it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

a tree decorated by the girls


a visit from santa


meandering through the lights


early family gatherings


friend and family greetings lining the walls of our family room


sugary holiday goodness


first gifts under the tree


more magical lights

12of12 | December

[click here to enlarge]

01. Overhearing the conversation in the morning between my girls. Megan was discussing the likelihood that she could win the prizes offered on the back of the Pops cereal box.
02. The days are slipping away. It won't be long now.
03. My Monday always includes several loads of laundry.
04. Tess diligently practicing the piano for her group lesson next week.
05. Poinsettias for my hilarious elderly neighbor. I went to visit her today at the health care center, but unfortunately it was quick because she was sleeping. I wish I had an instant camera so I could have left a photo with the flowers. I did leave a card, but she knows my face not my name.
06. Megan came in the laundry room to do her homework while I was ironing. Long after I was done I found her in the same position working away. I believe that's what you call in the zone.
07. I went out on errands and passed a park along the way. Had to get out and walk around, it was such a warm December day.
08. Wrapping.
09. We went downtown to see the lights at temple square. Always one of our favorite traditions during the Christmas season.
10. Our Christmas card came in the mail today, freshly printed. I am so happy with them. Thanks for taking the photo Jill.
11. The view of the lights from inside the tabernacle.
12. Lights, lights, and more lights.

As I'm finishing up this post I'm having the hardest time believing this is our last 12of12 of the year. This is my third straight year doing this challenge and it's still one of my favorite ways to document my life.

I love that no matter how similar your day to day can be each 12of12 comes out looking completely different. A lot of that has to do with you, the viewer, and how you're seeing the world on that particular day. It's what makes each day uniquely yours.

I hope when you take the time to look back at your year of twelves collectively it paints a beautiful picture of your everyday life. I hope the challenge has given you the opportunity to see details that often go unnoticed because they're always around you. I hope you'll be ready to do it all again in January.

I'm up for it--are you?

Christmas tradition | advent

One of my girls most memorable holiday tradition is our advent calendar. I'm not sure if it's the daily candy, the fact that each one comes with a little note, or counting the days til Christmas. If it were me it would be the latter. When I was a kid I loved watching the days melt away and the Christmas season unfold.


The girl's job was to fill the bags with candy, and of course they decided eating the candy was part of the job description as well.




A couple years ago we introduced an activity associated with each day. Instead of merely just eating the candy we thought doing a little something each day would help us get in the holiday spirit. The days so far:

Day 01: read a Christmas book
Day 02: share your talent with a neighbor
Day 03: make someones bed

Adam was in charge of making the notes so I'm just as surprised as the girls each day when we dip into the bag.


The other tradition we're doing this year that's sort of advent-ish is our chain of service. Anytime we do something for someone else we write it down and chain them up together. We hope by the end of the month the chain fills our walls and will be a reminder throughout the month of the good that comes when we give. (i can totally see doing this all year long)

So far it's been the best thing. Each day the girls jump in the car after school and blurt out the times they did something helpful. Even in just the short time we've been doing it, it's created a great feeling around our home. Seems they wake up each day looking for a way to add another piece to the chain. We have loved it.

Do you have an advent or and advent-ish type tradition to celebrate the holiday season?

loving right now

Mormon Channel
I downloaded this app on my phone when it first came out and used it to listen to conference talks and even the Ensign. It wasn't until a few months ago that I started listening to the actually radio and discovered all the fabulous programs they had available. I listen to it everyday now--when I'm getting ready, cleaning the house, driving, working on photos, etc. I have come to love the spontaneous messages that come up as so many of them are ones I need to hear. It is available at the apple store free and I know it's available for other devices as well. Check it out.

apple TV
Recently Adam and I both discovered we were going to give the other Apple TV for Christmas (long story). After laughing about how funny that would have been to exchange the same gift (and him telling me he wouldn't have wanted it--nice), I walked into my closet, pulled it out of it's hiding place, and started setting it up. Since the cat was out of the bag I figured apple TV, as a gift, was off the table so why not enjoy it now--and enjoy I am. Last night I sat on the couch while the girls danced to music (controlled through my iphone) and watched my photos randomly stream from my flickr account. We were so caught up in the memory of each one saying, remember when..., I couldn't believe more than an hour had gone by. I must add, it sure didn't take long for Adam to appreciate the awesomeness that apple TV is. Once I got him acquainted with everything he could do with it he was, shall I say, hooked. Turns out, not such a bad gift after all.


