If You Build It, They Will Come

Our adventures in Trenton continued the next Spring, 1996, when we learned we had another child on the way. We were excited--but worried. Where would we put him or her?

The three of us living in this squeeze was difficult enough. We were noticing the lack of elbow room--especially as our toddler increased in size and mobility! We had already converted the 4 ft by 4 ft food storage closet into Amber's bedroom. And it was only big enough to fit a crib along one wall and a small dresser at the back wall between the crib and the other side of the room, making just enough space to walk into the room (through a 5 foot tall door) to get to the baby and her clothes. Who knows where we would put another one! Our "garage" was already chuck full of all the furniture we had collected in our previous home that wouldn't fit in our love shack. It was time to build. Now.

We found a house plan we liked and began hunting for a building loan. That was not an easy task, since we were "self-employed" and just starting up a construction company. In fact, David was in the middle of building a "spec-home" in Logan, which didn't improve our finances any. But somehow, we received a commitment for long-term financing so that Lewiston Bank would lend us money to build. Here is a picture of the building site:We surveyed that land and set stakes marking the location of our new home. It is so interesting how little that spot looked compared to the surrounding land. We kept questioning if that was the right size. But every time we measured the plans, it came up the same.

About this time, I miscarried. I was 12 weeks along and it was no easy road. We paused for a surgery and a recovery, and searched for understanding. We found solace in God's will for us. And we recognized the miracle we already had and embraced her. Somehow we were blessed with Amber. She was a great distraction from the pain.

We felt strongly the promise from God that he would send more children in his own due time. Despite our loss, we continued our plan to build with the promise of "if you build it, they will come." It was good to have a project to get our minds off our sorrows. So we went forward with faith that we could build the house of our dreams... and some day fill it up with children.

Mighty machines began to pull up to our building site and dig dirt, dump gravel, or pour cement. On the day we poured the footings, the ground was wet and spongy, making full cement trucks easy prey. Several got stuck in the mud. One cement truck got so stuck that we were unsure if he would ever get out. He was able to dump his load, but even empty, Parsons' other trucks couldn't get him out. So we called a neighbor for help. That was the first time I really appreciated having neighbors who farm thousands of acres. I had never seen such a big tractor! The Spackmans brought over their heavy duty Ford tractor and pulled that cement truck right out of the mud. They made it look like child's play!

The next day, we began putting together the puzzle that would be our foundation. It was foam foundation forms that would remain on the foundation adding insulation to our crawlspace. The cost was the same as hiring a crew to set the heavy forms, so we decided to attempt it. It truly felt like putting a puzzle together. The forms were tied together with heavy plastic ties that had to be placed every 6 inches. We had a good time putting it together.

And the building site became Amber's playground.

After the foundation was poured, the house just kept growing...

and growing...

and growing!

By then, the garden was growing too! (So were the weeds!)
And we still lived in that cute little bungalow nestled in the secret garden.

Trusses were hung--with a bit of help from our friends.


When the framing was finished, God sent a rainbow, seemingly to reassure me of His promise.
"If you build it, they will come."
In September, we discovered I was expecting again. And we celebrated for a whole day. The next day, I miscarried. Again. A flood of tears came. And went. And then we built on.

So many people helped us finish this project.
I was keeping daily records in my journal throughout the project.
David and I logged over 1000 hours of labor.
Plus, 18 other volunteers collectively added 500 more hours of labor.
That's a lot of hours.
It felt like a marathon. Only longer.
Thank you, friends, and family. We couldn't have done it without you!
Bill Radmall, Will Hornberger, Katy Thompson, Liz Thompson, Jordan Spackman,
Gary & Diane Thompson, Mike Chapman, Jared Marchant, Scott & Rachel Hurst,
Abel Thompson, Ben & Kristie Della-Piana, John Radmall, Ben Thompson,
Larry Rasmussen, Richard Hansen, Larry Maughan, Loren Christensen, & Tom Cottle.
THANK YOU!

