Thursday, December 31, 2009

Here’s to ringing in 2010!

What do you wish for on New Year’s Eve?

Memories, memories, memories!

Well, tonight had John putting on a little “show” for the camera. Don’t worry very G-rated!

A.J. had a little, “Here’s looking at you kid” moment.

Ellie wanted a picture with everyone in the house individually and as a group.

Annie was fed by Papa and Nana and had a great time getting into her siblings places and finishing off their plates!

We couldn’t capture a good pick with Aunt Leslie, and not for lack of trying! We will get her next time!

And there were New Year’s fortunes via cookie for each of us. (Below is Easton’s, lucky boy!)

Easton and Madison were incognito, but having a great time!

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After Cecil’s, we were off to the Graves! Not the cemetery, Aunt Julie and Uncle Steve’s! Cousins played, there was some serious card and domino play, and lots of food.

I have no idea how I managed to get home and realize I hadn’t eaten!

The boys played with my camera, so limited pictures, but fun times!

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This is what we found when we went looking for the little girls…too cute!

The girls asked me at 9:30 pm if they could have a “late-over". (A late-over is when the kids can stay late at someone’s house instead of a sleepover. We always arrange to pick them up just before midnight.)

So, of course, I said, “Yes, Ellie can have a late-over!” They were so excited! Score one for Aunt Laura!

This is what they looked like at 12:05!

Better get the last of the older ones in bed…we have a new year waiting for us in the morning.

With goals and dreams waiting…what are yours?

I will tell you mine in the morning!

~Laura

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Christmas 2009

Christmas has to start with Christmas Eve and that starts at Nana and Papa Cecil’s. 

There is a beautifully decorated table, delicious food to fill our bellies for a good night’s slumber, and great company. 

Nana is always up for a game of Old Maid!

Aunt Leslie always does all the dishes and supervises the Twister game.

And Papa just smiles away at the children as they play their games and refill their silver goblets over and over again with sparkling cider.

This year was no exception.

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After we make it home, we gather in the living room under the lights of the tree and listen as dad reads in Luke of our Savior’s birth.

The true reason for the season!

This year I noticed the children seemed to take it all in a little more.  They were actually so quiet that John read well into the next chapter before realizing that the story had been told.

 DSC_0075 DSC_0078DSC_0080 DSC_0081 DSC_0082 DSC_0086 DSC_0084    I love these pictures of our kids!  They look like a litter of adorable puppies in Christmas PJs!  One of the major differences I see, their total gestations represent about 4 years and 7 months, not 6 weeks!  It was a sweet moment taking pictures of them all tangled up on the floor beside the tree.

A great start to a memorable 24 hours!

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  Here they are all “nestled” in their beds!

DSC_0118     The welcoming crew for Santa!

DSC_0117    This year Santa requested a Krispy Kreme Original and a Peach Fresca!

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It was a fun morning of opening gifts, being together, and watching them wait with anticipation of each and every gift.  I may not remember what they got this year, but for some reason, I think I will always remember the peace I felt as they opened many more needs than wants.  May our upcoming year be so fortunate.        

Next on the list of the day’s activities…back to Nana and Papa’s for lunch and a gift exchange.

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There were many more creative and fun gifts other than to-shirts, but apparently that is the only thing I took pictures of.  It may have had something to do with Annie tripping and stumbling over everything in sight!

Off to Grandma and Grandpa Dieker’s for the final stop on this Christmas Day!

DSC_0020DSC_0022 DSC_0040DSC_0046DSC_0047 DSC_0051 DSC_0048DSC_0052DSC_0035 DSC_0038DSC_0017 DSC_0024DSC_0018 DSC_0026 DSC_0025 DSC_0029 DSC_0033 DSC_0037 DSC_0041 DSC_0042DSC_0044 DSC_0045 DSC_0049 DSC_0050DSC_0053 This is the thing…I know that my family isn’t perfect…I am not perfect either…so that makes us a perfect match!  As I looked through these pictures tonight, I had a complete flood of emotion about each one.  I have all these memories that are instilled in my mind of each of these people.  I can remember when Julie’s little Quinn was born and how my sister and brother-in-law survived a terrible family tragedy just a short week later.  I can remember how beautiful my cousin John’s wife Rachael looked, standing at the altar, looking at him on their wedding day.  I love the way my brother-in-law looks at my sister, Melissa every time I am with them.  I love that my dad is wearing a  Superman shirt and smiling!  I can remember the day Ben was born, and Julie and I talking to mom on the phone while we were all the way out at BYU and they were back home in St. Louis!  I know what it feels like to get a hug from my brother Eddie and really know how much he cares about you.   I love how much my Ellie loves her cousin Kenna, and truly thinks that Kenna can do anything!  I love how Gunner always hugs and smiles at me every time I see him.  I can remember meeting Reese for the first time as a baby, and instantly loving being an aunt!  I love Spencer and how he always seems to be happy.  And I love my mother.  I love her for being courageous enough to have all seven of us and see the fruits of her labor!  I love you all!   Merry Christmas!

Oh, and Annie drove us safely all the way home! (ok, just down the hill and into our driveway.)

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That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!