Beautiful memories...

William turned 6 on the 22nd.  WOW!  6.  I remember the Christmas Eve that I got to bring him home like it was yesterday.  He has gotten so big and I am so honored to be his mom.  A lot has happened in his short 6 years and I sincerely hope that the next 6 are full of just as many crazy beautiful memories.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my William!

 He went out with Dad the night before to a Jazz game and got this jersey.  He also got 2 autographs on it!  Love the smile.

 Standing by his decorated door. 

 Opening presents at 630 in the morning!

 Silly faces!

Star Wars robe!

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THEN CAME CHRISTMAS!

~Spence Family Christmas party at Roger and Megan's.

~Pajama party at Grandma and Papa's on Christmas Eve, including our annual visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus

~Christmas Day dinner at my home.

It came went left too quickly.  I love this time of year and try to make it stretch, but never seem to be able to. At some point the decorations have to come down and the spirit of the season goes away with the dawning of a new year.  We had church on Christmas Day this year and I loved it!  I wish we could go to church every Christmas. When I was little, we would go to my grandma's church for midnight mass.  It was full of the story of Christmas and beautiful music.  This year was no different, church filled my heart with beautiful music and reminded us that Christmas morning is NOT about the presents, but the presence... of Christ in our lives.  This was the message from our bishop this year.  I am actively writing down my new years resolutions and remembering the true meaning of Christmas and cherishing it throughout the year will be one of them.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and here's to a fabulous New Year!

 My uncles Rob, Dave, Kurt, Brad and Roger

 B and me... this house brings back so many memories!  Thank you Roger and Megan!

 Making Gingerbread "outhouses" with the cousins!

 Impromptu Feliz Navidad with the parents!

 SANTA!

Christmas Morning!

Nutcracker...

This week, Mara and I went to see Ballet West's The Nutcracker.  It's been a couple of years since I have seen it, but it is just as I remembered it.  I used to go every year growing up.  Mara LOVED it!  Her favorite part was of course, "The woman (or should we say man) with lots of kids and a really big dress."   My favorite are the russian guys!  And of course I loved dressing up and spending this evening with her.  I adore her and I adore the music and beautiful dancing.  It is so much fun and I hope to carry on this tradition with my family.

 At dinner with Mara. Olive Garden of course!  (It's her favorite.)

9 rows from the stage, right in the center!  Best seats ever!

The lights...

We visited Temple Square for FHE with our dear friends this past week.  I love coming downtown to see the lights.  It reminds me of my childhood.  I LOVED this place!  Still do!  I used to walk in and squint my eyes so all of the lights looke blurry and somehow more magical.  I taught my kids how to do this this year and they loved it.  The weather was perfect, not too cold, not too warm... BUT, if I would have had it my way, I would have made it snow.  Still, it couldn't have been much more perfect.

 The kids were so excited to see Jospeh Smith.  I love how William is hanging on his leg.

 B with all the lights.  I hadn't figured out the perfect camera settings and he was my guinea pig for the moment.  HAHA. 

 Some of the kids!

 This shot of the temple actually turned out! YAY!

 The kids love seeing the Nativity.  Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus.

 The shepards...

 and last but not, least The 3 Kings with the temple in the back.  Pretty cool. 

 As always, you need to go in to get warm and see "the Jesus", as my kids call it.

 Here are our dear friends!  This pic turned out pretty cute!   LOVE THEM!

 And then there is us... William was upset and of course Mara had her eyes closed, but at least it shows we were there!

 Last but not least, E and Me!  Love her like crazy!  Thanks for coming E and putting up with the crazy Elggren's!

 Oh ya, silly faces!

Why do the tongues always come out on silly faces?!  Just sayin...

Gift from a friend...

I received this gift from a dear friend.  It came in the mail, because she lives too far away to deliver it in person!  BUT, this gift is proof that she knows me all too well! 

Love you and miss you SC!

I needed a good laugh...

I am totally, completely and absolutely addicted to pinterest.  I needed a good laugh today and this is what I got.  I don't know about anyone else, but I think these are funny!

I know, I'm a Harry Potter dork....Have a wonderful day!

We Can Live with God Again

I have been thinking. A lot lately. There is a lot of uncertainty in our life right now. I try to put on a good face, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared for the future. A friend of my posted this on FB and as I watched it, it not only renewed my faith, but also my hope that this life is so temporary and eternity is where I want to be with my family. So, if you haven't seen this, watch it and grab a kleenex.

