There's no place like home for the holidays!

After spending Christmas morning in Rexburg we went to Idaho Falls to do gift exchange and Christmas lunch with my family. Once again we were spoiled ROTTEN by my parents and family. Mom and Dad got us a Garmin GPS, new coats, and slippers. Thanks again Mom and Dad. JC LOVES the Garmin! Jill got us a beautiful picture of the first presidency and a fun Christmas story that we look forward to pulling out next Christmas too. Brad and Adee got us a nice nativity set. Blake and Bre made us a cute birthday board to put everyone's birthdays on. Jamie made everyone way cute fleece blankets. Grandpa and Grandma gave us a box of the yummiest chocolates and money. I told JC he could have the money if I could have the chocolates to myself. See we can compromise!!
Following gifts we had a YUMMY Christmas lunch of Dad's fabulous turkey and potatoes, Grandma Munns' rolls, and yummy salads and desserts.
After we stuffed ourselves silly, we got to talk to Blaine for a few brief moments. His companion needed to have time to call his family so we were allowed to call Blaine the next day and talk to him for a little while then too.
Overall it was a GREAT Christmas. Thanks again to everyone and to Mom and Dad for their hospitality!

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Carlson's 2007

This year we spent Christmas Eve with JC's family at Grandma and Grandpa Carlson's. Christmas Eve we had a yummy dinner of smoked turkey, potatoes, rolls, salads, and yummy dessert bars. After dinner all of JC's extended family exchanged gifts with Grandma and Grandpa Carlson and they with all of us. Thanks again for the money and your wonderful hospitality!!
After everyone left, we all finished wrapping last minute gifts and watched a little t.v. before going to bed. The next morning JC came in to wake Keyleigh and I. We went and joined in with the rest of the sleepy but excited family members! Once again, Mom and Dad spoiled us ROTTEN with gifts galore! I LOVE my new pots and pans and JC won't stop playing his Guitar Hero III. We also go DVD's, clothes, memory card for the camera, yummy lotion and body spray, and much more!! Sara and Mary got JC and I THEEEEE CUTEST Rudolph and Clarice from "Build-a-Bear" store!! We had to show everyone when we got to my parent's for Christmas lunch. Thanks again for everything!!

Decorating Keagan's Christmas Tree 2007

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Every year we all travel up to Keagan's grave site and place ornaments on a Christmas tree. This is a fun way to include him in our holiday festivities. We love you Keagan!!

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Christmas Activities!!

Adoption update...

JC and I attended out initial interview with our caseworker. Her name is Charity and she was awesome, to say the least. We went in with many questions. She took time to explain everything, answer our questions, and ease our concerns.
Before attending this interview I was having some mixed feelings about the whole thing. I couldn't quite put a finger on where the feelings were coming from or why. We are both so excited to do this. I was frustrated at my confusion. We kept praying that we would know what we were suppose to do about the adoption process.
Attending the interview helped ease some of my uneasiness, but it wasn't until JC and I talked afterward in the car on the way home and decided that we should wait until March to start the process, that a HUGE weight was lifted from my mind. I don't know exactly why we are suppose to wait but it's what feels right for us, right now.
Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support in our behalf. We will definitely keep you all updated.

Fixing the car....again

We love our Kia! It has been so loyal! This time the starter went out. After JC took it to a mechanic and found out how much it would be to fix it, he looked it up on the internet, purchased the parts, and did it himself. My hero!!

Lunch with friends!

On Friday we met up with our friends Sara and Tyson for lunch at one of my favorite sandwich shops, Old Grist Mill. We got a Mr. Potato Head for their little boy Lawson for Christmas. He was SO cute trying to open it and his cute blue eyes lit up when he saw it. He was SO fun and very entertaining. Merry Christmas Sara, Tyson, and Lawson!!

Annual Christmas Party

Every year we do a Halloween dinner and a Christmas dinner with our good friends, Jenny and Jeremy Hill. Jenny does Halloween and I get to do Christmas. This year we had pot roast, twice baked potatos, salad, homemade rolls, and hot fudge sundaes in cocoa mugs. Afterwards we exchanged gifts with each other. Jenny and Jeremy got us a WAY cute sign that has one of my favorite sayings on it, a quote booklet that Jenny made, and a book on adoption with a CD of songs about adoption written by Michael McLean. JC and I got them a baby monitor. I told them that my reasoning behind it was that I took Jeremy's love of electronics and Jenny's want for a baby and came up with the idea of a baby monitor!! After gifts JC and Jeremy played on the Wii while Jenny and I talked. We ended the night with a couple games and a lot of laughing. It's always good times!

Check out my Slide Show!

Lights at Thanksgiving Point

This year for Mom Howell's birthday I suggested we meet Mom and Dad at Thanksgiving Point and go take a ride on the wagon through the lights. We got there and Dad treated everyone! Thanks again Dad! Then we took our last breath of warm air and went outside to load up on the wagons and were off! I got to hold Keyleigh on my lap which made the cold very much worth it. She was so fascinated by the lights and the big horses. Afterwards we got hot chocolate and headed back to Layton.

