TaVaci Performance

Another semester of TaVaci has come and gone...we have so much enjoyed having our kids in TaVaci. The performances are so fun to watch. All the kids just have their own little personalities and keeps us highly entertained. Melanie Cook is an amazing teacher of music and performance. The girls love being in it learning new songs and dances. It's been such a blessing to us as our kids are a little on the shy side, and this has helped them get up on stage and in front of people more. 

It was Emily's first time and she sang beautifully. Avery was so into the hand motions and singing really loud that we could pick her voice out among the other kids and it was really cute! And Madisen sang and danced her best and made us so proud! 

They all did such a great job and we are so proud of them! 

College Christmas Party

Now that Ryan is serving as 1st counselor in the Bishopric of a college ward, we as a family get the chance to go to a lot of actives the college ward does. The girls love being with the college kids, as they make them feel so special and some of them enjoy playing games with our girls. One girl even bought the girls a Christmas present this year. So sweet of her to do that. 

Along with his calling however, are a lot of responsibilities and he is gone more often with callings. We are so proud of him though and I love to see him serve where he can make such a big impact in these college kids' lives for the better. 

Doesn't he look so dashing in his homemade sweater!? haha. I think he won the ugliest sweater award for the bishopric!

Here's the ward clerk, Chris and his wife, Sydney. They are newlyweds. They are an awesome couple. We had them come and babysit our kids one night so we could go to Boise to see Boise State beat BYU. Chris made the girls balloons shaped into anything they wanted! Quite a talent to have especially with kids.

Then of course there is 2nd counselor, Jared Heward, and his wife, Rachel. We were married around the same time they were back at BYU-Idaho. They were in our ward when we were all first married and Jared was assigned to be our Home Teacher. Now Twelve years later and we both have 4 kids and our husbands our serving together. Small world! It's good to see both of them after so long. 

There is a house just about a mile from us that goes crazy with Christmas Lights every year. So this year we decided to head over there and check them out. They let anyone and everyone walk around their 2-acre lot looking at the lights. It was very pretty.

One year older... and (I hope) wiser too!

It's the day of my birth 32 years ago, here in these pictures my family took. We celebrated all December birthdays, Audrey's, Celeste's  and mine at my parents home. 

While we were there we also opened Christmas presents from one another as we wouldn't all be together for Christmas. The girls played with their cousins and we all just enjoyed good food and lots of laughs. I always love going home to be with my family. They are a crazy bunch but I wouldn't trade them for anyone else! :) 

I received lots of fun gifts this year, including a Canon T5i and 2 bags of mint chocolates which I ate in a week!!! (Yeah, that was a lot...24,000 calories a lot! Oh, well. You only live once, right? ;)) My best friend from high school sent me flowers and two other friends gave me books to read! I love reading. Thanks for a great Birthday everyone!