February

Quotes from the peanut gallery:

“Dada!” - Tucker’s first word when Freeman walked in the door one night.

When asked what they’d been doing for the last hour in the toyroom: “Oh, we’ve been playing showing. We clean the toy room and then the people walk through to see if they want to buy it.” – Anslie

“Mom, Brennan’s family doesn’t have much money, right? Cause today I was at his house and his Dad was home at lunchtime.” -Tyler

“Mom, I’m going to mutual right now, I can’t play with you.” -Anslie

“Mom, are you going the speed lemon?” –Tyler (speed limit)

We love love day! Had fun with the preschool kids and strawberry scented playdoh. And made our annual heart shaped sugar cookies. Hope yours was LOVEly.

My Birthday

Happy Birthday to me! My actual birthday was a blur. We had New Beginnings that night, which was an amazing production, thanks to our YW President and Laurels advisor, they are dedicated women. The same women found time somehow to decorate my door for my birthday with streamers, a banner, and lots of candy. Geez.So we celebrated on Saturday. Freeman made me a cake!! He also spoiled me with a tortilla press, which I’ve been coveting, and some other tortilla accessories. Now making homemake whole wheat tortillas will be easier. I loved hearing from lots of friends and family.

Happy New Year!

2012. Let that sink in.

Happy New Years week! Its been a busy one. I’ve been occupied with hurry-and-get-it-in-before-you-have-a-deductible doctor’s appointments, including my first mammogram (which was not as fun as Disneyland, but a lot less awful than everyone made it sound).

On Wednesday my Mom and sister Denise flew into town, there is nothing better in the world than family who you feel totally comfortable with and who love you no matter what. Everyone should have someone like that. We had dinner at Rosa’s Café with our free gift cards. It also happened to be our anniversary. Some anniversaries are romantic. Some are a communal celebration of family. This was the latter.

I did have to get piano lessons and doctor’s appointments finished up the first day they were here and then the fun began. Friday morning we got to go to the temple and enjoy a session together. I was so grateful to Teresa for taking kids and making that possible. It was a spectacular day, clear skies and 74 degrees. That evening I tried out Denise’s Christmas gift to me, an ice cream maker!
We made fresh lemon ice cream and it was DECADENT. I think I crawled into bed around 1:30 am after epic chatting with my favorite sister.

Saturday morning we had our Daddy with us. We woke up, made homemade granola, and had Christmas morning all over again, the kids opened presents from Grandma.

Granola in the making. Then, glorious day, Mom, Denise and I all got massages! It was the fastest hour of my life. We walked out in a happy massage coma and went shopping. We immediately found some fantastic sales. What a girly fun day. I am known for my dislike of shopping and spending money in general, but they made it super fun.

After we came out of the massage, Freeman texted me to tell me not to hurry home. I think posterity deserves to know how sweet this guy is. Here’s the text string:

Me: “Hey, we just finished the massages. Will keep you updated.”

F: “Go enjoy a nice lunch and a fun day of shopping with your mom and sister. We are eating lunch now, then putting the kids down. After that we’re going on a bike ride to the park. I really hope you can have a fun, relaxing day. Please, whatever you do, do not feel guilty about anything. Enjoy!!”

M: “Wow, we’ve been gone long time. Home soon.”

F: “You guys should go to dinner and then to a movie or something before you come home. No guilt!”

M: “Well, I think we are almost done, one more store then heading home. UR sweet!”

F: “That’s only because you’re hungry and thirsty. If you sit down and eat and drink something for a few minutes you would have renewed energy.”

And that after having 3 kids, 5 and under, for 7 hours!

Here they are, for the record.



Our New Year’s Eve party that night was smashing. We tried 5 new foods (pita chips and dip, roasted edamame, corn and bean salsa, pomagranate, breaded green beans). We toasted our sparkling grape juice to the new year, wrote down our predictions for the coming year, and had a dance party. We watched the New Year come in Dubai at 9 pm Texas time and made some noise. We finished the night off with our new movie, Cars 2, yet another gift from Denise.

