December

At the beginning of December I thought I would start another year of Daily December where you document December with thoughts and photos of the season. Well I got 3 days in but it was fun while it lasted.  Lilly had her first strings concert.  I was super impressed with those little musicians. 

She had her choir concert the next week. They performed at the high school with the Jr High kids  WOW. This music teacher is preparing them to be really good coral singers. Um and that should mean something coming form me, Just saying.  Have a listen if you have a minute. SO proud of my girl and her love of music. She is always singing.

Other random pictures form my phone.

*This month one of our focus letters was K.  Luke learned to write almost a perfect k. *I received the best fudge it is all gone. I enjoyed it so much and mostly by myself.  I think my favorite thing about this fudge beside the taste it is made from and man in my ward that knows how much I love it.  *BYU is the coolest. The other night they had alumni tickets to the Sun's game for FREE.  So we went. It was the kids first professional basket ball game and I'm glad that we went.  *It is gram cracker house making time again.  Love this tradition with my kids and my preschoolers.

Luke with his house and hot chocolate.

With it being December and all it has hit me that 1/2 this school year is over and I only have a few more months with my sidekick before he hits the big time. We snagged a zoo pass from the library and went on a date. Luke wrestled an alligator. We found the cheetahs, elephants, lions and the moneys.  He is a wonderful date.

I have mentioned before that I love where I live and I love the people here. My girls and all our girls went out to dinner one night just for fun.  This is what happens when we decide that we want froyo after some window shopping. We all pile into the closest car because we are too cold and lazy to walk down the large parking lot.

The neighbors and I teamed up for a bonfire, marshmallow roasting, s'more eating, hot chocolate drinking movie night. The movie was projected outside, the kids snuggled  up in blankets and coats and after a little bit Santa showed up.  Can you believe it Santa?!!! Luke told him every detail about what he wanted. Lilly followed prototypical but wasn't too excited about the whole thing. And Max wanted nothing to do with the impostor who calls himself Santa exclaiming as he walks up, "That's not the real Santa" I guess we have to have a talk about it's for the little kids.

December 12

1. Friday morning is a always a good morning. It's a little more relaxed a little more fun. We get the music going. This morning I helped Lilly set up her alarm clock since she is now insisting that she wants to get up at 6 am.  I love that she is a happy morning girl. 

2.  Luke comes sleepily walking down the hallway to find me requesting his morning snuggles. Happy to oblige.

3.  Pancakes and raspberries for breakfast this morning.

4.  Big change for me today. I busted out my workout after the big kids went to school.  I slept in a little it was nice.

5.  And since it is Friday it is laundry day, I love that I have this machine.

6.  Luke playing with legos. The scenario this morning the bad guys have taken baby Jesus and captured him in the sock. Our mission to save baby Jesus.

7.  Luke helped me out with pictures out today. Our beloved penguin snow globe.  

8.  Yet again reading another diet book. This time Choose to Lose, all about carb cycling.  I like it I just hate eating all the protein. I'm just not big on meat.  

9.  My friend has let us borrow her cute Christmas tree this year. Luke was happy to help me set it up and surprise the kids when they got home.

10. Love this Nativity. I'm sure I take a picture of it every year. I love that the kids play with it all the time.

11, Luke counting down the days to Christmas.

12. Dinner tonight BLT's.  Such a fancy table.

My 30 Days

I have much to catch up on but at this point I don't know when that will happen.  So onward I go.  This weekend I had time to reflect on some things that were really bothering me.  For one reason or another I was having a hard time finding happiness and contentment in my life.  I felt like I was doing things that should make me happy, eating well, exercise, reading scriptures, praying, having contact with friends and family, but I was still struggling.  So finally I broke and cried and Kevin was there to hear all about it, lucky guy. Well at least I'm the lucky one. He was concerned that I was had too much focus on what I don't have. And it hit me so hard that was exactly it. I was constantly looking at instagram and facebook to see cute crafty things that I will never have time make. The most adorable families with youth, perfect hair, perfect dress, perfect everything. Successful mommy business that I really don't want but I see it so much I thought I did. I really thought I was smart enough to know that everyone shows their best face when it comes to social media but some how it still sucked me in.
Then I found a great talk Things As They Really Are by  Elder David A. Bednar. It really helped me get refocused and ask myself  Who am I really? and Who do I wan't to be? So why I'm I spending so much time and energy looking for things knowing that those things are nice but not essential to who I am and who I want to be.  All this comes about at a wonderful time when we celebrate the birth of the Savior, and that is what I want to do. I want to celebrate and focus on my relationship with Christ and serve Him.
I'm calling this My 30 days. For 30 days I will really try to have a greater focus on Christ. To question my thoughts and actions that they are directed only to edify and serve. For the time being I'm taking a break from social media with the exception of my blog. So I can get all the fake out of my life. Not to say that it is all fake because I keep in contact with dear friends with instagram but I think it is better to go cold turkey on this one.
Then I remembered a fun project I did a few years back. Daily December.  Where I document little moments of the Christmas season.   I think this is perfect and deiced to that it was time to do it again. So my real camera came out today and I took pictures of our decorations coming out of the box. Every year the first things that come out are the Nativities.  I love them. I think about why I love them and it is obvious when I think about it, because of Christ.