Christmas Eve 2011

Our tradition is to have Christmas Eve at my mom's house every year.  When I was growing up we never had Christmas at our house, so we created a tradition to always have Christmas Eve at her house from now on.  We make Mexican food every year and somehow we always manage to have Santa show up! 

The kids table - they are all looking at Santa

Santa and Josh

Santa and Hailee

Santa and Clara

Santa and Tyler

Santa and Spencer

Santa with the kids

The grownup table

Dave and Marty

Lighting the Luminarias.  Usually it is too cold and windy so it was fun that we could do it this year.

Eric (cousin) and Aunt Karen (mom's sister)

Clara and Josh

Eric the wiseman

Marc and Eric dressing up as wisemen

The beginning of the Nativity with Mary (Hailee) and Joseph (Spencer)

The kids were very solemn as the grownups took turns reading from the Bible and Book of Mormon.

The kids

The Nativity

After the Nativity, the kids opened their Christmas pajamas

This year we got our pajamas at Disneyland. 

 

 Dave and I had matching pants.

We wrapped things up by opening presents with Aunt Karen and Uncle Jack.  It has been great to have them come up the past few years and join us.  Most of my Christmas Eves growing up were at their house or other aunts and uncles. 

Christmas Eve Breakfast

A few years ago we started a tradition of going down to my dad and step-mom's house Christmas Eve morning.  We go in our pajamas, eat breakfast, and open Christmas presents with them.  It gives us time to spend with just them, where normally it is the whole family. 

Clara, Dave and Josh opening presents

This year the kids got a bunch of Wii games from their grandparents. 

I got the best present of all!  A binder to put all of my veggie recipes in from now on.

Ama Georgia, Josh, Papa Kirk, and Clara

Thanksgiving 2011

I may be a little behind on posting with my family blog because I am usually posting deep thoughts (ha) over at All the Sanity in Me.  Since it is a four day weekend I thought I would catch up a bit.  This year for Thanksgiving we double dipped and went to our Bestie's house for dinner and Dave's aunt and uncle's house for dessert. 

Loree and Grammy

Dave - this was during Mustache Movember or whatever it was called.  We all hated it.  

Except for Dave.

My cute and snaggle toothed kid.

Our fearless chef (yes, I tried the turkey)

As usual, the kids made a mess

The girls made us all cute place cards.

Curt, Kelly and Dave had a post Thanksgiving workout with the kids

We had a fantastic surprise!  Uncle Kelly, who wasn't supposed to be at any of the Holidays this year, surprised us and flew in for Thanksgiving.  We loved it!

Rob, Dave, Nancy, Curt and Kelly

The Brothers

Joshua David Totten gets Baptized

There was a big event this past weekend for my little family.  My son made the choice to be baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  This is an essential ordinance and a commandment of God.  I know that most mothers feel this way when their children make big decisions and they are the right decisions.  I have felt a great deal of love and appreciation for my husband for holding the Priesthood so that he was able to baptize and confirm our son.  I wasn't able to be baptized by my dad, but was fortunate to have wonderful Priesthood holders around me growing up.  I was baptized by my Uncle Terry, and confirmed a member of the Church by my grandfather.  

As I watched so many of our family members and friends participate in the confirmation circle for my son, I was overwhelmed with gratitude.  Later I was sitting next to my "brother from another mother", Ben, and he said, "You are very loved."  Still later my bestie said, "It was a powerful image seeing all of those men who hold the Priesthood in the confirmation circle.  Those will be wonderful examples for him." Then I said a small prayer of gratitude that because both Ben and my bestie happened to move to Utah over the past six months, they were both able to be at the baptism.  Then I said another small prayer of gratitude because my niece (who grew up in North Dakota), who gave the talk on the Holy Ghost, was able to be there because she is going to school at BYU.  I gave the talk on the Holy Ghost at her baptism when she was 8. 

There are huge moments in life to be grateful for and there are small moments to be grateful for, and yesterday included both.  To have all of my parents there was a blessing.  To have my wonderful friend Ginny and her family here from Colorado was a blessing.  They aren't members of our Church, but understood the significance for our family, and they love us so they came.  To have shared the baptism with two families in our congregation was a blessing.  Their sons are good friends with our son, and we love them.  I commented today to the father of one of our boys (who is our home teacher) that I felt like the Spirit was much stronger with the three boys getting baptized on the same day than if they had had individual programs. 

It's easy to accuse me of being sentimental, because I am.  By small and simple means do great things come to pass.  I am grateful for a Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, who know me, love me, and know what the small things mean to me.

 Josh at the temple where Dave and I got married - Mt. Timpanogos Utah Temple

Josh - 8 years old

 November 5, 2011 - Josh's Baptism Day

 Dressed and ready!

 Josh and Heidi

 Our little Family - Dave, Heidi, Josh and Clara

 Uncle Jack, Ellen, and Aunt Karen

 Ben, Uncle Rob and Aunt Jessica

 Grandma Nancy, Josh and Dave

 Amabuela, Josh and Heidi

Ama Georgia, Papa Kirk, Josh and Heidi

 William and Josh - born on the same day!

 Uncle Eric showing off the butternut squash soup

 Josh and Uncle Curtis

 Chef Marty gives out the soup for everyone

  Chef Marty made butternut squash soup, roasted pepper soup, and minestrone - all amazing!

 The Tottens

 Ginny and Josh