A year in review

When I look back at this past year my heart swells with gratitude at all the adventures we were able to have. We've been to the beach three times, made it to Disneyland two times, went up to Brianhead for a weekend, and have made a few trips to Utah. We've spent time as our little family making lots of memories and starting new traditions. We have had our challenges that we have learned and grown from. This past year has really stretched me and helped to push me outside my comfort zones. We have made new friends along the way and have enjoyed serving in our callings as ward missionary and activity days leader. We have watched our sweet baby boy grow into a curious toddler that has such a big heart. I've overcome a surgery that hopefully will help my body to be stronger and healthier. We have attended concerts featuring Jacky's mannequin, shania twain and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. We celebrated a happy 4 years of marriage by going on a mini vaca at the strip. We went on our first spontaneous trip as a family, that hopefully is the start of many more spontaneous trips. Sawyer and I spent two full weeks in Utah with my family this summer, where I learned that quality time is more important than quantity of time. We've cheered sisters on in dance, soccer, and volleyball. We have come to love our Savior more, and have enjoyed having Family Home Evenings every Monday. I ran my first half marathon and learned so much about myself in training and running it. It truly has been a remarkable year. As I set out to greet 2013, I hope to enjoy the moments a little more, exercise more patience with myself, and serve a little more. I'm so grateful for this journey and for the many people I get to experience this journey with.

I'll leave you with a few(ok a lot) of my favorite pictures from this past year.

Festivus for the rest of us

Christmas has come and gone. It's crazy to think that all that anticipation and buildup is over in one day! We have been so blessed this Christmas season and have been busy busy busy. The good kind of busy that means it's the holidays. Here are a few things that we have been up to this holiday season:

1. We went to the Shania Twain concert for my birthday and got our tickets upgraded to practically the front row. Oh my goodness, she is gorgeous, I've been a fan of hers since I was in elementary school. Seeing her on stage was so much fun. Of course no pictures were taken to document this experiment.
2. We went to the Tim McGraw and Faith Hill concert. I touched Tim's hand. I touched his hand. I touched his hand... Did you see that I touched his hand. This concert was so fun because it was such an intimate setting and they really involved the audience.


3. Sawyer was so not ok with Santa. We waited in line for all of 45 minutes at our ward Christmas party to get a picture with Mr Claus, and Sawyer was not ok. He needed his mama, he needed his daddy, and he did not need this stranger that everyone is so excited about.


4. We've been celebrating our cool weather appropriately by dressing in some handsome winter clothes. I can't stand it when he looks like a little man



I go a little picture crazy when he's looking all stylish and he gives me looks like this:



5. We've been going to lots of Rebel games. Sawyer loves them. He loves the fireworks and says "boo" when they miss a shot and "whoo hoo" when they make a basket. He also enjoys his pb&j sandwiches during the games.


6. Grandma Kathy gave us this fun gingerbread tree set, and we had a fun family night setting that up! My boys especially lived the candy. Sawyer will do just about anything to get a mint m&m. Those are his absolute favorite. Like mama like son?!





7. On the Sunday before Christmas we went and saw Dixon's grandma and Grandpa. They gave Sawyer a fire truck. My boy has been in heaven. In the clouds. I can't seem to get his attention when he's playing with that toy!


Christmas Eve is just as important to me as Christmas day... If not, more. I have such fond memories of going to my Aunt Marie's house and being with my extended family. And on our drive home we would always look for Rudoph's nose, and Dad always seemed to find it for us. I loved leaving a note with cookies and milk and carrots for the reindeer and that feeling of excitement so strong you don't want to sleep. This Christmas we stayed close to home. We went to the Leavitts for Christmas Eve and had the traditional prime rib with yummy nummy sides. We played family games together and exchanged Jammies. We felt the spirit together and listed to the story of our Savior's birth. We were in the company of family, and it truly was a magical night. We came home and took Sawyer to bed and got to work being Santa's elves, putting together a big boy car and filling stockings. I was so excited for him to wake up, I was up and got ready at 6:15 am.


We woke him up at 7:30 because we were going to Skype with Elder Chase at 9:00, and wanted him to have time to open his gifts. The traditional "waiting on the stairs" picture. Its tradition at my house to wait on the stairs while dad goes downstairs to check everything out.


He was beyond excited to see this car waiting for him, he loves it. He lovingly refers to it as "new vroom."


On our way to Skype with Elder Chase. He was so happy that morning. I wish I could have frozen time just a Little bit that morning. This age was so magical this Christmas.





We had a lovely day. We went and saw Les Miserables. I'm in love with that musical. I have been ever since I saw a high school production of it my Jr. Year. I love the music, it speaks to my soul, and makes me feel something that can rarely be expressed in words. It is so moving. Sawyer was so excited to get home and play with all his new cars, and this is what entertained him for the rest of the night:


The piano keys are like the parking stalls for all the vehicles. I am finding cars lined up more and more. Sometimes by color, other times by shape and I love it. It brings back so many memories of when My little brother, Landon, was that age. My how time flies.

Let's go to the Ocean

I was having an emotional meltdown on Friday. I went to the temple that morning to try to work through some of the emotional turmoil, and try to sort through my tangled web of emotions and when I got home I only half jokingly said "I just need to go to the ocean, let's go to the ocean." A half hour later, Dixon looked at me and said "let's go to the ocean." We were packed and in the car ready to go a half hour later. In the past four and half years of our marriage we have never done something this spontaneous. We are planners through and through, but the ocean was calling our names.

Oh where do I begin with the ocean. Something about the sound of the waves and the salty air that soothes my spirit and helps me to see things in a bigger picture. It was beautiful there, partly cloudy and a little cold... But beautiful nonetheless. And my sweet Sawyer loved the ocean. He would have swam in it if I would have let him.


We walked the boardwalk at Venice beach and I saw Muscle beach for my first time. Sawyer loved the swings there, and we let him swing his little heart out. I love how it's always the little things that bring him so much joy.











I love that my hand is enough for him. He holds tight and knows that all will be ok if he just holds on tight.


I let him get his pants wet and feet dirty and didn't think twice about it... That's what you do on spontaneous trips.





One of my most favorite pictures. My two boys and the ocean, what else do you need?








This morning we went and saw the LA temple. Oh my goodness, it is breathtaking. And if only you could smell it there, the grounds smelled so good with all the beautiful flowers there. It's too bad it was Sunday, I would have loved to go inside!





We ended our trip with a visit to the Santa Monica pier, where Sawyer was in heaven riding the "lellow vroom."





My spirits have been lifted, I feel a little bit stronger and am now ready to face this New Year. The ocean has healing powers.

More on our Christmas festivities tomorrow.