Christmas at Sundance: in the snow

It feels like a dream now, but while we were at my parents' house, it snowed and snowed and snowed.  I snuck out of the house for a few minutes to take some photos of the winter wonderland.

There is a road in there somewhere!

My dad spent hours clearing his driveway.

This is what "snowed in" looks like. The road to Sundance was closed for over a day while we were there, so we really were stuck. I didn't mind one bit.

One afternoon, while the skiers skied and the snowboarders snowboarded, we went sledding at Soldier Hollow in Midway. Well, Mike and the kids went sledding. I stayed in the warm lodge with my mom, who had foot surgery recently and was still on a scooter. Also, did I mention that it was snowing? I was happy to stay dry inside. Living in Arizona has made me completely incapable of dealing with cold, wet weather.

Which is why there are lots of pictures taken from inside the house. Desert living didn't seem to have the same effect on my children, though, as they spent hours outside digging and sledding and building snowmen.

Brother Lincoln and his adorable family.

Sister Julianne and her son, Ben.

Ben says goodbye for now! Thanks for the memories, Sundance!

Christmas at Sundance: in the house

We spent the week before Christmas at my parents' house in snowy Sundance, Utah. I don't think I saw my kids the entire trip. They were so busy with their cousins, playing in the triangle room, or out in the snow. I was able to sit on the couch and visit with my parents and brothers and sisters and knit. It was pretty great. 

Here are some highlights from inside the warm house:

Newest cousin, Richard, was the sweetest.

Cousin Ben was a favorite, too.

And cousin Dane, who turned three while we were there, kept us all in stitches.

Stella had Sadie and Elliot had David. They were perfect pairs.

I had my sisters, whom I don't see nearly often enough.

And everyone had their laptops. :) I guess work still has to be done, even the week before Christmas while on vacation.

pictured: sister-in-law Katie, brother Matt, husband Mike, sister Julianne, and sister Leslie

not pictured: the boys- Oliver, Jack, Max, Parker, and Miles, and the girls- Mabel, Annie, and Audrey, and my parents! I can't believe I didn't get a single picture of my parents.  

for a visit from my parents

My parents are in town for Thanksgiving and for Stella's baptism, which is tomorrow. We are always happy to have them visit. I am thankful for the unconditional love they show my children, and for the love and support they give to me and Mike.

for family

We took family pictures with Mike's family tonight. I feel really lucky to live near his parents and all of his siblings. They are easy going and nonjudgmental and so, so funny. We get together often and we always have a great time when we do. I am thankful to live near them and to be one of them.

Also, sometimes I forget that we totally live in the desert. Check out that backdrop! The desert is pokey, but it sure gave us a pretty sunset tonight.

for cousins

My sister sent her kids to my house for the weekend, which makes my kids super happy. We are lucky to live near Mike's family, but we don't see my family near enough. It has been fun for Mabel and Oliver, especially, to have cousins their age to hang with. I am thankful for cousins. My kids have been blessed with lots of them, and there is no friend like a cousin friend. No matter how much time has passed, they always seem to pick up right where they left off.

To the rest of my siblings, if you are reading this: Feel free to ship your kids my way. We'll take them anytime!

first day

They're off! Mabel and Oliver left early this morning to catch their bus. They are in 8th and 5th grades this year. Last year, when they started at their new school, they were understandably very nervous. This year, I think they are just looking forward to seeing their friends again. And their bus driver. He's our favorite.

Stella and Elliot left a while later, for 2nd and kindergarten. Their school is just across the park behind our house, so we go out the back, through our gate. They were pumped. Elliot is in the half day class, so I'll be back to pick him up soon enough.

And now the house is quiet. And the beds are made. And this freedom feels really great. Hooray!

43 years

I've learned a lot about marriage from watching my parents. They've been through it all together - sickness, health, highs, lows, and everything in between. I am thankful for their example of steadfastness, loyalty, and unconditional love. Happy anniversary to them!

lose yourself

School starts on Wednesday, so it is time to put a new family theme up on our chalkboard. I thought and thought and prayed and prayed about what our theme should be this school year. In a moment of inspiration, I opened the New Era (our church's magazine for teenagers) and saw President Monson's message, Lose Yourself in Service. It was just what I was looking for.

