I Know Santa Claus is Real!

I am cracking up! My little girls are in their room right now getting ready for bed. For some reason they are discussing whether or not Santa Claus is real. Sophia is saying, "I know Santa Claus is real because I have never seen dad have a beard or a white mustache. You just have to believe or he won't come." Kate is agreeing, "Yeah, dad doesn't have a white beard or mustache." Besides the obvious, mom and dad don't have enough money to buy all that stuff! So funny, I am not fond of having kids think that Christmas is about Santa. However, Santa does make it magical!!

Grandma's are Great!

Throughout my life I feel like I have really missed out on getting to know my Grandma. She worked when I was little and then when her and my grandpa retired they decided to spend their time traveling. In the winter they were snowbirds down in Arizona. It wasn't until my grandpa passed away 15 years ago that I realized that I didn't really know my grandma. She was a quite little lady who let my grandpa be the center of attention.

I have since learned that she is a beautiful woman inside and out. I love her so much. I can now see why my mom was such a wonderful lady. I am truly blessed to live just minutes away from her now. I am so glad that my kids are getting to my grandma while I get to know her. She comes over for dinner sometimes and my kids get really excited when she is going to come. This summer she brought me stuff out of her garden and we shared recipes. The past few weeks have been especially fun. She has come over to dip pretzels with me. Yesterday she taught me how to make caramels. She is so cute and I am grateful to have this wonderful lady in my life.

Kate's Baptism

Last Saturday, Kate got baptized. She was really excited and a bit nervous. Earlier in the week she had been wrestling with Hope and ended up with a black eye. I didn't realized that she was actually hurt that bad until the next morning I thought she had put makeup on to go to school, and that is when I realized she would be sporting a beautiful black/green eye by the day of her baptism. The night before she was baptized, in her prayers, she asked that she would get a journal on her baptism day so she could write about how funny it was that she would have a black eye on her baptism day. That's when we had to make sure that she got a journal, because she had prayed for it and we didn't want her faith to be shaken. The next day we sent Aunt Belinda to get a journal, she ended up getting two others.

She was so proud after she was baptized and told me she felt really good inside. She was one of the last baptisms of the day and the water was freezing. She had goosebumps a mile high. She is a very sweet girl and is really trying to do the right thing all the time. I can tell she feels bad when she messes up, but she knows that she can repent. I just love watching kids learn and grow in the gospel. She has a friend who wasn't able to make it to the baptism. She saw her friends' dad a couple of days later. He was apologizing that they couldn't make it. She told him, "That's okay, it doesn't really matter who was there it just mattered that it happened." Wow, that is an impressive response from an 8 year old. I think that she is wiser than I thought.

Christmas Favorites

I absolutely love Christmas. I love the smells, the tastes, the sights, and the sounds of Christmas. I love the smell of cinnamon pine cones, Christmas trees, and the smell of cinnamon rolls baking. My favorite foods associated with Christmas are cinnamon rolls, yams with tons of brown sugar and butter, mmmm. I love holiday treats of every kind, but I really like to make and eat dipped pretzels. I also love hot chocolate, alot!!! I love seeing the lights on through everyone's windows and of course those who have them outside. I love going to temple square and seeing the lights and hearing the music. I don't necessarily love the snow, but I love the way it looks on the trees with lights underneath. I love listening to Christmas music. My family isn't crazy about the fact that I turn on Christmas music right after Halloween, but I just have to, its in my blood. I love to listen to Trans-siberian orchestra, Manheim Steamroller, and Jim Brickman. But the old family favorites...Anne Murray, Statler Brothers, and the Chipmunk's Christmas still remind of being a child at Christmas. I just love everything about this blessed holiday. But most of all I love the reason for the season and that is our Savior. How blessed we are to celebrate his birth and remember everything he stands for.

Turkey Day

Mark really likes to cook the turkey. He tries something a little different every year. One year it tasted like garlic. One year he cooked it with oranges inside. Then once he tried putting the stuffing under the skin, not bad just different. This year he thinks he should cook it breast down. But two years age he didn't want it to be naked, so he put a bikini on it. Here are the results of last years turkey.

Thankful Thoughts

This morning I was taking a nice hot shower and thinking about the simples things that make my life a little better. I have been reading accounts of ancestors that had little and I have been pondering what it would have actually been like to live even 100 years ago. For instance, I love taking a really HOT shower, the kind that makes the bathroom all steamy. I am truly thankful for hot water. I love having family around and eating yummy food that was easily prepared because I have a stove, hot water and a fridge. I am thankful to have a reliable vehicle to get my family from one place to the next. I am thankful for the ease of shopping for anything I need or want from the internet. I am thankful to have my friends and family at my fingertips with the internet. I am thankful for doctors that know so much and can take care of the simple ailments and the major ones. I am thankful for a nice home and a good neighborhood where my kids can learn and grow. I am thankful for reliable employment that supports our family. I am grateful for washing machines and dryers. I am thankful for parents who taught me to be frugal. I am thankful for friends throughout the years that still keep in touch. I am thankful for the gospel that gives meaning and purpose to my life. I am just thankful that I get to live in this day and time.

Happy Birthday Sophia

I don't know what in the world we would do without Sophia in our home. She is a wonderful blessing to our family. She makes our lives exciting in many ways. Sophia loves to share everything she has. She is going to be one of those people who will give the shirt off her back to make sure someone else has one (this doesn't necessarily apply to her toys though). Sophia is a happy, cheerful girl. She keeps us laughing and definitely on our toes. Sophia we love you and hope you have the best birthday ever!!!