That winter, the three of us nestled in that beautiful new 4 bedroom home,
longing to share it with someone.
We decided since more children didn't seem to be coming right away, we would invite an exchange student to spend the next school year with us.
In February, 1997, we made the commitment to host Camilla Jorgensen, from Denmark...

...and the next month we discovered that we were expecting!
(third time was the charm.)
He was due to arrive a month after Camilla.

...to be continued...

Our Trenton Beginnings

I was just perusing a scrapbook I made about building our first house. The memories flooded my mind and heart, giving me the desire to record as many as I can.
So here you go, the beginnings of our adventures in Trenton:

One summer day in 1995, when David came home from a full work day of installing windows and doors all over the Salt Lake valley, he exclaimed, "It is rush hour all day long here! We have got to get out of this place!" He was also fed up with working for someone who did not fully appreciate his skill and efficiency and wanted to branch out on his own. So we signed him up for a course to obtain his General Contractor's License, and began searching for the best spot to begin a business and to raise our children (the first of which was less than a year old.) We basically drew a circle on the map to indicate how far we were willing to live from our extended family, (which was the equivalent of 2 hours driving time) and started searching. Our first hunt began in and near Heber Valley. We loved the quaint little town and knew the building economy was strong there and that it was growing. We scoured the real estate that was for sale there and nothing felt exactly right.

Then my sister and her husband decided to attend Utah State and they suggested we look up in Cache Valley. So we set up an appointment with a realtor to spend a Saturday looking at homes around the valley. We specified what we were looking for (something in the country with a bit of acreage) and he selected about 8 homes for us to look at.

Having previously been to Logan maybe twice in my life, I knew little what to expect of that trip. It was the last Saturday in August, 1995, when we took that trip. Our first child had just turned one and just learned to walk. Little did I know how much that trip would alter our lives. The moment we entered Cache Valley at the mouth of Sardine Canyon, and witnessed the beauty of the patchwork quilt that the farmers laid out, seemingly just for our arrival, we felt that this was the place for us. I didn't remember that Cache Valley was ever this beautiful. (Upon reflection, I only visited Logan in the winter and mid-summer, and besides I was likely to young to appreciate the beauty.) It was truly breathtaking.

Our realtor, Mr. Max Delgado, graciously showed us around the valley in his van. We took to his wit and wisdom quickly and enjoyed spending the day with him. First, he drove us out to a log home between Newton and Trenton. Of course we were enamored with that. But then, he took us to this small bungalow in Trenton. It was on a 17 acre plot with water shares and lots of small trees. The owner had purchased this property to fuel his hobby of gardening and landscaping and I immediately fell in love with the trees, the long driveway, and the brick paths winding through the garden. There was a stacked-rock wall around this amazing, secret garden. It was like being transported into another world! We walked into the 528 square foot, low-ceilinged, cinderblock bungalow with interest because of it's surroundings. It had no electricity, no toilet or shower, no water heater, and no furnace. However, amazingly, we could picture ourselves in it. There was only one small bedroom, a living area that was more like a hallway, a six foot kitchen counter with a sink, a small woodburning stove in the center of the house, a bathroom area without any fixtures, and a food storage closet. Because of David's experience as an electrician's apprentice and a plumber's assistant, he knew he could fix those things the home lacked. The price was right for us and we had a strong feeling immediately that this was the place for our family. Every other home we stopped at that day had more to offer in conveniences, but lost its appeal on us because we had already found the place of our dreams. It just felt right.

We made an offer on it the next week, which was accepted, and we immediately put our home for sale by owner. Surprisingly, my older sister and her husband were interested in purchasing our home. It was closer to his work and a better area than the one they were living in. So within a month, they bought our home, we purchased this home in Trenton, David and his Dad spent a weekend putting electricity and plumbing in the bungalow, and we all moved the last day of September and first day of October, 1995. David finished his class and passed his test in September and officially obtained his License to be a General Contractor in October. We were ready to begin a new life. (I am sure that nearly every one who knew thought we were crazy.)