the lights
I think it's been well established, for better or worse, that I lack patience so it should be no surprise that yesterday we succumbed and started decorating the house. I know it's a little early, ok quite early, but we were all in agreement--it had to be done. What a delight it was to come from church with the lights and glow of the holiday season. I know some think it takes away from Thanksgiving, but I think it's the perfect accompaniment to both holidays. We're loving it.

this talk | education for real life by President Eyring
"Your life is carefully watched over, as was mine. The Lord knows both what He will need you to do and what you will need to know. He is kind and He is all-knowing. So you can with confidence expect that He has prepared opportunities for you to learn in preparation for the service you will give. You will not recognize those opportunities perfectly, as I did not. But when you put the spiritual things first in your life, you will be blessed to feel directed toward certain learning, and you will be motivated to work harder. You will recognize later that your power to serve was increased, and you will be grateful.


the snow
The snow not only helps create the holiday mood, but it allows the kids to get out of the house and stay active. I never thought of it like this until yesterday, but my girls won't go outside in the cold unless there is something pushing them to, and snow is the perfect excuse. They spent a good portion of the afternoon sledding down the hill across from our home and came in exhausted and ready for a low key evening.

holiday messages
I bought a bag of dove dark chocolates for our advent calendar and am ashamed to say the bag is almost gone. I've enjoyed the messages on the inside of the packaging as much as the chocolate themselves. Guess I need to go buy a new bag. I think I'll wait till next week so there isn't near the temptation.

the fire
Our fall wasn't as cold as it has been in the past so we haven't had a lot of fires up to this point. Tonight after much convincing from the girls, we enjoyed the warmth and mood that only a fire can provide. It definitely has a way of drawing everyone together and we spent the evening hanging out in one anothers company--well that is until I had to leave.

Our festivities

I'm not even sure what day it is. With so much going on the past few days time seems to mesh together & it feels like another week has gone by. My sister is in town & I guess that's just what happens when she comes. I don't really pay attention to days or times & just go from one thing to the next until she goes home. It's been nice having her here, even if just for a little while. She's going to be leaving on thursday so it was quick, but grateful they're willing to do the 24hr round trip drive in order to spend the holiday with us.

Our Christmas festivities started on Christmas Eve with Adam's family. It took us about 10 years to figure out the best way to work the holidays with both families in town, but have settled on Christmas Eve with adam's family (I think they like having a low key day at home Christmas day).


Christmas Eve started & ended with good food. Sometimes I wonder how I could ever be hungry after eating such a big meal hours before, of course it could of been the hours on the couch opening gifts that worked up my appetite. Before we did that though, we read verses from the New Testament. The kids were all pretty patient except for the youngest who kept asking when we'd be done.


Christmas morning was, as always, a huge hit and a lot of fun to finally watch the fruits of our labor be enjoyed. Later my whole family came over for breakfast. I love this tradition. It's the perfect accompaniment to christmas morning--all of us together in jammies enjoying the celebration. Couldn't have been better. My favorite part was when my mom cried when I gave her my gift. I was very uncertain of all the gifts I made this year & honestly can't be sure I'll do it next year, however seeing my mom get emotional made me think perhaps I'm not giving myself enough credit. All I know is, it was a sweet moment.

All & all it was a great Christmas. A wonderful end to all the anticipation from the last 6 weeks. It is crazy though, as it always is, to see Christmas come and go another year. As much as I enjoyed it I am looking forward to getting back to life. To clean my house room by room & declutter like mad--one of my favorite new years traditions.

I've sort of been off the grid for a while now so I hope you all had a fabulous holiday. Seriously can you believe it's come and gone?

xo
Amy Gretchen

independence holiday || photos

parade + face painting + breakfast + swimming + fireworks from the backyard = one good holiday

Oh, say can you see...

There's nothing quite like over hearing my three girls stand at the edge of the yard watching fireworks from around the valley while belting out at the top of their lungs the National Anthem. They gave me chills tonight. I know they don't completely understand how fortunate they are to live in America and have the freedoms we enjoy, but with their gusto and proud voices trailing into my bedroom window they certainly reminded me how truly blessed we are to live in this great country. I am proud to be an American.

Happy Independence Day.

each bouquet

As we drove through the packed cemetery at a crawling pace I had a chance to look out at the vast amounts of people who were there, mourning, reflecting, and celebrating the life of their loved one. There were husbands remembering wives, mothers remembering children, grandchildren remembering grandparents, sisters remembering brothers, children remembering parents. It breaks my heart and yet it's the most beautiful thing to see families being brought together laughing & crying.