Happy Birthday Kate Bug!

My how time flies! Kate turned 8 years old yesterday. I can hardly believe how much she has grow in the last year. She has always been pretty, but has gotten even more beautiful inside and out. She is a wonderful big sister and is always trying to help someone. She loves her friends and is good to them. She loves to learn and read. She loves her brothers and sisters. We are so blessed to have such a special girl in our family. Most importantly she loves her Heavenly Father. She prays for help and has faith that he will help her. She is looking forward to getting baptized in a couple of weeks. We all love you Kate Bug. We hope you had a wonderful birthday.

These are a few of my favorite things....

I was just thinking about what makes life great and I want to share thoughts with you....

Mark, he makes my life great! He is my best friend and a great father. Thanks for all you do!

Kimball's joking makes me laugh and sometimes makes me just a little crazy. But he is a great big brother. Hope adores him and he has the touch to make her happy when she is sad.

Nick- who can resist those eyes. He is very loving and fun to be with. He is always trying to find out why, how, and anything about everything.

Kate's little love notes tucked under the pillow or on top of my computer make me smile. She is very thoughtful, especially when she can tell you are having a bad day.

Sophia is always on her toes and not always in a bad way. I love it when Mark comes home, she loves to wait on him. She loves getting him drinks, food, snacks, or whatever he wants, or even if he doesn't, want it bless her heart she gets it anyway.

Hope's little conversations make me smile. Her constant asking "Why Nemo sad mommy?" Or telling me "I love you mommy." She melts my heart.

Kimball Supports Breast Cancer Awareness Week

So this weekend Kimball went out on a limb and bought a really nice pink shirt with blue stripes on it. He actually got a little dressed up to go to school. I must say that I welcome the new apparel and am sick of t-shirts and basketball jerseys. When he got home from school I asked if anyone noticed his nice shirt. He said, "Yeah and you'll never guess what today was? It was breast cancer awareness week and a few kids thought that he was a supporter of breast cancer awareness." Can you think of anything more embarrassing for an 8th grade boy. It made me laugh.

Sophia Interviews Mr. Thumbtacker

In her increasing attempt to show her big-girl-ness, Sophia has started to answer the telephone when someone calls the house. She is quite the conversationalist and is more than willing to visit with whomever calls. I can only guess what the other part of her conversations sound like, but her side usually starts well enough. An example from a phone call today with an important recruiter trying to contact Mark on a job prospect.

Sophia: Hello

Caller: Is Mark home?

Sophia: What?

Caller: Is Mark home?

Sophia: WHO?!

Caller: Is your daddy home?

Sophia: Who is this?

Caller: Brent Packer.

Sophia: WHO IS IT?

Caller: Brent Packer.

Caller: Is your mommy home?

Next, with the phone still to her mouth, Sophia finds me and says...

"Mom, a thumbtacker wants Dad."

When I finally got to the phone the caller politely told me, "I think your daughter got my name wrong, I'm Brent Packer".

Knowing Sophia it could have been worse... a thumb sucker, a cake baker, or a butt scratcher all could have called.

That Darn Mouse

On Monday morning we were just getting ready to read scriptures when Kimball said,"A mouse just ran behind the entertainment center." Kimball is a big tease so we went on with our lives and no more sitings of a mouse. Tuesday morning Nick sees a mouse run across the back wall and then under the couch. I see it as it goes into the pantry and then behind the dishwasher. My skin was crawling. It was a big fat black mouse. Disgusting!!! Needless to say as the kids walked out to catch the bus I was on the way to the store to buy mouse traps. We set them and waited. Sophia checked them every five minutes. Finally it was time for bed, she was so freaked out she couldn't sleep in her bed. With great anticipation we checked the traps this morning and no mouse. Ugh! Was I seriously going to have to spend another day in my house with a mouse. Then at about 9:30 this morning we heard a snap. That little bugger was sneaky, he actually got all the cheese off the trap before he stepped on it and got trapped. We are breathing a little easier now. Hopefully my kids have learned their lesson. KEEP THE DOORS SHUT!

Gone But Not Forgotten

Today is my mom's birthday. She would be 60 years old today. She passed away 7 years ago and today I am missing her. She was the best mom ever. Anything that I am or hope to be I owe to my mother. Here are 20 things that I love and miss about my mom....

1. Her smile
2. Her you can do it attitude.
3. Her love for her grandkids.
4. Having someone to talk to anytime.
5. Her friendship.
6. Eating chocolate chips and chips and salsa as a midnight snack.
7. Going to the temple with her.
8. Her inspiring testimony.
9. Her dedication to the gospel.
10. Her endurance and long suffering.
11. Her patience.
12. Her prayers..I believe she always had a prayer in her heart.
13. Her love.
14. Charity..she truly possessed the truly love of Christ to everyone.
15. Her love for the scriptures.
16. Her love of teaching.
17. The confidence she had in her children.
18. Her support throughout my life in all things.
19. Quiet moments.
20. Her example.

To everyone who knew her our lives are better. She may be gone but will never be forgotten.

Starting a Blog

Starting a blog has been on my long list of to-do's for sometime. I love reading everyone else's blogs and find great joy in keeping up with old friends. I have always thought my life to not be all that exciting, so what would I write about? But that is exactly why I want to start one. I need to find more joy in the journey. Life is good and I hope to see even more of it as I write about life at the Potter's as we take one day at a time.