Our Homestead, a.k.a. "The Love Shack"
These pictures ignite a desire to go back to those simple days.
We couldn't lose each other in that small home.
There was no television antennae, even if there was any reception.
Our days were spent out doors and our evenings were spent curled up by the fire.
I am so grateful that I kept a daily journal then.
I look back on those days with fondness.

Our first holiday in our new home was Halloween.
We dressed Amber as "Smurfette" and David as a scarecrow,
and went to a town party to introduce ourselves.
Of course, they all loved Amber at first sight (who wouldn't?)
and we quickly made friends in our new location.
Below, Amber, age 16 months, is walking in the winter wonderland behind our home with "Gus," our first cat. The secret garden lay dormant beneath those layers of snow and ice.
You can see the roof of our home in the background. The west and north sides of the house had dirt piled up around them to better insulate. It worked! There were winter days we got the wood stove going so hot that we had to open the windows to cool off!

Ah, those were the days!

Thanks for letting me reminisce.

Adventures in Trenton to be continued...

Rains Continue--Where's the Ark?

It has continued to rain Friday night and Saturday, when the precipitation attempted to turn to snow, but more resembled sleet than snow. There is so much flooding in our little town and surrounding towns. Several friends have lakes surrounding their homes, threatening to come in. The Trenton fire department was out today with the pumper truck, attempting to divert standing water and lessen the pressure on full drains. Thank you, volunteer fire fighters and others who are keeping our town safe during this severe weather.

It is 7pm Saturday night and I just returned a friend to her home down the road. We drove through a river. A river! I was sure glad I had brought the Suburban because I'm afraid it would have swallowed our little car--with the amount of spray we surged through. The drain to the north west of our home normally empties through the culvert under the road into the swamp west of us. It is full and the culvert can't handle the volume of water pushing its way through, so it found the path of least resistance over the road. The town just fixed that road this summer. I hope it doesn't wash away. If it does, we might be living on a dead end for a while... or we will need to build an Ark!

At least we can still access the main roads to the East. And our home is luckily on high ground compared to that river. The swamp to the West has plenty of room to hold excess water below our ground level, so it keeps us safe from flooding. Plus, as I have mentioned before, we have no basement--on purpose. The water table here is normally about 4 feet below the surface, so we knew from the beginning that forcing a basement would have disastrous results. And so we chose to avert those precarious consequences and build a slab-on-grade instead. That may have been the best decision we have ever made!

On a positive note, the best thing about a rainy day is that it inspires me to clean the house. And since we had no other plans today and didn't really want to go out if we could avoid it, everyone helped scrub the house top to bottom. It feels so good when the house is clean. Despite the inclement weather,

we feel snug and dry in our little house that Dave built,

playing games...

baking treats, watching movies, and enjoying eachother's company.

Heavenly Father has blessed us abundantly. We trust in His care. We know that He watches over all His children. We pray He will bless us all according to our needs and His will.

It has just stopped snowing. For now. There is only an inch accumulated on our front lawn. And everything is soggy. But water is necessary for growth. And so we will embrace it. And journey on.

Because rain will make the flowers grow. (Just so you know, that's a line from one of my all time favorite songs from Les Miserables. It runs through my head at times like these and helps me keep perspective.)

I hope you are staying warm and dry and safe.

Love,

Rad-Mom

p.s. (added Sunday afternoon) The temperature dropped below freezing after Saturday night's post and Sunday morning we awoke to a frozen world. Everything was frozen! The river over the road was even frozen, making it a veritable danger zone! I took a picture at 8AM:

However, while we were at church, the sun came out and melted all the ice, which then the water ran off the road into the proper drains which were not as full as last night. So the roads around town that were sheets of ice in the morning were dry at noon when we drove home from church! Amazing!

