Christmas Happenings So Far

Last week we had an Ugly Sweater Party. It was pretty much the funnest thing ever!!  We had to keep it fairly small because of the lack of space in our home but it was awesome.  We voted anonymously for the best/ugliest sweater.  Bishop Niles was the winner of that great honor.(far right, top)  We also exchanged white elephant gifts.  Hil.Ar.Ious.  I got an Adam Lambert cd(puke!) and Tyler got a beautiful plate with the Lords Prayer on it, along with a solid chocolate 'praying hands'.

Tyler's shirt really wasn't that ugly.  We ran out of time and got desperate so I got this at JC Penneys.  He actually wore it again to our Ward Christmas party.  I didn't wear mine again :)

Bishop showing how awesome his turtleneck is.  He'd kill me if he saw this.

This is my attempt at pictures of the kids in their cute Christmas outfits.  Fail.  I thought it was hard getting a decent pic of an infant.  Now I have a toddler and it's pretty much impossible.  He sure is sweet to his sister though!

Kayden loves giving kisses.  He's started handing them out to everyone, including inanimate objects

This is what he does when you tell him to smile, kinda scary.  But it's better than his usual scowl.

Morgan just can't get enough of that thumb.  She actually puts it in so far that she's sucking on the pad of the thumb too.

The Power of the Scriptures

The other day I made the mistake of watching the late night news. 
Top stories:

• the trial of a man who ran over and killed 2 little girls while fleeing police
• the sentancing of a woman who allegedly had sex with 2 of her 12 year old students
• the condition of the security guard who was shot during a robbery at the Family Dollar
• several other similar stories that I have tried to forget

Needless to say, I went to bed quite depressed.  What is this world coming to?  What have I done bringing these sweet spirits of my children into this horrible scary mess?

A couple of weeks ago I had made a goal to read my scriptures nightly.  That night I happened to be in 2 Nephi 2.  Verses 11-13 jumped out to me as if they were written specifically for me that very night

11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.

I love the scriptures.  I know that this world is just going to get worse but that is part of the plan.  It has to happen to ready the world for the second coming.  The only thing we can do is prepare ourselves and our children for the onslaught of it all by teaching them to live the gospel.  As my cousin Natalie put it when I posted about the yuckiness on facebook

"you're thinking you're giving them a safe haven from all the mess...you're blessing your children by allowing them to be raised in your home!! (and I agree about the scariness of the world!!)"

Thanks Natalie! I needed that.

Bad Habits, Grins and a Christmas Tree

Tyler has this wonderful habit of drinking milk straight from the carton.  It drives me crazy.  He says he only does it when no one's around.  Apparently someone is a little more observant than we thought.

My mom sent this cute little hat for Kayden.  If you know Kayden, he loves hats!!!

Here's our happy girl!  She is so sweet.  We love that she was sent to us.  I love my kids so much.

She loves her thumb.  We've tried and tried to get her to take the binky instead but she just spits it out and sticks in the thumb!

'Mom! Stop taking pictures and pick me up!!'

Our Christmas Tree.  I love this season!