Visiting Teaching

A few months back as Cade and I were getting ready for church, I started a conversation about the purpose of visiting teachers and home teachers with him. We know a certain "someone", we'll call her. Who is in the Relief Society Presidency in her ward. She does A LOT! She is so busy all of the time helping others in the ward. This is GREAT. Thank goodness for the Relief Society! But....I couldn't help but wonder sometimes, as she was about to leave the house to help a sister in her ward, where that person's visiting teacher was? Why were they not being helped by their visiting teacher? (And maybe there is a good excuse...maybe they did contact them, but that sister was busy.. Maybe that sister who should be there for this person, has never offered any help...Who knows...)

Thinking outloud, I told Cade how I thought it was important to be an in-tune and helpful visiting teacher. One that is going to do more than just stop by every month and cross it off her to-do list afterwards. (Oh...by the way, I never have been good at visiting teaching. So, no, I wasn't boasting myself up. This was an area that I knew I needed to be better at).

I also thought, it's really important to let our visiting teachers serve US. That is probably the hardest part of visiting teaching; it isn't serving those we visit, it's letting those who visit us, serve us. I'm the last person who wants to ask someone for help. And if I do need help, I want to just ask my family that is close by. (I have really great visiting teachers in this ward, who I can tell genuinely would help if I needed it...) I don't want to be a "burden" to anyone. But, we have visiting teachers for a reason, and they need to be put to work. They need to learn through serving others. Their families need to see their example of serving. It's a pretty neat part of our church if everyone does their part.

I have a good visiting teaching companion in this ward who has been in touch with me and good for me when I could actually find it easier to just not make phone calls and set up appointments. Last week I called a sister to make an appointment to visit with her. She was available that Saturday. So we scheduled it for then, but before I hung up she remembered she actually had something that day, so without asking about the next few days, I just skipped right to the next Saturday, the Saturday after Christmas. We scheduled it and that was that. Friday night I checked in to see if we could still come by and visit. And it was a no-go. She was sick. But, she did accept my offer to let me make her family dinner that night instead of visiting her that afternoon. And I gladly did the next day. I was glad that we had our appointment set for the next weekend also. I was glad we caught her and things were set for us to visit when she was in a position to accept help.
Making dinner was such a good thing for me to do. I don't know that I ever have made dinner for a family before. I think this was a first. It was kind of exciting.. But it felt good most of all to do some service instead of just checking a name off the list. And to also not have something like that left up to the Relief Society Presidency to handle when I could and should do more. Once again, I'm not trying to say, "Look at what I did"..but I'm sharing a little something that made my heart happy yesterday--Serving. And can't wait for another opportunity to help again. I'm so glad she let me help.

My companion ended up making dinner for one of our other sisters and her family, they just had twin baby boys. That worked out well for both of us to serve two of our sisters in the same day and in the same way.:)

Christmas Eve

Four years of Christmas Eve jammies! Thank goodness we took a picture in our pajamas that first Christmas together and then were smart enough to do it again the second. I am loving these quirky pictures.
Cade pointed out that we are in four different living rooms. I didn't realize until now that we have never been in the same place for two Christmas..es. (Is that grammatically correct?)

There is also a first about every picture...
2010-First Christmas as a married couple
2011- First (and last) Christmas living in Utah together
2012- Baby's first Christmas
2013-First Christmas in our new home.

It was a fun night tonight opening a few presents, getting into our new pajamas and snapping some silly family pictures. (Aren't Aleah's "Boo", from "Monster Inc." PJ's, SO cute?) Aleah is now asleep in her crib and "Santa" has come and left the presents under the tree...We are ready to rock and roll in a few hours. And I mean it when I say a few hours....If Aleah doesn't wake up by six (because every once in awhile she still wakes up once or more a night). I will be waking everyone up.. I'm one of those people. ;)

Merry Christmas friends and family! We are grateful for the Christmas season we have had this year. We didn't keep up with our advent calendars, there were things we planned on doing that didn't happen and a lot didn't go perfectly right. But it was still perfect. I was blessed to learn a few things and feel a special spirit this month. I'm grateful for the real "reason for the season" and grateful for everyone of you that has added to our perfect December this year by being kind, teaching us something special, serving us, or just by being your great self to us like always! Have a very MERRY Christmas!

