Catching up on some things...

There are a few things that have been sort of 'consuming' my time lately...the first being the Primary calling. I do have good counselors and a good secretary..so that is definitely a blessing. It is just that there is a constant need for filling and re-filling positions, because of the large number of  children in our ward, there are that many teachers and leaders needed to watch over them and I feel like it will never be at a stand-still on callings...what with people moving in and out and getting called to other positions. I guess that is generally how things run in the Church, but it is becoming more personal and real to me in this calling!

 Oops...think I forgot Lane's b-day...Well, he turned 5 years old, and he invited 3 of his little Primary classmates over for a small party. He wanted a dinosaur cake and so I decided to go easy and just do cookies on a simple cake! He seemed to be fine with it!

Elijah, Lane, and Connor roaring like dinosaurs!

Blowing out those 5 big candles!


Here are the 5 words I would like to use to describe Lane:
1. Inquisitive
2. Creative
3. Funny
4. Loving
5. Happy

(Yes, that is me being very lazy and using a single word instead of a 'reason' why I love my kid for each year of their age...but nonetheless, those are all reasons I love him too!)

Maelynn has been taking some 4H classes and here is the gingerbread house that she made for one of them (100% from scratch!!)

(p.s.   I have never even baked my own gingerbread, she is gonna be a domestic goddess someday!)

 Also, she had a ballroom dance competition up in Rexburg, and she placed 3rd in 2 different dances...she is loving Ballroom!

The beautiful dancer up close!

 Sadie had also been doing a little dance class, and here she is getting warmed up for her December performance...

Doing one of the 'signature moves' that Greg loves in her dance!

Viki tried her hand at decorating snowflake sugar cookies..they are super easy to decorate and turn out relatively nice each time....gotta love the glittery sprinkles!

   Family and Christmas...this year was a great Christmas.  We had a large FHE with a bunch of friends and their families over and the kids put on the nativity. It is always a fun tradition and so important for them to remember the real reason for Christmas. I think that everyone had a good time... I only wish that I would have taken photos!  We were fortunate for the actual Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to have my brother and sister (Tom and Emily) here with us.

  I put up a barrier at the bottom of the stairs and a sign that said that they couldn't come down until after 8 an...they totally obeyed and I was able to sleep until nearly 8! =)

 We had some family over later in the day and we got to meet my cousin's new fiance, he was really good at playing the guitar for us, and it eventually lulled Miles (and probably Tom) to sleep!

Miles getting "groggy eyed" on Uncle Tom's lap...

Finally succumbs to the wave of tiredness...

Completely gone!!!

 Although we were blessed with many gifts, the best gift is always to see your children happy...and it is always tender to me to see how the kids react to the gifts that they give each other. One especially sweet thing was a handmade card that Seth gave to Miles and it said "Miles, I love that you like to come into my bedroom and try to climb on my bed. I hope you have a Merry Christmas".  I honestly wish that we could have a Christmas one year where all we had were empty boxes to play in and heartfelt letters to each other! (If only I could convince everyone else to do it with me!)

Playing in the box...always the best part of any gift for little ones!

All 6 Bailey kids super happy to see Santa had come!

Sadie and Miles...playing around the tree.

I couldn't have poetically said it any better than this picture does...Sadie is a true gift to us!

Some of the fun recipes we tried during the Christmas Break...these jello squares were fun!

The kids dipped all of these giant marshmallows themselves and wrapped and gave them to some neighbors with boxes of hot cocoa!

At Viki's work party....Sadie, Seth, Miles and Maelynn.

Tom holding Miles near the tree at party as he was FREAKING OUT with Santa!

 It was fun to continue with traditions of old and I got an especially fitting gift from my little sister. Let me explain...
   When I was really young (2nd grade) I had it all figured out that Santa was not "real" as in...couldn't physically fit in chimneys and travel the world in one night, etc. Well, I decided to share this newfound knowledge with my little sister Emily, who was in Kindergarten at the time. Apparently my parents were none too thrilled about this information being shared with their "baby" and therefore I received a basket of lemons from Santa Claus on Christmas morning. Yup...that was it folks, a BASKET of LEMONS!! There was a little note attached to it saying something really cheesy about 'turning lemons into lemonade' and sharing it with others and later that day or maybe the next day after I had literally made lemonade from those lemons and poured it into cups for my siblings, I did get a doll.
   Those who know me, probably already recall this story, and how it totally affected my psyche, how I ended up writing a thesis in High School about the potential downfalls of parents consistently lying to their children about Santa Claus, etc. Anyhow...it has become a source of debates, laughter, and general good-natured derision of our parents over the years. So, when Emily gave me a special present this year,  I was anxious to see it's contents.  IT. WAS. AWESOME.

 Here is a pic....

EVERYTHING lemon in there you could possibly imagine! =)

She even had a lemon all dressed up as Santa with a note saying how much he loved me! Loved it!

Greg was very thoughtful and got me some cake decorating books along with prepaid tuition to a cake decorating class. So fun! The kids got me some new tennis shoes (which I had previously chosen, purchased, and wrapped myself), but nonetheless...AWESOME!!

   We also scored some awesome gifts from both sets of parents and siblings on either side. Thanks everyone for spoiling us. I wish I were more organized and actually sent out Thank You cards for everything that I have intentions to do.

   This last week in between Christmas and New Years has been a fun and lazy one...mostly filled with lots of sleeping and eating and playing and watching movies and snacking...oh, and did I mention, eating? lol
 
Landen is our New Year's Boy and here is the cake that I made for him (he just finished a season of Basketball for his school, TCPCS, and wanted a basketball cake.)

He is such a great kid... here are 12 things I love about Landen...
1. He is HONEST (and even though he has learned the hard way sometimes, I truly apreciate his honesty and forthrightness)
2. He is kind (he is so quick to forgive and accept people)
3. He is smart (he always tries to do his very best on every assignment or task)
4. He is handsome (needs no explanation)
5. He is not easily provoked and can tolerate a lot.
6. He is athletic and tries to better his skills (at running or basketball or whatever)
7. He will actually sit and do trivia with me (unlike his father)
8. He is reverent (and anxious for the upcoming important spiritual events like getting the Priesthood and going to the temple)
9. He is adventurous (will try new things, foods, experiments)
10. He is a reader (which I hope he will always be)
11. He is a great babysitter (and will even change a poopy diaper if he needs to)
12. He is LOVING....and makes us all feel valued.

Our family is truly blessed to have him!

Last night Landen had a bunch of his classmates over to celebrate his Birthday and ring in the New Year together. They were loud and wild, but they had fun.

 I am really excited for Landen to be 12 already and he is excited about getting the priesthood on Sunday. It is crazy how fast the years have flown. It is hard to fathom that it was exactly a DOZEN years ago that I woke Greg up to say "Happy New Year" only to have him fall right back asleep, only to have to wake him up again a few hours later to go to the hospital and have Landen...our unexpected 'New Year's Baby'.

 Now, here I am again, waiting anxiously for another unexpected boy to come into our home.  Although Greg was really hoping for a tax break...I am just hoping for a healthy boy to come sometime soon...the last week of any pregnancy has got to be the longest, most trying thing...just ask any female in the world who's done it....I promise!

  For the New Year ahead, 2011, I am not going to set lots of unachievable goals, but rather I am hoping to fill my days with a little more reading time, a little more patience, a little more understanding, a little more friendship, a little more temple worship, a little more exercise, a little more self-control, a little more daily praise for my spouse, a little more gratitude, a little more prayer, and a little more LOVE.

HaPpY  NeW yEAr!!!!