While at church, we also learned from our neighbor that the excess of water was due to the canal company making a breach in the canal to reduce the likelihood of flooding a few neighbors' homes. Since several homes up the road are below the level of the canal near them and the canal had reached overflow point, the impending threat was lessened by diverting the water another direction... our direction. Somehow knowing that the river over the road was on purpose to save some neighbors' homes makes it feel much less threatening to me. What's a small section of road when compared to people's homes anyway? I can drive around!

At church today, we also learned the story behind the rumors that a plane crashed in a field near our house. We saw several emergency vehicles driving back and forth along our road Friday night, and wondered what happened. Of course, most of our volunteer emergency responders and fire fighters attend church, so we got the scoop. A small plane did, in fact, make an emergency landing 2 fields North of us on Friday night. The engine stopped for some reason, and the pilot selected that spot to attempt a landing. He succeeded in keeping himself alive, which was his goal. We are grateful to know that there are so many in this area willing to drop everything to help someone in trouble. Thanks, emergency responders!

I discover so much truth at church. I love this village!

Whenever I feel the Rain on my Face

It's January.
And it's raining...
A lot!
You might say it's raining cats and dogs...
because there is flooding all over Cache Valley.
In January!

I like rain. Except when it threatens to flood.

This morning the bus took 10 more minutes than usual because the roads were covered with a sheet of ice from the rain that froze overnight. The imminent problem with rain in January is that there is nowhere for the water to go. The ground is still frozen underneath and so the water can't percolate through the dirt. The sun isn't out, so it can't evaporate. It just keeps raining. It started as snow yesterday, but all the snow has since been abolished by the rain. There is water standing in fields, barrow pits, and even covering the roads in some places.

Luckily, our home was built above grade and without a basement. We have no need to worry--unless the roads wash out. We live on an island if you think about it... There is the Bear River between us and our schools and stores; there is a canal and drains between us and our church. We could be stuck on an island in a flood! Well, I suppose we could possibly get to Clarkston and over the long divide if we had to get out of the valley--that is IF we can get through the Trenton roads... and who knows what we would find on the other side of the mountain. Plymouth might have just as much flooding. Or more!

Good thing we have food storage. And a water supply. Perhaps we could live on this island for a while. I think I might even enjoy having an excuse to stay home with my family. We could call it our "Island of Paradise" and park beach towels near the wood stove. We can watch the torrents through the windows of our strong, solid, safe sanctuary. And drink our hot cocoa to our souls' delight.

This is the house that Dave built, after all. It has weathered many storms and proven itself strong and steadfast. Hopefully, it will not need to prove itself seaworthy... though it might be fun to live on a houseboat!

That's it! I'm going to enjoy the rain on my face, and cherish the quiet moments of isolation while we have it. I will make a sanctuary for my family. And find the fun in it. Regardless of the weather.

...and rain will make the flowers grow!

Mystery Solved.

I have a funny story. It's a good one. Prepare to laugh out loud!

Last Friday, my friend stopped by and while we were talking, our cat, Colors, jumped up on the couch to sit next to her. My friend has graduated from Utah State with a degree in Animal Science, so when she said, "Your cat is fat," I knew she wasn't just being judgmental, she was really concerned. I let her know that I had been concerned too, but couldn't figure out why she was so fat since I only feed her once a day, and give her less than a cup at a feeding. So then, my friend felt her stomach and said, "maybe it's worms. You could administer a de-wormer, but I would start by cutting back on her food. It doesn't feel like she has worms. She just feels fat."

Then she asked, "What time of day do you feed her? Or does she get to eat whenever she wants?" And I responded that I only feed her a cup in the morning after the kids get on the bus and she doesn't seem to want to eat it then. But she will come back to it later in the day. I was really confused when my friend suggested to give her 1/2 cup in the morning and 1/2 cup at night to cut back--because I didn't feed her any more than that already! How was that cutting back? I wondered. So my friend, who works at a farm supply store, told me to come in to the store and she would help me pick out a de-wormer.