A Post About Wrapping Paper

This post is kind of silly.... But I wanted to share anyways!

Costco & Sam's Club sell THE BEST wrapping paper.

Maybe good wrapping paper is sold other places, but well, this is about what I've noticed from these two places.



I bought bulk wrapping paper from Sam's Club, two years ago when I worked there. I thought it was pretty great stuff when it held up through a move and then another. And not to mention, I still have plenty after two years. Oh and it's reversible (some reason that word doesn't seem right). Whaaat?
A couple of weeks ago I was at the store and I bought some plain red wrapping paper to add a little bit of....variety (that sounds silly) to the presents my sisters and I were going to be wrapping for our parents and brother. Since I only had one roll of wrapping paper I thought it would be nice to have another (ok, not just for the variety) so that more than one person could wrap at a time also. I don't think I grabbed a cheap roll...maybe I did...because it was awful. I hated how it looked. Ok, I'm not great at wrapping presents in the first place, but I say it looks worse because of the paper. I sound so nit picky and high maintenance.. This is wrapping paper we are talking about...
So this little incident made me really appreciate my wrapping paper more. Today I went to Costco and picked up two more of their bulk wrapping paper rolls (one reversible as well and one not). Not really because I needed it.....I just like presents wrapped in different wrapping paper. So we're set for a good 5-10 years on wrapping paper.:) Gooo getch'ya some!

Left Roll--bought two years ago... Middle and Right rolls bought today

Oh....Is it weird that I prefer to wrap my presents in this kind of tape? Because, when I bought more today, the cart (I don't know what you call him?) cart packer (?) guy, was being totally weird about it. "Dang, is this how you wrap your presents?? I'm not going to your house for Christmas!" (Good, because I didn't invite you..) "Mommy, I can't get in to my present!"
So bizarre. Whatever guy...I like my strong tape!

Spreading The Word

The Humble Abowed in the Boise Towne Square Mall is a really great place to shop for the little girls you know. Check it out. I bought this bow for Aleah the other day--I should have taken a picture yesterday of her wearing it with her cute red dress...but don't worry, I'll get it sometime this month!:) Great business! Support them.

This pink polka dot bow was bought from The Humble Abowed also.

Success

I'm a blogging fool today. And my house is a disaster if you were wondering and if we're being truthful. But, I wanted to share one last thing.
We've been having small family home evening lessons at the Hansen's every Sunday the past few weeks and this last Sunday was our turn (the Cade Hansen unit). My mom put into my baby book a little something that I've always liked. So, I took the story, or whatever you want to call it, and divided it into parts for each adult and child that were going to be there. It turned out really well and I think it helped the kids grasp the Plan of Salvation a little bit better. I let them practice their lines before we all got together and I think that was fun for them.
This was the result....

Emma (Narrator): “Father and Mother in Heaven came in with tears in their eyes and said…

Vickie: “We’ve talked, and we know you have progressed as far as we can take you.  We love you and we want you to stay with us, but for your own progression we have to send you away to college.  If we didn’t love you so much we wouldn’t send you away. 

Cordell: “I guess the hardest part is that we know some of you won’t be coming back…by your own choosing.”

Vickie: “That’s the hardest part for us”

Maddison (Narrator): “And the Father said…”

Cordell: “I need to ask that one of you go down and die for the sins of all the others, that those who want to come back can.”

Emma (Narrator): “From somewhere in the crowd a humble brother came forward and said..”

Zach:“Father, let me.  I want to go.  Let me go for all my brothers and sisters and show them the way, and the glory shall go to you.”

Owen & Autumn (Narrators): “Then another voice said..”

Cade: “NO, wait!  Let me go.  I’ll go and MAKE everyone return.  Father, you won’t lose anyone…but the glory shall go to me.”

