Merry CHRISTmas!

2 posts in less than a week?! WOW- I'm shocking myself! :D I just wanted to put a Merry Christmas wish out into the cyber universe. I caught President Monson's talk from the Christmas Devotional on BYUtv last night and it sure made me think about the true meaning of Christmas. It is something I have struggled with in teaching my children. Children get so excited about the gifts and the lights and the gifts and the treats...did I mention the gifts? :D I love the gifts too- don't get me wrong, but I want to instill in my children a pure spirit of Christmas- not the commercialized spirit of gimmegimmegimme! So since Christmas is on a Sunday this year, I decided it was the perfect set up to have an activity each day leading to Christmas from Mon-Sat that helped keep Christ in our hearts and in the front of our minds this season. Here are a few things I found that I plan on doing.
In my search for traditions that are Christ centered around Christmas I found a wonderful story - http://www.haberstich.com/ChristmasStory.htm that explains the symbolism of our everyday Christmas symbols, but how they represent Christ.
Another idea I found was to give Christ gift for his birthday. So we are going to write down things that we can "give" to Christ- like doing service for others this year, praying EVERY day, being kind to everyone, and so on so forth.
Of course baking cookies for the neighbors is also on our list, and watching a nativity video from the churches website.

I don't know if anyone else has had this dilemma, but if so I hope maybe these ideas helped you too! I can't help but cry every time I see a video of the Nativity. It touches my heart in  away that overwhelms me ,and I think it must be my spirit rejoicing at the memory. I love this time of year because of all of it's beauty and mostly because of our beautiful Savior and all he has done for us. I want all of you to know that I KNOW he came to earth and I know he will come again! He loves us all and if we open our hearts to him, and forget ourselves and our wants this Christmas that he will fill our souls with the the true meaning of Christmas! god bless you and keep you all this Christmas season my friends!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Home Sweet Home

Not yet, but in about 6-7 months we will have our very own home sweet home! We are participating in a program that goes through the rural housing development corporation, and the USDA, where you and a bunch of other families ( we have 9 families) build each others houses together. So for about 6-7 months, 35hrs a week we will be out building our first home here in Payson right next to the new Payson Temple! Can you say excited? EXCITED!!! We just signed all the papers yesterday, and January sometime is when construction shall begin! And for those of you who love us SO MUCH, we need volunteers!!! Volunteers help us get our 35 hours each week, and get us closer and closer to finishing our house sooner. So if anyone would like to come wield a hammer with us some time let me know! We would love to have you! I will make sure to update and show off our progress as the next few months go by, but go to http://www.rhdchome.org/ to see more about what we are doing. I would post our house plan, but it is in PDF form...hmmmmmmmm. I'll figure it out :)

WooWooWoo look who's Two!!

So my little man turned 2 today! TWO!!! It's was a snowy day today, but I remember 2 years ago bringign my little Jax home on a sunshiny day to meet his big sister. I remember Riley changing his bum, him crying, and Daaelynn looking at me like she was going to cry too LoL It was funny having to explain to her that he wasn't hurt- he just didn't like a cold butt, and crying was how he let us know! So much has changed, but I am just as in love with my little boy today as I was 2 years ago holding that sweet baby.

 He loves to dance, he loves candy ( oh greeeeaaat!), he loves his big sister, and playing crazy kids with her, and he is his daddy's boy- loves his "vroom vrooms" AKA cars :D What I love is getting Jaxie kisses- even if I have to pout to get them sometimes, his enthusiasm- he just jumps around all excited and ready to go, and his little sense of humor that makes me day! Thinking about my little ones growing up makes me want to cry, but I love seeing the people my children are becoming! I hope that I can be the kind of mother they deserve, and they will know how much I love them forever!

Freebies2deals!

So I have a few deal sites I follow, but one of my faves is freebies2deals. She is a local Utah girl so she always has the best Utah only deals around PLUS online and nationwide deals! I have scored so many great deals including 2 fandango tickets for $9-$10! I've done it several times and can you say Harry Potter opening week and Eclipse? I just snagged 2 more and have them reserved for Breaking Dawn the Sat after it opens! $5 to see a spanking new movie? Heck yah! I've even already shopped for Christmas ( no hating!) I got Sorry adn the Game of Life for $4 each, a stuffed Alice doll (18inches) for $6 (shipped) from the Disney store, $10 Kinex box of 325 pieces ( free to store shippint), and FREE mag subscriptions like Better homes and Garden, Woman's Day and Car and Driver for Riley.

The long and short of it is- if you haven't checked her out or gotten into the groove of $ saving yet you gotta go visit Melea! Freebies2deals.com!

