajamas and I have no idea why I haven't done it before each pair took about an hour and they loved them. It is by far the easiest pattern I have ever made. It is McCall's pattern number 5965. It has a pattern for boy pajama's too.

SNOWFLAKES AND GUMBO

I have had a great last two days here is a random list of the things we have done....

A cute litttle girl from our church came over to sew some barbie clothes for her little sister. We had a good time together.

I went over to the Trevenan's to work on the K's quilt again. The girls played with a little farm set on the floor while we quilted.

Madison keeps calling mango's, flamingo's it cracks me up.

I found the perfect gift for my family. They are going to love it. It is mostly for my mother...she is going to love it. Sierra was putting some finishing touches on it today.

I am almost done sewing two beautiful pairs of pajamas. I guessed on the size of one and I pray it fits. (I don't know why I have bought them all these years. They are so fun to make.)

I made gumbo for dinner it was so good.

I and the girls cut snowflakes.

Sierra stayed up and watched the Incredibles with me to celebrate no schools for a few weeks.

I and Sierra finished reading Mary Poppins. We are both sad to see it end.

Sierra has spent the last few days teaching Madison her letters. She prints worksheets off the computer. It makes me smile. The printer ran out of ink. She told Madison, "That's okay, Santa will bring us some more."

CHRISTMAS CAROL TO THE HOSPITAL

I can't tell you how much I am loving Sierra lately. She woke up early this morning and cleaned her bedroom without even being asked. It made my day. She is such a good little girl and has a such a strong sense of right and wrong and I love her for it. The picture below is her with her new bestie Amanda. She has become really good friends with her since Bailey moved. I love that she shared her coat with her. I love even more that they are both missing the same tooth. They went over to the hospital and caroled through the halls. There were a couple of old people there who were grinning from ear to ear. It was as if the who's down in whoville had gathered, and I was touched by the spirit of Christmas. I did shed a little tear, a little one. I love Christmas.

A PROJECT I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON

I made a friend and she is awesome. She shared her talents and I am blessed. Sierra only wanted art supplies for Christmas. I thought, what goes well with art supplies for a big gift. I thought of a number of things and then settled on a chair and table set for her bedroom. I spent hours online and nothing was right. I ran into a friend at the library who said she was going to do the same thing for her children and Lily said she would help her build one. However, she changed her mind and bought one instead. I went from the library to Lily's house and asked if I could take her place. I know bold. She was so sweet and said, "Absolutely." I spent a few days at her house and this is the result. I painted the table ivory white and the chairs ballerina pink. I love it. I am so excited for Christmas!

CANYONLANDS

The girls, Nate, and I went for a hike around Canyonlands on Saturday. The girls had a blast. They loved being out in nature and the two short hikes we went on were perfect for them. The earth is seriously amazing. I am always in awe at how it was formed and how vast it is, this particular canyon seems to go on forever. After winding around looking at all the hot spots in Canyonlands we went to Moab for dinner. We stopped in at Pasta Jay's. It was really yummy. If you ever find yourself that direction I recommend it. There wasn't a single bit left on any of our plates. This will probably be our last little family trip for the year. Nate is on a crusade to see all this area has to offer because he is actively looking for another opportunity and we may not be here in this little town on the edge of Colorado for long.

LOST ANOTHER TOOTH

Yesterday, on the way to Canyonlands Sierra lost her third tooth. Three of her front teeth have been hanging by a thread for over a week now. I guess we will see if she looses another before Christmas. I am pretty confident she will.

ADOPTION, THE CUTEST COUPLE EVER

I love these two. I can't even begin to express how much. This is a picture of my oldest sister and her husband. I took this picture of them at my little brother's wedding reception. Don't they look so in love? This is candid and so genuinely them.

Sadly, they have been unable to have children. They have been through multiple procedures and spent countless hours hoping, praying and not yet realizing their dream. I got a special phone call from Jennifer the other day and she asked me, "What should we do?" I felt a little humbled because she is my big sister and I am the one who goes to her seeking advice. I said, "Put your paperwork in for adoption, because you don't know why your Heavenly Father has lead you down this path. There maybe a little baby out there that is meant to be apart of your and Derrick's life that wouldn't have been able to if you had of conceived in a conventional way." We both shed a few tears and she hung up the phone. A few weeks later the process was complete.Click here to see.

I am writing to say that if you know of anyone out there who has made the difficult decision to allow their baby to be adopted to please send them to Jennifer and Derrick's profile.

This is Jennifer asleep with Sierra when she was a baby. I love this picture and think it is so precious.
This is a picture of Derrick with Madison. She loves him. I named my her after Jennifer. Madison's name is Madison Jennifer. I love her name and I pray ever day that she will become like her.

I pray that Madison will be bold in standing up for those who are too shy to stand up for themselves. I remember one day standing awkwardly on the school grounds and some bullies coming up to I, Jennifer, and my other sister Michelle and saying, "Give us a cigarette or money or we won't let you pass." Jennifer told them they would let us pass and she took our hands and pushed passed the bullies.

I pray that Madison will inspire and encourage people the same way Jennifer has. I remember Jennifer deciding to go to college and encouraging me to do the same thing. After a small attempt at taking a few classes and working full time, she insisted I could work full time and go to school full time. She signed me up for a full semester of classes and said, "If I can do it, you can do it." I was scared but I believed her. I would have never graduated from college without her encouragement.

