Missing Someone

This is my wonderful Grandma, Maxene Livingston. I came across this picture of her and Elle. I love this picture for the way that it communicates how much Grandma cares for her posterity. It's also a timeless moment between someone not even one year old and someone nearly a century old. Elle's middle name is Maxene, after Grandma. It's interesting, because at the time we named her, we didn't know much about her personality yet. In her first three years, she's displayed many characteristics that Grandma also possessed. Their pictures as toddlers are also very similar, dark curls included. Elle is a very determined and fiery little girl who isn't afraid to tell you what she thinks. Sound like someone else we know? I remember Grandma's ability to be so happy, she would giggle and be carefree, but if you did something that went against what was the obvious right choice or the gospel, you'd be made aware. Grandma was one of the most talented and giving people I've ever had the privilege to know. Her example will never be forgotten. She passed away this June at the age of 100, still living on her own, in her home that Grandpa built for her. She would've been 101 this last August. The biggest influence I will continue to feel is her unshakable testimony. Thank you to Grandma for instilling in all of us a sense of worth and knowledge of Heavenly Father's presence. Love you always.

! Happy Birthday !

We Hope you have a

GREAT BIRTHDAY GRANDMA MARY!!

We love you so much and are so grateful to have you for a Mom, Grandma and Friend.

You're a great example to us and we hope you know

how awesome you are and how proud we are of you!

Celebrate today!!

You're one of the best people we know, and one of the most loved! Thanks for all you do for us, we love you...

Happy Birthday

Is this normal?

I was napping on the couch last Sunday and Reese woke me up to show me what he drew on the etch i sketch... I was a little shocked. He said it was a submarine... I don't know what the future holds for my little Reesey, and I know I'm biased, but I tried to duplicate this drawing and couldn't even come close! and I feel like I'm pretty artistically inclined! The crazy thing I couldn't figure out was how he did it without any mistake lines showing up... or even the line that he started from. Reese is always surprising me.. Elle is now officially a sunbeam... I was worried when her best friend Emmie wasn't in her new class but she's surprised me and has loved her new class with no problems, she especially likes singing time.. This is a picture from her first Sunday in Primary.
Well, I've finally got the trees down.. I always hesitate taking them down, I love the feeling they give the house and maybe the real issue is I love that this is the one season set aside to focus on the Savior. I miss all the Christmas music being on the radio, I'm one of those crazy people who loves when it comes on the day after Halloween, it's so nice to hear all the songs about Christ. Farewell till next year all my fun decorations!

!! Account Salesman of the Year !!

I would like to take this chance to brag about my wonderful, hard-working husband, Sam. I know he won't necessarily share his great accomplishment this year with anyone except our parents and Grandparents... so I've decided to be the shameless one and tell everyone we know! (or at least everyone who reads this blog..) Sam was named Account Salesman of the Year at his work. He has worked incredibly hard and has earned every bit of this hard-won title. Toward the end of the year we weren't sure he'd make his goals and yet he was blessed so greatly by Heavenly Father and was able to use his dedication along with Heavenly Father's help and answered prayers to accomplish what he was trying for. I'm so proud of him, he really is an amazing Husband, Father, Son, Friend, and most importantly my best friend. Congratulations, honey. You deserve it!

Along with his accomplishments, he separately qualified for "President's Club", this is a trip that's given as a reward for getting sales beyond the yearly quotas. This year the trip is to New Zealand!! I know, it feels weird just saying it. It will be an opportunity of a lifetime, and we are so grateful for the amazing blessings that have been given to us. I don't know why we have recieved these blessings, but we feel very humbled. I also feel like the luckiest girl in the world, because we will happen to be there on my birthday!

I didn't know very much about it so I decided to look it up. New Zealand is the island southeast of Australia. It's amazingly diverse and is where they filmed all of the Lord of The Rings movies, among many others. It's so amazing to think of how many beautiful places there are on this earth! What a blessing we enjoy living here with Heavenly Father's countless creations.