Christmas

Last year on Christmas Eve morning we visited an assisted living center for patients with Alzheimers. We’d wanted to repeat the visit and make it a tradition, but a friend chose that morning to be baptized. I will admit that getting the whole family up and Sunday ready early Saturday morning made my brain hurt a little, but once we arrived at the baptism we were so glad we made the effort. The woman being baptized is the mother of one of the Beehives I teach, and seeing that family take one more step to being sealed as a family someday was wonderful. After she was baptized the pianist played “When I am baptized” and the audience sat quietly. There was such a sweet spirit in the room, testifying of the importance of following the Savior’s way, as this woman had. One friend said to me, “I guess we did get a white Christmas, after all!” It was the perfect way to start Christmas off.

We all met at Mom and Dad Linton's that evening. We had dinner and then Mom planned a program. The kids did the nativity and were stunningly reverent. Afterwards the kids thought of something nice they could do for Jesus and wrote in on an ornament, then Grandma and Grandpa had a gift for each of them! We gave Mom and Dad their gift, which we were in charge of this year, and we gave them an up-to-date picture of each family with a gift card for frames. Santa visited Grandma’s house while we were there, running in, shouting a greeting and a Merry Christmas, and running out. The kids were mesmerized. Then cousin Emma found an empty Elf on the Shelf box….with a clue! The kids ran around the house (shrieking with delight), following the clues until they found the Elf.

Tyler as Joseph.

Emma reading the note from "Snowflake" the elf.


More nativity.


Christmas was magical. Tyler is 5, Anslie almost 4, Tucker almost one. Our home was glowing with Christmas light. The kids left cookies for Santa, which he found. Church was at 9 am, so we woke to stockings and went to church. I accompanied the choir for part of the program, and Bishop Liddell gave a simple, heart felt Christmas message. Freeman and I agreed that Christmas on Sunday can be lovely. We returned home to open presents, and enjoyed being home together the rest of the day. We played games, played with new toys together, ate good food, called loved ones and napped. Merry Christmas!

Ty and Anslie on Christmas Eve.

Cookies for Santa!

December, weeks 2 & 3

Our December has been brimming with fun!

Anslie and I went to see the Nutcracker. We had been reading the book and dreaming of ballerinas since October. The big day finally arrived. We both wore our prettiest dress and curled our hair. She held our tickets and carried them in her purse. In our fancies, we first we went to a cupcake shop and indulged, then drove to the theater. Anslie was riveted by the dancers gliding across the stage. She was equally riveted by the small bag of popcorn I bought her at the concession stand (a luxury I would normally never permit. That was half of the magic). I hope she felt special.

Anslie with ballerinas at intermission.

Anslie and I before the show.

We are starting to have some fun holiday traditions in Texas. We returned again this year to the free carriage ride at the Shops at Highland Village, splurged on a cup of hot chocolate that we split between the four of us, then afterwards soaked up the lights and the huge Christmas tree in the center of the plaza, took pictures of the kids, and read books to each other at Borders book store.

Carriage ride!

The baby.

Tyler's hat hair!

Merry Christmas!

My three.

Freeman took the kids early in December to Bass Pro to have their picture taken with Santa and enjoy the Christmas festivities.

We enjoyed mingling with our ward at the ward Christmas party. It was simple, which allowed us to focus on talking to people and enjoy their company.

On a random Thursday night I drove my little self to a choir concert at a church in downtown Dallas. I’d read about the choir online and it sounded interesting. I was surprised to learn that one of the choir members is a Mom in our preschool co-op and the director is Mormon! I LOVE beautiful choir music. Sometimes its good to go on a date with yourself and remember what it is you like.

Freeman’s sister Collette came to town December 20th – 23rd. Tyler went roller skating with the big cousins and loved it. I just love Collette’s family. Those boys are so good to their cousins. Collette is a powerhouse, but so humble. She always makes you feel like she is on your level and that what you are saying to her is important. A talent.

I love having my home full of people who are enjoying being together. I didn’t pull off much of that this year, but we did have a small holiday piano recital for my students. I only have 4 students, so the performances lasted a total of about 15 minutes. Afterwards we had cookies and the families lingered for awhile.



Our friends, the Browns, invited us over for their traditional “Bethlehem dinner.” We ate foods that would have been used in Bethlehem: meats, olives, pita bread, and ate on a floor table. Jeremy and Audrey are some of our favorite people. Jeremy offered a simple prayer and explanation of the dinner before we ate, and the kids enjoyed running, playing, frosting cookies and watching a movie after dinner.

November

YW IN EXCELLENCE
The first Tuesday in November was Young Women’s in excellence. It turned out wonderfully, Cherise Alva did a great job of pulling it together! I sang a trio and played piano for the song the Young Women sang. I am so grateful that I know enough about music to be able to participate in those ways! I’m so grateful for my Mom introducing me to music.

PRESCHOOL KROGER TOUR
Friday we went to a tour of Kroger’s, the kids loved it! They showed us the bakery in the back, we went into their giant fridge and freezer, and they pulled a live lobster out of its tank! The kids thought it looked like a sea monster, I guess it is! Very cool!





THE FIRST WEEKEND
A date! We went to dinner and then to a movie. The movie was funny, it felt good to laugh.

Saturday Freeman helped nephew Austin Stolle with his eagle project, building a playground and zen garden at a local elementary school. In the evening we all got together at Elise’s house for a farewell party for Hans and Kristi, it was fun to be together, we hadn’t been for a few weeks!

PRESCHOOL THANKSGIVING
We had preschool at our place this week. I had tons of fun preparing for it, and threw out all the provided materials in favor of other things I wanted to do with the kids. I researched the story of the Pilgrims (and learned a lot! I’m embarrassed to admit that all I knew before was that they came on the Mayflower!) I told the kids the story, then they all took on a real character with real names and we reenacted the Pilgrims leaving Europe, traveling across the ocean (including true facts like a man falling overboard, a baby being born, and their favorite detail, using a jar for a toilet--we did not reenact that!) We made Thanksgiving bracelets with colored beads, each color represented a detail of the Thanksgiving story so they could take them home and use them to help them tell the story to their families. We had a mini thanksgiving feast, and made turkey apples. Oh children make holidays so much fun!




THANKSGIVING
Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for. Why do we obsess over the things we don’t have and forget the many blessings we enjoy? This Thanksgiving I am especially grateful for my precious, celestial children who I couldn’t ask to be any better than they are, a baby who delights all of us, a husband who is a doting father and serving husband, health, many kind and good friends, and much immediate comfort. I am blessed.

Our family got sick on Tuesday, and well….we’re not well yet! We were hoping to recover for Thanksgiving, but it just didn’t happen. Mom Linton was sweet to send over a platter of food and so we feasted together, our little family, at our dining room table. Though I wouldn’t choose Thanksgiving this way every year, it was a fun, private, low-key day. Lots of wiping noses, napping on the couch, and calming feverish children. Hopefully we can kick this bug soon!

The day after Thanksgiving we did head to Mom and Dad’s for dinner. We loved seeing Joseph and Sara Fluckiger and catching up with them, as well as seeing the rest of the family and getting in on some of the Thanksgiving party.




Friday we got the house ready for Christmas, including decorating a tree, making gingerbread men and making snowflakes! Love this time of year!

October Week 4

We are still enjoying having Hans and Kristi with us, it makes everything we do seem like a party!

Monday we packed up and headed out to the castle park in Flower Mound. The kids had a great time running around and the weather was PERFECT. Texas is wonderful in the fall! That evening we went with Mom and Dad Linton, Mike and Elise’s family, and Bryce and Teresa’s kids to the pumpkin patch. We arrived 30 min before it closed, but it still felt nice to be outside and do something seasonal.

Tuesday we had a big Young Women’s activity that took over my day. I ran to get a projector, got all of my responsibilities ready, and spent the evening there. We read the girls a story of the 10 virgins, with the illustrations of the book put on a powerpoint slide show. I organized a couple musical numbers, and really enjoyed singing a trio with Lacey Crowe and Jaimee Moffitt. It was a nice night, and lots of people went to a lot of effort to make it special. I was glad to be a part of it.

Wednesday I took the big kids to the park. I randomly chose a new park that we’d never been to and was pleasantly surprised to find a gem! Lots of fun stuff for kids over 4, a pond with ducks, and it was a BEAUTIFUL day. It reminded me that I need to shake it up a little whenever I can. Different is good.

Thursday Hans and Kristi left to do some house hunting and we enjoyed having Esther and Myreel with us. Sweet girls, Esther even called me mama! On Saturday we attend the Monster Mile that Lantana puts on every year. Costumed characters greet the children along the main road in Lantana and hand out candy. The kids were ecstatic, especially Myreel who had been talking about Monster Mile (even though she really didn't know what it is!) for a month.

Happy Halloween on Monday! Sister-in-law Teresa graciously took Myreel and Esther for the day, and I suddenly felt like I had an empty house! I even put a tablecloth and some autumn candles on the table for dinner, how do ya like that? We had chili and breadsticks for dinner and then the kids went trick or treating in the neighborhood. It was a delicious fall evening, with a cool edge but still comfortable. We enjoyed chatting with neighbors as we walked.

Now what to do with this pile of candy in my house!

This is what Tyler wants to be for Halloween next year:

A changing table, ha!

Hans and Kristi will leave next week. It really has been wonderful to enjoy them and let the cousins be together so much. Thanks Hans and Kristi for so many fun memories, we love you!

Lastly, I suppose I should mention that Freeman is leaving his job at WaterTech. We are still weighing the options and he is deciding what he wants to be when he grows up! We'll keep you updated!

October week 3

The weather has finally turned! We had a high of 70 on Tuesday! Hallelujah! Time to pull out the sweaters and hot chocolate!

Freeman's brother Hans and wife Kristi are moving and are between homes, so they moved in at the beginning of October and will likely be here until Halloween. We are absolutely loving having them here. Every second of it. On Monday we had FHE, Myreel taught the lesson, and afterward we carved a pumpkin to put on the front porch. We took it out to the front porch in the dark and put a candle inside. The children were thrilled. Life really is full of wonder if you have eyes for it.

On Tuesday we had Tyler’s preschool at our place. It was such a fun morning! I had been sluggish about preparing for it, but once the kids arrived, it made the day so festive, and helped us celebrate fall! We made spider crafts, and had popcorn, carmeled apples, and candy corn for a snack. I love the way my home feels when there is a spiced apple candle burning in my kitchen, clean counters, autumn treats, and the sounds of a full house.

Lantana still had their fall festival pumpkins and plant sale, so Wednesday morning Kristi and I decided to take some fall pictures of the kids. The kids LOVED being outside and ran between the flats of flowers and vegetable plants for sale, hauled pumpkins to and fro, rolled in the grass, and chased each other. We got some adorable pictures among the pumpkins and I decided that I absolutely need a great camera. Its just too fun to be able to capture those sweet people.












Thursday was preschool again. This time we only had 4 kids. We learned about spiders, the kids created webs with ropes between chairs and wrapped up (wrapped in rope) the insects (stuffed animals). The kids were especially content and we read aloud for a good part of the time because the kids wanted to.

Oh that Tucker. I love to hold that baby close. I love to run my fingers through his downy soft hair. I love to watch him anticipate the next animal sound I’m going to make by raising one eyebrow and panting. I love looking into his eyes and feeling such a deep connection. I’m humbled by his innocence, I’m softened by his need for me, I’m delighted by everything he does. Isn’t it funny how the world makes it seem so…..pathetic…..to adore your children? When adoring them is THE sweetest experience in life after feeling close to the Lord?

Some kid quotes:
Mom: “Tyler, why are you so wonderful?
Ty: “Because Heavenly Father sent me wonderful. And He sent me strong to help you.”

Anslie to our real estate agent while pulling on her pant leg: “Cathie! Cathie! Cathie! Look! (conversation halts and Cathie focuses on Anslie). My hair covers my ears! (proudly!)”
Cathie: “Oh!....how nice! And what a cute brother you have.”
Anslie: “Yeah, he is cute. His name is Tucker James.”