He says: "The Savior taught His disciples, 'For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.' (Luke 9:24)

I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish -- and in effect save their lives."

A friend once told me that when she was growing up her mother often said that she should spend as much time getting herself ready in the morning as she needed - to pick out an outfit, and do her hair and makeup, etc. But as soon as she stepped out the front door, she needed to forget about herself and think about others instead.

This is what I want for my children this year. I want them to lose themselves, to not be so concerned with their own worries that they can't see the people around them who might need help. If I can get them to look outside of themselves more this year, I think it will be a success, regardless of how well they do on their school work.

President Hinckley, our previous prophet, said this: "There are opportunities all around to stretch our lives and our interests in behalf of others. My plea is--if we want joy in our hearts, if we want the Spirit of the Lord in our lives, let us forget ourselves and reach out. Let us put in the background our own personal, selfish interests and reach out in service to others."

It is easy to get caught up in our own worries, insecurities, and needs. But I know that when I put those things aside and focus on someone else, I am happier. And those things that were so bothersome to me before don't seem so important anymore. This is what I want my children to know.

the plan of happiness

For this week's Conference Report, I chose President Boyd K. Packer's final public address, "The Plan of Happiness". He passed away a few weeks ago and I will miss hearing from him at our conferences. He was not afraid to be bold, but he was kind and compassionate in his boldness.

In this talk, President Packer lays out the Plan of Happiness, as we believe it, and goes into great detail about the relationship between husbands and wives, how that relationship is essential to the plan, how it can bring us closer to our Heavenly Father, and how it can unite us and bring us joy. He talks about why we should save sexual relations until after marriage, how it is important to "bridle our passions", and how true love can grow through experience and time. It's worth a read if you have a few minutes.

Here are my favorite bits:

First, he says, "The end of all activity in the Church is to see that a man and woman with their children are happy at home, sealed together for time and for all eternity." That is the reason we do all that we do, right? So we can be happy together at home, and so we can be together forever. There is much that is required of us in this life - many difficult things that stretch us and cause us to grow, but those are the things that bring us the most happiness.

And for those who have not married, or cannot have children, or who have difficulties at all in this area, he says, "For now I offer this comfort: God is our Father! All the love and generosity manifest in the ideal earthly father is magnified in Him who is our Father and our God beyond the capacity of the mortal mind to comprehend. His judgments are just; His mercy without limit; His power to compensate beyond any earthly comparison."

One last bit about hope and the Atonement: "Jesus is the Christ and the Son of the living God. Through His Atonement and the power of the priesthood, families which are begun in mortality can be together through the eternities. The Atonement, which can reclaim each one of us, bears no scars. That means that no matter what we have done or where we have been or how something happened, if we truly repent, He has promised that He would atone. And when He atoned, that settled that. There are so many of us who are thrashing around, as it were, with feelings of guilt, not knowing quite how to escape. You escape by accepting the Atonement of Christ, and all that was heartache can turn to beauty and love and eternity."

Read the whole talk here.

Mabel and Oliver go to Dallas

We live near lots of Mike's family here in Arizona, but there are no cousins Mabel and Oliver's age. Their best cousins live states away, and they don't get to see each other very often. A few weeks ago, we came across some air fares that we couldn't pass up, so we booked them a weekend in Dallas with my sister and her family.

Mabel and Oliver have flown many times, but never by themselves. They were nervous, but I was able to take them to their gate and watch them board the plane. When they got to Texas, Leslie was waiting at the security point to pick them up. She is the best host and they had tons of fun.

Thanks for having them, Les!

family home evening

In the past, we have had a hard time holding family home evening consistently. But I was recently reminded of the blessings that have been promised to families who regularly have family home evening (wonderful things like "increased love at home and obedience to parents", "faith in the hearts of the youth and power to combat the evil influences and temptations that beset them"), and so I am re-committed to this practice. My goal for this school year has been consistency. It is easy for me to feel overwhelmed by the idea of teaching my children all of the things they need to know to make it back to our Heavenly Father in these family home evenings. And in my feelings of inadequacy, in years past, I would often skip family home evening all together. To me, consistency means that every Monday evening, we are together as a family. It's as simple as that. Sometimes that means we have a gospel lesson. Sometimes we play a game. Sometimes we just sit and talk. But we are together, that is most important. I want you to know that I have felt those promised blessings in our home this school year. And in our consistency, the responsibility to teach my children the gospel doesn't feel so heavy anymore.