! Happy New Year !

Today we went to a "bounce house" with our good friends the Browns and the Hoopes. We try to get together each year around New Year's, this was the location this year,

thanks for a great pick Jen! This was a party room called the "bug box"

Reese and Sidnee, the best of buddies.

The girls, friends since they were babies, they're getting so big!

The kids had an absolute blast and I was really impressed with the place.

Love you guys!

Later that night.......

We had our good friend's the Johnsons and the Corbetts over to celebrate the night away and party like it was 2009!
I'm sure our neighbors loved us for it, but we just couldn't resist a little fireworks and mischief....

Yikes, you'll burn your finger off!

My Lovely Friend Andrea jumping around with glee...

The Night Crew:

Audrey, Reagan, Emmie, Elle, Reese, and Morgan

Also not pictured...Jackson, Darby, and Rhyan

The heavy artillery..

We knew it was time to go back inside when Sam started reverting back to his old ways and dropping firecrackers near people's feet... (mostly just by Matt and McKay, and me, only once..)

**Merry Chistmas**

Looking Bright eyed and bushy tailed (mostly), Grandma and Grandpa sit back to watch the show.

6:50 am.

Grandma Mary is continuing the early influencing with Elle, these are her first ballet slippers, I think Audrey got a pair when she was two.
The Girls talking on the phone with Grandma Nyleen and Grandpa Ladd, Also trying out Audrey's new cupcake making contraption. Sam knows how much I appreciate a pretty present, he did a great job on this one, so I thought I'd show off his handy work. Cute Hat that Sam got me, I love seeing the things that other people pick out! I thought this was really cute and fun. Santa sure knew what he was doing leaving these Chocolate covered strawberries in my stocking.... So good...
The Family Tradition: Breakfast pizza. Consists of crescent roll dough pressed into bottom of the pan topped with sliced Swiss, scrambled egg and cooked bacon pieces. It's so good and we only make it on Christmas. Sam grew up eating this one.
Everyone was happily settled into playing by mid morning. Reese got three large Lego sets, so we all took turns overseeing the building projects.Grandpa humored Elle and played My Little Ponies in the toy room. The wall looks like that because it's just drywall and we let them be creative with it, so before you begin wondering how well I watch my kids.., don't worry, I put them up to it!A little girl and her baby doll, it doesn't take much to please her. So cute.
Hope everyone had a wonderful relaxed day!! Merry Christmas.

You better watch out...

All the kids decided to sleep together in Reese's room, the look on Elle's face about sums it up. The kids were all so excited. We did our tradition of cooking sugar cookies only this year we got to do it with Grandma Mary and Grandpa Tony.

Here's the note and cookies for Santa, this is the first year I can remember that Audrey hasn't written some kind of death-bed-repentance note to Santa. I guess she was feeling confident this time.
In front of the tree in their Christmas Eve pajamas, they're about to go out and sprinkle the reindeer food in the lawn to attract Santa's sleigh team. ( consists of glitter and oats ). We had just finished up reading the story of Christ's birth out of the scriptures, then it was off to bed!

Audrey and Grandma Making cookies...

Grandma was good natured enough to be "styled" by Elle, it takes a brave soul to let Elle brush your hair..Relaxing and watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special.I'm not sure how to rotate this video right side up, I think it had to do with the way I was holding the camera. Elle wanted to be the only one singing. Three year-olds can have a pretty good idea about what they want and don't want. The other kids have been pretty good to let her act like she's the big boss.

You might want to pause the playlist to hear Elle's song...

Sam and I grossly underestimated the amount of wrapping we had left on Christmas Eve, we were feeling pretty good and didn't start our work until about 10 'o'clock, by the time all was said and done and we'd cleaned up, it was ....2:00 am..!! Yikes, we knew we'd be in for it the next morning. The kids got up about 4 am, and got Sam's mom, she watched some TV with them and hung out, I'm not sure if they went back to bed or not, but we were all up and at em by 6:50. It's just so exciting when you're a kid.