GUESS WHO GOT STRAIGHT A'S AGAIN?!

WAY TO GO HUBBY BUBBY! And that was with having a baby at mid terms and what like 13 days of training you missed school?

Random pics from vegas

Top 10 Vegas

10. Girl time while the boys were at the game

9. Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay




8. The Secret Garden




7. A super nice hotel WITH NO slot machines!




6. Spa day with the girls!




5. Finally getting to know Jenny better and Christmas EVE at Travis and Jennys house!





4. Seeing the water show at the Bellagio (minus walking on the strip!)



3.Family Pictures by a great photographer






2. Going to the Las Vegas Temple with my sweetheart and having one of the most amazing experiences of my life



1. Seeing Hinckley open his presents! HE LOVED CHRISTMAS this year!

Top 5 YUCCA

Troy and I drove down to Yucca Valley California on the 18th of December well it was actually 11pm and we drove the WHOLE ENTIRE night until we arrived there around noonish on Saturday the 19th. It actually worked out wonderful for the boys because they slept most of the way but Troy and I were POOPED! But we made it... Here is our top for Yucca (we were ONLY there Half of Saturday, all of Sunday and Monday and left early Tuesday. And I should say the greatest thing was spending it with family but ya' all know that already.

5. Troys Home Ward Christmas Party! YUMMY FOOD and GREAT FRIENDS
4. Troys HOME Ward Christmas Sacrament meeting. By far the best I have ever been to!
3. Going to Jelly Donut on Sunday... Its tradition and the best donuts in the WORLD
2. BEING IN WARM WEATHER... okay and seeing awesome friends too...
1. Going on a double date to see Blind Side My new favorite movie

Yes I am finding the true meaning of Christmas

I have been feeling really sad this Christmas season. And the second you find you why I am sad I am sure you will think I am selfish and that I do not understand the true meaning of Christmas. And you are 100% exactly correct. I have never had to go with out, I have always been blessed with amazing Holidays and year round. But this year is different... Troy and I decided not to exchange presents this year. Not because we are trying to teach our kids a lesson or each other one but just for the fact we cant. I wish I could say the motive behind it was pure but its not. If we had the money we would. Hinckley will have a few things under the tree (thanks to a check from my parents) and I truly COULD NOT handle not having a least 1 present under the tree for him. He wont care that they came from the dollar store!

So yes I have been feeling really blue about this whole Christmas thing and its all selfish reasons. I tried getting out of this blue streak by doing nice things for people (watch their kids, take a meal to somebody, write a note to friend) but nothing helped. NOTHING. Not any Christmas decoration, music, lights or production. (Troys parents took us to the Forgotten Carols at Thanksgiving) I even tried to just pray and thank Heavenly Father for all the amazing things in my life. NOTHING WORKED.

UNTIL TODAY... Well, actually a few things leading up to today. All these little things lead up to one big BAM moment for me. I was driving to Rexburg to take Troy some dinner (he is in the middle of finals) and that song Christmas Shoes came on. Now 9.9 times out of 10 I turn the song off because it either makes me cry or I get annoyed because you hear it all the time. But this time it was different... I realized something. I AM SO BLESSED TO BE ALIVE! I have my health, I have shoes, I have children, I have a wonderful husband, I get to be with my family for Christmas, i have a nice warm house to live in, I have clothes, I have a car that works, I have friends, I have faith, I have love, I have food in my pantry, and many other blessings in my life. Why am I letting something like no presents for Christmas ruin the true meaning of Christmas?

And all these small moments hit me... The fact that somebody left 2 HUGE boxes of food on my friends door step who is going through a rough time, to meeting a man who will probably loose his wife of 30+ years to cancer before Christmas, from the Christmas bell that my son carries around all day long that somebody dropped by our house, the fudge I made and delivered to families we care about, and many other things lead up to this point and I cried. I cried for joy. I cried for the simple fact that I am blessed. TRULY BLESSED in my life.

So what is the true meaning of Christmas this year? LOVE... Love from my family. Love from my friends and most of all Love from the Savior. For he is truly the reason why we celebrate this time of year.

I have found a NEW LOVE!

I have learned some thing new with this new baby in our house. When you buy something BUY QUALITY because you should only buy once. Not that we can afford quality BUT I am learning a hard lesson. I liked the car seat and stroller we had for Hinckley it was decent (we bought it on clearance) but it has been trashed! Not that we didn't take good care of it, it just was a piece of plastic with fabric over it. We bought the cheapest crib we could find (regret that now because I feel like the second I put Chandler in it its going to fall apart) And well most of everything else we own is used. Which I do not mind for the most part because we are college students with 2 kids. What do you expect?

However, Troys parents offered to buy us a new car seat, LUCKY US! At first I was looking at the cheap car seats again and then it happened. I fell in love, truly, madly, deeply IN LOVE with THIS CAR SEAT!


WE actually got a red one. AND I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT! It is the nicest car seat! THANK YOU KATHY AND DON! Our future children will greatly appreciate it!

My boys in brown