The Six of Us

As I look over the past year I am overwhelmed.  We had a good year but there are so many around us suffering.   I have a sibling whose life really spun out of control at a rate I would have never known possible.  We had friends who lost their parents and my dad battled cancer.  But over all we had a pretty amazing year.  There was Andrew and a motorcycle trip for Lee.  I have two kids who are physically able to play sports.  They are doing well in school.  Lee found a job.  We always had enough food on the table and a roof over our children's head.  We went to Lagoon.  But we were blessed so much this year not with things but with people.  We have the most amazing friends.  I know everybody says it but I really mean it.  Our friends rock.  They are our rock when things are going horrible wrong.  They laugh and cry with us.  Lee is able to call extended family his friends to which I am so blessed. At the end of this year I look back and think...WOW WHAT A RIDE!!!! 

It has been an emotionally draining week.  I feel as though my kids got neglected but we all survived.  Tomorrow we have friends coming into town and the house isn't clean and I really don't care.  This is the first time in several years we will be spending New Year's here I am super excited to be celebrating with friends.  We will go up to Kamiah in a few weeks so that should make up for us not being there for the holidays.  My trip to Salt Lake was emotionally draining and I question if we did the right thing.  Time will tell.  I am so grateful for an amazing supportive husband who picks up the slack. Christmas was good.  I will post some pictures when I get around to it.  I was thinking about my goals for 2013 and honestly there are so many things that I want to do that I think we will run out of time but I like to plan big.  I have a few days before I will post that.  I am looking forward to a new year and new adventures.  I love that my kids are getting older and

So I have been following the blog of a mom with twins.  She is super amazing.  Anyway she is giving away little green pouches.  Which seem pretty cool for our road trip this summer.  Feel free to check it out.  http://bjmangelson.blogspot.com/2012/12/little-green-pouch.html I know there is a way to make it so one word links you to the blog but I don't have the time to figure it out tonight.  :)

Raking Leaves at Grandma and Grandpa's Sword fighting with cousins in Utah Sledding in Utah Annual Thanksgiving Football Game Lost tooth on our Utah trip. All she wants for Christmas... After dinner nap Turkey butt and a blanket from my anut Dancing at the Festival Of Trees Repeat My Birthday Dinner-Kids Table BUNNIES!!! Friends and Kids Don't look at the numbers ;) More Sledding What a month to be Thankful!!!  Lots of good times with lots of great people!

Today as I watched Andrew be blessed by his father I was overwhelmed by the men who were standing there surrounding my son.  Every one was a relative and every one is an amazing man.  I am so blessed to live where we do so extended family can attend things like blessing and in a few months baptisms.  I feel so honored to have these people in my life.  Their wives are pretty amazing as well.  I am grateful for the blessing he received.  Lee didn't do the chronically blessing (school, mission spouse, children etc) instead Lee blessed him love.  Love from our Heavenly Father and love from family.  It was one of the shorter blessings I have heard but it was what I think Andrew (and all of us) need is love.  It was a reminder that even though we may not feel it at the time our Heavenly Father loves us.  Our friends came who are not LDS.  They also stayed to help us clean the kitchen after everybody left.  I am always impressed by the support they show us although they are not our re