E-Christmas Card

Apparently we only send out Christmas cards every other year.  And this isn't the year!

So to tide you over for the next 365 days, I thought I'd share some pictures that could have been on a Christmas card.

This year we had several highs and lows.  Some of our favorite moments were getting together with all of Heidi's family to witness and celebrate Heidi's youngest brother's marriage.  Matt married Caitlin in the Newport Beach Temple, and it was such a wonderful happy moment to see them sealed together and to have Caitlin joined to our family.  Another high, especially for Brielle, was taking a boat to the San Juan Islands and watching wild killer whales.  And then the last highlight of the year we are still experiencing.  Russell's whole family (minus Kevin on a mission) will be together for Christmas, and we are having the best time playing with siblings and cousins, and enjoying this Christmas season as a family.

Most of the lows aren't very big or worth mentioning.  However, there is one that impacted us greatly.  In September we found out that we were expecting our fourth child.  But then at the 3 month (12 week) obstetric appointment, the doctor was no longer able to hear the heart beat, and after several tests it was concluded that the baby had died.  Our entire family had been ecstatic about this new baby, the children were so excited, and as parents we were thrilled, so it was a heartbreaking experience for all of us.  We have lost a baby before, and it feels even more devastating because it comes after the riskiest part of a pregnancy, after ultrasounds that show the baby alive, with a good solid heartbeat, moving and kicking around.  Then out of the blue something goes wrong and we lose the baby. Both times it happened that way.  But we know that Heavenly Father has a plan for us, and we're trying to learn from our experience.  We know we'll get to meet these babies of ours someday.

We wish you all a wonderful Christmas, and hope you get to spend time with your loved ones as well.  We are so grateful for our Savior, and we love this time of year, where the Spirit of Christ is so prevalent.  We'll end this e-card by sharing a quote from our prophet:

"Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. It is happiness because we see joy in people. It is forgetting self and finding time for others. It is discarding the meaningless and stressing the true values. It is peace because we have found peace in the Savior’s teachings. It is the time we realize most deeply that the more love is expended, the more there is of it for others."

—Thomas S. Monson, "Christmas Is Love", 2012 First Presidency Christmas Devotional, December 2012

Merry Christmas!

Love,  Russell, Heidi, Brielle (6), Hyrum (5), Clara (2)

Temple Square

Snuggly

Wax on, wax off...

 Hyrum took taekwondo classes in August, September, and October, with his best buddy, Chase.

Hyrum really enjoyed it, and we'll have to put him back in the classes in the spring.  He went twice a week,  which was great, but it became hard to devote that much time to taking him and sitting through classes with all the kids.  Plus Brielle wanted to know why he got to take classes and she didn't.  (Gymnastics classes are $120/month and Taekwondo is $40/month, that's why!)

By the end of his classes, Hyrum had earned the yellow belt, and the green belt.  And he shouts "Yes Maam" and "Yes Sir" after every command, regardless of who gives it.  ; )

October

 We did lots of fun Halloween activities in October.  The children donned multiple costumes, unfortunately I don't have a picture of when Brielle, Clara and I were all witches.

 My Aunt Laurie came to visit us and we went to a pumpkin patch to choose our pumpkins.

We loved having Laurie stay with us, she was such a big help!

 We went to a fun party at a friend's house.

And one day in November we finally carved our pumpkins.

More Bunnies

Penelope had 4 baby bunnies on September 17th.

From top to bottom (in this last picture) we have Berry, Blossom, Bramble, and Bluebell.

Hyrum's Birthday Party

 Hyrum had a Ninjago Birthday party this year, Ninjago are Lego Ninjas.

The cupcakes were fairly easy to make, which is always nice.

We played lots of games, shooting targets, tossing throwing stars, doing Ninja stuff.....I was "officiating" those games though and I don't have pictures.

 Opening presents...

 Playing "Don't wake the Ninja"

 The kids made Ninja belts, and they each received a Ninja Sword, to battle the Balloon Ninjas.

 We made a punching bag pinata, it was a BIG hit!!!

The pinata was the perfect thickness, everyone got a couple turns of punching and kicking the bag, and then it started to show some signs of wear.  A few turns later candy flew everywhere.  Yahoo for pinatas!!

 Lego shaped candles= Awesome

Hyrum had a wonderful party and he's so lucky to have such great friends to share it with!