Smileyswife: January 2009

CAROLING AND SLEDDING
Before Christmas, a group of friends got together for dinner followed by Christmas caroling. We love this tradition! Hopefully it warms the hearts of the people we sing to -- even if it's just half as much as it warms our hearts as we sing and take baskets to people in our ward.

The snow that fell before Christmas made it seem so magical! One of my favorite winter-time activities is sledding with my kids... and I got to do just that several times before it all melted away. We have a favorite sledding hill in our neighborhood. Not a lot of people seem to know about it, so it is usually pretty sparsely occupied. We did see some of our friends there, and had a great time sledding with them!

Tiffani and Kate

Shelly and Nathan, Todd and Tiffani

Tiffani and I enjoying the snow.

Trent and I had a funny experience on our first time down the hill together. The sled flipped over and we both went spinning and tumbling over and over the last half of the hill. We laughed and laughed. Trent jumped up and said, "Let's do it again!"

VISITING SANTA AT THE MEADOW SPRINGS WARD CHRISTMAS PARTY

CHILD FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY
AT DAVID AND JACLYN CHILD'S HOUSE

TIFFANI'S 2ND GRADE HOLIDAY PARTY

OUR FAMILY ATTEMPTING A CHRISTMAS CARD PHOTO BEFORE CHURCH IN MID-DECEMBER

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION WITH MOM AND DAD CHILD
We have been so blessed this past year to have my parents come to stay with us twice each month on Friday and Saturday so that they can work their two shifts at the Columbia River Temple. We look forward to this special time with them. In December, Mom and Dad brought gifts for our family, and we had a little pre-Christmas celebration and gift exchange.

BABY DANIEL'S BLESSING

The first Sunday in January, we went to Spokane to witness the blessing of Daniel Leland Child, my brother's little baby. It was a very special day, and we are so glad we went! It was the first time for our family to see Brent and Beth's new house. It is in the most beautiful place! The snow was incredibly deep, and the prairie is so wide and open with big pine trees here and there.

The kids loved playing together -- there's something so wonderful about cousins getting together! They love each other very much:)

Here's Beth, the lovely Mother of baby Daniel. I think Beth is really amazing. She is so patient and kind, always thinking of others. I really admire her, and I'm so glad she married my brother! She prepared a delicious meal for us to enjoy after church -- two kinds of soup in crock pots, and homemade bread with butter and honey...yummy!

Isn't Daniel such an adorable baby! I just love to hold him -- he's so soft and cuddly!

Here is a picture of my brother, Brent, his wife, Beth, and their four children: Elijah, Samuel, Allison, and Daniel. Also, our family: David and I and our four children: Tyler, Todd, Tiffani, and Trent. (Ya gotta love Allison showing us her pretty dress! She was so cute -- twirling and dancing for us all!)

My Mom and Dad were there to celebrate Daniel's special day, too. They had just returned from a vacation in Utah and Idaho, where they visited each of my siblings and other family members.

What an adorable family!

Here's the proud Dad! Brent gave a beautiful blessing during church for little Daniel. Brent is one amazing man -- it is always fun to see what projects and adventures he has been up to when we go visit. He's a great dad, too. Very patient and loving. He and Beth are a wonderful pair.

Grandpa with the grandkids! What a posterity he has:)

Isn't this the sweetest picture?

Grandma helping Allison get ready for church.

CHRISTMAS WITH THE BOWERS FAMILY IN PARMA

On Christmas Eve morning, we set out for Parma, Idaho to spend a few days with David's parents and two of his brothers and their families. It was snowing and blowing along the way, and you know how I fear going over the pass when the weather is bad....so this was scary for me, but I just tried to keep my eyes on my book as much as possible. David is a good driver, and I even closed my eyes for a while and had a nap. It made the time go by quickly. We met up with my niece, Shan, and her family, and my nephew, Brad, in LeGrande. They were on their way to Washington for Christmas. It was great to spend a few minutes with them!

We arrived safely, and it was so fun to see everyone! David's parents are so hospitable. I couldn't ask for better in-laws. They truly are a blessing to me and to all who know them.

The snow was sure plentiful! David's Dad got out the four-wheeler and we got to play on it in the cul-de-sac. We had fun building snow men and snow forts in the front yard, and I even went for a long run in the snow. It was really beautiful, especially outside the city limits -- the wide, open, snow-covered fields against a brilliant blue sky just made my heart sing.

After caroling and taking plates of treats to friends on Christmas Eve, we all gathered in Mom and Dad's living room for a musical nativity program. The kids dressed up...Tyler was Joseph and Tiffani was Mary. Brian read the Biblical passage of the Savior's birth from Luke 2. I played the piano, and we all sang Christmas hymns. It was a really special experience.

Christmas Eve, we stayed up late setting things up. I wrote a letter to each of my kids and to David, like I do each Christmas Eve. Excitement was in the air! Christmas morning was even more exciting!!! The kids were fun to watch, and it was cute to see them interact and have so much fun playing with their new toys.