If you just believe...

Mara has been taking piano now for a year.  She LOVES her teacher so much, that she calls her Grandma.  This name is extremely appropriate for this amazing woman who has not only been a mother to me, BUT a grandmother to my children.  I LOVE her and I am so glad she is in my life. 

(Shar and Mara after the recital.)

Mara had her 1st piano recital 3 days ago.  She did FANTASTIC!  She struggled the weeks leading upto the program.  She told me over and over that she couldn't do it.  "I just can't do it!"

"It's too hard."  "I don't know how."  These were phrases that I heard over and over again,

until....

We randomly stopped by Shar's house one day. Mara had been practiving her part, but had absolutely NO confidence that she could play it.  Shar asked if she could hear what she had been practicing.  Mara was a little hesitant to play, but she sat down at the piano and proceeded to play the ENTIRE song, memorized without ONE mistatke.  I sat there amazed.  I think it shocked Mara too.  Not because she did it, but because we had NO idea she had it memorized, let alone could play it so well.  Shar and I were in shock.  Just a week earlier, we both were concerned that it wasn't going to happen. She was digressing.

Well, I pleased to say that not only did Mara do her first piano recital, but she did it with confidence.  At one point before she went on stage, B looked at her and said, "Are you ok?!  I'm nervous for you!"  She confidentatly looked at her Dad and said, "Dad, it's ok, I got this!  I can do it!"  And she did just that. 

I am so proud of her.  She came home that night so happy with herself! As I tucked her into bed, she looked up at me and said, "Mom, I think I can do anything if I just belive."  I think she was still smiling in her sleep that night. 
WE LOVE YOU MARA!

This is how I feel right at this moment...

I feel uplifted, yet vulnerable. 
I want to crawl out of my skin because it always hurts and I don't know why.
I HATE my oily skin and cannot find a product to help it.
I need a weave, but my poor hairstylist is out for 6 months or so because of a horrible car accident.  Bless her heart!
Every time I take in a deep breath, my back pops.  Do you think I need to go to the Chiropractor?!
I DON'T want to cook dinner tonight, so I won't. Sorry B.
I'm so excited for Mara's piano recital tonight!  GO MARA!  AND GO SHAR!
I wish I could drop into the splits and do cartwheels anytime I wanted too, just like Mara.
I missed my sis in law's birthday, so I feel like a total loser.
I really really really need it to snow.  It's good for my soul.  The sun has a tendency to depress me.
I LOVE my primary kids.  They make me want to cry for joy when I see them!
I wish I had a magic wand or a genie with a lamp, because all I would wish for is to have a healthy husband for his sake more than mine.
I want to give my friend a HUGE hug and tell her I would LOVE to be a mom just like her and have my kids be just like her kids... but NOT in a single white female sort of way... :)
I have to play Mary in a Christmas program tomorrow night and I haven't even seen the stage, but I'm told it will be spiritual.... we'll see.
I keep baking everything I see on pinterest!  People, STOP BEING SO CREATIVE it's making me FAT!
I am holding my family a little tighter and a lot longer this holiday season.  Taking in EVERY moment!
I made the yummiest cake again last night...
I would love to go back to bed, but I can't... sigh
And, right now I feel like I have to say sorry to whoever is reading this... It's all over the place and not so uplifting.  That's just another thing I need work on!
Enjoy your day.

Because I don't want to forget...

My kids have been saying a lot of funny stuff over the last week and I know that if I don't write it down, I will forget what they said, so here go's!

William-

 (After throwing a baby shower for a friend), Willliam came upstaris after everyone left and said, "But Mom, I thought you were going to give a baby bath, but I didn't see any water!"

OR, after church the other day, he came home singing "scripture power keeps me safe from sin... Mom, who is sin?!"

AND, I love the way he says "goose what mom?!" Instead of guess what?

Anna-

She woke up the other day to no snow and said, "Really sun again?!  Excuse me sun, can you please go away so it can snow?!"  (Yep, she's mine!)

AND, the BEST, She woke up one morning and came straight up to me and said, "Mom, when I get older, I am going to marry Jack Black, he knows how to do eveything.  Is that ok with you?!"  ummmmm..... I still don't know what to say to this one!