Got snow?

Marriage and family

This is my niece, Leigh. Isn't she darling? She is one beautiful bride.

This is the Columbus Ohio temple. It is such a gorgeous, peaceful place.

This is Craig, Leigh's husband (of about thirty minutes when
this photo was taken). He is pretty incredible.

These are Leigh's siblings, some of my other nieces and nephews. They are fantastic
and two days with them was definitely not enough. They need to come to Boston now.

I am so grateful I was able to attend Leigh and Craig's wedding and be with my sister
and her wonderful family. I also loved being able to spend two days with my
parents, talking and laughing and just being together.

Marriage and family is the best.

The absolute best.

Our wall

Without question, one of my favorite traditions of Christmas.

Christmas morning

Ready

I love how this photo feels.
And I love that is only 11:42pm.
I cannot wait for morning.

Yesterday

Jacob and I celebrated our 12th anniversary yesterday. And it was unlike any anniversary we have ever had.

I was coming home from my niece's wedding and there were weather delays. I finally convinced Jacob to let me ride the train home from the airport (it took a lot of convincing) because the traffic was so horrible and I knew I could get there faster without he and the kids spending hours in the car. What neither one of us knew was the bus ride to the train station would take 46 years to get there (give or take a year or two). And it would make me miss the first two trains. And wait an hour for the next one. But I made it home. And he and the kids greeted me with excitement, hugs, sweet notes, a kiss and some flowers. It was good to be home.

Celebrating special days is really important to me. Really, really important. I had a hard time even planning to be gone for a part of our anniversary. So unexpectedly being gone for almost all of it wasn't my favorite, to say the least. But do you know what? It actually made me even more grateful for my marriage and the life I have because of it. I had more time than usual to think about the fact that I have the life I do because my Heavenly Father knew I needed to marry Jacob Allen.

Twelve years ago yesterday I made the best decision of my life. And because of it, I have happiness beyond what I could imagine and blessings beyond what I deserve. I feel absolutely giddy thinking of the next twelve years.

And then eternity to follow.

Christmas past ~ 2008

I love the feeling of this photo. But I love the boy in it
so much more. Darling Ben—such sweetness.

Christmas past ~ 2004

Could Matt be more adorable? No, no he could not. I could just
squeeze him through this photo. I love this sweet boy.

Christmas past ~ 2004

The cuteness factor of Annie is ridiculous. She was a little happy with her
Christmas gifts. I'm a little happy with this sweet girl that I absolutely adore.

Christmas past ~ 2001

Sweet Cam had just turned two. This picture makes me a little teary, because that
time is so far gone and this darling boy is still so incredible. How I love this guy.

Christmas past ~ 2007

I loved our time in San Diego. More than loved it. And each and every picture from
those fours years makes me happy. Especially the ones with these darlings in them.

Christmas past ~ 2008

One of the first snowfalls after living in San Diego for the past four years.
They seem to be a bit excited. It is almost contagious. Almost.

Christmas past ~ 2009

A Christmas tree, some smiles and a faux hawk.

Really, what could be better?

Christmas past ~ 2007

Can you just feel the excitement by looking at Matt's face?

I can. And I absolutely love it!

Christmas past ~ 2004

Does Matt look a lot like he understands the Christmas concept? I think his brother
and sister do though. I remember this as one of our happiest Christmas mornings.
Being with family during the holidays always makes Christmas just that much better.

Christmas past ~ 2006

The sweetest kids I know.
(And the cutest.)

Christmas past ~ 2002

Little Annie posing for the camera on Christmas.
She truly has always been such a little sweetheart.

Christmas past ~ 2008

I think darling Ben got what he wanted for Christmas this year.

Christmas past ~ 2003

I might love this picture of Cam a little too much. Leaning away from Santa,
hand ready to grab the candy and run...Christmas spirit at its finest.

Christmas past ~ 2004

Sweet Annie girl in the nativity.
I love this picture so, so much.

Christmas past ~ 1999

We spent Christmas in Switzerland visiting Jacob's family. Our sweet Cam was
just three months old. A three-month old doesn't adjust to a time zone change.
In case you were wondering. But they are so cute it almost doesn't matter.

Things that make me happy today

I was called as the first counselor in the Primary presidency on Sunday. I {love} being in Primary. And there happen to be four kids in there that are especially my favorites—although there are many others that are not far behind. And the women I am going to get to work with, oh the joy. I truly loved being Relief Society president, but Primary, sweet Primary.

We are now the owners of two telephones. Two phones in our home, people. No it doesn't take much to make me joyful, but we've been a one-phone family for more than two years now (the phone jack upstairs has never worked, at least since we moved in). And this house is too big for only one telephone. Hence the mad dash I am known to do if I am upstairs and hear it ringing. Or the lazy dash I don't do because I am upstairs and it is ringing. Did you know you can now have multiple phones working off only one phone jack? Oh happy day, it is true. I'm no longer angry at our answering machine for insisting on making every message sound like the person filled their mouth with marbles and then dove under water, just before they started speaking. Good news for the old answering machine, I know it took my disappointment hard.

