Blessed

This is going to be a long post...but worth the read. :)

I have been overwhelmed with a feeling of being loved this past week, and especially the past few days. People all around me have been giving of their time, means, and friendship, and it has really been extremely moving for me.

It was a year ago this month that I told Brad things with us were over, and so Christmas time brings with it many strong emotions for me. I have been reflecting on my life this past year, and I can hardly believe that a year has gone by, it seems to have gone so quickly. Yet at the same time, last December feels like a lifetime ago. Like a different world, a different person... So strange. So sad. So hard. So testimony strengthening and growth inspiring. So many thoughts, and feelings, and moments that I can't even put into words...like there are no words strong enough to convey what its really been like this last year for me.

And I survived. I am making it, one day at a time. I am much happier this December than I was last December, and I can hardly wait to see what next December will bring...
Anyway, back to the L.O.V.E. overflowing that I was talking about. I have been deeply touched by the kindness and generosity of those around me recently (all year, really, but specifically recently).

It seems like at least once a day I find myself in tears as I am overcome with gratitude for the generosity and kindness of people in my life. Thank you, thank you. Words really can't express how deeply I have been affected by your friendship and generosity.

So, it's Christmas time. And what does that mean? The 12 Days of Christmas!! My family did this a few times when I was growing up, and it works like this (for those of you who may be unfamiliar): We would secretly pick a family who might need some extra love around Christmas, and then on each of the twelve nights leading up to Christmas day we would drop a present off at the doorstep, ring the doorbell, and run and hide. It's a fun way to spread some Christmas cheer. I hadn't realized that Christmas was so close (is anyone surprised? I'm a basket case right now), until I got doorbell ditched a little surprise on Saturday. It was the first gift of twelve, one for each night of the twelve days leading up to Christmas.


So today was the third day I've gotten a gift left on my doorstep (I'm going to catch you up on the past three days), and I really can't say how touching each of the notes and gifts have been. I seriously have cried every night as I've read them.

Cried.

Just tears of gratitude. And because I've felt loved. And I think these have been so touching because the love I feel from whoever has been doing this has reminded me, in a very poignant way, of my Heavenly Father's love for me. I have been reminded that He is aware of me, and that He has put people in my life to help ease my burdens. It is really overwhelming (in a good way) to think about.

Anyway, I would like to share the first three days of Christmas with you. I hesitated posting these, because they have been very meaningful to me, and I almost don't want to desecrate them by posting them. haha. Sounds weird, but you guys should be used to weird by now.

But, I really think they are beautiful, and so I decided to share with you!

Day One:

Fitting for the night of laughter...this is the ornament from the present that Taylen insisted was a cookie. Please notice the two bite marks. That's right, TWO. She went back for more...haha.

"For Brooke. Wear this next time and you'll catch him!"
That's right, people. A CUSTOM MADE

BEAVER BRA!!

hahahahahahahaha! Oh man, we laughed hard.

Well done, Secret Santa. Well done.

hahahahah!!

And a book to write funny and memorable stories about my kids in, to bring "an abundance of joy and laughter...a cure for any ill."

And as I type this, here come the tears again...sheesh.

Absolutely perfect First Day of Christmas.

Day Two:


"For tears cleanse the soul to let healing begin."
And my soul is definitely being cleansed at the moment... :)


This night came with a "tear blanket," and thread with a note that said "Write your own soul cleansing words on this tear blanket." The words "joy" and "love" were already embroidered on it...

Isn't that such a neat idea?

The perfect Second Day of Christmas... :)

Day Three:

"And with a sigh comes acceptance of what we cannot change."

This one was especially powerful to me tonight...


At the bottom of the note it says to take five minutes of peace and sigh in the bubbles...

And they left some yummy bath stuff.

An adorable book...

(seriously, if you are a mother of young kids you would appreciate this book)

And an AWESOME drawing that I just had to share:

I'm assuming that this is Brooke keeping my bath warm while

Taylen massages my back and Ryah takes care of my feet.

That's realistic, right?

The perfect Third Day of Christmas... :)

And you'll have to stay tuned for Day Four tomorrow!

...

THANK YOU, THANK YOU

to whoever is doing this for me and my family.

I really can't express how deeply I've been touched.

...

City Tree Lighting Ceremony

So every year our cute little city does a tree lighting ceremony. An octet from our ward sang at it last year, and this year they asked me to get a musical number together for it. It was super last minute (and the weekend before my crazy finals), so I asked Kari and Kristin (sisters that live on my street) to throw something quick together with me. We ended up doing It Came Upon A Midnight Clear, an a capella version my family did like ten years ago.

