Happiness is...

being an auntie! We are so grateful for the safe and healthy arrival of niece #4, La'akea Maren. Nothing brings a smile to my face faster than being with my nieces. I am so very grateful for the special relationship I have with Hali'a. She truly is a blessing to me and our whole family. I am excited to get to know La'akea and know what a blessing she is. I look forward to the days ahead when Kayla and Jocelyn come- its better than Christmas or birthdays :) Families are forever - xoxoxo

Hilarious!!!

Soto...enough said!

And so the countdown begins...

until my very favorite holiday that is! St. Patrick's Day is my all time favorite holiday, and no, I am not joking :) One of the items on my "Things to do Before I Die" list, is to go to New York and see the big parade. Some day I will! For now though, I will celebrate by wearing lots of green and eating lots of potatoes! Hehe. Another thing on my bucket list is to own an Irish wolfhound- hence the picture. Since the Westminster Kennel Club dog show is on right now, I only thought it appropriate to post a picture of a dog :) My dad once asked me why on earth I wanted to own a horse for a dog. Made me laugh!

In other news, not much else is going on. We are so thrilled to have found out that Jeff and Amy are expecting a baby boy!! He will be the first boy grandkid/nephew after four girls. Super excited and I have already found some awesome stuff for the little guy. It should be a fun and eventful next few months with the arrival of babies! What a blessing to have such an amazing family :)

Life has gone to the birds :)

One of my best friends I recently took a day trip to Solvang and had so much fun! Our first, and my favorite, stop was to an emu and ostrich farm. We got to feed those mean, stinky birds and the experience was quite memorable. I must say, at a few points I thought Lynette was going to have a heart attack :) The rest of the day we shopped, ate, and visited one of the missions in town. It was nice to get out of "dodge" - even just for the day. (p.s. those things in my hands are dog bowls screwed onto metal dustpans. That is what the ostriches ate out of and what they tried to steal from us!)

I can hardly believe that another has come to an end! Where does the time go? As we get ready for Christmas I can't help but think about my year and reflect on what I am grateful for. First and foremost I think would have to be families. I am blessed with so many great family members - husband, parents, siblings, sisters-in-law, nieces, aunts and uncles, cousins, and yes, even my dogs are my family :) We lost Jeff's grandma this year, saw Jeff, Amy, and the girls, welcomed Jordan home, and got good news about new additions to our crazy but wonderful group. We have made great memories and some sad ones too. Life is not always the easiest and I think we have definitely had more than our fair share of trials, but I imagine we can all say that about our lives. I am grateful for my testimony of Jesus Christ - to know that even when I don't see or understand it, there is a plan bigger than me for my life. I am grateful for friends to lift and support. I am glad I have a job when so many don't. Even though some days, well, really suck let's be honest, I am glad I have a job to go to and that I am capable of working. My life is blessed even when I don't want to admit it and would rather wallow in my trials. I am super grateful for a husband who helps me recognize that! This Christmas may we all look for all of the wonderful things we have instead of counting all of the things we don't. May the Lord be with us all this beautiful time of year - xoxo

It's the most wonderful time of the year

We have had so much fun since last post and, as promised, lots of pictures! Jeff and the girls got to spend quite a bit of time here in Cali and I was so grateful to be able to be with them. Missouri is just too far away! I don't think I will launch into a "travel log" but we did pack alot in while they were here - shopping, Disneyland, the beach, sing-alongs, a dance party, picnics at the park, soccer games, and more. The most exciting thing of course, was Jordan returning home from his mission :) He seems to have settled into normal life these days and we are glad he is home! General Conference was last weekend and it was a much needed spiritual pick-me-up as usual. President Monson's talk on Sunday was a true highlight. The whole talk was about gratitude and the moment he began speaking I thought about my dad. My dad has always taught us that being grateful and appreciative is so important. I am thankful for my parents and the example they have always been to my brothers and me. I am a pretty lucky girl.