Merry Christmas

Christmas Sunday 2010

(I don't know anyone who really cares for pictures of themselves, but I'll go ahead and post this one.)

It's the time of year that we all seem to be a little more reflective on our goals and our accomplishments and what we cherish most. Every year I have the best of intentions of actually mailing out Christmas cards, but instead I have a box full of blank cards that I buy every year and never mail. 

We've had a good year...

Charlotte turned ONE this year and is almost two now.  She loves to do whatever her big sisters are doing. She also loves dancing and coloring. She has had a very slow start to her speech, but is starting to use a few words, much to my pleasure! She is super silly and will raise her hand every time you ask “Who’s silly?”

Aliza  turned 4 last month and had a colorful rainbow party with some of her newest friends. She completed her first year of Joy School and is currently taking the year off, before starting preschool next year. She played soccer in the spring and then has just completed a session of gymnastics. She loved her class and is ready to try a dance class. 

Carmen turned 5 and graduated from Joy School in the spring and started kindergarten this fall. She enjoys school and all her new friends. And she is growing and maturing in so many ways. She also played soccer two different times this year. She is ready to try something new, maybe art classes. And Carmen lost her first tooth and the Tooth Fairy got to visit our house!

We had several fun vacations this year. Two trips to Virginia house hunting (if you want to consider that a vacation). Then we made a final trip to Disneyland before we moved too far away. We also stayed in a beach house at the Outer Banks and had such a relaxing time on the beach. 

David is back working in an office and finding new challenges with that. Work is keeping him busier than he would like, but when he's home the girls love to play with Daddy! They seriously drop everything and race to the door when he gets home from work. He is greeted each evening with a tackle from his girls. He is also working with the Cub Scouts at church.

I feel like I never have anything exciting to report each year. I face the challenges of laundry and cooking and cleaning and child care each day. In my spare time I've managed to do some fun crafting. I am enjoying my days with just the younger girls, yet I am so excited each day to hear Carmen's report of her school day.  I have also really enjoyed being able to spend more time with my side of the family now that we are living closer. 

We are grateful for each other and for each of our dear family members and friends. My greatest challenge this year was moving to Virginia. We still dearly miss each of our California friends and family members, but are making new friendships here that will hopefully become as cherished as those in California. And most importantly we are thankful for our Savior Jesus Christ. We are grateful for His humble birth, shining example and great sacrifice for us. We wish each of you well in the new year! 

Merry Christmas,

The Beans

Snow Day

We had our first snow fall on Thursday and the girls were so excited to see it for the first time. These are the cookies I spent hours making for Carmen's class party that was cancelled due to the weather. They turned out really cute and very tasty. Too bad she didn't get to take them to class. 

The girls are looking out the front door at the falling snow.  

Then they finally decided to go out and play. Carmen immediately started making snow balls and throwing them at me!

 Aliza was determined to catch some flakes on her tongue. 

And well... Charlotte wanted to be out in it, but didn't want any part of the snow to touch her. 

I was excited to see my girls discover the fun of snow. Living in California I was a little sad that they would never get to play in the snow or have a surprise day off from school. But with the snow, came a lot of wetness tracked into the house, wet clothes, hot baths and A LOT of laundry. 

Our Condolences to Aliza

Pink Bunny has become a member of our family. Everywhere Aliza goes, this bunny goes. Neither a "he" or a "she", just Pink Bunny is never far from Aliza's side. This was Pink Bunny four years ago. Bright, soft, intact, recognizable...

I looked through my pictures and here are some of the first sightings of Pink Bunny. 

I even made a tribute to Bunny several years ago. As you can see, there once were several bunnies, but over time some have been lost, other still hanging around. But none of them could replace the real Pink Bunny!

We all dreaded the day that Pink Bunny would be lost, or... decapitated. I can't tell you the amount of stress I have gone through as a parent making sure Bunny was never lost or forgotten somewhere. David has even made midnight runs around the mall parking lot looking for Pink Bunny. I know we lost one at Costco and another at Disneyland. The others... who knows where they are.  After years of toting around Bunny, we knew the end was near, but never sure when it was really going to happen. Deep down I felt like losing Bunny would be like losing a member of the family. But at the same time, I couldn't wait to rid ourselves of the stress of keeping track of Bunny. Well, last night Bunny met it's final fate at Target. Oddly enough, there were no tears. Only relief that it finally had happened!

I thought it was finally over. I mean Bunny is beyond repair! Time to pack it away in her memory box and keep safe. But no, at 4 am this morning I hear Aliza come running in our room and waking me up. She couldn't find Bunny's head! 