We sang at the ceremony, embarrassed ourselves at the clubhouse, ate at Costa Vida, and then went shopping at the newly redone mall. It was a sweet night.

Anyway, here's a little video for your viewing pleasure. WARNING: if you have a good ear you might not want to listen... haha.

The first half is us singing, and the last half is our bloopers. Way more entertaining than the singing, if you ask me... :)

Oh, and please notice that every time we have to stop because someone messed up or is laughing, IT'S ALWAYS ME THAT MESSED UP OR IS LAUGHING!! hahah. I'm such a geek. But I have fun.

Thanks Kari and Kristin for a seriously fun night!!

The Life of A Student

It's 1 a.m.

I'm on page 7 of 10.

Been on page 7 of 10 for a while.

Can't seem to get to page 8. Completely out of things to say. It's hard to write a paper when you're out of things to say.

My kids will be up in 6 hours.

I guess I'll go work on my presentation for a little bit. Maybe that will give me inspiration for my paper.

In less than 24 hours I'll be done with my first semester of grad school!!

Unfortunately, it's going to be a long 24 hours...

Oh beaver.

Brooke and I are on our way to church today.  We see a BEAVER running down the middle of road, going the opposite way as us.  

Seriously?  A beaver?

Yup.

A cute, happy little guy.  Running along with his big, beaver teeth and his big, beaver tail.

So we (naturally) make an illegal u-turn so we can try to rescue this little creature.

And by rescue I do not mean sneak up from behind, shove it in our jackets, and hope we don't get rabies from our new pet.  I mean try to bang pots and pans together to scare it back into the field so it doesn't get smooshed by oncoming traffic.

Unfortunately I do not carry pots and pans around with me in my car.  And by the time we turned around, the little guy was gone.

So we turned around again (headed back the original way) and we see the little sucker on the side of the road, with a hawk or (insert large bird of prey here) swooping at it.  

Immediate parkage on the side of the road.  Running in our church clothes, dodging traffic and looking for our beaver friend. Brooke happens to be wearing a flannel shirt-dress, which is sort of woodsy looking, so maybe the beaver will be drawn to her.  Turns out, he's not.

We can't find him.  He's a mysterious disappearing beaver!  So we head back to the car. 

And as we're running back to the car brooke says, "This is so not the right bra for catching beavers!  I need my beaver bra!"

Don't we all, Brooke.  Don't we all.

The night at the beach I will never forget...

I'm not going to say much.  But I will say that if you give us a camera and some intermittent nudity, we're guaranteed to have a good time.  Can I just put it out there that I love my sisters so much...We always have so much fun when we're together.  It is not unusual for there to be so much laughter that our stomachs hurt and our pants are wet.  haha.  Sick but true, people, sick but true.  

Brooke= $90 richer.  Don't

ask about her dignity, though.

Calee

Brooke

Kristina

Yours truly.  Apparently really enjoying myself...

Sister Love.

Thanksgiving in San Diego

Things I do not want to forget about this trip:

Brooke: GET OFF THE BOX, TAYLEN.  Tay: I’m not on the box.

Pumpkin cheesecake.

Bunk beds.

Percoset.

Guitar Hero.

Man hating.

Platinum Brooke.

Twilight.

Poop in the bathtub.

Salamander tay found.

Brooke punching some dude in the mouth.

Lars=man boobs=Kristina Love.

Purple boots.

Rolled tacos at oscar’s.

Tay winning the jackpot at Chuck E Cheese

Ryah riding the pony.

Ryah saying “get down” to Taylen.

Sex talk with Cakey.  Haha.

“Did I say this isn’t awkward? I meant it definitely IS.”

Crying at everything.

Texas sheet cake and Dr. Pepper.

Pictures in the dark at the beach.

The flu completely ruining my action plan.  Literally.

$90 well spent.

Brooke…glowing…flailing…

“I need the money!”

“We’re going to get arrested.”

“Just pee in the ocean!”

Laughing so hard you pee your pants.  And when I say you, I mean Calee.

Drunk guy hitting on me at Oscars.

“No one has heard for the OC”

“You handled that well.  And when I say well, I mean hilariously.”

Someone crashing someone’s car directly into someone else’s car.  

Taylen’s sweet prayers.

Taylen crying as we’re leaving and telling me “I really love my grandma.”

How much I hate saying goodbye.

Me and my Dad

Mom rockin' Guitar Hero

Tay hit the jackpot on one of the games at Chuck E Cheese and won like 100 tickets.

She was pretty proud of herself.

Taylen Love

hahahaha.  How could you not love that face?

High School Friends + Mexican Food= Good Times

Smachy Poo...

Kristina jammin'

Mom and Dad 

Aren't they cute?

Tay and me

Bubba with Mama