Christmas

Nikki got a Tinkerbell cell phone from Emma & Lexi, and she hasn't put it down since -- she had it up to her ear even while making our gingerbread house.


What a great age for Christmas, Nikki was even excited about the apple and orange in her stocking!


And here was our big surprise. Hannah got a cat. She named her Pearl, and as I type this she is attacking our Christmas tree. What were we thinking?! Actually, I've been really surprised at how much I like her. She's a really sweet kitty, and the girls just love her.

Charity

Our Relief Society lesson today was based on Elder Wirthlin's talk this past conference entitled, "The Great Commandment." We had a really good lesson, but with a talk like that how could it be otherwise? I absolutely loved this talk about charity. I was rereading it this afternoon, and it made me think of Nate.

Elder Wirthlin said, "Sometimes the greatest love is not found in the dramatic scenes that poets and writers immortalize. Often, the greatest manifestations of love are the simple acts of kindness and caring we extend to those we meet along the path of life."

Nate gives that kind of caring and kindness all the time. To those outside of our family and especially to us. Everyday he does these little things that he doesn't think are a big deal, but I know I don't do as many things for others as he does. On Sunday afternoons, he comes home and lets me take a nap while he plays with the girls for hours. They are always so excited to see him get home, and so am I! Usually when I ask if the dishwasher is clean or dirty, he'll give me a response something like, "It's empty. I just unloaded it." So wonderful. The Family Proclamation says that we are to work together equally to fulfill our duties, and I often have to stop and make sure I'm giving as much in our home as he is.

And I really don't know anyone more friendly. It's interesting to me because he's not naturally outgoing or really comfortable talking a lot to other people, but he does it. At church, I'm always looking around the chapel before the meeting starts wondering where is, and usually he just takes a long time getting to his seat because he is speaking to everyone he passes in the hall. He makes cookies for our neighbors and the families he hometeaches more than I do. He is so wonderful, and I am so blessed to be married to him.

Nikki's Preschool Christmas Program

Nikki's preschool Christmas program was this past week, and here are some pictures from it.

This is after the program, and Nikki was as worn out from a long day as she looks.

I just think this is so funny with all of their different expressions. Eliza is hilarious.

With the big man himself.

The video is a little long, but a mother is allowed to post a video like this. We absolutely love Mrs. Shari, the preschool director, and I think you can see a little of why from this clip. She is so great with the kids. We just barely got there in time, so our seats were in the back and my camera wouldn't zoom in very far. Nikki is a little hard to see because she's near the back, kind of on the left side. We were in such a hurry to get there that she had to get dressed in the car, and of course I forgot to bring a hair brush and barrettes. Poor thing. We had Lydia and Eliza with us, which was fun. They were excited to get to come to the program for the second year in a row. I think Lydia said this was about her third time sitting on Santa's lap this year, and she wouldn't tell me what she asked him to bring her. I wonder if her parents know. =)

Robbins family elves

Check out our secret identities.

Twenty-eight Years

Twenty-eight years, and what a wonderful 28 years they have been. I have really been so blessed to be surrounded by the greatest people my whole life. And even more blessed to have them show so much love to me.

I remember Robin telling stories about the Christmas I was born. Since I had a bad case of jaundice, Mom was still in the hospital with me and it was Dad's job to get the Christmas presents set out for everybody. Only he didn't get everything right, and Robin had to suffer in silence as she watched Kellee open the presents meant for her. Thanks, Robin, for not holding that against me.

I think some of my earliest memories are spending time with Dad during my preschool years. I didn't go to preschool. I stayed home and painted with Dad, and he took me to the bakery every morning to get a huge chocolate chip cookie while he got a coffee and doughnut. I remember being scared of his driving even then.

And of course I remember running after JW and Kellee. I think my most often used phrase in childhood must have been, "Wait for me!" I don't know how they put up with me. I can't believe now how we used to run through the fields around our house. I remember the fort that was in the canal behind the greenhouses. I would be terrified to let my children run through there. It seems like it was a long way from the house. Didn't Mom and Dad ever think about snakes?

I look at Jay and Brenna and I think of JW and me. She copies everything he does and she's tough enough to take whatever he dishes out to her. I always would follow along with anything JW suggested, no matter how often I ended up hurt at the end of it. So maybe I wasn't quite as tough as Brenna!

My brothers and sisters have always been such a big part of my life. I took piano lessons because Robin and Kellee did. I played the flute because we had one (I really wanted to play the trumpet), but I wanted to be in the band because Mike and Kellee had done it. I wanted to go to BYU because Mike went there. They even have played a major role in my spirituality. When Mike was on his mission, I read the Book of Mormon all the way through because of the experiences and testimony he shared in his letters home. I remember walking by JW's room and seeing him read his scriptures before he started his homework. They also taught me not to do homework on Sunday, even if there was a test on Monday, and I did always feel blessed in my schoolwork for doing that. When they came home from EFY or Girls Camp or a temple trip, I would just soak up everything that they said about it. I remember my first year of Girls Camp was so great because Kellee was there, and I felt like she liked having me there. I really do wish I could take back all the fighting that she and I did. I think we started getting along a few months before she left for college, and now she lives so far away.

