Christmas 2010

The stockings were hung...

 

We got new stockings this year!  I've always wanted all matching stockings that were personlized and simply couldn't resist these!  They were quite reasonably priced at $15 (including embroidery).

Every year for my entire life we've celebrated Christmas Eve with my dad's side of the family.  Our family is too big for any one home, so we celebrate at a church now.  The following pictures were taken there. 

 Alex, Avery and Asher beginning the kids' white elephant gift exchange:

 Below: This is Alex's prized white elephant gift.  The knob on the nose "winds up" the eyebrows and mustache so they move.

 Jenn and Fred were really excited about Avery's new trucks! (So was he.)

 After the Christmas Eve event with Grandma Baker, we went to Rob's parents' house and stayed the night there.  We open all our gifts there and his parents spoil us all nearly rotten.  Here is Olivia in a pile of presents:

 Ashlie was soaking in the moment just prior to open her gifts:

 Grandma Jackson helped Avery open his gifts and kept him entertained and happy.  He didn't sleep much without his own bed and was, consequently, less pleasant than his usual self.

 Ashlie and Alex tearing open their packages:

 Olivia and Ashlie enjoying their gifts:

 Grandpa Jackson and Avery:

 Alex desperately wanted a remote-controlled helicopter.  It was broken within an hour or two.  :(

 I love the way Avery crouched down  to be like Nick and Alex here:

 Avery got a baby doll for Christmas.  I believe that kids (even boys) should learn to be nurturing and baby dolls are great for helping them learn to nurture.  He pretends to be the baby's daddy and it's super cute.

This is the second year my side of the family has celebrated Christmas on the day following Christmas.  It makes Christmas day a little less hectic and prolongs Christmas a tiny bit longer.  Here are some pictures from our December 26 event.  Avery got this cute Snoopy puppet which he's been carting around ever since.

 My mom, the host of the Miller party:

 Olivia and her cousin, Emma, love their new pajamas that match their dolls'.  My mom got all the kids and grandkids new jammies for Christmas this year.  I always wanted new pajamas for Christmas and this year I got some!  Thanks, Mom!

 Just cute:

 My sister Aubrey, her son, Asher, and Mario:

My boys in their hats:

 Poor little Ashlie came down with a fever immediately following present opening on Christmas day.  She was pretty miserable and had a high fever every time the Tylenol or Ibuprofen wore off.  Today I got her to the doctor and she has strep.  Here she is snuggling with Grandpa Miller.

 This is some Crayola artwork my sister Jenny created to send to my nieces and nephew in South Carolina who couldn't be with their father, my brother, this year because his ex is completely unreasonable and wouldn't let them come for their court-designated Christmas visit early to take advantage of substantially lower travel expenses. They are too young to understand and he is heart-broken.  So are we.

 

 More just cute:

 Olivia and Emma helped with dishes:

Christmas 2010 was a lot of fun and we really enjoyed being with so many family members.  I am so grateful that most of our relatives live so close!  We decided not to send out Christmas letters and pictures this year because I write on this blog now and it pretty much keeps people who want to know about our goings-on updated.  So don't feel bad that you didn't get a card or letter because I didn't send them to anyone.  I'll probably write a summary of the year and post it here some time in January when things slow down a bit. 

Spoken Language

I was explaining to Olivia what it means to commit treasonous acts for a worksheet she was doing for home school.  After I finished explaining I left and she wrote down what she thought I said.  The next day when I was looking over her worksheet I found that she had written, "Could not have committed any trees in a sack".  I laughed out loud.  The whole time I was saying "Treasonous Acts" she was hearing "Trees in a sack". 

Ashlie's Birthday

My first-born - Ashlie McKenna Jackson - turned 12 years old on November 25.  She is so darn old and I can't believe it!  She was born the day before Thanksgiving in 1998, weighing 7 lbs 2 oz and measuring just right. 

My water broke at 1:00 a.m.  I ate a bowl of cereal then woke Rob up to take me to the hospital.  He said he needed to have a shower so his hair would look good.  'People will be taking pictures.'  So, I waited around (in labor) while he took a shower and blew his hair dry and styled it 'just so'.  (Is it any wonder he went bald?)

Anyway, we drove from our new house in Layton to our hospital and doctor in Logan (an hour drive).  I was in labor for 14 miserable, Pitocin-filled hours before Ashlie decided to make her debut.  Back then at Logan Regional Hospital you couldn't get an epidural until you were dilated to a '5', so most of those hours were without pain relief.  But it was all worth it; ever since that grand entrance she has been the light of our lives! 

