Temple, Temple, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!

My sister's and I would sing this chant whenever we would drive by the Salt Lake Temple. I remember wondering what it would be like to go inside. This past week we were able to go to the open house for the Rexburg Temple. The weeks preceding our visit we spent our Family Home Evenings dicussing what the boys would be seeing and the purpose of the temple. We also discussed the dedication, and explained only those who had been baptized could go. Poor Jared was so sad that he couldn't go but we explained to him the reasons and that when he turned 8 there would be another temple he could go to the dedication for.(Oquirrh Hills) As the days came closer Isaac and Bennett were getting excited but Jared kept saying, "no, I don't get to go." Now as most of you know Jared is a big teaser, so I know a lot of this was teasing, but I was still concerned he thought he didn't get to come to the temple. Finally on the night we were to go Jackson told him we would take him blindfolded if we had too. Later on as we started up the walkway towards the temple I smiled down and said, "See they let you in." He just smiled that smile of his back. What a wonderful experience, I tried to point out the colors and different pictures so they could remember some of the things they saw. It was nice to tell them that this was where dad and mom would be when we went to the temple. The best part was in the celestial room, it was amazing to have all of us there together, we stood in a group and hugged each other. Later I contemplated the experience with Jared. What a great responsibility we have as parents to teach our children that Heavenly Father does want them to be with him and that by making right choices we can. I haven't been to a temple dedication since the Jordan River temple so am very excited to go with the boys and Jackson. How lucky we are to be able to be apart of this.

Bucket List

So my sister recently wrote on her blog about her bucket list. I don't know if you've seen the commercial for the movie called the bucket list, but when I saw it got me thinking about my list. When I saw my sisters list I thought it was a fun idea to share mine. I think I'll be a copy cat though and tell some of things I've done first (like my sister did)

Seen King Tut's tomb and Pyramids
Volunteered for 2002 Olympics
Mom of 3 great boys
survived growing up in a house of 5 girls
Rode first class to England (where Boy George almost walked in on me while I was changing in the bathroom)
Swam with 6 foot stingrays
have been 10 feet away from a humpback whale and calf watched as they breached out of water Went Salmon fishing on the Kenai (Alaska)
Have seen the Northern Lights
Met President Kimball
have had frozen hot choclate at Serendipity's (new york)
Rode on a trolley down St Charles st (New orleans)
Helped build the Heber C Kimball house at This is the Place
Was a Ma on a pioneer handcart trek
Have been in the top of the Washington Monument
Went to San Francisco to have lunch on the bay for a day
Have seen Pungent Sound in Seattle



My Bucket List

Learn how to play the piano
go on safari in Kruger park, see the penguins in Capetown South Africa
See the Indian Ocean
Learn how to photoshop
Go on a girls trip with my sisters and mom
Go on a cruise
See the Eifel Tower
go to Israel walk where Christ walked
Go on mission with my husband
Be in a play
Be in shape
go to every continent (have been to 4)
Help support a charity
Do some Humantarian work
Be a fun mom/grandma
See as many of the Temples as I can
Go on a Hike with my husband
Pay off my mortgage by the time I'm 55
Learn how to cut hair
Do a tree for the Fesival of trees as an Adult
Go to the Oprah Winfrey show
Make a difference in the life of a child (other then my own)

We're Back!!!

We just got back from a great holiday vacation. We were able to spend Christmas and New Year's in Utah. It was so nice being back in familar surroundings. It flew by so fast. The boys were spoiled by Santa and other relatives. It was nice being able to visit. We also went sledding at Sugar House park and just had fun spending time together. I was worried about how my Christmas would go because it is the first year I've been without my parents, but as much as I missed them we really had a nice day, it was fun carrying on traditions and adding a few from Jackson's family. We spent Christmas Eve at Jackson's parents house, where the kids had a great time waiting for Santa with their cousins. Jackson's poor sister was awakened at 4:30 a.m.by the kids begging to be allowed to go upstairs, where we were sleeping peacefully. We were awakened at 6:00 a.m. by a loud yell of "WAKE UP." After presents we had our yummy ham puff and french hot choclate. We then went to my sisters house where I kicked her butt at the Wii game boogie. We then were able to visit with my aunt and then went to the hospital to visit with Jackson's brother and wife who gave birth to their little girl the day before. Well I took down Christmas decor yesterday (what a sad day) but have some great memories. Enjoy the pics!

It's the most Wonderful Time of the year!!

I love this time of year. Whenever anyone talks about family traditions, I always think of Christmas. We have our little traditions we do throughout the year, but Christmas just has so many that I love. So I thought I would share some of them with you.

