Happy New Years, Happy Birthday, Happy Day!

It’s a new year now, 2011! As each new year comes around, I like to make new year’s resolutions. This year, I don’t really have anything specific, except I want to make my goal and motto “I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus”. When I read my scriptures this year, I’m going to ask myself how what I’m reading and pondering shows me how or helps me to be like Jesus. I’m going to pray and think more about “What would Jesus do?” with everything in my life. I think if I stick to this and try my hardest to do that, everything else I should be doing better should happen.

On New Year’s Eve, we went to my parents for a party. We ate all kinds of appetizers and finger foods for dinner and throughout the night, played a few games, and watched “Santa Paws”…(groan). Emma’s been wanting to see it, but it was never in the Red Box machine when we’d try to get it. It was actually a little better than I thought, but we had fun watching it Mystery Science Theatre 3000 style. Then we rang in the new year a little early, since the kids were getting tired. We had noisemakers, party poppers, and did a few fireworks outside. But it was cold, so we only did a few! Then we went back to the Ryerse’s and we watched the new Twilight movie. I fell asleep through half of it, but what I saw of it was good. I still like the books way, WAY better. No comparison. Then we did party poppers at midnight and then went to bed.

On New Year’s Day, we went up to Park City. We did some shopping and went out to eat. It has been a few years since we went there, so that was fun. I like that place, especially the Tanger outlet mall! We also hung out at Dave’s parents house for a while, so Dave could watch one of the college football bowl games on TV. While he was doing that, the kids and I played and had some fun of our own. Here we are with our bellies. Who's is biggest?

I celebrated my 26th birthday last Friday, and had a happy day, or a couple of days! I started off being woken up by Dave, who wished me a happy birthday first. (: I had forgotten it was my birthday right when I woke up until he reminded me. Then I went down to Bountiful to go hang out with my mom and brother Marko and the kids all day. That was fun. During the day, Emma went to the store with Grandma Di, and they brought me home some pink roses! It was so cute! Emma was excited and knew exactly the ones to pick out. That night, we went to the Ryerse parents and had a party for Julie & me. Julie’s birthday is on the ninth, so we get to share our parties, which is fun. We had deluxe subs for dinner, played with the kids and talked, and then did cake and ice-cream.

Our birthday cake with the candles of our combined ages.

Cute Julie

Blowing out the candles

Grandpa always holds the kids this way, they love it!

Grandma Sue and Cal

The next day, we celebrated with our own little family. We went to the Sonora Grill in downtown Ogden, right across from the Junction theatre. It was delicious! I picked it out and I’m glad I did. I got a flauta (chalupa), and it was very different, but definitely one of the best I’ve eaten. Then we went shopping for the afternoon. That night, we watched “Inception” while the kids watched “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”. It was not my favorite movie. Maybe next time I’ll watch the movie with the kids! (: On Sunday, we had a party for Kolby and me. Kolb’s birthday is on the first, so again, I get to share my birthday party with him. We had delicious chicken parmesan, alfredo, peas, salad, and French bread. My mom is such an amazing cook. Amy suggested a new idea she heard from someone in Young Women’s when they were doing a lesson on traditions. She said it might be fun to all go around the table for birthday dinners, and say something nice about the person whose birthday it is. So we did it. It was great! I can say Kolby and Dave weren’t really on the band wagon at first (they’re too much alike), but I’m glad we did it and hope that we will continue that tradition. We went first with Kolby, and I just said how he’s so much fun to be around, and how I’m glad he takes good care of Amy. Then Dave said “Oh honey, don’t get all emotional!” jokingly. So I started pretending like I was crying while talking to Kolb. It was pretty funny. Everyone was laughing. I also told Kolby I’m glad he figured out Amy, because none of the rest of us could, to which he replied, “I still haven’t figured her out!” We all had a good laugh. We joked that this conversation which was supposed to be a tribute became more like a roast. It was pretty memorable. I just thought I’d share some of the things the others said about me (they’re too nice), so maybe when I’m having a bad day, I can look back and remember. Kolby said he likes the way I’m raising our kids and so involved in their lives. He said he sees lots of other friends and their kids but thinks I’m doing a great job. Amy said she loves that she can talk to me about anything. Since we were young, we always shared a room while living at home, and we were and still are very close. Marko said he always loves coming over to our house and for the welcoming feeling that is always there. He loves just hanging out with us and the kids. Grammie said that she appreciates how I am what I am. I have no false pretenses and I’m a neat lady. She also said she’s glad I’ve developed my talents. My dad said he’s proud of me and all of my accomplishments. He said he never had to worry throughout my life that I wouldn’t do the right thing, he always knew I would. My mom said she’s proud of the mom, wife, friend, and daughter that I am. She said she especially loves that I am so tender hearted, which she says I’ve always been, and that I have the patience of Job (now lots of these comments are so far-fetched, especially that one, he he!). Cal said “Mommy!” Dave said that there are a million reasons that he loves me, but one is that I’m the best mother to our kids, and the best wife and that I do such a good job. Emma was being a little shy, but Dave helped her a little. She said she loves that I read her books so much.