Despite the tender feelings I get when I go to the cemetery I love it there. I do. I know it's sounds crazy and so out of character for me, but I could spend hours there getting lost walking through, in and out of the graves, wondering what stories lie beneath the dirt. I especially love it there right now when there's flowers scattered about the grass and you know behind each bouquet is a tremendous amount of love. The two photos above were among my favorites.







There are times when we're all together visiting my brother's grave and my family shares stories and experiences they remember about him, but today we seemed more quiet. It can be hard to be there with my family and talk about it all. I know it seems like it would be easier since they know exactly what it feels like, but for some reason there are times that I'm at the verge of loosing it and to see them brings it all back so I try to distance myself. Today seemed like one of those days so I was grateful for the quiet, grateful to be able to hide behind my camera for a bit.







As we walked from my brother's grave to all of my grandparent's graves I watched my family up ahead of me and felt truly grateful to have them in my life. We're a hodge-podge group with our good days and bad, but they're mine, apart of the person I am, and I love them dearly. Wish my sister could have been with us.







It was a good evening.
The best kind.

I hope you all have a fabulous holiday weekend.

a season of giving

I don't know why I'm so surprised the stores already have holiday merchandise out and Christmas music playing on the radio, but I am. I guess I just don't want to see a great holiday like Thanksgiving gets sweep under the rug by the big commercial holiday Christmas. I've been trying to hold off doing anything Christmas-y so I can really savor the season in the moment, but I have to admit I've been thinking about Christmas. I've been working on some gifts and we've had Christmas music playing in our home since Bella's learning songs for her Christmas program. Plus after the snow fall we got yesterday it's hard not to think of 'Dashing Through the Snow'.

Yesterday we got a few catalogs in the mail that were advertising this seasons biggest sellers and I found Megan like this after the girls left for school this morning.



"What mom, I'm just trying to see what I want." It's no surprise she had about 25 things highlighted. I think it's such a funny moment to find her like this as I remember what it was like to get those big catalogs in the mail around this time of year. I remember going through them getting ideas and being so excited with the prospect of actually getting the toys. Seeing her like this reminded me how badly I want this holiday season to be about something more. I really want my girls to focus on others and am working on ways we can incorporate service throughout the season. I know last year as we counted down to Christmas with our advent calendar we did a service type something each day (write someone a note, make a family members bed, etc.) and I still want to do that, but I also want to find other ways to keep them thinking about giving instead of receiving.

On Monday night for FHE we discussed the window's mite parable from the Bible and I think it really hit home to them as we used their Halloween candy as an example. We encourage them to go through their candy and give to those in need who didn't have much and were unable to go trick or treating (as a family we also went through coats/hat/gloves to donate since our ward is doing a fundraiser). It was so interesting to see them sort their stash and go from only wanting to give the things they didn't want, to slowly giving up the prize candy they didn't think they could part with. It was a sweet moment for me to see and they really seemed happier in the end. It's that same spirit of giving I want to keep throughout this holiday season.

I would love to hear any ideas/traditions you all do as a family to make the season more meaningful.

independence day

In the last two neighborhoods we've lived in we've always had some kind of fourth of July breakfast to participate in to help us get in the spirit. In our neighborhood now we also happen to have a flag ceremony, speaker, and this year again we had a dance/singing group come and perform. It's a bit sad and embarrassing to have to watch, but the oldies love it and we love them so we deal. Luckily we are able to roam around and have breakfast while it's going on.

After our crazy morning we headed to Adam's parents house for lunch and 4th of July activities which included the adults talking/playing games and the kids playing water games. Right away Megan was complaining about her stomach though she said she didn't need to throw up. I was certain she was not sick, but spent a good portion of my time lying down with her hoping she would start to feel better. It was sad to see Megan try to go play after getting encouragement from her cousins, but eventually she would make her way back to the bed.

The outdoor games...


Jared sprayed them with the water as I took the picture







While the adults played games Megan came in announcing that she was going to throw up. I did my best to get her out of there quickly before anyone else was exposed, but I just wasn't quick enough. I couldn't believe she was sick. I was hoping that wasn't the case, that she had just eating something, but it was apparent she was not feeling good. We decided to head home and leave the party behind.

So we had no choice, but to have a quiet fourth of July evening at home. Right when I thought we were putting the kids down for bed for the night, I convinced Adam to go outside and do the sparkler/fireworks we had bought and watch the ones going on around the valley.

Here is what we came up with...










And here we are lying in our backyard watching the fireworks. We saw about four different ones going off at the same time. It was very cool. After the kids went to bed Adam and I stayed outside and enjoyed the cool air. It was a fabulous 4th of July after all.