Our little elf Franklin helped us with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saint's worldwide service challenge to serve as Christ did for 25 days in 25 ways.
Each day there was a different video and scripture of the Savior showing love and serving, and a challenge for us to follow Him.
Here are a couple of things we did during those 25 days.
I wish I would have captured more:
We visited the hospital Dave works at and went caroling.
We had to stop at Akron Children's hospital's famous "ball machine"
It's pretty mesmerizing
These two were melting me that night.
Such a cute pair:)
We brought hot chocolate and thank you notes(made by the kids) to the staff after school at parent pick up.
They help the kids safely into their cars in the freezing cold, and we are extremely grateful to them!
We did many other things such as donating clothes, feeding the homeless, bring meals to people who needed it, and more during the challenge and it really helped us to get into the Christmas spirit.
I love our wooded back yard.
Such a dreamy view from my bedroom window
Snow day!
Paxton loves to sit at the window and watch the big kids.
He had his pointer finger out bossing them around. He meant business:)
Nativity story stones
Easton said, "I am coloring the baby Jesus yellow because he glows bright."
I loved hearing their sweet chatter as they worked on their creations.
Paxton's favorite morning reading nook
I can't believe this is the only picture I got of our annual minivan express night, but it was magical.
It starts with the kids headed to bed for the night, but seeing a ticket on their pillow instead.
They squeal with delight because they know what that means.
We all head to the van(AKA minivan express) for hot chocolate and a drive to look at Christmas lights.
It's one of our favorite Christmas traditions.
This year we started a little late and had one asleep on the ride home.
I needed a minute to finish supper prep and this little activity worked wonders.
Our favorite hot chocolate mugs
Thanks Aunt Anne!
Christmas tree brownies
Date night at the Cav's game.
Trying to squeeze some memories in on Dave's week off.
I love spending time with this handsome guy.
Thanks to some friends, we had box seats...
And floor seats
So fun!
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...
Our tree:
My favorite Christmas decoration was a gift from my Grandma.
Not only is it one of my favorite paintings of all time, but the sweet message and scripture she wrote on the back teach a a powerful message about motherhood:
"Every time I see this picture, I think of D&C 42:38 I feel that as I care for my own children, it is as if I did it for the Lord. Love you! Grandmother Bullock"
It reminds me that when I love, serve, and teach my children, that I am serving and showing love to the Savior and doing His work.
Nothing brings me greater joy than that!
In December, our gift from my parents was a family membership to the city rec center.
It was all the motivation I needed to start exercising for the first time in my life.
I have gone to exercise socially with roommates or friends on occasion, but despite the good example from my parents who have always worked out regularily, I have never felt like following suit:)
Just to give you an idea of what I mean, I still had my running shoes from junior high.
They were starting to fall apart, so after working out regularily for about a month to make sure it would stick, I purchased some new running shoes and exercise clothes.
Exercising has given me a new appreciation for this body of mine.
I am amazed at what it can do, and feel grateful for a strong healthy body that has carried 4 children and helps me to serve, and work and do.
Our bodies truly are a gift!
Hands down our favorite Christmas tradition is watching the nativity video and acting it out as a family. It's always a little chaotic, but for me, it's in the details, like the wise man's gift box/ pencil case, how proud they all were to play their parts, and the baby Jesus who normally likes to explore and not sit still, but saw the manger and voluntarily placed himself in it for the entire reenactment. I love watching their sweet, squishy faces, and wish I could bottle them up and remember moments like this forever!
Christmas morning fell on a Sunday this year and we asked the kids if they wanted to open presents before church or just stockings and save present opening for after.
They all opted to wait!
This is the best we could do with a squirmy, excited baby:)
They got easy bake ovens.
and nerf guns
They had fun target shooting
We had our yearly New Years Eve family home evening party that we usually have the Monday after New Years a little earlier this year because Dave was working nights in the ER.
Homemade Chinese food, unwrapping our family scripture for the year, Dave and talking to the kids about why we chose it, goal setting, and games.
