The New Year is aproaching!

Another year has COME and GONE! Our family is heading in good directions and I am pleased with the progress we have made for the most part. I have been mulling over my goals and focuses for the coming year. My Christmas attitude has helped me want to make sure Christ is the forefront of my family. I have been THIRSTING for the scriptures and increased spirituality. I find it so hard to get that at church teaching 7 year old's. I have started watching a lot of the BYU channel and found the discussion groups on scripture study. This has helped to water a bit of my thirst. I love & miss discussing doctrine and church history, I have suggested a scripture study group for the enrichment mini groups to help fill the need, but have not seen anything yet. I will have to take matters into my own hands and arrange something to help with this.

I am losing my Paulaness. I am disappearing and Bill's wife and the kids MOM is all that exists anymore. I am trying hard to find her, I need to find her. I am going back to school, but even that is a mothers goal to enhance her resources should something happen to my husband. Where did I go? Every loud laugh or silly song sung that others rebuke me for or become embarrassed by makes my essence evaporate. I feel the spunk and individuality that was me, melt away and drip of my fingers like too much rain water. Does the weight of responsibility automatically crush our heart song? Do we as women mold ourselves around our husband and kids to protect them, yet in the process lose and forget the shape of our souls?

With these things in mind, my two biggest goals for this year are to stop being a lukewarm handmaiden of Christ and find an altered Paulaness that incorporates more of the me I miss. It is almost like I don't know who I need to be so I have created a default stereotypical character to portray. Perchance these two go hand in hand, if I quench the spiritual thirst, I can revive the Paula that I have been dehydrating. we shall see...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Santa brought us lots of fun things but the biggest hit was the trampoline. It was the best thing ever. My house is so much quieter now. However they want to start jumping at 7 am. I make them wait till at least 8:30 and they are bitter. But they are having a gay old time.

School Christmas Parties!

WHEW!!! The week is over and I am so glad!!! I have been out of school and it is a good thing. This week has been crazy with PTA Angel tree pass outs, student behavior incentive stores, teacher appreciate lunches and school parties in 5 different classrooms at 3 different schools. I guess this is good, cause now I am excited for the kids to be out of school for winter break, just so i don't have to make an appearance at any of their schools. It has been good in that i felt like a good involved mom this week.

Now that I look around my house I just don't feel very Christmas-ey. The Christmas spirit always seemed to be alive and well in my mothers house. I might have to reclaim the stereo I gave to Leelani so i can start piping some Bing Crosby throughout the house. Maybe that will help. We have had the tree up and the lights on it for ages but still haven't decorated it. So tomorrow we are going to finish decorating the tree, put out the nativity scene and finally hang the stocking. Currently they are in a pile next to where they need to be hung.

We have been doing the 12 days of Christmas to 5 families, so we have been busy making those everyday and delivering. The kids have been doing great. We love to watch the twins sneak. It is pretty amusing. Bill tells them they do their Native American ancestors proud with their sneaking skills. Kaiyla tells us it is because she is a little bit super hero. I must agree. It will soon be time to break out Christmas Vacation and really start to feel the holiday. I am surprised that the traditional Christmas shows are not on TV. I blame part of not feeling the holiday spirit on that. However my children think Shrek the Halls is a classic, so maybe I am excited about not seeing some of the shows. I am trying hard not to watch anything on the Hallmark channel or USA. Those can be very tear jerking and suck you in even if you don't think you are interested. BEWARE of those hokey movies, they will draw you in and keep you awake till all hours of the morning.

Tiss the SEASON!!!
Finals are over for me YEEEAAHHH!!!

We are moving along nicely and gearing up for Christmas. We are working on our 12 days of Christmas which i might just have to do an email version as well. Thank might be fun. I think i may post them on there as well. Not that anyone will actually look everyday. But i did some cleaver ones i was proud of.

We have a Christmas clip from the kids, it took us hours to get a reasonable clip and even that was interesting. Well they say in the movie business never work with kids or animals... now i know why.

Be Positive and KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR! That is what we have been trying to enforce in our kdis this year. I have had to resort to it is Jesus birthday party and he is so special that everybody knows about it and that we give physical gifts to one another because we can't give them to Jesus. Jesus told us to love one another so we give them gives to let Jesus know we remember him. I feel so corny at times, but i really want them to understand what it is about. All of our family home evening lately have been on the subject. I think tonight i need to google the Christian Origins of St Nick and help them understand why Santa is even involved. I wonder that myself sometimes. We focus so much on him we lose the religious signifigance of him. Have a Happy day and reiterate to your kids what Christams is all about! Love YA!

HAPPY FALL YA'LL

TO translate, That is Texan for

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Bill and Nikki pose for us while Evelyn (his mom)

teaches Leelani how to make a pie.

Grandma Evelyn taught Leelani how to make her famous apple pie. The one that you only get if you are dying or at a funeral. I must admit this is the first time of 89 years of marriage that i was graced to have a piece. I must admit... it is worth dying for. It was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!! So now Leelani should be able to make it for us anytime. YEAH!!!

We traveled to the Cabelo's superstore. They have a taxidermy museum complete with Elephant, and every kind of deer you have ever seen. It was a lovely day!

Justine and Lydia's family joined us. THERE WAS WAY TOO MUCH FOOD!!! It is so hard to see traditions change so much over the years. The way i tried to honor my thanksgivings past was to have every type of pie known to man so the kids could choose. And we had lots of different types of soda. I know that was something that always sticks out in my head as being so cool about Thanksgiving. We are so grateful Bill's parents were able to come and spend this time with us. We are blessed to have so many great things, friends and people in our life. We love our new home and appreciate all that we have in our lives.

We are truly blessed!

Thank you for being a part of our lives.

HO hum!

Well i should be running around cleaning... but that is not happening. I painted a room yesterday and apparently my legs didn't like all the up and down on the chair. I am very sore and tired. I had some health issues that wore me out last week and i am tyring to find the energy to do anything constructive. OH well.. i need a 5 hour energy shot and i will be fine.

We are having a bad week with our kids completely ignoring us. I get very tired of little people doing whatever they want to do. It is very frustrating. I understand it from the 4 year old... but from an eleven year old? That is the one that gets to me. She should know better. Apparently we are not threatening enough. I guess we have to work on what will really bother her. Right now she is in her bedroom allegedly cleaning it. We shall see how that goes for her.

I think i am overwhelmed this week. Just too much to do, not enough time and not feeling very well still. OH Well life will go on.

GOOD OLD RUG DOCTOR!

Well Bill has been working on cleaning carpets. I think i should have stayed away longer, cause now it looks like i am working on them. It is amazing how big the room seems when you are shuffling along at such a low pace. They look so much better that the kids may never get to come in from outside. HA HA. How come the only time they want inside is when you tell them they can't come in? Oh well one day they will be all clean then i would have to start over where i started. If we ever build a custom home. I am going to have a drain installed in the kitchen. Just like you see at fast food places, they soap up the floor then squeegee it down the drain. That and of course i will have one whole wall that is a urinal in the boys bathroom.