Merry Christmas To All...

... and to all a good night!

The Greatest

Everyone loves their parents and thinks they are great. And really, they probably are. But my mom IS the greatest! I mean, who else comes out to stay with you for a month just because you want her to? No one but my mom! Who else helps you clean, cook, take care of kids and works on projects ALL day long, and feels like SHE is putting you out? No one but my mom! Who else will watch me struggle with my kids and see me lose my temper for a whole month, and still think I am a great mom? NO ONE, but my Mom (ok, and Byron). Seriously, she is THE greatest and we had such a fun time with her here. We always think we have so much time to enjoy, and we do, but it goes so fast!
We did projects: assembled 48 I Spy Bag kits for our RS super saturday, scrapbooked (that I only do once a year as a demanded christmas gift for gmas and gpas), did lots of early christmas shopping, reorganized my 72 hour kits, and figured out christmas cards. I'm sure there were lots more. We did cooking: Thanksgiving yumminess, chocolate caramel pretzel rods, lots of soups and breads and a few new recipes. I love cooking WITH my mom and being able to just ask her to show me something instead of calling her on the phone and trying to imagine what she is explaining. We did fun things for the kids: 1st annual family carnival nite (thanks Wallises for the great idea!), movie nights, story time, FHE. Anything with Grandma turns into fun. I love the interaction and relationship she develops with my kids when she is here for an extended period of time. They truly get to know her and love her and miss her when she is gone. We did cleaning: Ok, not a ton this time, but she did reorganize my laundry room, and speaking of laundry, that woman can do laundry like no one else I know. I turn around and a whole weeks worth of laundry is washed, folded, AND put away! Amazing!

Mostly when she is here we just talk and talk and talk. She is an amazing woman that finds the good side of anything and everything, and feels so blessed by such little things in life. She devotes her life to serving her children and grandchildren. She is the greatest. We miss her, don't know if we can wait for February! Yeah, that's right, she's coming again, to once more, inconvenience us by watching our kids, cleaning house, cooking, and doing projects. SHE IS THE GREATEST!

My Michigan Girl

I am sure that Michelle is planning on posting about Sam's first birthday, which is today. But in case she wasn't I am going to put a picture of her here. That will surely get her to post something because she will not want a picture of her at the top of the blog. I really like this picture. She is super cute. Love you, babe.