My Favorite Things Continued...

A few more favorites from the trip

Favortie #14
Chasing Chickens

Watching Evan chase a chicken for over a half an hour at sundown, because I told the boys it was okay to open the door to the chicken coop (oops)...only to have my mother tell us afterward they would have gone in themselves as soon as it got dark....oh brother...at least Evan mastered his fear of grabbing a chicken.

Favorite #15

Bringing Porky's favorite book to life with Grandpa...See last page of "There's an Alligator under my bed" to understand.  So cute.

Favorite #16
Making Grandpa an angry bird hat.  Enabling him to act out his new favorite game with the grandkids as piggies.

Favorite #17
Learning Amazing Photoshop tricks from my sister Jessie...like this fine art template one...that I loved so much I tried over and over and over and old pictures I've taken.





Favorite #18
Pom Poms...lots of pom, poms. And overal, helping my mother with wedding preparations.

Favortie #19
Have you ever seen an ear do that...me either.  I had to hold in my giggles, and show Jessie...before flicking it back to proper ear position.

Favorite #20
Karaoke Nights at Mom & Dad's.  Being Barbra with Jessie as my Celine...good times.  At least we think we're funny. (once again, no picture. too busy singing)

Favorite #21
Meeting up with old friends.  So glad these guys were still in town and that we got to meet up a couple times amidst travel, family and sickness on both sides.

Favorite #22
Swimming at Green Canyon, remembering when I was little and showing my grandparents cool tricks (like holding my breath under water)...then watching my children repeat history, so nastalgic.
I wish I had a picture but I didn't take any because I was in the water.

Favorite Things Continued...

Favorite #23
Gingerbread Houses with the cousins

Favorite #24
Sitting on Santa's Lap at Grandpa's Company Party
Not only did they get to tell Santa what they wanted, they got free pizza and got to pick out a toy when they left.  So fun!

Santa questioning Caleb on his Halloween Socks...wrong holiday!

Favorite #25
Tracking Santa's Progress on NORAD...

Favorite Things Continued...

Favorite #26
Having the whole family together

Favorite #35 thru Favorite #27
Crochet Hats for Nieces and Nephews
http://www.littlemoeboutique.blogspot.com/2012/01/ive-been-busy-and-still-going-strong.html

Favorite #36
Teaching my child to iceskate

Really I just dragged him around on the ice with his cute little training skates on but it was a nostalgic moment.

Favorite #37
Shortbread Cookies
http://simplyspicedrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-mothers-amazing-marion-berry-butter.html

 Favorite #38
Pinochle...If you don't know the game you won't appreciate the picture below...if you do play the game you know why I had to take a picture of it...may never happen to me again!  One hand over 1500 points!

Favorite #39
Hockey Game!

Favorite #41
Singing Christmas Songs at the Local Grocery Store
It sounds a little strange I guess but its sort of become a tradition. Half of my family has at one point worked at the local grocery store and at Christmas they have live music in the produce section of the store...and this year we got to be a part of it.  Nothing like singing over citrus with you sister to get you in the Christmas spirit!

 Those lovely worker ladies working on fruit baskets are my momma and sister too!

Favorite #42
Cold Stone Party at Grandma's

Favorite Things Continued

Favorite #43
Christmas Eve PJs
Go.Huskers.

Favorite #44
Singing "The Nativity Song"
I have loved this song since my mission and it was so fun to sing it while showing the story with a beautiful book of Simon Dewey art.

Favorite #45

Children's Live Nativity

My oldest was asked to be a shepherd and my youngest (due to his love for imitating animals) was asked to be the donkey that came with Joseph & Mary...so I just had to make him a little costume.

Favorite #46

Christmas Programs

Favorite #47

Spreading the Love of Homemade Raviolis

I did the math the other day--since I've been with family this past month I've helped make over 1000 raviolis...and loved every crazy minute of it.

for recipe go to http://www.simplyspicedrecipes.blogspot.com/

These are a few of my favorite things...

My sister asked the question "why do they play the song 'These are a few of my favorite things', from the Sound of Music, at Christmas time???". 

In our case at least, being in Idaho for Christmas has brought us closer to some of our favorite things.  Here are just a few:

Favorite #50
Life on a farm--loving the animals

visiting the "calveys"

Petting the Sammy

Feeding the Chickens and Duckeys--and especially gathering the eggs

Loving the kitties

alittle too much....

teasing the horses with bits of hay

Favorite #49

Staring Endlessly at Grandpa's Christmas Lights

 Favorite #48
Spray-the-Pond Duty with Grandpa

REJOICE with those that REJOICE

Its November!  We are loving the fall time in Nebraska.  The leaves are so beautiful, there are so many sunny bright days.  Its just good for the soul.  This time of year we all make our best attempt to count our blessings and be grateful.  I just wanted to share something that has been on my mind of the past few months that has been really helpful to me.  When we first moved here a relative of my husband invited me to attend a Young Mothers Get Together at the church that she attends.  The whole thing was very similar to a Relief Society Meeting that we do in the LDS church.  The lady who spoke addressed the subject of "Comparisons".  After the lesson all the women divided up into groups and discussed what had been taught.  As the women shared there own struggles with comparison I was very impressed to hear the ways they tried to overcome the temptation to compare.  One of the ladies there made this comment:

As Christians we know we are suppose to Mourn with those that Mourn, but sometimes we find it very difficult to Rejoice with those that Rejoice.  

When our best friend next door tells us their husband got a better job and they're moving, instead of Rejoicing with them in their great new opportunity, we tend to first feel self pity that our friend is leaving.  We turn inward and feel bitterness or envy when we hear that someone else is being blessed and not us.  Its difficult to truly and genuinely rejoice for a friend who announces she is getting married when you are still single and long for marriage, or having a baby when you have been trying for years and can't.  Its hard to feel genuinely happy for a friend who has a beautiful home and is well established when you are still living in an apartment with mismatched furniture.  We tend to compare first when someone shares a new talent their child has developed...we first ask the questions "does my child know how to do that" and that comparision gets in the way of sincere rejoicing in the good things happening in the lives of those we love.  Its a challenge, one that I know the Lord really wants us to take on, to Rejoice with those that Rejoice!  I have really taken that in and I think about it all the time.  When I, out of habit, want to compare with those around me that phrase runs through my mind "Rejoice with those that Rejoice McKenzie!".  Be happy for the good happening in the lives of the people you love without sizing it up to your own situation for comparison.  I think its a liberating concept and with Thanksgiving coming up I know it has led me to have a more grateful heart.

Halloween