Ashlie has had a great deal of personality since day one.  She was a naughty little toddler, always getting into things, but so cute I could never really be mad.  She was the most adorable 3- and 4-year-old who never tired of dress-ups and dancing and she has always loved having an audience.  She has always been very smart and has excelled in every grade at school, even now in an accelerated learning program.  She is spiritual beyond her years and has a strong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints already.  She is artistic and organized and is a wonderful older sister to Olivia, Alex and Avery.  We have loved watching Ashlie transform from our adorable baby girl into a beautiful young woman (inside and out) and can't wait to watch her grow even older and enter additional stages in her life.  Ashlie, we love you and are so grateful that you are a part of our family!!!  We are so proud of you!

Ashlie has loved going to Young Women's the last couple of weeks and now she can wear makeup without having to put it on at school (as if I didn't know!). 

Here are TONS of pictures from her 3 birthday parties:

From the party at Grandma & Grandpa Jacksons...

Ashlie's Aunt Christine, Uncle Scott, Cousins Nick and Megan and little bro., Avery:

Grandpa Jackson with little Avery

From Ashlie's friend party:

 

I made this cake

 

Twister championships took place at our house

Isn't she beautiful?

Ashlie was super nice to let her siblings stay through her party.

 

 

 From Ashlie's Miller birthday party at Justin & Krista's on Thanksgiving Day (her actual birthday):

 Aunt Aubrey & Uncle Steve

 Grandpa Miller & Max

 Aunt Krista - host extraordinaire

 The kids put on a show, complete with costumes!

 Asher, Alex & Josh

 Uncle Justin took one of the turkeys somewhere to be smoked.  I understand it was very tasty!

So dang cute! (I'll post about his scraped up face later)

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday!  

Here are some of my favorite things about my mom:

• She's not afraid to try new things.
• She's always learning new things (she's way more computer-savvy than I am!).
• She is always willing to help when asked.
• She has let many of us kids and our families live with her at different times in our adult lives. 
• She feeds us dinner whenever we're there near dinnertime and about once a month on Sundays.  It's quite a production to feed that many people.  And she's an AWESOME cook.  She can always whip something up even when there is next to nothing in the pantry!
• She made soup for my Primary dinner so I wouldn't have to!
• She plays games with her grandkids and listens to what they have to say.
• She's grateful when people help her.
• She doesn't set her heart on material things.
• She's an amazing teacher - right now she teaches Gospel Doctrine (Old Testament) and she has always been a great Relief Society teacher.
• She's a hard worker.  
• She's interested in and has spent a lot of time working on family history.
• She plans activities for the kids and grandkids to do together for family bonding.
• I'm sure there are many, many more things I can list, but I've got to get Avery down for his nap now!

Thanks for being so wonderful, Mom.  I am so glad you're my mom and that you raised me the way you did.  I'm grateful for the part you play in my childrens' lives and for raising me in the gospel.  You're the BEST!

 

 

 

Worth Watching

Just 4 1/2 minutes long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE

Expanding Your Business

The story is told of a small boat owner whose business consists of taking wealthy tourists out on day-long fishing expeditions in his boat. He loves the ocean, the sky, the relaxed activity of fishing, and meeting new and interesting people each day. Near the end of one such happy day his happy client, an accomplished businessman, tells him that he should get another boat, double his income, and eventually grow his business into several boats.

"Why would I want to do that?" he asks. The businessman replies: "So you can make a lot more money!" "Why would I want to make a lot more money--especially since with all those boats I'd have to hire and train and supervise other tour guides, run a payroll and manage a thousand other details?" the boat owner inquires. "Well, that's how you grow your business," the executive says.

 

"Why would I want to grow my business?" the man persists. A little exasperated, the business leader explains: "Then you can invest, earn a lot of money, and have the freedom to do what you want!" The client's words hang in the air as he finally absorbs the obvious truth. The small entrepreneur smiles and says, "That is what I already do every day."

How many of us have all the elements of a truly ideal life available to us right in our homes--but fail to notice because we are consistently in search of ... something ... else? What if you couldn't have anything more/different than you do right now? Would you be happy? Could you be? Or more to the point, how would you alter your approach so that what you have right now would make you the happiest person alive? Is there any chance that everything you need to live your dream life is right there in your home and family right now?

This post was written, in its entirety, by Oliver DeMille, but the original title is "The Parable of the Fisherman".