Respect and Appreciation.....I'll have some of both please....

I have to say, this holiday season has been one of my all time favorites thus far.

I do not recall a time that I have had more anticipation and build 

up for our up coming trip back home to Utah.

I think it stems from the fact that we did not visit this summer....

what a void that left.....lesson learned.  

Family, be prepared to have us for a solid three months this Summer.

We will have to make up for all the time we missed out on this year.

But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder....

I am definitely feeling very fond of my family these days.

I have been working on calendar pages and scrap book pages for Kev's parents.

So naturally I have been doing a lot of reminiscing about this past year and getting 

all reved up for our trip in 

7 DAYS!!

December brings Christmas, but it also brings Pearl Harbor Day, 

which also brings my mother's birthday.

She turned 64 on the 7th.

(I know this because she happened to mention tonight on the phone that next year she would be 65)

My sister HB did a massive tribute to my mom on her blog page.

It was fun to read and think back....

made me dig around in my own memories and think about my wonderful mom.

I really enjoyed our phone call tonight....

made me so very home sick.

She said I get to choose what we eat for Christmas Eve....SWEET....

um....your split pea soup!

well, yes I can make that while you are here...but are you sure for Christmas Eve?

OK - ham for sure then!

Whooohooo!

My mom is such a great cook.

She has also committed to teach me how to make her homemade

 crescent rolls and delectable sweet rolls.

Prepare to be blown away my Floridian friends....

cuz I am gonna rock your food world when I get back!

One of the things I discussed w/ my mom tonight was our dear boy Ethan....

I was telling her about how last night he was being all disrespectful and totally rude in the car.

I was frustrated with his attitude, etc.

She somehow seemed to revel in my discomfort.

She even said so....that she thinks it is very funny watching myself and my older 

Brother begin the "teen years" with our children.

Oh, just you wait sweet heart.....

just you wait.

(I halfway expected her to say "baby you ain't seen nothing yet")

She didn't say that....

but she did say....ooohhhhhh, don't you remember that one family night?

Of course I do...you remind me of it constantly....and almost always in front of other people.

Remember how we were talking about Eternal families? 

We were saying how all of you children 

chose to come to our home.

.....and then you said....

dah....da...da....daaaaaaaa......

Did you ever consider that someone 

had to go last!!?????!!!

Yes mom....I do remember,

but thanks for the reminder again....it was starting to get hazy.

So here I am today with my own children.

Trying to do my best.

Wondering how to instill 

R E S P E C T 

AND

elicit a little A P P R E C I A T I O N from our oldest.

I don't care so much necessarily about the appreciation...but it is just the blatant 

un - appreciation that rubs me the wrong way.

 Ethan is a fun kid.

He is a good kid.

He is an excellent student.  

Has always been academically self motivated and driven to do his best.

He does not feel he gets the blog time that he deserves...so tonight is his night.

Hope he likes it.

As he has gotten older both Kev and I have really grown to thoroughly enjoy his personality.

He has a great sense of humor.

He gets it....ya know?

He knows so much....I learn from him every day.

Sometimes he will say things....like last night for instance on the way to scouts.

The boys were talking about whales... mammals, or water...
 anyway, and he said,
that the reason whales die when they get beached is because the bulk and 

weight of their own mass crushes them on land.

That's what it was.... buoyancy.

I was like....hmmmm....did you learn that in school?

Oh no....I read it in a book a few years ago.

He can retain numbers and facts like I cannot believe. 

Ask him anything about baseball, football, Nascar......I bet he will know the answer.

He has been reading the sports page since he could read practically.

He is an accomplished piano player.

I really wanted him to learn and play the song 

"Believe" from Polar Express.

He fought me on it tooth and nail....I finally said that was all I wanted for Christmas from him.

That was the ticket.

He was still perfecting it at this point in this video...

but it sounds pretty darn good.

(you will need to mute the Christmas music below)

I am proud of this young man.

I am thrilled he chose to come to our family.

Maybe sometimes he doesn't know it...but I see him like this picture below.

This will be him before we know it.

I appreciate his efforts at helping us have a loving home.

I am thankful for his example to his siblings.

Tonight Kevin was away with Elders Quorum duties. 

I rounded the kids up for scriptures and family prayer. 

(no we are not perfect every day or night, but tonight was a good night)

We are reading in Moses,

specifically Moses 7:18 stuck out tonight, it says...

"And the Lord called his people Zion,

because they were of one heart and one mind, 

and dwelt in righteousness; 

and there was no poor among them."

I really love this verse.

We talked about how our home can be Zion.

We can work to be of one heart and one mind.  Our family can work together in 

righteousness so that there are no poor (sad, upset, cross) among us.

I'm in.....

Eth....you on board?