2011 is HERE!

I really LOVE this picture of the Temple! I have already posted a couple of goals for this next year but I have so many more!!!! I think I am going to overwhelm myself by trying to do all of them. So when I saw this picture it put a lot of things in perspective for me.  

I am the type that wants to make everyone happy and I don't want to be the cause of anyones unhappiness. My favorite "guide line" is The Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". This was instilled in me as a young child and my mom got me and my sisters the book "My Turn on Earth" then I was fortunate enough to go see the play when I was older. It's about where we were before we came to Earth and how we lived with Heavenly Father and Mother and we chose to come here and strive to be more like Him. There is a song about the Golden Rule that always stuck with me. It is so cute but makes you think. Part of it is, "Would you like that to be smashed flat as a mat by a GREAT BIG CAT,? The Golden Rule says "No", But would like to lay in his lap as he petted your fur to make you purrr, the Golden Rule says "Yes".   The chorus of this says, "Even though it doesn't show, there is a Golden Rule inside of you, It says, "Do unto others as you would have others do  to  you!"

I know I am not perfect and I surely will NEVER be. I have so much to work on. Sometimes, oh who am I kidding, all the time I don't want others thinking I am trying to do anything negative. It seem to me the harder I try the worse I do. I'm not feeling sorry for myself, just trying to figure out a way to do things better.

The Temple is so beautiful. I love lighthouses and what they represent. The Temple is like a Lighthouse to me. It shines brightly and shows me the way. At times it feels like I am walking through a thick forest with so many of the negative and busy things the world has for us/me. With maybe moving, money, raising children, always trying to do what is right with family members, jobs, callings, and just normal activities that need to be done, (That list can go on FOREVER!), I need to look past the "thicket" and find the light that shines and stay on the path towards that beautiful building of light!

So with all my goals and ideas of what I want to do this 2011 year I need to "Simplify". With each thing or situation that comes my way, I need to think before reacting and just do the best I can with it. And have , hopefully, no regrets later and just be happy that I tried. Heavenly father knows my heart and I need to please Him.

These are my thoughts to start off this year. The end of 2010, I won't lie, has been difficult but I am ready to take on 2011 with a better attitude and to look for the blessings in the midst of trials that i am sure are to come. Trials make us stronger!!!!!
  

BACK...SDRAW

I guess I am going a little BACKWARDS with my posts!!! Haha. Christmas seems to have come and gone very quickly this year. So I want to just recap the evnts frm this Christmas time that really meant a lot to me.

The family participated in the ballet of the Nutcraker for the 4th year. Every year the kids tryout for different parts and then it is posted at the dance studio of the rolls they got. This year Tom was Drosselmeyer and Mother Ginger, Hannah was The Sugar Plum Fairy, the Russian, a snowflake, a flower, and a party lady! Justin took ballet classes and landed the rolls as: The mouse King, Snow King and The Prince of Flowers along with a party man. Rylee had a duet this year as Drosselmeyers invention of the GIRL Harlequin! She was also a snowflake, a flower, a party girl and she did a trio as Chinese!

I have taken sooo many pictures that all the pictures will take up so many pages!!! But I want to post a few of my favorites:

Hannah was a BEAUTIFUL Sugar Plum Fairy

Justin as Flower Prince. He was in the Newspaper with his Dewdrop Fairy

Tom as Drosselmeyer. Handing over the Nutcracker to Clara.

Justin as Snow King. He partnered a lot! He is sooo strong!

Rylee as Chinese. Look how high she jumps!!!!

    Everyone practiced for 3 months and it turned out to be the best Nutcracker ever!!!!! Cheri Kehler is the director and choreographer and is AMAZING!!! This show gets me in the Christmas mood every year!!!

After Nutcraker and all the Christmas shopping was done, Shavaun came in from Arizona to spend 2 weeks at home!!!! I love waking up and going to bed everynight knowing all my babies are safe!!!!

Christmas Eve our family went to visit my sister Rebekah and her sweet family who just moved to San Diego (tear) It's not too far away but I am used to her being in Menifee like 10 minutes away!

At La Jolla

San Diego Temple

The two best things at Christmas, Family and Christ being born.

We ate dinner and then went to La Jolla shores ( nothing like a California Christmas and going to the beach), we walked around and took pictures.  After going there we visited the San Diego Temple to see the Nativity and the lights. I had never done that before.   As soon as we stepped out of the car my whole body got chills and not because it was cold, it was the other kind of chills! There was beautiful Christmas music playing and then you saw Mary and Joseph with the baby Jesus and lights everywhere!!!! My picture doesn't do it justice! Our two families walked around the grounds and on the other side was the WHOLE nativity with wisemen, shepards, the animals and Baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph. The spirit was so strong!!! I wanted to stay and just feel a part of what it would have been that night. I wish everyone could see this!  I am so grateful for Family and for Christ being born. My testimony has grown so much!                    

New Year Resolution

I have a couple of New years resolutions that I intend to keep up with this year and hopefully will continue to do for a LONG time.

No. 1... Journaling. I have had many examples of journaling in my life. First my mom writes in her journal almost every day! I remember her always in her room and writing. She wanted us, me and my 4 younger sisters to write in journals every Sunday. I never really wanted to cause it was just boring. Then as I got older I scrapbooked and decided that was my own way of journaling, but as I think about it now, It didn't tell my true feelings, just life in pictures and the stuff I loved. When I married Tom, his daughter Elyse would write in a journal all the time!!! In fact that would be on her birthday and Christmas lists.... A new Journal. I admired that, but I was still never a big fan of writing...

Now looking at these beautiful children of mine and seeing how fast they are growing, I realize how important it is to write things down as well as taking the pictures, that I LOVE to do! And I love history! So hopefully and prayerfully these thoughts that I write down, or type, will be handed down through generations! This Blog is dedicated to my sweet children. Shavaun, so full of forgiveness and energy and a huge heart. Justin, the sweetest most tender spirit and so strong physically and spiritually, Hannah, talented and beautiful and ALWAYS striving to do what is right. And my Rylee bug, full of  fun, strong willed and such a cuddler. 

No. 2... I need to get healthy and lose weight. I know everyone has this goal in mind, but I am determined more than ever this year!!!!!  I will be 40 in June and I have had health problems this year that I never want again! An I do have another goal with this: I want to be healthy enough to run... Run in a marathon, I want to feel that accomplishment that I can do it And I want to see the look on my husbands face of him being proud of me!

So now that my goals are in actual writing, I am more determined to do these things!!!!! Kind of excited now about it!!!!! Ready... Set...GO!!!!!