On the verge of 2012

As soon as Christmas starts coming to a close, my mind starts working, setting goals.  I don't know that I'm so much of year long resolution setter.  My thought process is more along the lines of: We have put a lot of things off in the name of fun and Christmas, now I'm ready to refocus, prioritize and pick away at things I've been wanting to accomplish.  Here is a preliminary list of the things I have been thinking about:

• In recent years I have chosen a word for the year.  the words I have chosen are cherish, childhood. . . this year I have been thinking of the word "Charity."  No, there is no rule that it has to be a CH word, only coincidence.  I feel like I need to work on having more charitable feelings when it is hard to have charitable feelings.  This goes at home as well as with other people.  Also, that it would benefit me to fit more activities into my life that  are primarily for the purpose of serving someone else.  
• For the last couple of years, I have had the goal of teaching my kids about different countries and places around the world.  Last year, we learned about India and it stopped there.  I want to take action toward actually doing this and not just thinking about it.  My thought is that part of the reason I procrastinate this is because I do not have a system that works for doing it.  I spend time wondering what would be the best way to find the information.  My goal is to either find a book or website that has easy to find, go to information that we can use EASILY, and add to it if we want and not add to it if I don't want to.
• PURGE.  That is always a goal of mine.  Starting Tuesday I am going to go through all of my hidden corners and purge.  Then I'm going to go through Beckham's closet and purge.  Then I'm going to go through my basement and purge.  Then I am going to enjoy how organized it all feels =0).
• And perhaps a combination of the following: Paint.  I have a few pictures in my head that are ready to come to fruition.  Finish my blog book.  Play around with Macro Photography.  I can't lie that another one of my goals is to ......Paint the living room???  I really want to. . . but I'm not sure if I've gotten there yet.

I have no delusions of accomplishing all of these things quickly.  Picking away at them is the key phrase.  

And since I posted a picture of Brad as a kid. . . Here are a couple of me with my brothers and sisters =0). There is so much to be said about these pictures, I don't even know where to start.

Now we are off to go swimming.

Aren't Old Pictures the BEST. . .

Guess who this is. . .

Do you think he looks like anyone else we know??

I wish I had taken a picture just like this one when we were at Story Land this summer.

Merry Christmas!

My favorite month, as well as my favorite 48 hours, are ending. . . and I am left feeling very, very satisfied. . . Happy and Grateful.

Christmas Eve Highlights:

• Waking up to a white Christmas Eve.
• A house filled with family, friends, good food and a talent show.
• The Rand Family Circus: Gwen on the tight Rope, Liv the Magician, Beckham the stunt man (BR shot him out of a canon!) as well as a tall man (also Beckham.  This time riding on BR's shoulders.) 
• A sweet Nativity Program put on by all of the kiddos. 
• Skyping with Grandma JoLynn and Papa Kent and trying to convince them to drive straight through 24 hours to make it just in time for Christmas =0).

Christmas Day Highlights:

• Liv found the Pickle and chose the gift she gave Gwen to be opened first.  It read: To My adorable sister.  From: your sister who loves you.  Then Gwen promptly chose the gift she got for Liv.  Both girls were so excited to give what they had chosen and so grateful for what they received.
• Beckham caught on quickly to opening up the presents and could be found either sneaking Gwen's stocking candy or pulling out all and any random presents from under the tree, beginning to open them and then claiming them as his own.  
• Brad had a surprise for each of us.  Each one was perfect.
• Spending all day with family
• Playing together
• Games and food with the extended Rand Family
• In-Laws whom I love.
• Playing Golf with Brianna and Jon and Mum and Dad.
• Remembering the life changing gift which we celebrate today.  The gift of our Savior Jesus Christ.

The kids patiently waiting to go downstairs

Merry Christmas!

Can You Say Christmas Is Coming??

WAHOO!

Photo Booth Treasures

One of many.

Less than a week to go!

