Whatsup???

Over the last month or so it has been so much more calm around our house, we're still crazy though!

Rob and I decided to do the bare minimum as far as kids sports and other activities around the holidays so that we could spend more quality time with family and friends. It has been worth it, every minute!

At the end of November we celebrated my Grandma Clinton's 95th birthday with my parents and sister's family! It was so wonderful to be with her and enjoy her sweet spirit and sense of humor. I truly love this lady. She is such a wonderful example to me.

Lauren, Rob, and I spent last Saturday at the Dallas temple. It was Lauren's first time to do temple work with the other youth from our Branch and the Hudson Oaks ward. It was so special to witness this and to have Rob baptize her. She absolutely loved this experience and can't wait to go again. We took a few quick pictures outside the temple afterwards. It was sooooo cold and poor Lauren's hair was still wet! It was a fantastic day I know we will always remember.
The younger kids spent the day with Grammy Su, Papa Bob, Aunt Karen, and Uncle Michael. They went to their ward Christmas party that evening where a special guest came! Landon insisted he was only going to sit on Santa's lap because he wanted the treat! Looks like he had fun!!!

Lauren has participated in several Christmas band concerts this month. These kids are so amazing! The 7th and 8th grade band was almost as good as the High school. I love seeing the amazing talent that can come from young people.
I had been telling Rob how nice it would be to have a real Christmas tree this year. I miss the smell of them because they remind me of Christmas's growing up back home in Oregon! I didn't think we would get one because we already put up our tree in the living room. We went looking one night with the kids for a real tree, but to our disappointment they were all picked over. I just wrote it off that we could do it another year. Then one afternoon Rob came home for lunch with a surprise. He had found a beautiful real tree in Weatherford at the farmers market! I was so tickled and we had fun decorating it together as a family over the next few days. I love that man! He is so good to me, always doing what he can to make me happy!

We are really enjoying the season of our Savior's birth. He is real. He loves each one of us and knows our every need. He is the reason to keep trying to do better. I am thankful for the few quiet moments in which I can really feel His love for me. I am in awe of His birth into the world and His perfect life He devoted to each one of us. As a family we hope your Christmas is filled with that wonder and peace at the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior!