Christmas was so much fun.

The kids had such a great time with Christmas this year. On Christmas eve we took the new toys and blankets over to the Homeless Shelter, and the kids were able to see first hand what it was like to not have a home. Brent and I were not sure what to expect either b/c niether one of us have ever been to a shelter. It was humbling for everyone in our family, it made us really grateful for all the blessings in our life.
The kids opened their gifts on Christmas morning and were pretty excited for the gift they received. Jordan got some Nerf guns, Rebecca got some play makeup, and Dillon got some die-cast cars (the kid needs durable toys b/c he damages everything!) Unfortunately the guns that Jordan got were not checked twice by Santa's elves b/c they were pretty cheap. So Santa made a special trip to Jordan with new guns and took the old ones to his workshop to have the elves work on them for next year. Mom and dad just skipped gifts this year b/c we kinda bought our own things anyway.
We spent a lot of time with family and friends. I can't remember which days we did what but we did spend time with my dad, the Faylor Family, and with my sister Kellie. Overall, this Christmas was really nice. It was so calm and it was nice to be able to visit and be surrounded by the ones we love instead of fousing so much on who got what and who gets what.
Well I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and spent time with their loved ones. Happy New Year to everyone!

Just a little update.

I just wanted to say that I passed my first semester of Nursing. I scored a 94 on my exam and got a final grade of 98 in the class. I am only posting because it has been one heck of a ride and I am so excited to be done for a few weeks. It is nice too because after my last teacher, who blatantly stated that the reason she gave me a poor grade was because I have small children, it is nice to know that I am smart enough to do this. So there is my tid-bit; sorry if I come across brash. I just enjoy the fact that I passed amidst all the hurdles I had to overcome. I am so grateful to God and his blessings that he has given me and my family. Well, I bel-bel-bel-believe that's all folks... I miss Bugs Bunny.

A few more pics...

Our street.

I forgot that I grabbed a few more with my phone when I came home from shopping.

Trying to get home from In-N-Out, you can't even see the street a few feet ahead.

The top of the car... ha ha, ye-aaa

The snow has hit the High Desert...

Wow! Can you all believe that the DESERT got this much snow???? I decided to go Christmas shopping in this mess... not exactly the greatest idea. After being out for a couple hours we almost didn't make it home. The snow just kept coming. I am glad tho that we were smart enough not to drive faster than 20 mph. Well here are some pictures. We love you all. Have fun with this 'once in a lifetime for the desert' day.

The snow fell down the post and made a little animal, depending on how you look at it, we think it looks like a piggy or Winnie the Pooh.

10 1/2'' at 1:30pm

The boys taking in the sights.

Daddy having fun.
Daddy knocked a hole thru the snow, who knew?

A lesson to be learned...

This year is going to be a little different than years past when it comes to presents. Brent and I have decided to teach our children the meaning of Christmas.
This year our children have been especially naughty and not very nice to each other or the others around them (including mom and dad). We have been dealing with bad attitudes, non-sharing, rude comments and general mis-behavior. So with such bad behavior we believe it would not be right to reward them.
Instead we are taking the kids with us to the store; we are allowing them to pick a couple toys, blankets and outfits to give to other little boys and girls. We are going to take them down to the homeless shelter to give the gifts so that they can understand how very blessed they are for all they have. And to share love and Christ during this Christmas season.
When we told the kids that this was our plans we expected there to be a fight about what is 'fair.' But instead we were pleasantly surprised when the kids started to get really excited for the idea of giving gifts. So far everyday the kids have been asking when we will go and buy the gifts and when we will give them. I love that they are really getting the message.
We also informed the little ones that Santa may bring something special if he can see that they have a happy heart when they give the presents. So we will see how this goes. Hopefully they will understand the meaning behind our actions; that happiness is in what you do and not what you have.
So there are our plans to spread the true message of Christmas. We hope you all have a great Christmas and many blessings.

Christmas time is here.

So Christmas time is here... I love this time of the year. This is the time for all the colorful lights and decorations. This is the time to snuggle in with your loved ones. For hot cocoa by the fire, Christmas songs and great movies. But most importantly for the joyful occasion of the birth of our Savior. What a beautiful story of a child born so humbly to remind us that we are just as important as the Son of God. How quickly we forget the TRUE meaning of Christmas. Although family togetherness and thoughtful gifts are wonderful pieces to the holiday season, let us not forget that God gave us his only begotten Son for our sins. A beautiful baby boy born in a manger in a cold desert barn.
On a lighter note, how great it will be to see all the family this year. For Thanksgiving we spent the day with the Faylor Family and it was so nice to see all the family. It was great to be able to visit with some that we haven't been able to talk to in quite some time. How easy is it to get so caught up with our own lives that we forget to call or write the people that mean the most to us. So for this Christmas it will be so great to see more of the family. We are so very excited to see both sides of the family and some friends.
With love to everyone this season. See you all soon.