Happy Christmas

Well, I'm officially shutting down the computer and signing off until the New Year. But I'll be thinking about you and wishing you a very happy and peaceful holiday, friends!

for a day off

This day was just what we needed. Just our little family, all together, all day long. We slept in. We went to the park. We went out for hamburgers. We picked up a Christmas tree! It was a great day. I am thankful for my family, that we enjoy each other's company, and for days spent together.

for Sunday dinners

Every Sunday we go to Mike's parents' house for dinner and it is usually the highlight of our week. Mike's parents are easy going and generous. They are accepting and so kind. Living near them is one of our biggest blessings. I am thankful for them, for the love they have always shown to me, and for their willingness to feed my children each week.

for a visit from my parents

My parents are in town for a quick visit, just long enough to give some hugs and to view some videos of silly baby Ben. In the morning they will take my nephew, David, home to California. I am thankful for a visit, even if it is a short one. The love I have always felt from them, and the love that I see them give to my children, feels like the most precious gift.

for family nearby

We went to the park behind our house yesterday afternoon and ran into some cousins. In matching shirts, no less! These three girls attend the same elementary school and it's like they have their own special little club. I love it! Next year, Elliot will start kindergarten with two of his favorite cousins. I love having family so close. It makes me sad that I will never live near my own sisters, but my sisters-in-law here in Arizona have become my best friends. We see each other often, and our kids all get along so well. I am so thankful to live near our family.

for my Grammy

Everything my Grammy touches becomes more beautiful. Whether she is decorating her house, or tending her garden, sewing a blessing dress for a great granddaughter, or making dinner for a crowd, the result will be magazine worthy. I always think that if blogs had been around when she was a young mother, her's would have been the most-read of them all.

I love my grammy and I am thankful for the influence she has had in my life. She has shown me how to have confidence in myself, how to trust in my own aesthetic, and how to make something special out of nothing.

We are sending lots of prayers heavenward on her behalf today, as she struggles to wake from a coma in the hospital. I am thankful for her good doctors, and for the medical care she is receiving. There is so much to be thankful for, even during this difficult time.

beach pictures

We had a little photo shoot with our tripod while we were in California last summer, and Mike finally had a minute to edit the photos. I wanted to post them here before too much more time had passed.

I love this big family of mine. We are spread from Southern California all the way to Germany, with many stops in-between, and we don't get to see each other nearly often enough. This trip to the beach last July already feels like a dream. It was the first time we'd all been together in more than four years. For the sake of our children, I hope we don't wait that long to do it again. The time we all spent crammed in a beach house together provided some really great memories. My kids still talk about it all the time.

The original Parker 6. One-time blogger and current English teacher Leslie, me, surfboard shaper Matt, dentist Lincoln, business consultant Elliott, and soon to be PHD grad Julianne. We were all raised the same way, but I love to see the different directions our lives have taken. We share many similarities of course (things like our faith, our focus on family, etc.), but we are all living in such different places, with our own traditions and way of doing things!

The grandkids! Plus, my parents. I love this one. My parents look so happy. It must be because they are surrounded by their most favorite people in the whole world.

Oh, what I wouldn't give for a minute of this night with my family and that ocean breeze right now.

my sister's birth story

My little sister, Julianne, had her birth story featured on Design Mom yesterday. It is definitely worth a read. I am so proud of the work she is doing in the world. Good job, Jooj!

Orange County

We left pretty Sundance for pretty Orange County and the first thing we did when we got there was squish baby Ben, who had just flown in from the UK.

He graciously allowed much squishing.

My brother has a fantasy backyard. There are always lots of cousins, a darling play house, a trampoline, go karts, baseball games, not to mention year round perfect weather! My kids had so much fun.

Silly, silly boys.

And Ruby's! Ruby's played prominently into my adolescence, and a trip back home isn't complete without a veggie burger and a banana cream dream shake. (Although I was very strong and skipped the shake this time, a decision I regretted immediately.)

We don't see cousin David nearly often enough.

A walk to the nearby park rounded out a very fun few days. Up next, the beach!