Jumping for joy!

Amy, Kolby and the kids. Emma and Cal love all of their aunts and uncles!

Singing "happy birthday"!

I loved Dave’s present! After he got home from work, he told me there was a paper on the porch. He told me I’d better go get it. I questioned him about it and wondered why he didn’t just bring it in. I asked if it was the newspaper or what kind of paper, to which he told me it was a newspaper, and insisted that I go get it. So I went out and got the “Ryerse Review” newspaper on the porch that he made. It was so cute! It was laid out like a newspaper and included fun “Help Wanted” ads, advertisements of promises he is making to me for my birthday, announcement about my birthday, vouchers for visits to places, and my favorite, an editorial in the back he wrote about me. It was so sweet. He is so creative, and everything he does is heart-felt and I am grateful for him!

As for you, I hope you have a happy day and make all of the days this year happy! Somedays I get bogged down and feel sorry for myself, thinking that I'll be happy once this or that happens, or once my days aren't so stressful, or once my kids are better behaved, and on and on, but then the quote always comes to my mind, "Happiness does not depend on what happens outside of you, but what happens inside." Which is easier said than done. But happiness is a choice, and I hope I can do better choosing happiness, by trying to be like Jesus this year and always! (P.S. Sorry about all of the wierd picture layout. I don't know what's going on, but have heard a few others are having problems as well.)

Merry Christmas 2010

What a wonderful Christmas season it has been! The best part was family and just being with all of them. I was able to see everyone in my family, which was special. Adam and Meghan were in town from Michigan, with their little boy Steven. On Sunday night, we had a family dinner and open house, in which some of my mom’s siblings and their families came. It was so great to see them again! We were lucky they were able to come for Christmas this year, it’s been a few years. I love Adam and Meghan. Adam is so much fun still, and he is a great daddy and husband. It’s cute to see how sweet he is to Megs and to see him be a parent. He does a really good job. Steven is a little cute boy! He loves to jump and dance. He and Cal had a hard time interacting at first, sometime Steven doesn’t know what to do, so he bites. He bit Cal a few times, which was good, since Cal has been in a biting rut, though he’s getting over it. So it let Cal know that it doesn’t feel good. They chased each other around. Emma just loved him and calls him “Stevie” or “Steves”. It’s fun. Grammie also enjoyed being with the little ones, especially she loves the little boys.

Here's Emma in her Christmas Sunday dress.

Cal wouldn't pose with Emma, so we got pics of the kids separately.

Emma and Steves playing.

The kids beating up Uncle Marko.

Christmas Eve was great! We had French toast for breakfast, and then just played and cleaned the rest of the day. I practiced a bunch of Christmas songs on my flute. When the afternoon came, my parents, Marko, and Adam’s family came over to our place and my mom and I practiced the song we were going to do for the family talent show. At Lois and Keith’s house is where our Stoddard family Christmas Eve dinner and program was held. We ate a yummy lasagna dinner; I made pear pomegranate salad, which everyone loved. I always love cooking, and it’s fun to have everyone contribute. Santa came to visit, as he has the last several years, and that’s always exciting! Emma wasn’t scared at all, but she told me she didn’t really need to sit on his lap, because she already wrote her letter to him, so he knew what she wanted. I told her she could talk to him about other things, like what it’s like to be Santa, or questions about living at the North Pole. She thought that was a good idea, so she talked to him and sat on his lap for a while. The first question she asked was “Why is there so much snow at the North Pole?” It was cute. Cal cried when we tried to put him near Santa. But we kind of expected that. He calls him “ho ho” or Santa. But when Dave or I put on our little Santa hat we have and start talking like Santa, Cal gets very upset, poor kid. Emma enjoyed my younger cousins, and they enjoyed playing with her, Steven and Cal.

Emma and Santa!

Cal loooking up at the Jolly old man!

Then we had the program. Everyone did fun things, some passed, as always, but I always love to see what people do and what they come up with. My mom and I played “While Shepards Watched Their Flocks by Night”. I always love playing together, and Christmas isn’t what it is without Christmas music!

Cal did something he’s been doing this week. I gave Callahan my phone, and there is a little piano application on there, where you can play the “piano” on an octave of keys. He sat down, and just started jamming out on the piano. Then he said “The End” while putting his hands up in the air. Then when we clap, he takes a bow. It was adorable!