Its Christmas time!!  Yeah!!  I love the magic of the season and love that Brad and I are just as excited about Christmas to come as the kids are.  We've been enjoying the Christmas lights and making sure all of our festivities are in order.  And of course listening to Christmas music as much as possible, and eating LOTS of Christmas goodies!  I personally, have been doing my best to try and slow down and make time for as much Christmas celebrating as possible.

This morning as the girls were off to school, Beckham woke up just in time to see them off.  They were on their way out the door and he came down saying, "Wait for me dee-os (girls).  I yub-oo dee-os!  Gimmee a Tiss (kiss) dee-os!!"  So sweet I could just eat him up!

then he was off, pretending to be a frog. . .

until he found the most coveted toy in our house. . . Liv's Basketball.  She started Basketball a few weeks ago and has been loving it.  They all have been obsessed.  Even Beckham, or should I say especially Beckham.

A day in our life| Wednesday December 14, 2011

The girls had a half day, and when they got home we worked together.  They helped me with my chores and I helped them with theirs.  And we really, had fun doing it.  I had fun watching them work through their tasks methodically.  I especially loved listening to the constant talking and things they had to tell me.  It was a simple, productive afternoon filled with lots of quality time together.  It made me really, really happy.

Gwen folded the towels.  She straightened out every crease perfectly before folding it each time.  And she bounced her way through it.

Liv cleaned her room, organizing every detail and putting everything in the right place.  

We all think it.

I've been thinking a lot about this subject lately:  That there are times when we are sad.  

That we feel lonely.  We look at other people's lives and think they are perfect.  Feel 

left out or inconsequential or whatever.  I think I can safely say that all women, if not all men

 and women, for sure feel this way sometimes.  What is it about our thoughts that leads us

 to this lonely place when the truth is that no one's life is perfect.  We all have to go through 

really hard things.  And we are all IN THIS TOGETHER.  Even though we  see other people's 

lives as being perfect and "we wish we had them," it is more likely that in our sadness those 

same people we envy would actually totally and completely FEEL FOR us, LOVE us, and UNDERSTAND how we feel. . . because
 THEY. HAVE. FELT. THE. SAME. WAY. 

The truth is that we've all been there.  and there are people out there who think this world 

wouldn't be the same without you.

St. Louis | Thanksgiving 2011

One of the things I am grateful for is that my family, who lives all over the U.S., gets together often.  Twice a year we all converge on my parents house at the same time.  Someone else may call it hectic, chaotic, loud, crazy, but we call it PERFECT.  I love my family, they are perfect for me.  I love the feeling of being surrounded by them.  It makes me feel really, really happy.  This year, we traveled there the Monday before Thanksgiving. Most everyone else had gone home by the weekend and the kids and I stayed another week.  We:

 

Pet the goats while wearing crowns with veils, and carrying bananas for them to eat out of our pockets {Angi},
 

Participated in some cage fighting,
 

Showed off our muscles,

 

Practiced our gingerbread house skills (and covertly took a picture of Grandma in her curlers so we will always remember it.  Such a fond memory for me),
 

Had beautiful make-overs performed by all of the neices,
 

enjoyed {some} down time,
 

Lots of good time with Grandma JoLynn,
 

Went Geo caching,
 

Competed in races while holding small children,
 

Took Great Grandma Stratton out for sushi (where she unknowingly ate the entire glob of wasabi in one bite all by itself and didn't even complain, GO GRANDMA!),
 

Enjoyed the kids almost completely entertaining themselves all day everyday,
 

Spent some one-on-one time with G G Stratton,
 

Played school at the Magic House
 

Learned about Static Electricity
 

Played games with Grandma and Papa,

Swung on Papa's Famous Tire Swing (Some of my earliest, and most vivid memories are of my dad pushing me in a swing just like this one!)
 

went for walks in the clearing,

and played in the tree house.

and had one big week long sleep over, and had a talent show, and laughed and talked. . . oh, and ate thanksgiving dinner.