I mailed all of our Christmas cards yesterday. Well, to give credit where it is due, Ben mailed all of our Christmas cards. Put them by the handful in the slot himself. He loved it. About the seventh or eighth handful (yes we mail more than 150 cards, yes we have moved a lot, yes I have a hard time letting go of people, yes I use parenthesis too much), I happened upon an envelope without a stamp. And then two more, mixed up in all the rest. I am not positive an envelope or two was not mailed without a stamp. Whoops. I guess it will come back to me soon and I'll right that wrong. But all is well, because if you didn't hear Ben mailed all of our Christmas cards yesterday. Wa. Hoo.

Last night we had mint fudge covered Oreos for the Family Home Evening treat. I haven't had them in a couple of years and I'm now remembering why I took a hiatus on those things. Because there are no words for how much I love them. The closest I could get would be, No need to beam me up Scotty, I'm pretty much there on my own. That doesn't even make sense.

It hasn't snowed yet. I count every day in the winter without snow as a little personal success. If I had my way (why do I not ALWAYS have my way?), we would get snow three or four days each winter. And it would be beautiful and lovely and go away the next morning. I love snow. In very limited amounts. If we could make it to the 24th of this month before it snows, I would be thrilled. Not going to happen, but I would be thrilled.

I get to speak on Sunday in church. And give sharing time in Primary. I'm done with my talk (which sounds like I am much more of an overachiever than I am, I had a strong feeling to mostly use a talk I had written previously) and that feels good. Now on to sharing time. Should a calling feel this fun?

And what is making me extra happy today?

These four. And their handsome dad.

Do you like how I blog ramble, but label it something else so you totally don't know? Me too.

PS. New calling = organizing a new binder.
Happy doesn't begin to describe it.

It's been too long since I blog rambled

Sickness abounds in our home. Okay, abounds is an exaggeration. Matt has a fever, sore throat and cough. He is a tough boy though and is handling it like a champ. Or maybe he is just thrilled to stay home from school and watch TV. Either way.

Trader Joe's whole wheat Middle Eastern flatbread and hummus makes me joyful. Super joyful. (For the record, there are very few things at Trader Joe's I don't love. Can you tell I recently made a visit and I haven't been there in a while?)

It is garbage day. I love garbage day. I love wheeling empty trash cans back into their proper place. I probably need some therapy, but what's new?

I'm a fan of this time of year for a lot of reasons. One of them is because we are almost always given some sparking cider. You know the kind, the one where the kids always ask at least once why we have wine in our refrigerator. And when life gets really overwhelming, I like to drink straight from the bottle. You know, pretending I'm drowning my sorrows. It works, I instantly feel better. And it makes me laugh. Mom, don't read that last paragraph. You raised me better than that.

I might have in my possession, the cutest Christmas cards known to man. Now please send yours, because I really, really want to see them, but I apologize in advance for the cuteness of my children. It's not your fault, it wasn't a fair competition to begin with.

Jacob's younger brother and his wife had a baby two days ago. She was very early. She weighed three and a half pounds and is doing incredibly well. I think about her approximately 87 times an hour. She is so beautiful and tiny and so many prayers have been answered with this sweet girl.

Jacob is in Nigeria on business. Yes, you read that correctly, Nigeria, folks. Before he left, he sent me an email with information about the security detail during the trip and how careful they were being with those going. He wanted to make me feel better. I think it had the opposite result. I do know he will be fine, but if I could go to sleep now and skip ahead to Saturday when he is home safe and sound I would. I'm a fan of that man. And I like him in the same continent country state town home as me. I'm missing him something crazy this trip.

Why did my parents have to leave? I seriously could hang out with them for two (or seven) more weeks and not have enough. Is it selfish to pray that they are called to the Boston Temple mission? I didn't think so either. Join me could you?

And now your day must be complete.

You are most welcome.

So grateful for...

A trip to a town on the coast where our ancestors lived.
It was so fabulous to be there with my parents and it is
honestly the most beautiful town I think I have ever seen.

I love the history and beauty of this state.

So grateful for...

This time of year.

So grateful for...

The privilege of being the Relief Society president in our ward
for the past two years. I was released this morning and what a
bittersweet moment. I am so grateful to the Lord for asking us
to do things we would not choose to do on our own...
and changing who we are in the process.

So grateful for...

My parents who came to spend a few days with us. They have only been
home from their mission since May, but have come to visit us twice already.
They are so incredibly good to us and we are truly grateful for them.

If only the three and a half days didn't fly by so fast.

So grateful for...

This gift from my parents for Christmas.

Honestly, no words for how much we love it.

So grateful for...

The fact that we are about to celebrate Thanksgiving
with our wonderful friends. I love this holiday.

And that this boy loves eating. And chocolate.
And eating chocolate.

So grateful for...

My Savior.

So grateful for...

Our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson.

To guide us in these latter days.

So grateful for...

A certain sectional couch that no longer resides in our home. If it tells you the
uncomfortable factor, even the kids were beyond excited to see it leave. Can you tell?