January

This new year is off to a good start! I'm excited about my goals for the new year, and I've felt so motivated and inspired by so many good things lately.


Going along with my goal for January, I've gone through every nook and cranny in our house and cleaned, organized, and cleared out things we don't need. I know we don't accumulate much anyway, since we move often and de-clutter regularly, but it feels so good to know that everything is in it's place!


We've enjoyed lots of time with friends and ward members, and love having people over to our home as often as we can. We are busy, but try to carve out unscheduled time whenever we can and just enjoy free time together.

The weather here has been wonderful, so we try to get outside often. We have to enjoy it before it gets too hot! January seems like it has lasted for about 8 weeks, but we have filled it with so many good things, and I can't wait to see what February brings.

Christmas in Utah

We were so excited to spend Christmas in Utah for the first time in five years! It was wonderful to be with family and friends and enjoy some of our favorite traditions together.

We got to spend a few days in the mountains of Nevada, enjoying beautiful scenery and family time with no distractions. It was a bit of an elevation adjustment for those of us coming from sea level, but we loved it out there!

Matthew & Anna woke up early on Christmas and we had a wonderful morning playing with gifts and attending church. We loved getting to see all of our family members over those few days of Christmas. Cousins really are the best kind of friends!!

We ended our trip with a visit to Temple Square and seeing a production of "Savior of the World" in the Conference Center. It was spectacular and the perfect ending to our Christmas season. We feel so grateful to have such wonderful, supportive families and we loved every minute of being with them. Merry Christmas!

Holidays

We are getting so excited for Christmas this year! It is the first time in a long time that we will get to be with our families in Utah. I don't know if we are ready for the cold weather, but otherwise we can't wait! We have loved making our home nice and cozy, sending out cards to friends all around the world, and finishing up all the Christmas prep before heading out next week.

We had a nice Thanksgiving here with good friends and beautiful weather. We loved having some free time to spend together over the long weekend, and we enjoyed spending time outside and watching lots of movies!

We found the perfect tree at a great tree farm just up the road, and we loved being able to do it in shorts and t-shirts. :) We have enjoyed the season so far, and are looking forward to making lots of fun memories this year!

Visitor

My mom came to visit us in Mississippi last week! We had so much fun showing her some of our favorite places and enjoying the nice weather. We walked a lot, and talked even more. We ate some yummy local Southern food, and wandered around looking at all the beautiful homes.

We had a picnic on the beach during sunset, and it was pretty perfect. It may not be the most "touristy" or "sight-seeing" place we have lived, but it really is beautiful!

We spent a few hours in New Orleans before I took her back to the airport. It was fun to walk around together because we notice and appreciate the same things. We ate beignets and pralines and had so much fun together! We are so glad she could come for a quick visit!

October

October was a little bit crazy, but also full of lots of good things. We had a lot of great Halloween events and activities, and trick-or-treating in our new neighborhood was lots of fun.

Matthew and Anna did another session of swimming lessons and they both did awesome! They have also been doing piano lessons and it is so fun to see them learn new talents and improve their skills.

I can't stop talking about the amazing weather we have been having, and it has been so nice to spend time outside without getting so hot! We love the nice cool mornings and warm afternoons. We spent a lovely day together at the Baton Rouge temple and it was the perfect ending to a full and busy month. Happy November!