There is a quote: "LIFE IS NOT ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORMS TO PASS.... IT'S ABOUT LEARNING TO DANCE IN THE RAIN."
With 12 children and 5 adopted from Russia, we have had challenges and trials along with our joys. We have decided that we must
learn how to "dance in the rain." We must notice and acknowledge the joys and miracles in our lives.
They exist daily -- we just need to make sure we do not miss them!! This blog is to remind us of these miracles and joys!

Sunday, December 30, 2012

DECEMBER 23, 2012 -- CHRISTMAS CAROLING UP A NOTCH

CHRISTMAS CAROLING UP A NOTCH
DECEMBER 23, 2012

Due to some trials of the heart, mom has had a slow 
start to the Christmas season.  
It was time to pick it up and move ahead!!!
Sunday evening, Dad requested to do our traditional caroling and mom decided to "take it up a notch!"
With the help of Hyrum & Joseph and some willing children, we had a fun caroling adventure with instruments, a wind tunnel and even a thunder tube!
Mason rang his jingle bells diligently at every house!
What fun we had!!
We hope the doors we knocked enjoyed the music as much as we did!














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DECEMBER 19, 2012 -- SANTA AND SINGING AT THE MALL

SANTA AND SINGING AT THE MALL
DECEMBER 19, 2012

So far, every year Mason has cried when we took him to see Santa Claus.
This year, we headed off to the mall to see Bethany perform with the Glee Club from school so we put in a little visit to Santa!   
Mason was excited and ready with his list for Santa.
He was requesting a "training wheel bike" and a "drink bowl."
He was focused and let everyone in line know 
what he wanted for Christmas, too!

What fun!!!
  Mason brings us all so much joy!!!!





Bethany was so excited for their little "tour" as a Glee Club.
Melissa, Rebecca, Rachel and I headed to the mall to watch her sing 
and to have lunch!  We also ended up chaparoning a group of girls to walk around
and shop at the mall for 1 hour.  It was a fun afternoon!
Bethany is on the back row, far left, with her mouth open singing away!!!


Lunch time!!!

Rebecca has been doing laundry for all of us and earning $.50 a load and it 
adds up!  Today at the mall, she spent some of her hard earned dollars and bought something she just couldn't live without!
Rebecca now is the proud owner of a $16 Justin Bieber electric 
toothbrush that sings to her while she brushes!!!  She loves it!



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DECEMBER 20, 2012 -- FLAG PRESENTATION AND QUILTS

FLAG PRESENTATIONS AND QUILTS
DECEMBER 20, 2012

Joseph worked double time in December and in addition to finals and the typical holiday busyness, he gave 2 presentations about the USA Flag using the Power Point Presentation that he created for his Eagle Scout Project.
The first was to Daniel's Webelo Den and the second was to 100 6th grade kiddos at McNair Middle School.
Good Job Joseph!


 Benjamin was  good help and ran the slideshow from the laptop











Rachel was also very ambitious and decided to make a quilt for Melissa!
She tied the whole thing on our quilting frames that mom received last year for Christmas!  Go Rachel!



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DECEMBER 11, 2012 -- DECK THE HALLS

DECK THE HALLS FOR CHRISTMAS
DECEMBER 11, 2012
 
One of my most favorite things to do is to decorate for Christmas!
 I love to transform our home with Nativities, lights, advent calendars, Christmas count downs and other decorations!

As the children get older, it is fun to enjoy the holiday on different levels.

 







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DECEMBER 10, 2012 -- SUGAR COOKIES

SUGAR COOKIE BAKE-A-RAMA
DECEMBER 10, 2012
For Family Home Evening, we had a blast making Christmas Sugar Cookies!
Kids love it, mom's cringe at the mess; however, there is not anything much more fun than watching the kids have such a great time!  Kids always love making sugar cookies!
What a great "big brother" picture!
Joseph and Mason working together!
 Rachel is so full of expression!



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November 21-25, 2012 -- THANKSGIVING FUN!

THANKSGIVING 2012 ACTIVITIES

Our first night was spent doing some dancing with Hyrum and his friends.
It was so fun for me, mom, to watch Melissa and Hyrum dance.
Melissa has taken a lot of dance classes at BYU and Hyrum is starting to do the same.

We took our traditional visit to "The Square" to see the Christmas lights!
This year, we didn't lose Mason!  Good job family!


Of course, a highlight was cooking our Thanksgiving Dinner!!!
Alison and Bethany made cheesecake
Joseph made a pecan pie cheesecake

David and Mason played "Wild Kratts" -- a PBS show about animals

Rebecca licked all the spoons anyone would give her!

Mason still loves the iphone

Melissa and Rachel took over the pie baking!!!
That was a big "yahoo" for mom!

Mason and Daniel helped mom with the rolls


Hyrum is the mashed potato man with 
Melissa and Bethany checking the taste of his recipe!



Dad takes care of the "turkey lurkey."


David was anxious to eat and someone helped him pass
the time with the camera!


Our place setting



Finally, it is time to gather and time to eat!!!


We are so, so blessed!



AFTER that delicious meal, we had to work it off 
so we played a fun big game of "Kick Ball!"
If the dried grass stickers hadn't crawled up our socks and pant legs, it would have been perfect!!!  Mason shows us a "sticker."



Thanksgiving isn't complete without some crafts, puzzles, and down time.
Daniel makes a turkey "beady buddy" while mom works a puzzle.
Robert enjoys some of that down time on his itouch.

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