Annual Coldwell Banker Christmas Lunch

Every year we have a Christmas luncheon with everyone at the office. The moment you walk into the office, the smell of slow roasting turkey takes you back to Grandma's house during the holidays. The luncheon consists of a potluck of everyone's finest!! These are pictures of a few people from the office.

Celebration breakfast

Early this morning I dropped JC off to take his last final for the semester. He's worked hard and for the last few days has been studying like a mad man so he could get good grades. I'm proud of him for all the hard work he puts into his schooling in preparation to provide for our future family. After I got home I had the idea to make him a celebration breakfast. I usually don't have a whole lot of extra time in the mornings to make him a nice breakfast. This morning though I wanted to do something special for him and what better way to a man's heart than food, right?
After he got home and thanked me for breakfast I asked how his test went. He said that if he passed it wouldn't have been all him, but he deffinately had help from Heavenly Father.

We have an interview!!

Time for an update! Last Friday I got my letter typed up to deliver to offices of OB's here in Cache Valley. My Mom and JC's Dad have both offered to hand them out to OB's in their areas. Once again, where would we be without the support of family?
Also, this morning we set up our first initial interview with out caseworker. We meet with her on Wednesday, December 19th at 5:30 p.m. We're SO excited!!

Snowball Fight!!

Non-Crappy Starring You! eCards on JibJab

Decorating Gingerbread

We have a case worker!

Yesterday I called to check on the status of our adoption papers. I was told that we have been assigned to a case worker and that she will be contacting us to schedule an interview. I know it's not much but to us it's one step closer for us!!
Also, one of my co-workers has a sister that has been waiting to adopt her second, for about a year. She received a call that she and her husband had been chosen and were to get to Colorado because the baby was due any day. This was about a week-and-a-half ago. My co-worker just came up to me and showed me a picture of the baby that had been sent to her phone. The baby was SO sweet. I can't wait!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!

This last weekend JC and I finished up our Christmas decorating. I love putting everything out and then shutting off the lights and JC saying, "That looks so good". Each night, whoever is home first, hurries and turns on all the lights and calls out "Merry Christmas" as the other walks in the front door. It really helps if you've had a bad day to cheer ya right up!! I LOVE this time of year!

Ward Humanitarian Project

One of our Enrichment Groups, "Super Sisters", has been working on a joint ward humanitarian project since August. Each month we would do something to contribute. These are pictures of people that showed up to help finish everything so we can donate it to the Bishop's Storehouse. We finished putting together hygiene kit, school kits, and ABC booklets to donate. We are so fortunate to be a part such an awesome group of people we call our ward members. I am sad to think of having to move away next Spring. Thanks again for all your help University 1st Ward!!

We're adopting!!

I think we have told everyone now. JC and I have decided to start the adoption process. This blog will be a great way for me to document things and keep family and friends up to date on the status of where we are in the process.
Currently we have our application in and have been told they received our Bishops letter. We are now awaiting the call from our assigned case worker to set up our first initial interview. After we pay our fee, we will then be able to see the process in action.

To the woman I have never met

Part of the process is the opportunity to write the birth mother a letter. All this time while trying to conceive I have struggled with ill feelings towards those who could conceive. I struggled the hardest with those who had conceived out of wedlock. Hence, I had not planned on writing this letter until I absoulutely had to. How could I put into words how I felt towards this woman who was to provide the body for my spirit son or daughter? One night while going through my bed time routine, all the sudden I had these thoughts pouring into my mind of what I should say to the birth mother. I went into the computer room and asked JC if I could interupt what he was doing because I needed to get this onto paper. He hurried out of the chair and I sat and hurridly typed. After I got done, I went into the living room and sat in silence with JC for a moment and then asked him if I could read him the letter. As I read through the letter, my eyes welled up with tears as I could feel an overwhelming sense of love for this woman whom I have never met. This experience has confirmed in my mind that this is what we are suppose to be doing at this time. I am so grateful to all our friends and family for your love and support and prayers in our behalf.

We'll keep ya posted!!!

Ooooh! Lights!!

Last night JC and I went down to Mary's and had a yummy yummy dinner with her and Sara and the little girls. (Thanks again for dinner Mary.)Afterward, we bundled up and drove into Salt Lake to see the lights. The cold wasn't too bad. Mary got a little cold so I made her wear my gloves and neck warmer. Over all the lights were gorgeous, as always. We finished off the night with hot cocoa on the drive home.

Gone swimming

Blaine sent some pictures of a baptism he took part in. His letter was filled with much love and a lot of excitement for this family. Alos included are pictures of the MTC in Ghana.

Santa sighting!!

After putting up some Christmas decorations in the living room and kitchen I went to decorate the bathroom. When I came back out this is what I found in my living room!!

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree....

After church on Sunday we pulled out all of our Christmas bins. I didn't realise how many decorations we had!! It was like Christmas morning!! After setting up the nativity scene, we pulled the tree out of the box and started fluffing branches. Almost two hours later we had a beautiful tree to decorate. After the hard park was done, we anxiously pulled out the lights to find that they didn't work. Needless to say, we are going light shopping for FHE.