Temple Touching

These pictures are really horrible quality, taken with my phone at night, but I still wanted to document this moment. We took the girls up to the LDS Washington DC Temple to see the Christmas lights. Unfortunately the lights weren't on yet, but we still took advantage of the beautiful sight of the Temple. 

David took the girls to touch the Temple doors, as we each held onto the handles, he stated how important the Temple was to him and how he hoped that one day they would each be able to enter those doors and feel the sacred spirit of the inside of the Temple. 

Here is a similar account taken from LDS Church New; Aug. 2008

    President Harold B. Lee spoke of two boys who brought their little brothers to touch the Salt Lake Temple. President Lee quoted from a note that a watchman, employed on Temple Square, had written about the youngsters' venture.

The watchman wrote that the boys, each about 7 or 8 years old, had come early one morning to Temple Square, pulling their brothers in little carts. One of the boys told the watchman that it was the birthday of his little brother Joe, and explained, "'He is two years old today, and I want him to touch the temple so that when he gets to be an old man he will remember he touched the temple when he was two years old.' "

    The boy pointed to the other toddler and said that his name was Mark, and that he was two years old, also.

    The watchman's note continued: "Then with a solemn, reverent attitude rare in children so young, he asked, 'Can we go over and touch the temple?' I replied, 'Sure you can.' They pushed their little carts over to the temple and lifted the infants up, and placed their hands against that holy building. Then as I stood there with a lump in my throat, I heard the little boy say to his infant brother, 'Now, Joe, you will always remember when you (were) two years old you touched the temple.' They thanked me and departed for home" (Given in an address at the April 1957 general conference, and reprinted in theEnsign, February 1971, p. 35).

    Some parents take their children to visit temple grounds, wanting the youngsters to feel of the spirit of the place, to sense its sacredness, to develop a love for temples.

Without doubt, these parents want their children not only to touch the temple when they are young but also, as they grow older, to be touched by the temple.

Yes, temples can touch us as much — more so — than we can touch them. When we go to a temple, we touch its solid surfaces, but the temple touches us on a deeper level. It touches the spirit.

May we ever yearn to be in the temple, the House of the Lord, and may be always be prepared to feel its touch in our lives.

If you want to know more about LDS Temples please click here: LDS.org or Mormon.org or Mormon Temples 

Thanksgiving Festivities

The entire month of November was busy for us, with Aliza's birthday, David's mom coming to visit (which I have no pictures to prove) and then hosting Thanksgiving at our house. I just kept praying that the month would go by quickly and it sure did!

Charlotte got lots of lovin' from Poppy and Aunt Sarah

Carmen's class put on a Thanksgiving play for all the parents. She was an indian helping the pilgrims find food. She was beyond excited about her little play and did such a great job! I went and ate lunch with her this day and then David and the other girls met us in time to watch the play. 

We hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our house. I got to use my "Grown Up dishes" and had a fun time setting the table and making it look nice. Although I really miss California, I did feel very blessed this year to be close to my family and be able to have them over for a special holiday. 

While my mom and I cooked all morning, David made his first attempt at frying a turkey! He watched many YouTube videos on how NOT to fry a turkey or how NOT to burn your house down. He was a little nervous, but did a fantastic job! Overall, the whole day was a big success.  

Aliza's 4th Birthday

This girls finally had her birthday! She was so excited to have her friends over and it didn't matter what else we did or what presents she got. She just wanted her friends to come to her house. She had a rainbow theme party, although she kept changing her mind right up to the hour before the party!

Rainbow cupcakes - why aren't there blue skittles? Isn't their whole marketing slogan "Taste the Rainbow"?!?! We made blue sky instead. 

Pizza with her friends

Present Time!

I made this cake for her family dinner/party

She was very shy about being sung to. After her friends sang to her, she whispered in my ear "Am I four now?" As if it took singing the song for her to turn a year older. 

We just love our sweet Aliza. Before she was even born, I told David that I knew she was a very special spirit, and I still believe that today. She is so sweet and concerned for others. She is always willing to share with anyone. And Aliza has the most contagious smile and laugh a girl could ever have. We love you so much!!!

November Highlights

The Richmond Children's Museum:

Loving Sisters:

Carmen's Kindergarten picture

The day after Thanksgiving the girls were ready to make our gingerbread house. It's always such a huge mess, but we all have so much fun making it. And it's usually in the trash not even a week later. 

(Charlotte did what any 1 yr. old would do - just ate the candy!)

Carmen's First Field Trip

Carmen's class went to Greenfield Farm for a Fall field trip. She was so excited to go on a trip during school, with her friends! The farm had large hay bails to climb on, animals to feed and pet, a corn maze, a hay ride, and of course they each got to pick a pumpkin to take home. It was a fun day and I was so thrilled to get to spend the day with her, and to finally meet her new school friends.