Eliza: “The Father said…

Cordell: “Son of the Morning, it is kind to want everyone to return.  But with your plan no one can progress, for with that plan there would be no free agency, and in order to progress, we must have free agency.  I will send the first, Mine Only Begotten.  That all men might have the same opportunity for progression.”

Zach: “But there were those who wanted Lucifer’s plan, and a great battle followed.” 

Emma: “During that battle God’s most valiant stood alongside Him and His Son, Jesus Christ, fighting for truth and the opportunity of Eternal Life.  They fought not with weapons but with their testimony of truth and right and orderly progression.

Maddison: “When the battle was over and the righteous had won”…

Eliza: “the Lord said…”

Cordell: “In the last days of the earth there will be great evil and sin.  I need my strongest, my most righteous to stand for me.  These who have fought in the front line against Lucifer are my most righteous and they are the ones I will send down in the last days to save the world and usher in the reign of Christ.”

Breanna: “And then He looked at each of you and said…”

Cordell: “YOU are in the front lines.  Will you go down and be in the front lines again?”

Breanna: “And you said…”

EVERYONE: “YES”

Shane: “You are they who stood in the front lines.  Those not so righteous stood behind you, and the less righteous behind them. “

Cade: “You stood in the front.”

Jeanette: “You are here for a purpose, saved through all time, since the time of Adam, to come down now for a special and particular purpose;“

Autumn: “Not to gain material possessions, not to wear the best clothes or be the most popular,..”

Breanna: “But for a special purpose;..”

Brendon: “To fight once again with your testimony for truth and for the right.”

 

You're welcome for next weeks FHE.:) Just kidding, maybe.

Our weekend plus some

A lot can change in less than a year--Aleah and Lundyn

Cade had a WHOLE FOUR days OFF from work this last week because of Thanksgiving. Unheard of. Well....actually it's not, and we hope to not have many four days off in a row actually, so let me not jinx ourselves. But in the past little while he hasn't had very many weekends off. So this was nice. But yeah, let's not hope for another four days off for awhile. :) Work is good.
While Cade was off we had some friends over. Taucia and her husband and daughter came out to see our new house as well as our friend Stacie. It was a short visit but it was good still. It's good to have friends that even when you don't see each other often enough nothing changes with your friendship. These ladies will always be some of my best friends.

And let the Christmas festivities begin....
Cade put Christmas lights up for his first time--on our first house!
I was one proud wife. Good work, babe!!

We started our Advent Calendars...The activity calendar was gifted to us last year from Cade's brothers family. We took a look, changed up some things, kept some things and started it again. I love it. GREAT gift idea.
Day 1--
"The memories we have make us rich. So bake up some cookies and then ding-dong-ditch"

Day 2--
"Now here’s an idea for FHE, take and post a snapshot of your cute family---In front of the CHRISTMAS TREE!" (I added the last part this year...if you couldn't tell)

 My family's tradition growing up was always to have sprite and egg nog (mixed, anyone else do this?) on Christmas Eve. One day when Cade and I were going to put up our Christmas tree Cade bought egg nog and sprite and messed up my whole tradition. And we went with it. Now whenever we put up our tree we have our egg nog (and sprite). Our tradition.

Birthdays and Christmas is so much more fun with kids. A little bit of that Christmas magic that left when you found out Santa didn't really exist comes back when you have kids and get to play Santa. I'm loving it. I'm sad that Christmas isn't longer.

I came by this little post about making Christ the center of your Christmas. I thought it was good and I think I'm going to print it off and read it every year when I pull out my Christmas stuff. I didn't agree with EVERYTHING.. But some good points were made and I'd like to remember some things. My personal opinion, I don't think it's wrong to let the kids believe in Santa and enjoy Christmas day playing with what he got them. I think most of the season is dedicated to the birth of Jesus and spreading good around us that Santa will always come second. I'm not too worried. A couple ways that we are making Christ the center in our Christmas celebration is...

