My Little J

Then......(2006)

...and now.

J has always loved to cook with me. For as long as I can remember she has been helping me in the kitchen. She can do pancakes, eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches, and several other things all on her own. She loves it. She told me that when she grows up she is going to be a chef and that I can go to her restaurant and eat whateverI want, and I only have to pay $1.00! I love cooking with this little girl!

I thought she looked SO cute today! I had to take her picture just because!

On Saturday all the kids had friends to play with except J. She made about 6 calls, and either they weren't home or they couldn't play. She was so sad. She called her dad and told him that no one could play and asked if he would take her on a date. So, when he came home from work, he took her on a date. They went Christmas shopping at the mall and got some dinner. She was so happy to have time alone with her dad. What a cutie!

A Great Evening

Friday night my cute sister Ange and her hubby went through the Provo Temple to take out their endowments. They will be getting sealed in the Salt Lake Temple next Friday. I am so excited for them. Ange asked me to be her escort. I was so happy and honored to be there to help her and support her. I've always held a special place in my heart for little Ange. She is such a sweet person and is so loving, she has such a big heart. I love her so much and am so proud of their decision to go to the temple. They will receive many wonderful blessings by following the Lord's commandments. What a wonderful experience we had.

Finally!!!

S finally lost a tooth!! He has been waiting a LONG time for this to happen. Yesterday at school he was pulling off his gloves with his teeth (because that is the logical way to take off a glove), and somehow when he pulled it caught on his tooth and loosened it. Then, like an hour later he came into my classroom with a bloody mouth. He said he had been wiggling it and his fingers slipped and he cut his gums with his fingernail (I guess it's time to cut his nails). I told him maybe he should leave it alone for a while.

Later that day DH said he found S in the bathroom wiggling away. S asked his dad if he would pull it. DH said he would try, but that it might hurt. He didn't care. So DH wiggled and wiggled, and out came S's first tooth! He was SO thrilled. It was adorable. Luckily the tooth fairy made it on time (she often is very busy traveling the world gathering teeth, that she doesn't get there on the first night). I wonder when he will lose a tooth on his own?!

D.A.R.E.

Thursday night we went to M's D.A.R.E. graduation. The program was cute. They sang some fun songs. M was one of the winners of the poster contest, which was fun for her. She got to talk a little bit about some of the stuff on her poster. She got a little medal and a bag of treats!

Christmas Party

Last night was our ward Christmas party. I was on the committee again this year. Luckily the activities chairperson has a catering business, so he did all the cooking. The food was fabulous! We had turkey roast with cranberry salsa (so yum), rosemary potatoes, raspberry vinigertte (spelling?) salad, rolls, and a dessert bar. We ate well! The decorations were beautiful. For our program we had a slide show, which was what I helped with. We got pictures and videos of Christ, and pictures of ward activities from the year and put them to music. My partner is very computer savvy so he did most of the work, and did an amazing job. I thought the whole night was a big success! And now it's over and I can move on to the next thing!

Flash Game

T with his friend Riley.

The girls with Flash Fox.

The girls and their posters!

Monday night we went to a Flash game with some friends. The kids had a lot of fun. They got to make posters, play on the jump house, and win prizes. S was so busy the whole time, I didn't even get a picture of him. I guess that's proof enough that he had a great time.

Disney Princesses on Ice

DH got free tickets to got see Disney on Ice a few weeks ago.

It was so much fun. We all loved it, including the boys.

I always wished I could ice skate, they look so graceful.

But, I have to settle for just watching.

Another Baby!

My sister is having a baby!! I am so excited for her. They are going to have such a cute baby! This will be the 4th baby that has been born while my parents have been on their mission. Crazy how life changes in such little time. I love babies!

Tatum

We got to babysit Tatum last Saturday! She was so good for us. We just love her. M decided she needed a bracelet to match her shirt, so she made her one. So cute!!

Live Nativity

We took the kids to a live nativity today in Sandy, Utah. A stake there puts it on. There was no flash photography allowed, so my pictures aren't great. We had to stand in line for about an hour and 45 minutes. But, it was worth it. While we were standing in line there were people walking up and down the "streets of Bethlehem". They were in costume and even had animals, and all sorts of accessories. It looked like the real thing. When we finally got to go into "Bethlehem" it was amazing. They did a fabulous job. There were traders, barterers, women at the well, people selling bread and fruit, a carpenter, you name it, they were there. The whole thing looked very authentic. Then, the last corner we turned we were in front of Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus. It was beautiful. The kids were so well behaved, and took everything in. I think they really paid attention to how the people lived, and the circumstances that our Savior was brought into this world. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the inside. It is an experience I won't forget.

Some of the people staying warm around a campfire, and cooking their meal.

The innkeeper.

The 3 wisemen.

Baby Joneaux Porter

My sister Anna had her baby yesterday!!

Little Joneaux Porter was born weighing in at 7 lb. 4oz., and 18 1/2 inches long!

We are so excited that he is here, and that mom and baby are healthy.

We waited a long time for him to be here and are so grateful that all is well.

I love him already!