My Grandma Watson would make each child their own stocking and then hang them all on her fireplace. At one point she would have had 29 stockings hanging. I loved going and finding a Christmas envelope from Zions bank that would have a brand new dollar from my grandpa (my dad carries this tradition on w/ my kids) and nuts and candy. After my grandmother passed away my aunt was sweet enough to make stockings for my mom for new additions although a couple of years ago a friend taught me how to knit the stockings, so I was able to knit each of my sisters families their own set of stockings. It's nice to know that when we are apart we all know we will have our stockings.


> This is another tradition, growing up every year my grandparents would give me a Spode plate.
I now have eight plates along with other additons. Believe it or not my kids love getting their Spode plates.
My mom is the best at making pillow cases. When we were little we knew it was Christmas when we found our Christmas pillowcase on our pillow. My mom has made everyone our own pillowcase. Thanks mom!
Christmas potpourri, this is a tradition I started I cut up half an orange, half a lemon and half a lime put 3 cinnamon sticks in, 3 bay leaves and then a sprinkle of cloves, you can put it in a crockpot but the smell travels better if it's on the stove. Every morning I'll start the pot boiling, it's the best smell in the world!
I love decorating the outside of my house, I really love my big porch (as you can tell i.e. halloween) so I was really excited when I figured out a way to put my garland up. Although Jackson was a bit of a grinch this year, he wouldn't put up the lights on the house so I tried to make up for it, by putting lights in the trees and bushes. On Christmas Eve we try to remember Christ's birth by lighting luminaries (white paper bags w/ candles) to light the way for the Christ child. Growing up the whole neighborhood would do it, so it was fun to look up and down the street and see nothing but candlelit white sacks, it was so beautiful.

Having a Christmas Village is big thing in my family. I can't even tell you how many houses my mom had. They would set up the village which would take hours, I would sit and look at each house imagining who would live in each house. Last year she gave me this train station, I love carrying on this tradition for my kids.

Other traditons we have are playing Mannheim Steamroller and Johnny Matthis, we eat Ham puff on Christmas morning and get home made pajama pants Christmas Eve. We read, Polar Express and The Littlest Angel on Christmas eve. These traditions help me to focus on my family and the reason why we celebrate Christmas. I was watching a TV show the other day and the hosts were talking about how they couldn't remember what their favorite gift they got for Christmas was last year. It made me realize that when I look back on this time next year, how great would it be if I could remember the best gift I gave. So my challenge to you is to try and give something this year that you will remember next year and in years to come. Come on be creative! Tell me some of your favorite traditions.

More Christmas pictures are on Picasa.

I haven't tried the blogging too much, but I was inspired by Linda's reading of the 5 little monkeys blog the other night. So I though I should do my part. Since I tend to communicate better using visual media rather than written, please check out the link below.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9585805444

Jackson

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sorry no pictures this time. I did have my camera, but in my family EVERYONE is a photographer. So I sat back and watched them take pictures. Afterward I realized I really should have snapped a few. We had a great day. Most of my family was able to meet in Boise, so we drove the 4 hours there to spend the day. (and it was literally a day we left w/in 24 hrs of getting there, to head to Utah) We were spoiled with great cooking and company. The boys enjoyed playing football and rocks, paper, scissors with my Uncle. Now this isn't a typical game, if you lose, your opponet gets to slap you as hard as they can with two fingers on the wrist. My Uncle played this with me when I was little and he wouldn't hold back I would walk away with bright red arms, so the tradition continued yesterday. What a great holiday! I love that we have a day that is about giving thanks. I really believe that being grateful is one of the key components to being a good person. I hope your holiday was just as great, how lucky I am to have such great family and friends.

Tagged

So I guess I have been tagged from my mom to tell 6 things about myself.

1. I hate it when people sneeze. It's not really because I'm afraid of what they will get on me, it's more the sound. Especially when there is more then the standard two. It just grates on my nerves.

2. I can't eat spicey food, even if it says mild, it burns my tongue off. I really like eating salsa but I can only handle about 2 bites before I'm grabbing some water. I know what a wimp.

3. I hate mornings, (for most of you this is no secret) but oh how I hate them. There is nothing more then I love then sleeping in and I'm not talking about 9:00 a.m I mean until 1:00 p.m.

4. Now that I'm commuting for some odd reason the first night I sleep at my sisters, I can not fall asleep. I find myself looking at the clock every 1/2hour willing myself to sleep but it just doesn't work, (did I mention I hate waking up?)

5. I like to start lots of projects but have a hard time finishing, case in point, I just finished making a witch I promised to my mom two years ago.

6. I'm not as creative as people think, I just take someone else's great idea and put a spin on it.

I guess I'm supposed to tag 6 more people, did I mention I am a procrastinator?