--This Advent calendar we got from Cade's parents on Thanksgiving. But I thought I could do a little more with it when I found this scripture Christmas tree page. I took the scriptures in the order they are on this tree and tucked them into the advent calendar in the same order. So every night we put up the piece and then read a scripture.


&


--I wanted to start a tradition of letting our kids open one gift on Christmas Eve- that gift being something that centered around or reminded our children of the Savior. So this year we bought a fisher price nativity set/toy. I'm pretty excited about it.

So, I don't feel guilty about my children listening to Christmas music or watching movies about Santa Clause because he'll never be the most important part in our house. But he's kind of a fun piece to the whole Christmas thing.

I LOVE this holiday.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

I brought a print out of some thankful ABC's to our Hansen Thanksgiving dinner....Mine is to the left and Cade's is on the right. Sorry about my terrible handwriting, I was writing with a colored pencil. And our  letter 'R' are both so perfect.:) (I couldn't think of anything for Y and Z so I gave up).

We had a great Thanksgiving! Aleah and I watched the Macy's parade (or at least parts) while we baked chocolate chip pumpkin muffins and Cade played some football not far from home. Around 2:00 we headed to the Hansen's where we spent the rest of the day. Cade's Grandma was in town and it's always nice to spend time with her. I will never forget the first time I met Gretta. She was so warm and sweet. With her, I feel like I've always been apart of the family. I think everyone deserves to marry someone who has a Grandma like her. Whenever she's around she will repeat over and over to me about Aleah, "Oh, she's is such a doll!" And I love that. She is so great.

I went out for my first time Black Friday shopping THANKSGIVING night. I felt a little bit terrible about it to be honest. I didn't want to support the whole shopping on Thanksgiving thing. But...I thought that I could justify shopping at Midnight. So we waited...put Aleah down at my In-Laws, and waited.... And then I decided at about10:30, it would be ok to go. Dinner is long over by then and it wouldn't be cutting into the dinner for those people who have to work. So we went. Toys 'R' Us was SO great! It just felt like a busy Saturday. The girl who checked us out was open so we checked out quick. Then we went to Kohls....Shopping wasn't bad....The line was though. An hour and a half. 
When we got to the front of the line I saw a friend and talked to her for a little bit. And then I started feeling bad...... Her son had just come home from Thanksgiving at his Dad's house when she had to leave to go to work at 7. Dang it. 
And then my cashier....she was so sweet! I felt even worse after talking to her. I tried to just make friendly conversation and asked her how long she had left in her shift, her response with a smile on her face was, "An hour and a half, can I cry now or later?" And a little laugh. She had been there since about 7 too, I think it was. She was a little older, I pictured her in not the best circumstances that had put her into the work force as a cashier, probably not by her own choosing. (I could be wrong...) She probably left a room full of family to go to a job that she couldn't afford to not have. I just felt for her. She was tired and kept making small mistakes, we weren't bothered by it but I know that there are people who would have been, and from the sounds of it, she had already dealt with people like that. I asked how the people had been and she said that some had been nice and some were "....interesting". Ugh. I wanted to hug her and then curl up in a corner in the fettle position. Working retail SUCKS. She was really great. I just couldn't stop thinking about her though and felt like I was part of the reason she had to take that shift. I know we were only two people, but still... I went to Fred Meyer at around 8 the next morning. 
So, I don't know how I feel about my first year Black Friday shopping. I did get some good deals, but I found when I went back to some stores later that some of those deals were still going on. I didn't have to go so late on Thanksgiving. And honestly, if I had missed out on some of those deals, I don't think it would have really killed me. We could have just gotten Aleah a cheaper car seat to begin with....the rocking pony was only $10 cheaper than what I had seen on amazon. I don't know. I think next year I'll just wait until I wake up on Friday morning and see what's left. I'm sure there will be plenty to choose from. Until next year black friday/thursday(?), until next year...

I hope you all had a GREAT Thanksgiving! 

We have so much to be thankful for over here. 

I love this time of year!