So later on, when Amber came home from school, I mentioned to her what my friend had said and suggested we pick up a dewormer, since the cause of her size couldn't be that she was overfed. I only feed Colors once a day. To which Amber replied, "You do? I feed Colors every night!" We both laughed since we each thought no one else ever fed the cat.

We knew that Colors was getting more food than she needed. No wonder she is a fat cat!

...Mystery solved.

And we laughed at ourselves!

We immediately determined to put her on a diet, poor kitty.

But wait. It gets better...

That night, as we were eating pizza around the table, Amber and I shared our discovery with the family so they could laugh too. And they laughed...

Then David exclaimed, "But I feed Colors every day on my way out the door in the morning."

...and we all laughed again.

And then Brigham said, "I feed Colors a handful of cat food each morning when she follows me downstairs."

...and we all laughed harder!

And then Isaac chimed in, "And I feed her every day when I get home from school!" And Amber confirmed the fact that she found him on several occasions filling the cat bowl to the rim.

...and we all laughed even harder, realizing that we each thought, "I am the only one taking care of the cat!" and we had never discussed the issue of feeding our beloved kitty before.

So our mystery is solved. Our cat is fat because she has so many owners who love her. But alas, five cups a day is too much love for any cat!

Poor, fat kitty, her owners can't even keep track of how much food they offer her in a day!

And so, henceforth, the decree has gone forth in the Rad-home that
Brigham shall feed Colors one half cup in the morning
and Amber shall feed Colors one half cup at night.

And we shall see if that fat cat can lose some weight!

...In the mean time, we will be laughing about this for years!

We hope you get a kick out of the story too. :)

My friend did!

When I went in to the farm store and told her our discovery,

she laughed for a long time and then said, "Honey, you don't need a de-wormer!"

(to which I agreed)

...and we were both still laughing when I left the store!

Once Upon a December

can't believe it is already January!

I must pause to document December, 2011, before I forget what happened.
It was magical!
Forever after, I will call it
the month of miracles.

The 1st miracle:
The Christmas Cactus from G.G. bloomed right on time!
The Christmas Cactus always reminds me of my Grandma and my Mom.
If you remember, G.G. passed away this year.
And Mom is in Australia.... that's a world away!
Those precious blooms brought cheer to our kitchen all month long.
And helped me remember that I'm not alone.

Thanks, Mom, Dad, and Grandparents, for giving us a legacy.

The 2nd miracle:
Sinterklaus paid us a visit on Dutch Christmas, which is celebrated on December 6th.
On the Eve of December 5th, we laid out our shoes, as we do each year, near the door in hopes that he would come and fill them with treats for good little boys and girls.
We had heard his helper was in Australia this year, so we didn't know what to expect.
Thanks to a clever Aunt, who will remain nameless, Sinterklaus didn't disappoint.
Dutch Milk Chocolate in the form of the first letter of each person's name magically appeared in our shoes by morning. Even Mom and Dad each received one! (A few of them lasted a whole day this year! but most were promptly devoured.)


The 3rd miracle:
David's Aunt Martha made it to her 100th birthday!


We were able to celebrate with her and her friends and family on December 9th
in Salt Lake City.
The Valley View 8th ward hosted a beautiful party for her.



The 4th miracle:
Our cousin's baby,
who was born in November
--at 25 weeks gestation,
suffered no brain damage.

He continues to improve, gain weight, and grow stronger.
We are so blessed to have witnessed this miracle.

We love his family and our prayers are still with them.


The 5th miracle:
Winter Solstice brought freezing temperatures.
...making perfect weather for ice skating!
Such a fun physical activity in the winter to keep us happy and healthy.
Some years there is too much snow on the ice for us to enjoy it.
(We don't have a zamboni out here, you know.)
But this December, the conditions were just right.
And we took advantage of it.

