For Christmas last year, my parents gave us all plane tickets to Maui to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. We have been looking forward to it for so long. Zach, Rachel and I flew from Detroit to LA to meet up with my sisters and their families. Shae, Meghan, Brian and Leilani all had to fly a different airline. We only had a 30 minute layover and were really stressed we would miss the flight.
We made it but barely had 10 minutes to spare before the plane took off. It was so exciting to see all of our cousins! Love these people! It was so cool to see all the familiar faces as we boarded that plane.
Jessie and Emmy
Aaron and Coop
Trouble #1 and Trouble #2
Morgan and Rachel
Bell and Paige
Adam, Brinley and Haylee
Getting here was a LONG haul but so worth it! We are not looking forward to the return flight AT all!
Lately, I having been thinking a lot about how fragile life is. You never know when the memories you just made might be your last. I want to be able to fully appreciate my family each day—to cherish the memories we make together.
We were able to spend Christmas in Idaho again. I just love to be home with them all. It is so peaceful even though there are little kids all over the place. I love to get to catch up with all these cute cousins. I find it to be a great blessing to be able to create these memories.
Merry Christmas! For our 2011 Christmas card, we wanted to share some of the things we are most thankful for this year:
Zach (6) is thankful for…
“…my Kindergarten class because it keeps me dry from the rain and it has fun stuff to do—like math. Oh and there is yummy foods to eat at school.”
“…my cool soccer coach—my dad”
“… flag football—specially running through the big noodles”
“…learning how to ride a two wheel bike without training wheels. It’s funner, faster & not so loud!”
“…learning how to write my whole name and other really long words.”
Rachel (12) is thankful for…
“…dance and how easy it is to express myself through it.”
“… my friends: their great support, all the laughs, smiles, winks, & memories we’ve shared.”
“…food and how it keeps me going no matter what—just like a best friend should.”
“…my Kindle because it gets me up early every morning to read the scriptures.”
“…being 12--to experience things like the temple & adult menus at restaurants.”
Meghan (16) is thankful for…
“…Geometry—so I can prove that obviously congruent shapes are congruent.”
“…Theater because without it I would have WAAAAAAAAY too much free time.”
“…my Mackinac Island sweatshirt—despite being huge & not figure flattering.”
“…Les Miserables—without it I’d be forced to listen to ‘normal’ teenage music.”
“…Journalism because it’s my new favorite thing ever!”
Shae is thankful for…
“…a job that I enjoy going to every day.”
“…being Zach’s soccer coach for a 4th season.”
“…watching my girls develop their talents and share them on various stages.”
“…a wife that loves the Lord, loves me, and loves our kids.”
“…a burning testimony of the Savior and His gospel.”
Michelle is thankful for…
“…finding my bearings after having all my kids gone to school all day.”
“…a patient family because man, they have to put up with a lot from me!”
“…my mini-van that is constantly chauffeuring kids to their activities.”
“…the perspective that the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings into my life.”
We love you and hope your holiday season is filled with family, happiness and gratitude!
Tonight Meg performed at her high school talent show. We are so proud of her for auditioning and being so brave. We thought she sounded pretty awesome!
