Christmas Traditions

I posted this on someone else's blog, but after I started writing, I decided I should post on my own as well.. Some people feel that Santa shouldn't be celebrated at Christmastime, because he takes away from Jesus...

While I do agree that Santa should not get all the credit at Christmas time, I don't feel that he should be omitted completely...

What my husband and I do each year is this- Christmas Eve we have a "birthday party" complete with a birthday cake.. for Jesus (Corny I know, but the kids love it!!) (We also set out carrots on our roof for the reindeer..)

Then the next morning... The kids each get their stocking, filled by "Santa" with socks, a new toothbrush, a few toys, and some candy.. Then they get to see our tree. In front of our fireplace, we place ONE gift for each child, not wrapped, from santa. Everything else is from us, so we get the credit we deserve, while they are still able to believe. And here is why I think they should believe in Santa...

When I was a child, I believed in Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, etc... When I was in 3rd Grade, (a few weeks before Easter) I went to my mom with a simple question, expecting a simple answer. I asked, "Mom, if Easter is supposed to be about Jesus, why is there an Easter Bunny?" She called my older brother (Who also still believed)into the room and said, "We need to talk. Santa Clause isn't real." She went on to explain that all of the child traditions I was used to were, in fact, make believe. I remember wishing that I never asked.. I was the second of six children. That year, we had to do a separate egg hunt that was REALLY hard!! and everyone else in my family got to do the normal one. We had to pretend, for the younger kids, that we still believed in Santa, or we wouldn't get our gift from him... when Honestly, I just wished I DID still believe.

My honest opinion is-let them be kids as long as they can!! It is getting more and more difficult to maintain "childhood innocence"... and as long as other kids his age believe it, he should be able to also. You can always choose to tell him later...

Thanksgiving

Wow. Four years ago the holidays took on a new meaning for my family and me. Sometimes I feel like it was just yesterday... Living in a 2 bedroom house with my family of 8... No electricity-which also meant no fridge, no microwave, no oven, of course no washer OR dryer... We put our milk outside the back door to keep it cold, and ate food that had to be room temperature for every meal. Our christmas tree in the front room was barely visible, because there were no lights to brighten it up... I was a Senior in High School, and had to do my hair and makeup in the rear view mirror of my car.. (forget popularity.. not an option..) This could have easily been labeled the worst thanksgiving EVER, but at the same time, I learned a lot. Gratitude-for the people i worked with at the hospital.. for being kind enough to deliver an entire Thanksgiving dinner to my doorstep.. Friendship-for a family living in such tight quarters, it would be impossible not to interact with eachother.. Compassion-for the many families that were also in need that year.. Appreciation-for the simple things that I overlooked before.. I could go on and on, but what I am really getting at here- is that sometimes the hardest times a person may face may eventually be the ones you remember the most. Simple things like hanging Christmas lights now hold a special meaning to me...

I wrote a christmas poem in 2002, but it wasn't until 2005 that I could really apply it to my own life.. I am writing it all from memory, so I'm sure I am missing something, but here it is anyway..

The Truth About Christmas

What does Christmas really mean? What is it all about?
Is it the Christmas carols we sing, or the mistletoe that is hung out?
Is it about Saint Nicholas, or the presents in his sleigh?
Is it the places we go shopping, each and every day?
When you wake up Christmas morning, what are you excited for?
Is it the presents you hoped were left, or the snow outside your door?
Christmas isn't only that.. it is also so much more..
It is about family, and giving to the poor..
Christmas is for kindly deeds, and being near those you love..
It is about forgiveness and thinking of God above.
If it weren't for our loved ones, then what would be the use-
of drinking warm Hot Chocolate, and putting lights up on your roof?
Most of all, we must NEVER forget, the reason this came to be.
God's son, Jesus Christ, was born. A miracle for all to see.
He was born to a virgin mother, and wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Three wise men came to visit him, bringing Frankincense, Myrrh, and Gold.
Think of all he gave for us, it was MORE than just his death.
Jesus gave his entire LIFE, just to help us pass our "test".
So when you think of Christmas, think of those you love on earth.
But also think of Jesus Christ, and the meaning of his birth.

Maddi's Hair

Ok.. my daughter's hair is no more than one inch long.. I have done little ponytails before, but even then she always fights to get away.... But today we had a breakthrough!! Not only did she let me do her hair with FIVE ponytails, but she also sat there happily READING her little story..

It was upside down, but she knew exactly what she was saying :) I guess it really ISN'T ever too early to start reading! Huh... (Oh... and don't mind her nose.. she has this little sore from having a runny nose... I promise i didn't forget to wipe it :)

Gabe's Tooth

So, Gabriel finally lost his first tooth!! He told me the other day that it was feeling a little loose, so I "added to his chore list" that he would keep wiggling it. (The kids do so much better with tasks if they affect their allowance, haha) Yesterday when I picked him up from school, he grinned and asked "Hey Bre, do you notice anything different about me?!" Of course, I immediately noticed that his tooth was missing... He said he lost it just After his school pictures were taken... and they sent him to the office for a cute little treasure box to put the tooth in! I never would have thought the school would have something like that.. very cute :) At one point that day, he dropped the tooth in the hallway at school, and offered a quarter to anyone that could find it... Typical Gabe, offering money-I swear that boy will one day run a bank or something lol... The lucky quarter winner happened to be his teacher! :)

He carried his little box around everywhere for the rest of the day... including on our shopping trip to Smith's, where he "checked on" the tooth, and it dropped to the floor... again. This time, it was impossible to find, though he did enlist the help of two employees... Customer Satisfaction, right?! LOL... but we eventually gave up and headed home... When Gabriel was supposed to be working on homework, he ended up writing a letter to the Tooth Fairy instead.. If my scanner worked right now, I would upload the picture.. it's very cute-and even includes the long e, short e marks above the letters.. But, this is what it says..

