What's been making me happy...

Cuddles.  Oh, goodness, I love a good cuddle.  I am not afraid to bribe my boys for a good cuddle session, but on this particular occasion, they required no bribing.  Lucky for me, we did a lot of this over the Christmas break while watching Christmas movies.  I can't think of anything better in the world.

 Tyler.  Some of the things this boy does just makes me happy.  One morning during Christmas break, he put his shoes on and went out for a run.  When he came back I noticed he was carrying something in his hand.  I couldn't quite figure out what it was until he came inside.  It was a kitchen timer.  When I asked him about it, he told me that he wanted to keep track of how long he ran.  Who needs a GPS watch when you can have a kitchen timer?!  So funny!

 My calling.  After being released from Young Women's, I was bummed, but I knew it was time for me to serve in scouts.  It was so great!

 I mean what could be so bad about a calling where this is totally acceptable.  Love those boys, and miss them as now I have a new calling.  I didn't get to serve in there for nearly long enough, and seeing as my new calling is waaaaay over my head, I wish I could go back to scouts.  It was much more manageable   

 Family fun night.  Lately we've been watching episodes of Cake Boss on Netflix.  John had seen enough fondant creations that he was pretty sure he could do it himself.  So, instead of making a cake to decorate, we just used rice krispy treats, because it was quicker...plus the Cake Boss does it all the time!  It was pretty fun.

John.  John just makes me happy.  He doesn't get enough recognition on this blog because I mostly post about our kids, but this guy makes me happy.  Marrying him was the best decision I ever made.  He is so good to me and loves me perfectly, and he is the BEST dad.  He plans fun activities and games and genuinely enjoys interacting with our boys.  He tries to think of ways to teach them life lessons while they are young and he is fully involved in their lives.  

Here he is making treats with the boys.  John has become quite the baker.  John works in nursery at our church (watching him interact so sweetly and genuinely with those little ones makes me fall in love with him all over.  I mean, how many guys do you know will say to you after church, "I need to think of a way to transition from snack time to lesson time better.  Can you help me think of something?" or "I finally got Cade to stop climbing on the piano!")  Anyway, one of the other nursery leaders is a master baker.  All of her kids are grown and gone so she is attending culinary school, and the woman can BAKE.  She was always bringing treats for the kids and even bigger and better treats for the adults in nurser.  It was a great symbiotic relationship.  She loves to bake, John loves to eat!  He learned little tips and tricks from her and now he can bake the best chocolate chip cookies you've ever had...and don't even get me started on his mint chocolate chip cookies...to die for!

 Here he is teaching Tyler how to play Monopoly.  I told him that I did not have that kind of patience, but he told me he thought it would be good for Tyler to see how money works.  He even threw in some lessons on loans and interest.  John also instituted Tyler's weekly allowance and each week Tyler has to bring his ledger and they go over tithing, allowance, and savings.  Again, I'm so impressed with John's patience, and I love how he thinks of principles that he wants to teach his kids and then finds ways to teach them.

 Basketball season.  It's over now, but I loved going to Tyler's games and practices.  There's just something so fun about watching your child develop their skills and talents.  

 Brothers.  These two can wrestle and fight until someone cries and they can play together so sweetly that it melts my heart.  A few days ago, they came downstairs and were collecting supplies- backpacks, crayons, pencils, books, paper.  When I asked what they were up to, they told me they were playing school.  I couldn't help by lurk at the door and eavesdrop.  They were so dang cute.  Tyler was the teacher and Robby was was the student.  Tyler was so encouraging and helpful and Robby was loving every minute of it.  You could see him try to contain his eager excitement.  I loved watching Tyler help Robby write the alphabet and a few numbers and I reacted with genuine excitement when they would both come and show me Robby's graded papers.  

 So there you have it, just a few things that are making me happy these days.

a special day and special visitors

Just a few days after Christmas, John's parents flew into town to be with us for Tyler's special day.  Tyler chose to be baptized and we were so happy to support and love him on this special occasion.

Don't you just love the black eye.  He got that from wrestling with his little brother.  Everyone told me I could Photoshop it out.  No way, I totally want to remember him like this- dressed in white, looking all clean and pure with a big old black eye, indicative of a recent scrap with his brother.  Ha!  Now if only Robby's lip that had been split open in a similar wrestling brawl hadn't already healed from the week before...then we'd have ourselves a Carson family photo!

 I told him I will take another picture exactly like this one when he leaves for his mission, except he will be much, much bigger (boo hoo).

 It was so neat watching Tyler get baptized, but it was even more special to watch him make the decision to be baptized.  I was touched by how seriously he took it.  Several months before the date, he was actually quite hesitant about the whole thing.  As we discussed things with him, it became apparent that his hesitancy came from the fact that he understood what a big deal this was and that it really was the first big decision he would have to make for himself.  I was impressed with how he understood that this wasn't just something he was going to do on a Saturday morning in December, but that it would be the beginning of a commitment to his Savior.  It has truly been a delight to watch him mature in his decision making and in other areas of his life.  He is such a great little boy.  I am so blessed and honored to be his mom.

John's parents stayed for a few days and we enjoyed every minute of it.

Robby and Nani cooked in the kitchen.

 We got together frequently with the cousins.

 We went to the trampoline park

We began a new tradition of watching movies and working on a puzzle on new year's eve.  We finished it up the next morning, and then... 

we went to get donuts...because you can't work on a donut puzzle and not eat donuts!

(I think donuts on new years day morning might be my new favorite tradition)  

 And then we had to stick with an old tradition...

DEMOLITION DAY!

New Year's Day is demolition day at our house.  Out with the old, right?  So it's time to destroy the gingerbread houses that we made.

 I particularly like this candy cane bicycle that John made

 This year we decided to drop some of them off a ladder, 

 and then use some of them for aim practice.

(John's siblings will love this picture of John's mom)

You can't see the gingerbread houses, but they are lined up and ready to be demolished by a speeding fast ball.

so there you have it.  Christmas vacation in a nut shell.  It was a good one!