Christmas Holiday 2011 - Vol. 2

Right after Christmas, Ben's Sister Haley and 3 kids also joined us from Dallas. They stayed for a few days and as usual we hit South Congress, Torchys, and the Capital. It was great to be with family over the holidays and the little's, sure loved seeing their cousins.

A bunch of techy nerds. I guess gone are the days of real conversations :)

All ...with gadget in hand.

Christmas Holiday 2011

Christmas at house this year was peaceful, quite and calm. Full of good things. We of course missed our 3 older boys as they were in Utah visiting their other dad for the holiday. As we are accustom to, look for the blessings in everything and enjoyed the time we had with out a few extra bodies around and focused our attention on our little ones.

We also had the privilege of getting Ben's mom and dad to some spend the holiday with us and are so grateful for them in our lives.

After church Christmas day

my favorite present..... LOVE this little back pocket camera. Takes such great pictures. I'm obsessed with taking pictures of eyes.

Daidy and Sams favorite present. T-Pain microphone. So cool!

She got her American Girl doll! Whoohoo!

I'm in love with this picture. A numbered print from Chris Buzeli. It was on my wish list and he got it! Good work precious. I LAove it!

Genealogy record and journals. Awesome gift from mom and dad.

ah, Gooey. You are so sweet!

2011 - Pull'n Focus

I have decided I might possibly be a really boring blogger. I genuinely could sit around all day and write about how much I love my family and my sweet children. How much I love my precious husband, he is such good man. I would elaborate on how much I adore him and how good he is so me. I could write for days and days on end about my powerful and undeniable testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ and his restored gospel. To me, those are all treasures, to which I suppose I find myself tirelessly 

unable to convey … so I continue down a long road of expression that is perhaps redundant but oh so satisfying. Those few feelings, centered on simple, uncomplicated, effortless ideas are like pure lightening in my heart.

So, concluding some last ponderings of 2011, my thoughts are really a continuous monolog of ideas and feelings of immense gratitude for my life, the blessings I have and the privilege I have of being a mother and wife. I am left with such fullness in my heart. I am also grateful for my trials and my weaknesses, even those that run deep. I am impressed to say that it is those, far more than my strengths, that have made me the strong, enduring being that I am and striving eternally to be. I pray those hard things will never (in this life) go away and I am certain it will take a lifetime to uncover them all. It is truly through those “hard things” that I gauge progress, increased learning and spiritual maturity. "Focus" is a word that comes to mind again and again, without focusing in on what matters most and the experiences that are put before us to learn and grow, things inevitably begin to get blurry in a hurry . 

So to recap… these are some things I know I’d like to remember

(Way too many) Broken bones – This year has been with out question our most traumatic on our skeletal systems collectively. We never have official breaking a bone (any of us), we certainly made up for it this year. Daidy (ankle), Ryan (leg), Tyler (finger) Ben (toe...twice) Jen (wrist). Ya, that was fun.

Inspiration – … there are many, but one profound experience comes to mind. A new friend, Beth Hartman and her comment to me months ago about her trials being just like “everyone else’s”, hers just “look different”. If you know Beth, you know her trials are much bigger and longer lasing than most and yet her poise and Christ centeredness allows her to live life with grace and confidence. An amazing woman. Amazing family.
Upsets – a few more lost jobs than we had hoped for and a much bigger medial bill than we had planned. Oh well, life goes on. 

Challenges - I've learned from the scriptures, there will be opposition in all things and the Lord chastens those who he loves.  And at the end of the day, God loves each of us more than we will ever understand. Because of these things that I know to be true, I can plow forward in faith and assurance knowing that ALL this, all these challenges are for my own good.

Triumphs -  Fueld, had a slow last quarter but is still a rock'n and a roll'n.  Ben (and Dave both) got rep’d nationally by a legit production company out of LA and another one out of Canada. He is now fishin in a much larger sea (ahem) with much bigger fish. Growing pains for sure but celebrations are certainly in order for his accomplishments and continued growth. He is talented in so many ways, we've only begun to scratch the surface. He is going to do great things with his gifts, I am certain. HE will surprise us all. 

Callings – I’ve been serving over 3 years now in the RS presidency in our ward. It has been a fantastic (and intimidating) experience. Our ward has experienced such big changes since I was called. We have lost some great member families and gained some too. We live (in my humble opinion) the best ward ever. A strong, stalwart, faithful, diligent, sincere and faithful group of people, the best I’ve ever known. Some Sundays I sit back and look at the congregation and mentally interview each family. I observe and assimilate all they have taught me and continue to teach me through their righteous examples. There are a few indeed I’d love to formally interview… oh the questions I’d ask (… would that be weird?). I have learned so much. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve and for the great extended family we have gained here in Texas. 

Blessings – well HA, where do I begin. Theo Mageo tops the list for sure. But this list would go on and on and on so I’ll conclude with this thought. I feel very very blessed and very very love and watched over by a exceptionally loving and merciful Father in Heaven.
LOVE - one last thought...Pure love, charity kind of love... there is no greater force for good. Love motivates and heals and binds together like nothing else.

"Every person who comes to earth is a spirit son or daughter of God. Since all love emanates from God, we are born with the capacity and the desire to love and to be loved. One of the strongest connections we have with our premortal life is how much our Father and Jesus loved us and how much we loved Them. Even though a veil was drawn over our memory, whenever we sense true love, it awakens a longing that cannot be denied."

--John H. Groberg, "The Power of God's Love," Ensign, Nov. 2004, 9

GOALS for 2012 - There are many good ones on their way. Coming soon.  Here is something to chew on until then.

Vincent van Gogh, said “I am always doing what I can’t do yet in order to learn how to do it.”

(Thanks my brother Chris for sharing your great inspiring Truism's)

 

 

his talk here

There is so much more I’d add to this list but all in all 2011 was a really great year, hard in many ways and absolutely a dream in others.  I've come a long way since that darling little blond headed, talkative girl standing barrel chested,  playing simplicity with preschool toys.... wow the conversations I'd have with her if I could.


A new friend of mine had on her blog what sums up exactly what I feel. “You think our arms are full?… you should see our hearts!”

Cheers to all of you. Best of wishes for 2012. It is my hope and prayer we can all live an abundant life!