The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

This time of year is termed "the most wonderful time of the year!" At the beginning of December I didn't think so. I even said out loud, "I hate this time of year!" There is so much traffic, large crowds and lines where ever you go, people have no patience and are so horn happy when driving and so angry. I really should get my Christmas shopping done early and then maybe I could enjoy the season a little bit better. I finally started to feel the spirit of the season when my family and I went to the temple to hear the King family sing on a Monday night. It was beautiful! I loved walking around the temple afterward to look at the lights. We also did our Jesus pictures like we've done the last few years and that really brings the spirit of the season. I felt it tremendously when I watched "The Nativity Story". I taught Young Women's last Sunday and I ordered this movie because I heard it was fantastic. I wanted to show a portion of it for my lesson. It depicts the hardship of the times, it depicts how hard the travel from Nazareth was to Bethlehem. I loved the different perspective! The simple, humble birth of our Savior. All the stuff and stress is not important. I truly love this time of year! I truly am so grateful for my Saviors birth!

 

On December 20th, Jake and I went to his work Christmas Party

 On Christmas Eve I made pancakes and Ashton turned his into a snowman. :)

 I love the time spent with family! My sister and brother and their families came to our house, my mom, Aunt Ruthie and her family came too. We ate a yummy dinner, did our traditional nativity story-Jake put together and it was beautiful! Sierra played Silent Night and Ashton played Away in a Manger. Then we went caroling to a few of our neighbors.

 We came back home and had pie and warm apple cider.

 After everyone left the magic began...
we sprinkled reindeer food

 put out Santa's cookies and milk

 Read "T'was the Night Before Christmas" and the kids went to sleep by the tree. Sierra on the couch and Ashton on the floor. I don't think Sierra ever fell asleep on the couch. I heard her up and crawling in Ashton's bed at 2:30am. Grammy was here with us and was sleeping in her bed. How fun to have grammy sleeping at our house on Christmas Eve.
Christmas started at 8:30am. A great time to start Christmas! :)

"Don't shoot your eye out!" :)

Merry Christmas!!

Camping in October

October 13th-Happy Birthday Sophi!! We got to go camping at El Capitan! OH, it was so much fun!! We were there with Norris and Brenna, Andrews, Krukenburgs, Sophi and family, Mom and Briana with her kids came up for 1 night. We love camping at the beach!! We ate really yummy food! Roasted marshmallows and ate s'mores, yum! We went for a run along the beach one morning, my favorite place to run. We would spend all day at the beach. I even went boogie boarding twice. It was so hot outside. It was so much fun!! Sierra would surf with Uncle Norris all day. Ashton would boogie board and play football. The only problem was our air mattress kept deflating and I was sleeping on the hard ground, yes me!! 

Lucy

 Ashlynn

 Tate

 Ava, Ashton, and Lincoln

 Ashton

 Lincoln

 Ava

 Tate loves to eat

 Lucy

 Me with Susan

 Sierra and Lucy

 Rocky and Matthew

 Brenna

 Corbin, Sierra, Lucy and Brenna

 Matthew

 Matthew and Ashlynn

 On Tuesday the 15th I received a text from my friend Christy to check my COC email. I was freaking out because I was waiting for an email to see if I would get into the nursing program. I called Jake because there was no way I could wait until I got home Thursday night to check it. He checked it for me. There was silence while he was logging in and then he said "oh my gosh! oh my goodness!!" I was on the other end of the phone crying and saying "what?! Did I get in?!" He then started to read me the email..."Congratulations!..." I lost it! I was standing in the dark in between 2 of the cars just crying as Jake was reading to me. I was in shock. Still am! Sierra came to me and said "did you get in?" I nodded my head yes. When I hung up with Jake I went to Ashton to tell him. I then went to go find my mom so I could tell her. When I came back to the campfire Briana asked if everything was okay? She was standing with Sophi. I said through tears, "I got into the COC nursing program." They screamed and ran to hug me. Sophi said "vanessa has an announcement" to everyone around the campfire. I said to her through tears "you have to tell them, I can't." She told everyone and everyone cheered. :) Then I went and called my dad and told him. Then I called Christy. She got in to the program too. AMAZING! God is amazing!!

I got my calling in our new ward as 2nd Counselor in the YW's Presidency. I had mutual at my house this last Wednesday. We painted pumpkins. I love these beehives already.

Trudy

 Caitlin

 Brittany

 Alexa

 Abby

 Frances

 Ashley

 Ashton had to be included :)

 This one is my favorite beehive :)

 Friday morning I had Orientation for Nursing school. So crazy! Just went over lots of paperwork.

Friday night Sierra had a soccer game and unfortunately they lost. She had a hard time, there was a player that was really mean to her. Cursed and punched her. Stinker! Luckily one time she pushed Sierra and Sierra pushed her back. Good girl! 3 of her really good friends, Karlie, Caitlin, and Chloe, came with signs and they were cheering, they were so cute!

Yesterday I baked all day for the YW dessert auction we had at our Ward Halloween Party. I baked chocolate chip cookies, chocolate marshmallow cookies (SO AMAZING!), my mom came over and we baked pumpkin pies and apple pies.

Ashton was a zombie ninja

 Sierra-a snowman

Life is crazy! Counting our many blessings!
Our ward got a new name today...not Newhall 1st anymore, now Wiley Canyon ward.