Ugh...

Is there anyone out there who isn't having seasonal depression? This winter has been so hard on so many, myself included.

I miss my Chatty Fams.

I miss my friends from WJ.

I miss my friends from SG.

All I can do is keep on thinking of all the positive things in life; they are everywhere! The studio is going great, I do have friends, I love my students, Spring will come. My hubby works hard, my kids love me, and I have a place to live. Do I really need more than that?

Frozen!

This is our first full winter, as a family, in the cold and snow. Our experiences have been, to say the least, varied. I am FROZEN! It seems that no matter how hard I try, I can't get over the fact that 17 degrees is too cold to be outside.

Yakko tends to agree with me. Dot and Wakko, on the other hand, love to jump off the top of the piles of snow created by the snow plow. Dad's finally thinking that a snow blower would be a wise investment.

Christmas Traditions Old and New

Christmas is such a weird time of year; I mean that in the best way possible. I love the charitable spirit in the air. I love the music, the lights, the presents. I just don't know which Christmas traditions are worth continuing, and which should be thrown out like last years broken lights.

We made mitten ornaments and book marks on Wednesday. The kids did a great job, and had a lot of fun. They turned out really cute!

Each year, our family has tried to do something charitable. This year, money is really tight... I didn't know what to do. We tried something new; acts of charity for each other. It was great! The kids learned how to tie quilts yesterday, and we spent all afternoon and into the evening tying quilts for each other. We ended up finishing all three!

As far as Christmas foods, they are killing my diet plans. I can turn down a big serving of dinner, but get me around the cookies and snacks, and I'm done. It'll be a miracle if I don't pack on the pounds I've lost this year over the next week or two! So far I've made: orange cranberry bread, gingerbread cookies, gingerbread houses, "Grinch" fudge, suckers, regular fudge, caramel popcorn, sugar cookies, kisses, and peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate. We won't even mention the chocolates that are starring me in the face... Yikes!

Now if I could only get on the ball enough to get the kids to see Santa, that'd be a Christmas miracle!

Snow Ball Fight!

They say "a picture says a thousand words". Let these pictures speak for themselves! Enjoy!

School Today...

School today seems to be going so slowly! The kids are just dying to go outside and enjoy the freshly fallen snow. It looks so peaceful out there, and where they've only lived in Southern Utah prior to this spring, the snow is so tempting! I hope that they can focus up, and get things done so they can get wet, cold, icy, and HAVE A BLAST!

Thanksgiving Reflections

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's awfully nice to know that Christmas is still four weeks away. I am not ready for Christmas, although I've done most of my shopping. It just doesn't seem possible that it could be that time of year yet. We set up the tree last night even though the mood wasn't there. I am flooding my house with Christmas music and decorations hoping that this will do the trick.

Perhaps what I need to do is to find some type of service to perform.......

Meanwhile, I am truly grateful for so much in my life. First off, I am deeply thankful for my family. I am grateful for my sweetheart. He is an amazing person, and I don't know what I'd do without him. He's so kind, loving, thoughtful, talented, brilliant, and patient. He is my rock, and I absolutely adore him. I am also grateful for my beautiful children. Dot is such a strong little lady. She's so responsible, loving, sweet, funny, darling, and thoughtful. Dot's changing and growing so much, but she's still the same adorable girl she's always been. I am honored to be her mother. Yakko is such a deep thinker. He teaches me the value of reflection. He's smart, charming, sweet, handsome, kind, and fun. He's becoming very self motivated, and I enjoy watching him process life and all its possibilities. Wakko is my baby. He is our comedian. Wakko keeps us on our toes, and has such a tender heart. He is sweet, gentle, funny, creative, silly, and aware. I could hold each of them until the end of time.

I am truly thankful for my extended family and friends. My parents and Troy's parents taught us what we needed to know to face this crazy world. Our siblings and their spouses keep life flavorful. Our nieces and nephews are such joys and hold a special place in our hearts. I am thankful for our dogs, Bubba and Cleo. They brighten our saddest days.

I'm thankful for the Gospel, for my testimony, for the Atonement, and for the support the Church gives me. I'm thankful for medicine and medical advances, and pray for a cure for cystic fibrosis. I'm thankful for my home, my neighbors, technology, and indoor plumbing. I'm thankful for joy, humor, and the internet. I'm thankful for work, for homeschool, and for food.