Time to Revisit :)

So remember my post last October about finding who Megan is? Well I think this has to be a yearly thing lol Because again I got frustrated with myself today...:( Boo! I went to Micheals and had a bit of buyers remorse hehe! SO I re-read my last post, evaluated it, and have discovered some very interesting results.

I am still a funny girl, an avid reader ,an artist, a chill mom, anda tom boy! I am still working on not neglecting my art ( part of the frustration btw :D) I have added at least one thing to my AM list though. I am also a student now- I enrolled in UVU this semester for 2 classes. I am enjoying it even though one of the classes is math! Blah!  I am also working on  a Health class, but I need to crack down on that a bit more- it is an online class so i am schedualing myself.

I'm still not a girly girl, thin ( DAMN!) :D,  super mom, or a super crafter. The last one is still on my struggle list, and I am setting up a plan to rectify it. I think I get involved in too much, and some things have to give when that happens. And although I am not super mom I am ironically on the PTA now hehe! I do the birthday board at Daae's school now. And I get up at 7:30 AM now people! LoL That is amazing people! Like the world has slipped into an alternate dimension!

And then there was the I want to become list. The first was a better daughter of God. I am happy to say that in the last year I have improved :) And Jaxon asks to say prayers and puts his little hands together, and says "Mamen" :D So if that isn't a step in the direction of building a stronger spiritual family I don't know what is! It's dang cute too LoL I do have a whole lot farther to go, but line upon line right?
I also wanted to be a better mom, and a better Megan as well. I think I have improved here too, but I do also have much more to work on!  Especially the figuring out the "things" I want to do and the things I need to pass on.

So here is my update! I am so glad I relooked up that post because I have felt like I was slipping back into the Who am I? mode. AH refreshing!!!!

Hello There!

I love how my blog has suffered for the summer LoL Suffice it to say that we have been busy little bees! Between getting Riley back in tip top shape, work, getting all my school stuff going on, and our summer to do list we have had a full summer. so here is a little photo montage of our summer exploits!

Splash Park!

Happy 24th of July!

Feed the Duckies!

Happy 6th birthday Daaelynn!

A Tinkerbell beauty set! Yeah!

Hello you Handsome Devil you!

Swinging at the park!

Bye bye cookies!

Happy 4th of July with cousins! ( and the LAST day Jax nursed btw :D )

Dancing at Aunt B's wedding!

Jaxon's first camping trip!

Holy T-Rex at BYU's paleontology museum!

Swimming at Payson pool!

Hi baby cow at Thanksgiving point!

Howdy farmer Jax!

Phew! We had a lot of summer fun, and we're not done yet! School is starting tomorrow, but we've still got some summer fun left to get to :) Well off to bed I must go to get up at 7:45.....I want to cry! LoL More back to school pics to come! 

Blessings!

So it's been a little while since I checked in. And things have been going along very well here in our home! Riley is doing great! He is healing nicely and even startted going back to work on Monday- he was getting stir crazy! I can't believe it was a month ago that we were doing Dr. appointments and finding out he was goign to have open heart surgery again. In that time we have had SO MANY blessings! And this post is to name all those blessings by name. Heather watched our kids as we left to go to the ER, and then IMC. Our Bishop met us at the ER and gave Riley a blessing. Riley's Uncle Scott has an AWESOME wife! She used travel points she had to put us up in a hotel close to the hospital for 2 nights, and my wonderful dad put us up for one. It was a HUGE blessing to be that close to Riley. My little sister, Anisa, came and stayed with me the Thursday- Sunday that Riley had his surgery and helped me with my lil Jaxie when he couldn't go into the ICU. Marci and Chad and the kids hosted my lil girl for the whole weekend, and Jaxon for a night- He broke though, and needed Mommy after one night LoL Riley's retro Ride buddies went ABOVE and BEYOND and jumped my battery the day it died at the Dr's office, then took it and fixed the AC compressor, and replaced the battery- and charged Riley nothing! Nothing!!! They are so wonderful! Our wonderful ward brought in dinner, and have helped us so much with the trials we've been given. Riley had several wonderful friends come and see him- Justin, Jeremy, and Rob. Riley's parents were an awesome support as well! Between rides up to the hospital, helping us when I had to go back to work, and taking care of some burdens that seem small, but really were huge- they have been wonderful. My parents are not physically here, but the emotional support, the daily phone calls and concerns, and helping with other obligations as well, have been invaluable to me! And then the support and prayers of our other family and friends have been felt and appreciated! And of course Heavenly Father for placing these amazing people into our lives. And helping us ( mostly me!) have faith in hard times. I know I will need it more and more as we go on with life. Thank you all so much again. We love you all!!!!