Meghan, Steven and Adam did a cute little song along with the actions.

Emma did a science experiment, with Dave as her assistant. She put on her “lab coat”, told everyone she was going to do an experiment and we put vinegar inside a pop bottle she decorated with Christmas stickers and markers. Then we got some balloons and put baking soda inside, and put the balloons over the pop bottle. Emma told them what she and Daddy were doing, and said it was a “chemical reaction” when the balloon blew up by “itself”. We wrote Merry Christmas on the balloon, too. It was fun, and kind of shows that Emma likes to do science experiments at home.

Lois did a game, “How Well Do You Know Your Family”, and that was great. I pretty much guessed everyone. I thought that was a great idea. Then we dashed off to Bountiful to the Ryerse’s, where we celebrated Brian’s birthday. We did our piñata, this year it was a Scooby Doo one. It lasted pretty long actually, thanks to the reinforcing duct tape job. Dave held the rope and swung it around a ton and teased people, that was fun. The little ones knew just what to do. Cal remembered and was all over it. Emma hit it hard this year, and her and Tayla were so excited to go collect the candy. Stacy and I joked we should get two turns, one for the babies and one for us.

The girls so excited!

Julie helps Cal take a turn.

Dave takes a whack!

Cal loved it!

Emma showing off the goods.

Emma wearing Scooby's head and eating some treats!

Then we did presents, cake and ice-cream. Brian had a friend over, as well as Shirley’s daughter Colleen and her son Brennen visiting from Canada. They died when we sang our Happy Birthday song. I would, too. I did the first time I went over for a birthday there. Happy birthday, Brian!

Then we hung out, talking, and got the kids ready for bed. Then the kids went to bed, and some of us went to 7-11 to get Slurpees, and then play Santa. We went to bed pretty late. I went to bed about 1, and Dave went to bed at 2. Here are the kids in their new Christmas jammies. I love that Cal had to pose like Emma did!

I woke up Christmas morning, and yes, it was a green Christmas. No snow on the ground at all, it was green! It happens to be snowing right now, but all the last few weeks it’s just been raining, which has melted all of the snow, or dry. Everyone else was asleep, and I lay in bed, reading some scriptures dealing with the event of our Savior’s birth and pondering on the miracle of his birth and his miraculous life. I am so grateful for the humble way in which he came to the earth. I am grateful that he stayed humble and obedient his entire life. I’m grateful for his love for me and my family, and for giving us the best gift of all – his life. I’m thankful he always knows how I feel and what I’m going through. I’m grateful that he endured, and because of that, we can all have joy in the eternities. I then got on my phone and wished everyone a merry Christmas on Facebook, eager and anxious for the kids to wake up. When you’re a parent, it seems to be more exciting than when you’re a kid! I love seeing them so excited and helping to make their wishes come true. I kind of woke Cal up, and we woke Dave and Emma up. They were so happy to see that Santa had made it! We opened up presents.

The present Emma really wanted was the blue fairy Silvermist dress-up dress from the Tinkerbell movie. Cal wanted trucks. They got that and books, candy, and other toys. And then they got spoiled by their Ryerse grandparents! They had tons of clothes and so very many toys. Probably too many. But Sue goes crazy and loves to give give give. Emma was nice to Callahan to help him open gifts, but Cal started saying “Mine!” a lot that day.

Trucks!

Santa brought Emma her Silvermist dress!

Cal playing with some stocking stuffers.

Emma and her Tangled barbie, wearing her new dress up.

We made breakfast and ate, and played with toys for a while and cleaned up a bit. Then we got ready, and went over to my parents to join all of my siblings and parents. We had a great time eating a ham lunch, of course it was delicious since my mom made it. Then we opened more presents. Emma and Cal got their pillow pets – Emma got a unicorn and Cal a dog. They were so excited about those and have been waiting for months for that! We visited during the afternoon a lot. Grammie also came over, so it was great to have her there. Then my mom’s sister Debbie and her family came over, along with the Jenkins, longtime family friends and Mark’s friend Mayella. We enjoyed each other and just chatted away. It was so great having the family all back together, it always is. That’s probably my favorite part about Christmas, all being together. How sweet it is!

Our little family. Amy took this pic, thanks Am!

Our family!

All of the siblings + spouses (someday soon, Marko!)

The kids getting ready to open some presents at the Stoddard grandparents.

Emma's unicorn.

Boys on their pillow pets. They love them!

Grammie and Emma having so much fun! Grammie is a tease, and Emma loves it!

Cal playing around with one of Grandma's Christmas ornaments. He was playing the little banjo from her tree.
Grammie with the great grandkids. She is so much fun!