And of course there was the whole greenhouse experience. Some of the research I was just reading for my last class was about the importance of family work. Well, our family sure did work! For all of the hot, dirty, tired, sore feet complaining, I think everyone agrees that it really was a great experience. Not one that I would care to do again, but I'm so glad that I was a part of that.

Which brings me to the Littles. I really don't think there are better people on this earth, and I love that they still treat me like I'm part of their family. Grandma Bass was so upset that I chose to live with them after the accident, but it really was the best place for me. If only for the reason that Chuck and Eileen both had lost a parent while they were still growing up. At the time I felt like I was going through something nobody else goes through, but they were proof that I wasn't alone. I can't imagine what it must have been like for them to take in a 16-year-old like me, but they just showered me with love. They made me feel like a part of the family from day 1. Chuck and Eileen have been such fabulous models of a successful marriage. Anyone who knows them can tell that they really love each other. I love how the whole family enjoys spending time together, talking to each other, and serving one another. They can spend hours around the dinner table just because they enjoy each other's company so much that they don't want to stop talking. They truly show what a family is supposed to be like.

When I think of the accident, I usually don't think about the actual car wreck because the details of that time period are pretty fuzzy in my mind. I think what stands out to me is the incredible amount of love I was surrounded by. Aunt Ruth was so wonderful that morning, there were countless friends, all of the family, just so many people were there with me it seems like at all times. During a time when I could have felt alone, I felt protected. And when I think about the outcome of the accidents that year, the really only negative result is that I miss Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Granddaddy. I know the hand of the Lord was so involved in our lives during those events. I know He was taking care of me then and still is taking care of me today.

Well, as I think about other parts of my life, I think of Nate and our family now. I couldn't be blessed with a greater husband or children. Even this morning Nate woke up feeling so sick, but before he left for work he made the bed. If I had felt that way, I probably would have still been laying in the bed. And what can I say about Hannah and Nikki? They are so precious and bring me so much joy. I truly love being mother.

Anyway, this is a long post and doesn't even do justice to all I've seen and learned and experienced during my 28 years. I have a wonderful life!!

My reading obsession again

Last night I went to bed at 9 pm and woke up this morning just before 7 am. Ahhh, that felt SO good! The cause of that was because the night before I stayed up almost all night reading a book. I don't have time right now to read for pleasure -- I just have too much going on, but a book I had requested at the library finally came in. They'll only hold it a couple of days for you, so I had to go ahead and get it, and I couldn't just have it sitting around without reading it. So, finishing it in one night was my best solution to avoid putting off other things that I needed to do during the day. I wasn't even crabby with the girls yesterday.

So the book was called Twilight. For me it was like watching a chic flick all night. I really liked it, but if someone only likes to read to be intellectually stimulated and increase their knowledge, they probably wouldn't go for this book. Nate would say it was a complete waste of time. It probably was, but so is watching a movie. It's about a girl who falls in love with a vampire. Oh, it was so good. There are three books in the series, but I'm going to have to wait until Christmas vacation is underway before I can think about getting the second one.

Hannah Lost Her 1st Tooth

Hannah feels like she is the last one of all the kids she knows her age to have lost a tooth. She was so excited when her tooth finally started wiggling. It became quite a drawn out process, though. She worked on it a lot one day last week, and even let me have a go at it, but I guess it wasn't quite ready yet. So, for the rest of the week she wouldn't let anyone near her mouth. It was just barely hanging in there, and she agreed to let Uncle Mike take it out at family dinner last night. She was so impressed that he could do it without it even hurting one bit! She is convinced that it was because he's a dentist that he could do it painlessly. Here she is working on her tooth.
Hannah and Dr. Mike.
This morning she wanted to pose for another picture. It was so cute how excited she and Nikki both were to see if the tooth fairy had come. They were pretty impressed that she could come without waking them up. It must be her magic!

Christmas Cookies

We made some Christmas cookies today. I tried a new sugar cookie recipe and really liked it. It made a ton of cookie dough, so I decided to just make 4 dozen today and put the rest in a couple of containers in the freezer. I think we have enough dough to last us through Valentine's Day. It was a little tricky keeping the icing off of the princesses, but it worked and they were happy and we all had fun.

Santa's Lap

Hannah
Nikki

Lexi
Emma
Eliza
Lydia
Alli & Jay

It was fun having the cousins at the ward party. Poor Jay didn't really appreciate this experience.

Feliz Navidad

This is Nate's introduction to his presentation of Argentina's Christmas traditions at our church Christmas party. He was so funny. Yes, I am definitely missing from the stage on purpose. This idea started as a joke, and I couldn't believe he was really going to do it. I love him for being able to do something like this. Poor Hannah was hiding behind him the whole time. The lighting is awful, but hopefully you can still get the gist of his dance. I think he was glad that his face is hidden in the video!

Studying

My assignments are all turned in (although I'm not looking forward to my grade on my last paper -- oh well), and I am studying for my final!! This has been the best class, but also the class that will never end. Anyway, I thought I would post some of the highlights of my review today.

What Makes Marriage Work? This article has a couple of interesting findings in it. Nate and I had a discussion on whether we have a validating or conflict-avoiding marriage. We compromised that sometimes it's a little of both -- but that's a validating technique. I also thought the 5-1 ratio was interesting -- a successful marriage has a ratio of 5 positive encounters for every 1 negative encounter.

Hallmarks of a Happy Home This is a talk given by Thomas S. Monson. Very good.

And my favorite highlight of my review today is a quote by President Gordon B. Hinckley: "You have nothing in this world more precious than your children. When you grow old, when your hair turns white and your body grows weary, when you are prone to sit in a rocker and meditate on the things of your life, nothing will be so important as the question of how your children have turned out. It will not be the money you have made. It will not be the cars you have owned. It will not be the large house in which you live. The searing question that will cross your mind again and again will be, How well have my children done? If the answer is that they have done very well, then your happiness will be complete. If they have done less than well, then no other satisfaction can compensate for your loss."

A good whole wheat bread recipe

While I have my recipes out, I just got a new one for whole wheat bread from my mother-in-law, too. I haven't made it yet, but she had some for us while we were at their house and it was delicious. It was very moist and not too heavy. She said she usually halves the recipe, which looks like a good idea to me.

8 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. yeast
3/4 c. gluten
Mix a little until yeast is mixed throughout flour, then add:

6 cups hot water. Mix this together for 1 minute with a mixer or constant stirring, then let the mixture sit, with a cloth/lid over bowl, for 10 minutes. Then add:

2/3 c. oil (3/4 c. if not using gluten)
1 cup honey
2 Tbsp. salt
Mix a little and keep mixing while adding:

6 more cups of flour. After flour is in, mix for 6 minutes on low, or knead for about 15 minutes. Sometimes the dough will end up stickier than other times depending on humidity, etc. I always use the same amount of flour (14 cups) and it works out fine. Turn oven onto lowest setting (170 degrees) and spray bread tins with Pam. Divide into 5 loaves for 8 inch pans, or 4 loaves for 9 inch pans. Arrange all pans in the oven and set timer for 20 minutes. when the timer goes off, turn oven up to 350 degrees and bake for 32 minutes longer. You do not need to open the oven or anything, just turn it up and reset timer. When the bread is done, take it out and immediately remove from pan and lay sideways on a clean dishcloth. Let cool for about 40-60 minutes.

Pizza

While we were in Utah my sister-in-law made homemade pizza for us one night, and it was soooo good. So I got the recipe from her. It was really easy, but you do have to plan ahead a little since it needs to rise for 40 minutes.

1 pkg yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup warm water
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c. white flour
corn meal
pizza toppings

Dissolve package of yeast in water with honey and let stand 5 minutes. Add wheat flour and 1 cup of white flour. On a floured surface knead dough for 6 minutes, adding the additional flour to prevent it from sticking (add more if necessary). Roll into a ball when finished.

Spray bowl with cooking spray. Cover with a towel and let dough rise in a warm place (at least 85 degrees) for 40 minutes free from drafts or until it doubles in size.

Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and lightly dust with cornmeal. roll out ball of dough on baking sheet. Bake on lowest rack in the oven on 500 degrees fro 8 minutes. Remove from oven and add pizza sauce, cheese and toppings. Bake for an additional 6-8 minutes on the highest rack in oven or until the cheese melts.

My camera came today!!

Thanks so much for sending my camera Robin!!! It was the best mail we got today! I wish I had gotten more pictures. I can't believe I didn't get any on Thanksgiving day with Nate's family. Where was my mind?! And then I didn't have it when we were at Kellee's or Steve's or at Temple Square with the Christmas lights. Anyway, those will just have to stay good memories in my head. So, finally I can post what pictures I did get from our trip.

Rock on!

This was absolutely hilarious. Robin's kids had this video game where you had a guitar and tried to play the music as it came up on the screen. It was really fun and really hard. Kellee just barely beat me! But the funniest was when Nate and Joe went at it. I think the video shows why!

Grandma and Grandpa

Of course, our luggage was lost when we arrived at the airport, but it was a good opportunity for the girls to get cozy with their grandma. Thankfully, our luggage arrived just as we were about to leave the baggage office.

We were so excited to get to visit with Nate's parents. Hannah and Nikki had been looking forward all year to this trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house. They also wanted snow, but I was actually glad we missed that part of Utah's winter. We had such a great time that they didn't even realize they missed out on making a snowman until we got home!

Hannah and Jayden

And Nikki never wants to be left out. =)

Yummy!

The sad thing is that this picture is funny because at the Littles' house I am remembered for the picture of me eating the last scoop of ice cream out of the 5 gallon creamery bucket. How do they always catch me like this?
The apple really doesn't fall too far from the tree, does it?

Leaves

We had such a fun day with the Littles. There were so many leaves stuck in Hannah's hair that I had to brush it out in the bathroom and then sweep up the floor. This was a highlight of the trip for them!