What do you LOVE???

I thought in perfect timing for the Valentine's holiday, I would list the things that I cannot do without...so here goes...
(Thanks Andra, for the idea!)

1. I LOVE the sound of my children playing house together, yes, Layton included.
2. I LOVE hugs from behind when I'm standing at stove or the kitchen sink.
3. I LOVE the few hours I get to spend with my husband after the kids are in bed.
4. I LOVE knowing that our family can be together forever.
5. I LOVE chocolate covered strawberries.
6. I LOVE skiing and riding snowmobiles in this amazing Idaho snow!
7. I LOVE date night with my incredibe husband, and that Morgan is almost old enough to babysit!
8. I LOVE hiding around the corners and scaring my kids! (I got Quinn really good last night!)
9. I LOVE finding that GREAT deal at Target.
10. I LOVE singing and playing the guitar with my kids before bedtime.
11. I LOVE reminiscing over old photos.
12. I LOVE catching up with long lost friends over the internet.
13. I LOVE receiving "love note texts" from my husband.
14. I LOVE Kate's bedhead every morning.
15. I LOVE peanut butter crunch cereal. (I know, weird, but I'm hooked.)
16. I LOVE running.
17. I LOVE going on vacation (and I'm long overdue)
18. I LOVE my home.
19. I LOVE sleeping by the fireplace.
20. I LOVE good movies and a bowl of popcorn.

So let's hear it...what do you LOVE???

Sisters, Sisters.....

This is the cute little 2nd grade sister that always wanted to wear my clothes and read my journal when I wasn't looking! I know, she looks innocent enough!

Sari and I took dance together for 1 year...Sari went on to become an excellent dancer...me, not so much!


So I couldn't let this day go by without documenting one of my greatest blessings. My little sister turned 26 years old today! There is almost 4 years between us and you can bet we had our share of some pretty good fights! We shared a room (and a bed for that matter) for much of our growing up years, and we used to lay in bed at night and kick eachother for at least 10 minutes before finally giving up and going to sleep! One of my favorites was the one that started with her plopping down on my freshly made bed (one of my pet peeves, which of course she knew) and ended with us tearing eachother's mattresses off onto the ground! Then there was the one where she threw a fork at me and actually punctured my side just above my hip bone! Not to mention countless fights over her wearing my clothes and tagging along with my friends! But amidst the bickering and fighting, we formed a bond that to this day is unbreakable. She is one of my very best friends, and someone that I trust and admire. She is a gentle, loving wife and mother of three, and I am so blessed to have her as my one and only sister. Love you Sari! Happy Birthday!


Sar, you look a little dazed in this picture...it wasn't New Year's Eve and past midnight was it? :)

Wonders of a 4 year old

I've wished so many times I could jump into my kids' heads and see thier thought processes and understand better how thier little minds work. Allie has all of the sudden discovered the freezer and is completely intrigued that whatever you put in there, within a few hours will be a solid lump. It started out with sippy cups full of water, then evolved to half-eaten yogurt cups, and here is the latest...

I wonder what I'll find tomarrow.....

7 Years old Today!!

Happy Birthday buddy! I can't believe our little man is seven years old already! There are so many things we love about Layton! He is thoughtful, kind, always a peacemaker, and I can always count on him doing the right thing. He has a genuine love for people and a wonderful smile! Sometimes he can't even speak because he's smiling so big! We are so thankful for you Layton!


Layton loved his vintage airplanes from Great-Grandma and Grandpa Herbst!

Here are some of Layton's other loves right now:

Star Wars
Legos
Star Wars Legos
Motorcycles
the Wii (Lego Star Wars of course!)


The day started out with breakfast in bed (I had good intentions to make waffles, but fruit loops are good too, right?)


After church, Grandma and Grandpa Herbst and Mikesell came up for dinner and a little birthday celebration!



We love you Layton!

It's the MoSt Wonderful TiMe of the YeAr

Is it really another 11 months til Christmas? What a wonderful time and oh how quickly it passes. I love getting Christmas cards in the mail, and having conversations with friends and family that are long overdue. It's a good thing we have cameras and computers to help us document such special occasions! Here are a few highlights of our week-long celebration!

Happy New Year!!! How 'bout we celebrate by having another Christmas party?

Morgan and her cousin Nate opening gifts from Grandma

Cousins Madyson, Cason, and Reygan join the fun

Layton and Grandma showin the love

We tried something new in our family this year. Instead of having a couples exchange, we all put together gift baskets centered around a theme of our choice and brought the baskets with us to our party. Then we drew names at the party to see who recieved which basket. It was so much fun to see what each couple came up with for their gift basket. Here are some of the baskets recieved...


Mom and Dad recieved a car washing kit. Complete with bucket and everything needed to shine up your ride!

Mike and Camille recieved a basket entitled "My favorite things" including a hot cocoa maker and vinyl decor plate, Idaho spud bars, and lots of yummies.

Ryan and Cody recieved a "Family Fun Night" basket, also including things needed for breakfast the next morning!

Quinn and I also recieved a "fun night" basket with games, movies, and lots of yummy treats!

Sari and Derek recieved a "snowman in a box" gift basket with everything needed to make a snowman except the snow!

This was really such a fun way to get the creative juices flowing and challenging to stay within a certain budget, and I'm already thinking of what next year's theme just might be. Hmmmmm.....

I Couldn't Resist

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Determined

Wasn't Halloween seriously just last week? What happened to November? Here's what happened... I set a goal to be completely done with Christmas preparations by November 30th and you know what? Here it is 13 days until Christmas and I'm still scrambling! I have had a few setbacks though a.k.a. 3 kids with the stomach flu, one of them, bless her heart, made it to the toilet every single time. The others, not so much. So in the midst of cleaning my carpets and doing insurmountable loads of laundry, most of which is still in a giant heap on my bed waiting patiently for me to fold, there are of course the cards to mail, presents to wrap, staff Christmas party to plan and carry out, pageants to attend, neighbor gifts to bake and send out, my blog to keep updated (ha, ha) and make sure my kids understand the true meaning of Christmas! I always wonder why I get the post-holiday blues and now I think I'm starting to understand a little more. We, or at least I, spend the whole month of December running around like crazy trying to please everyone and accomplish all of our "to do's" and hardly take any time at all to sit and contemplate that very first Christmas night, which something tells me, was slightly more peaceful than Christmas today.
Above all else, I really want my kids to know and feel the peace and love that this time of year brings. I want their first thought to be of what others need and not themselves. I want them to realize that the "magic" of Christmas comes from giving and not recieving. We are so blessed. I love my family more than anything in this world, I have an amazing husband and wonderful kids and I couldn't ask for any better Christmas present than that. So I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season and that we can all take a "time out" and truly feel the peace of the holiday.