Pose for a picture:Woops! Try again!
Smiles!
It took a bit of effort to haul skates down and change into them at the pond.
But it was worth it!
Often the kids would stay until dark!
And then change back to boots for the trek home.

Our 6th miracle:
An unexpected bonus arrived.
Since we have had several economic setbacks, there are excessive bills to pay.

We are on Dave Ramsey's course of debt reduction, "the debt snowball,"
so we decided to use the bonus to pay off debt and lighten our load.
It has made a huge difference to have 3 less payments this month--and forever after!
The kids participated with us in a "plastic surgery" (credit card cutting) ceremony!
We are hopeful that the difference that made will continue to snowball
and we'll be back to debt free sooner than anticipated.

7th miracle:
We convinced some friends to join us for a Christmas Eve celebration!
(It was a miracle for us because typically everyone has other plans and can't come to our house.)

First the Welkers joined us for dinner.
We served a Mexican Taco Salad Bar.
Feliz Navidad!


After dinner the kids went ice skating and had a ball.
The sun was shining and the weather was just right.
Later, the Lawler family joined us for games:
Quiddler, Ping-Pong, barbies, etc.You could say we had a full house!
14 children and 6 adults...
well, really, 8 children, 7 "youth," and 6 adults.
(Those youth really dislike being called "children.")
And a good time was had by all.
We wore out the kids by 8:30... so they would sleep for the next segment of the night.

The 8th miracle:
On Christmas Eve,
After the children opened and put on their new jammies
(it's a tradition from Grandma)
and went to bed to dream of sugar plums...
...the fun began...
Dad and I were texting directions and preparing Santa's snack...

when out in the yard we heard such a clatter...
we promptly went out to see what was the matter.
When what to our wondering eyes should appear,
but 4 big sleighs without any reindeer!
...Carrying 17 elves who were so lively and quick,
(well all but the littlest because she was plain tuckered.)
that we knew in a moment
they were in cohorts with St. Nick!
They spoke not a word,
but got straight to their work.(I know, mysterious, huh? They were so quick my camera couldn't catch them!)

They filled all the stockings
...and the living room too!

Then pausing a moment for a cookie or two,
some hugs ...and a photo op,
(do you recognize any of these elves?)...out the door they all flew,
With their sleighs emptied of toys
And packages too.
And I heard them exclaim
'ere they drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to all!
And to all a goodnight!"

.........

And then Dad in his pjs, and I in mine settled down for a long...
...I mean short ...and fitful nap.
(We didn't want to miss those first reactions!)

The kids woke to a living room full of presents.
They were so surprised!
And excited!
It really was like magic for them!

Isaac (9), the first kid on the scene, declared,
"I've never seen so many presents in my life!"
"It looks like Santa just threw all of the presents out of his sleigh!"
"Do you think anyone else got any presents? Or did we get them all?"
and "Do we have to open all these presents?"

Lisa (12) thought perhaps Santa knew this might be Amber's last year with us
and he wanted to go all out. (how thoughtful.)

Amber (17) was just too stunned for words--since she is usually "Santa's helper."
She did mention that she thought she "heard a clatter..."

Brigham (14) agreed that at the end of Santa's route "he must get tired of delivering presents and just dump all the rest of them out so he can get home. We must be the lucky ones at the end of the route." (Which really could be true... since we are so far North.)
And he kept asking me privately, "You really didn't do this?"

Rachel (7) exclaimed, "We must have been very good this year!"

(Don't they look pleased?)

But the presents would have to wait...
It was Sunday and 1st things come 1st.
the presents would remain wrapped until after 11am sacrament meeting... (such torture!)
We've never seen kids get ready for church so quickly!

Amber sang her solo beautifully: "Away in a Manger."
Our little friend recited a poem: "Happy Birthday, Jesus."
And the choir sang praises to Him who is the reason for the season.
There was a beautiful spirit of love and friendship there.