This year,our theme came from Mosiah 18:21, and has to do with knitting our hearts together in unity and love one towards another.
Here's to a year of family, love, unity, and service!
I made this "heart hole" game for us to play.
It's like corn hole, but the kids would name something they could do to knit our hearts together in love before they tossed a bean bag in.
We decided that this year instead of just have a family scripture and memorizing it, and talking about it, that we would ACT on it.
So, each month we have a different love challenge to help our family to show our love for each other.
This one is a service tree.
We did nice things for each other and would leave a heart where we served, then that person would take the heart and put it on our tree.
It filled up nicely!
This challenge was love letter mail boxes.
Sometimes, I liked to peak into each mail box and see what kind things they wrote to each other.
It does my mother heart good to see that they really do love each other.
Also, I love hearing the words, "You've got mail Mom!"
Oaklie and her night time staples: Landy-bear, Emmy doll, and a book.
Sweet dreams Oaklyn Anne!
Sometimes joy school happens for a 2nd time when the older kids get home from school.
Same number, different teams.
I love watching these two brothers play!
He wants to be one of the big kids.
I'd love to know what kind of pre-game advice Pax was sharing:)
My little ballerina
Pax loves the bath, and he just started saying "cheese" for pictures:)
When this guy walks in the door after being gone for 30+ hours, the kids are ecstatic, but no one is happier than me. I miss him on the really busy months. He is always so pleasant even though he is going on little to no sleep. He spends a little time with the kids and I, checks fussy Paxton's ears for and infection, before heading upstairs to get some much needed sleep.
I love him!
Landon's first glasses
I was surprised how much older he looked with them.
He is the sweetest!
Holy homework batman!
Putting their "shiny" on.
Did I mention I love having a girl?
(My old make-up and cream containers washed and filled with dry nail polish and squirts of lotion)
Rubber band balls AKA Landon and Easton's favorite thing to do right now.
Thank you Uncle Jared!
Oaklyn is a great work out buddy!
This girl is the most determined, compassionate, and loving person I have ever met!
When she sets her mind to do something, she works hard and doesn't give up. She has mastered all of her letter sounds and has started to sound out words.
This morning she decided to to learn a few sight words as well and try her hand at a sight word game.
I am so proud of my little reader, but seriously, don't ever call her little:)
Walmart is the best, said no one ever...But borrowing a toy does make it a bit more enjoyable.
My visiting teaching partner "willy wanted" to do the knocking and hold the treats.
Someone in our ward was getting rid of a karaoke machine, and we were more than happy to give it a new home:)
Easton's book presentation on "how to eat an Oreo...the right way".
It pretty much made my heart want to burst into a million tiny pieces.
And it included steps like licking the frosting, using the cookies as eye patches, and then devouring them.
Moments like this take me by surprise and make me catch my breath when I realize he is reading and writing books and growing up so darn fast!
Date night!
Thank you to the kind friend who out of the blue offered to babysit for us.
It was a tender mercy after a busy month!
Valentine's breakfast
Heart shaped Nutella french toast stacks with strawberries and whipped cream...Mmm!
Flowers from Dave.
He planned a date night at home and surprised me with my favorite Thai food.
He knows the way to my heart is through my stomach:)
I love him!
One of the sweetest ladies I know left a Valentine's surprise on our door step for my kids.
She might never know how much it meant to them.
They felt so loved!
Continuing my Mom's tradition of bringing heart shaped pizza to school on Valentine's Day.
Happy happy birthday to my sweet, helpful, hardworking, cookie dough loving husband.
I have been writing in a journal almost every day for about a year now, about how I have seen the hand of God reaching out, guiding and touching our family with his tender mercies.
Recently, as I looked back and read many of my entries, I realized that so very often, my tender mercy for the day was Dave.
Little things he did to teach and lovingly guide our children, or to help me, helped me see God's kindness.
Dave is such a blessing to me, and life is better with him around!
Our countdown to visit my parents in Brazil.
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