I pray that Madison is as compassionate. I remember calling my big sister and bawling several times because I have been in distress and her running to my aid. One time in particular, I was eight months pregnant and our neighbor had threatened my life, she was crazy. I didn't know how I was going to find a place and move before our lease was up. (My husband was going to dental school and didn't have a lot of time.) She bought at ticket and was there in a few days. We found a place and moved. It was like a whirl wind. Nate and her moved us and then she spent the next few days putting my house together, decorating it, and making it feel like a home.

Then as dental school drew to a close we were out of money and had no way of paying to move out here to Colorado. It took one phone call. She said, the money would be in our bank account within the hour. It was. It took us a while to pay her back but she never mentioned it and whenever I did, she said, "Take your time, I am not worried about it."

I pray Madison loves putting a smile on other people's faces and blessing their lives the same way Jennifer does. She has been like a fairy godmother to my children. She has sent them packages, taken them shopping at the Disney store, taken them to soccer games, had an endless number of parties for them at her house. She loves them like her own children and they are eternally blessed to have her as their Aunt.

Derrick is every bit as sweet and compassionate and kind and generous as my sister. He has added so much laughter and happiness to our family since Jennifer married him. We are truly blessed to have him in our lives too. Madison loves him so much.

Please forward this link on to anyone who could help them.

PINKY PLEASE CAN I GO OUTSIDE?

The girls have been waiting for this day for a long time. They have insisted that Santa can't come unless there was snow on the ground and they have been looking, watching and waiting for its arrival. This morning when they woke up they peaked out the window and were so excited. There is a good chance the snow won't wait till Sierra comes home from school, so I bundled them up and went outside with them to make snowballs and snowangels. The sun was rising on the horizon as the girls were running across the new fallen snow, its peach and pink glow filled the sky contrasting the spoted white ground. These are the moments that make being a mother so magical.

TEACHING A CHILD TO SEW

Sierra wants to learn how to sew. I drew her name on a piece of fabric and had her stitch it. Learning how to stich in a straight line and how to avoid a needle is the first step to sewing, so it is a great exercise. She loved it and even had her sister help. She kept saying, "Madison do you want to learn how to knit?"

CHRISTMAS PARTY

There is a little Christmas tradition in our church to have reenactment of the nativity by the children. I can't begin to say how precious I think it is. It is one of my favorite Christmas time events. They also sang to us. We also had a huge breakfast fit for a king. There was this Mexican quiche that was so yummy. I have to get the recipe. If I do, I will share. There audience was also really cute. She will be in primary in less than a month. I am sad. My baby is growing up.
This little brass band played really well and preformed a few fun Christmas numbers.
These were my breakfast contribution, so yummy. You can get the recipe by clicking here and here. I left the almond extract out of the cupcake recipe. I added a 1/2 tsp of raspberry extract to the frosting and topped with a raspberry. They are so yummy.

I LOVE MY LITTLE GIRL

We are dancing to Christmas music and Madison is loving it. She is laughing and laughing. She says, "Again, again." I love these moments with my little girls. I wish I could put them in a bottle and inhale them whenever being a mother gets hard, because it will be again, but right now it is pure joy.

PATCHING HOLES IN KIDS JEANS

I have repaired my kids jeans in multiple ways. This way I think is the cutest and the most durable.

1. Seam rip the sides of the jean. Notice the way the jeans are put together because you will want to put them back together the way you took them apart.
2. Cut out the bad section.
3. Find an old pair of jeans that are beyond repair. I also keep denim remnants from when I cut jean pants off into shorts for the summer.
4. Use the piece you cut out as a pattern. Add an inch to the top of your pattern for seam allowance. When you sew the piece back in use a 4/8" inch seam allowance.
5. Sew piece back in. Sew most complicated seam first. This is typically your inside seam.
6. Walla, good for another year, or another child.

YUMMY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Don't you want one? You can get my recipe by clicking here. Madison helped me make them. Then she read me stories while I made dinner.

She said to me today, "You are my mommy, huh? But some people call you Wesa, huh?" I said, "Yes, some people call me Wesa, but I am still your mommy."

I AM A MORMON AND I LOVE THAT I AM!

I was born to a family that belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I was officially baptised when I was eight. I didn't understand then how much that simple decision would effect my entire life. I love that every Sunday you will find me here. It anchors me and gives me direction in my life, direction I desperately need in this every changing and shifting world. The peace I gain from my faith is what makes my whole life happy and it is what gives me the confidence I need to raise these two beautiful, crazy, silly, smart, little girls.

FLASH FROM THE PAST

This is my sweet Sierra in 2008. Isn't she the cutest? Don't you just want to pinch her frost bitten checks. I was rummaging through all my old photos for my sister. She needed some for a project she is working on that I am really excited about. I fell in love with this picture again. It reminded me of a picture my friend Darcy took of Sierra this summer. No matter how old she gets, she will have those same eyes. I miss my two and a half year old Sierra but I love my six year old Sierra.

A WINTER WALK

Today I felt like the best mother when I suggested Sierra practice her spelling words with the bathtub crayons. I got to bath her and she got to learn to spell simultaneously. I don't have many creative moments like, so I had to share. She got all 13 words right on her spelling test!
MJ and I went for a winter walk to break up the day. I asked her where she was headed to she said, "Californ-e-a." She saw some plastic candy canes in someone's yard and say, "We can't pick them." I said, "No, we can't." She said, "But we can lick them."