Very Blessed

It has now been four months since Trent was laid off at Flying J. It has been an experience that I have never had before. Hopefully we are learning a lot from it all. Trials are never fun and this certainly is one. But, there has been a lot of wonderful things that have happened during the last four months. I have been keeping a list of all the blessings I have seen happen in the last four months and it just keeps growing. A lot of them are sweet things other people have done for us. Some of them we know who to thank and others have been done anonymously and we don't know who to thank. It has been an incredible Christmas season for us and we have been extremely touched at the generous things people have done for us. We hope to be able to return the favor. Thank you for the prayers and support, it has meant more than you can imagine.

1st Grade Winter Program

Last week Connor had his program at school. It was really cute and they sang lots of fun songs that he has been singing around the house.

Where's Connor?

Leah enjoyed watching her brother and coming to his school

Owen and my nephew Matix were really good hanging out in the stroller

(Well Matix was. Owen got sick of being in there and he wanted to get out and wander around.)

Ogden Christmas Village

This year we went to the Ogden Christmas Village for the first time. It was so fun! We all loved it. There was so much to see and it was all free! What could be better? The village is a bunch of mini houses (sheds) decorated for Christmas. You walk around and look in each window. It is really cute, except for maybe the Hansel and Gretel one which had a little boy doll locked up in a cage. Creepy. There were a lot of people there, but it didn't feel too crowded. I think we will make it a yearly tradition.

Owen not too thrilled with sitting on Santa's lap

Connor had no problem

Leah froze up and wouldn't say a word. Even though she promised if we waited in the long line in the rain she would talk to Santa. Later she asked me if Santa puts seeds on his face to grow his beard :).

Our little carolers

*If you have a free night before Christmas you should head up there and check it out. It's worth the drive with kids.

Temple Square

Every year we brave the crowds and go to Temple Square to see the lights. This year Trent's mom joined us. It was fun and beautiful and very COLD. I think one of my favorite parts of the evening was when we went in one of the visitor centers there. The kids were able to see a model of the Temple and how it looks inside. The funniest part of the evening was when Connor saw a statue of Brigham Young in the visitor center. He asked me if he was real but dead. He thought he was a taxidermed Brigham Young! His hands did look real :). I think he thought that because we took the kids to Cabela's a few weeks ago to see the animals there.

Owie was so good even though it was cold. We tried bundling them up as good as we could.

Connor the Elf

One of Connor's favorite things about Christmas is giving people things he makes. He loves to draw pictures and wrap them up and give them to his Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles. I can't wrap a gift without him wanting to help do it. It makes him so happy!

"Jingle Bells, Batman Smells..."

(He is just learning how to spell :) )