And when we got back home an hour later,
everyone was back in their jammies within minutes! (no one told them to do that.)
they were ready to begin uncovering the treasure.
A prayer of thanks was offered.
The okay was given.
And the flurry of unwrapping began...When it was over, the house was covered in the remains.
But it was all in good fun.
I didn't even mind so much cleaning it up while the kids examined their treasures.
And shared with each other. :)
It took me all day and the next to uncover the house.
(I took several breaks to play a game here and there.)
We sure had fun!

Here are some of the gifts we were given:

Lisa was excited to get an Itunes gift card, lots of cute clothes, fingernail polish, and fun crafts.

Rachel got so many fun gifts she couldn't keep track of them!
She had cute clothes, several art kits, books, barbies, a barbie car, some Little House movies (that she loves), nail polish, slippers, a blanket, a piggy bank, and a playdough desk!
She had fun arranging her gifts for a picture.
(That was how I convinced her to clean up a bit. It proved to be a good tactic.)

Dad couldn't wait to set up his Settler's game and get started.
It took him an hour to figure out the instructions for adding Cities and Knights...
plus 2 more hours for Amber and Brigham to play it with him!He also loved getting new clothes, socks, and shoes he needed. And raquetballs!
But I think that game was his favorite!

Isaac's bounty:
Isaac is in heaven with a Bruder Harvester that came with a trailer, and a John Deere tractor!
He loves his new clothes, blankets, hot wheels track, bat-mobile, transformer, UNO card game, and cement truck as well.

And Brigham's collection of gifts:Did you notice the little helicopter hovering near his head?
He was pleased he could fly it so well. Truly a pilot-in-training.
He loves the frisbee, nerf guns, and the clothes and shoes that fit so well.
And that fuzzy blanket is now his favorite!

Amber was thrilled to receive the 3rd and 4th piano books by John Schmidt,
a magnet board, lots of cute clothes, and new bedding.
She repainted her room within the week to match her new beloved covers!
And I was spoiled with lots of cute clothes, good smelling lotions, and tons of food. :)
...sorry, I didn't take a picture of myself.

We all loved the games: Clue, Act Your Wage, Settler's of Catan--Cities and Knights, Apples to Apples, Uno, and the Wii Wipe Out game.

Dear Santa and all of your elves,
THANK YOU!!!
You have given such a generous gift.
And we are so grateful for all the time, money, and effort you put in to making our Christmas so memorable.
We will never forget this!
And hopefully we will be able to "pay it forward" sometime soon.
May you receive extra blessings
from our Father in Heaven, who sees all.


The week after Christmas is a blur of fun and games as a family.
Of course, David had to work most days... and 3 times he took 1 or more extra helper.
Those kids just love to work with Dad.
But every evening we would pull out a game or two and some yummy snacks
and just enjoy each other.
...

...but it doesn't end there!

Our 9th miracle:
Our sister, Ashley, and her family were able to purchase and move into their new house
on New Years' Eve Day! (A marathon feat!)

And we got to have two cousin sleepovers during December to help them.

Thank for the memories, Owens!

the 10th miracle of the month:
was to get away to the
Weenig Cousins' Party!
An annual tradition we wouldn't miss.
(I also got to attend a cousin's baby shower, which was so fun!)
Here are the fun Holm girls--Tamara, Allyson, and Alison with 4 month old Isaac James :

Uncle Rod playing games with little Kayla Westenskow and Boston Rowley,
and Aunt Kay Jex holding 9 month old Marianne Boyle.
I just love those Jexes!

After our funny plays and white elephant gift exchange,
Bret Westenskow called Grandma and Grandpa Thompson on his phone via Skype
to join the party. They were just getting up and ready for church! (They are a day ahead of us.)

What a great way to end the year! Surrounded by people we love!

Thanks for being part of our lives!
We love you!