Der toothfere
I Lost a tooth and Lost.
I lost in my school now Lost In smieths.
Ples to get this not.

to: toothFere
From: gabriel

Of course, it made more sense when he read it to me, but it was just adorable.. Then this morning, he didn't think that the Tooth Fairy came, because his note was still under his pillow.. (she probably couldn't get it out without waking him up ;) so he didn't even look for anything else... I told him to check again, and he was able to find it.. He came running out, saying "She read the letter!! She found my tooth at Smith's and changed it into a dollar! I guess she really IS real!" Priceless...

Our Story

Ok, I was told to tell a little bit about my family.. so here it is.....

I graduated High School in 2005. Upon graduation, I moved to Orem to attend UVSC (which is now UVU) to study Sociology and Psychology. I decided after a bit of schooling that I wanted to take a "one year break" and become a nanny, which is a dream I have had since childhood. I spent a while in New Jersey, working for a Professional Football Player and his family. I loved the time I spent there, but decided that it made more sense for me to be looking to start a family of my own, rather than temporarily raising someone else's. I moved back home and juggled back and forth between Vernal and Provo until I started dating Stewart. (I haven't made it back to college yet, but I still have the goal set to eventually obtain my Bachelor's.)

Stewart and I have known eachother since 2002 or 2003. We worked together at Smith's-though we didn't start dating until November of 2006. I moved back to Vernal in January of 2007, after realizing that the long distance relationship thing wasn't right for us. I have been back in Vernal ever since, sometimes missing the carefree life I once had, other times feeling so blessed that the next chapter in my life has finally begun!

Stewart has two children from his previous marriage. Gabriel is now 7, and Morgan is 5. Stewart is a father unlike any other. He cares so much for his children, and wants to spend every moment he is not working with them. We have shared custody with their mother-3 days a week, with alternating Mondays-and he would even get the kids for a few hours on the days they were with their mom. (They have been living with us Full Time since April :), which is why I use past-tense to talk about it.)

Stewart and I married on July 11th, 2008.

Anyone that knows me well at all, knows that I have had health issues since I was a teenager. I was told, at 17 years old, that I was infertile and had little to no chance to ever have a baby. It even went so far that when I was 21, the doctor wanted to "shut down my ovaries", to end the pain I endured on a regular basis. (For example, I would pass out at work, and sometimes I would have to sit in a near-boiling hot bath until my muscles went numb, just so I could sleep...) I had a big decision on my hands, and decided it was not something I was ready to do. About a year later, I learned that I was PREGNANT.

Madilynn was born November 7th, 2008. She is often called my "Miracle Baby", and she has been nothing short of that. She is such a doll! Everyone says that she is the spitting image of me when I was a baby, and she is SUCH a momma's girl right now.. Though that makes things a little difficult sometimes, I wouldn't want it any other way...

Though the economy is bad right now, we have been fortunate enough to buy a new house! We moved in April, and are now "First Time Home Owners", though it will be another 30 years before that actually happens :)

Gabriel and Morgan have lived with us since April. Though we have all had to make some adjustments, it has been great... and they have loved having their own rooms in our new house! They are both going to Maeser Elementary this year, and it seems to be a great fit for them. And Madilynn is always SO excited when we pick them up from school! You can definitely tell that she knows where she belongs :) This year has brought us lots of changes, and we welcome them! Hope this helps you get to know us a little better, though I am sure its not really "news" to most of you :) I am going to bed! I promise this time it won't be too long before I post again!

New Addition to the Family!

We got a new puppy!! He is a pug, and about 4 months old... I had no idea what I was getting myself into... he is a lot of work... but now he has become a part of the family and we all love him! His name is Leo, like my favorite artist-Leonardo DiVinci... or you can call him Nard Dog if you are a fan of The Office :)

Okay... so i decided that the hair do's needed their own page.. so i won't be posting them on this one anymore... like i said.. i have a lot of catching up to do!!

I just got a computer for my birthday, and I have so much to do to get this blog started! I have so much to write about, and soooo many pictures to post!!

First off, I have gotten ideas for little girl's hairstyles from tons of websites! I try to do something different all the time! And with all the compliments and questions, I have promised to post some of the pictures. If there is interest, I may start taking pictures of step by step instructions... So, if you like what you see, please let me know!!

These are a few of the hairstyles I have done on Morgan! I will add links to my favorite sites when I find out how! :)

First Blog

blogging is very new to me.. so i hope i dont have any followers until i can get all the kinks worked out :)