The Holiday Season...over already?

It's a good thing I like winter and snow and all the outdoor recreational activities that winter offers or I would have a REALLY hard time each year when the holiday season is over. I mean, seriously....people are SOOO busy for about a month and a half with concerts, parties, shopping, decorating, visiting with friends and family, finals (when in school), etc. And then.....Christmas and the New Year come, and it's OVER! The holiday season comes to an end and all we're left with is freezing temperatures (in Utah and South Dakota at least), lots of snow, school, work, no more parties or decorations....you get the picture. It can be kind of a let down when January finally comes along. But thank heavens for Sam's birthday on Jan. 7th, skiing, snow-shoeing, cross-country-skiing, sledding, hot chocolate, steamed milk, cute winter clothes, and the rest of winter to lose the extra holiday pounds we all put on before donning a swimming suit again!

Since Thanksgiving we have had a pretty fun and eventful month. It started with a WONDERFUL visit to our pediatrician at which LucyMae weighed 14lbs. 10oz. (she is gaining pretty quick now....I wouldn't be surprised if she weighs 16lbs + now). She hardly even squawks when she gets her immunizations.

Sam and I also got to paint our friends' basement for a little extra Christmas cash...which was promptly spent at a DELICIOUS dinner with friends at the Melting Pot. If you haven't been there, it's worth the experience...at least once. We've also had several opportunities to make extra money, when we are in such desperate need of it, with several quartet gigs, house-sitting, my violin students, and a little Christmas bonus from Sam's work. The Lord has truly answered our prayers in a time of need. And the best part came just last week, two days before Christmas, when we SOLD one of our cars (sadly, it was the Subaru). We have been advertising BOTH of our cars for approx. 6 months in the hopes that someone would buy one of them in order to help us pay hospital bills from when LucyMae was born....luckily that hasn't been necessary because the AWESOME insurance we get through Sam's job has paid for most of that. But now that we are moving to SD we have desperately needed to sell one in order to pay for LIVING and also because it simply isn't affordable for us to have 2 cars anymore. So, there is now a cute and lucky couple out there driving an awesome green Subaru Outback.

We also made the annual trip to Temple Square to see the lights. This year we went with 2 of my sisters and Ashley Lawrence and her boyfriend, Steve. We had a great time enjoying the lights, AND dessert at the Garden, on top of the JSMB, afterward. LucyMae had a great time...and was pooped afterward....





LucyMae looked adorable in this little crocheted dress that I wore as a baby too...so I had to take a picture! Also...love her face when we tried mashed-up spaghetti squash...



We also got to attend Serenity's quartet recital. LucyMae came along and was quiet during the whole thing. I think she actually even enjoyed it. The recital was great and Serenity performed wonderfully!



One of the highlights of this Christmas season was "SAMTA" (Sam + Santa = SAMTA)....Sam was asked to be Santa Claus for a ward party. It was awesome. The first time Sam tried the suit on LucyMae started bawling. But after she figured out that it was just Daddy she was laughing and loving it. We got some great pictures of Samta, Mrs. Claus, and their little elf.



A fun trip to Logan to visit grandparents (great-grandparents for LucyMae) was delightful. It was a beautiful sunny day which made the drive very enjoyable. Although my grandparents all seem so healthy and invincible to me, I know they are in their 80s, and want to take every opportunity I can to spend a little time with them. What a treasure it will be someday for LucyMae to have these pictures with her great-grandparents.





The week of Dec. 8th-14th was a crazy one because Sam was working that week (7:00-5:30), I had students in the evenings AND OTS rehearsals and concerts every night of the week, on Saturday we had a recording session during the day and a concert that night, and on Sunday morning we had broadcast and a concert. Sam and I hardly saw each other, but both of our siblings were wonderful with helping us watch LucyMae and be where we needed to be.

Isn't she a little poser? So cute!



I always forget to take pictures, but we did get to enjoy the annual Christmas party for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square held at the Grand America. It's the fanciest event of the year for us and the anniversary of our first date - complete with the Prophet in attendance! We had a great time this year and are very sad that it will be our last for a while.

And I got to attend one last recital with my cute students performing. My sister, Tenille, is going to take on the students that I've had for the last four months. It is always so rewarding to see these little kids perform and know how much progress they've made from week to week to pull off such incredible performances. I am really going to miss all those that I have had the opportunity to teach the past few years.



The week before Christmas was Sam's week off in which we got to enjoy lots of time together, go skiing 3 times (taking turns in the lodge with LucyMae...apparently they have some "crazy" rules against skiing with babies in baby-carriers...I understand...but my mom always did it with us and I have always looked forward to doing it with my kids...whatever), do some shopping, attend family parties, see the Nutcracker with Sam's siblings, and get in the Christmas spirit.







Sadly, Sam started another week of work on Dec. 23rd, which meant we kind of lost the Christmas spirit...but tried to keep it as we spent the evening of the 23rd with Sam's family to celebrate Christmas, Christmas Eve on our own - very low-key and very enjoyable, and Christmas night with my family included a wonderful feast (cooked by US). Although it was a wonderful Christmas something kept it from feeling like it usually does......

Maybe it's the fact that we chose not to spend money on a Christmas tree this year (we did have poinsettias and other decorations though), or didn't have any Christmas lights up, or never went to Christmas or Bible Street. Maybe it's because Sam was working on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Maybe it's because the big move is looming so close in front of us. Or MAYBE it's the fact that we are no longer the KIDS at Christmas time - we HAVE a kid. I mean, even though I was 27 last year and married, I was still considered one of the kids at Christmas time. I could still feel the excitement that I felt when I was 10 years old. I could wake up whenever I wanted. I could go skiing, or do whatever I wanted during the day, and then I would get to eat a big Christmas feast that I had very little part in preparing, and then I would get to watch movies and just hang out with family. Something about being on the other end of the deal - as a parent now - brings a whole new feeling to Christmas. It is NOT a bad feeling....it's just different. I think it is going to be a more and more wonderful different as our family grows...but mostly I think it just takes some getting used to. All change takes time to get used to....

People keep asking me if I am nervous to move....and I always answer that I am just mostly excited. That is not to say that I have no worries or anxiety about it. I mean, I hate packing more than anything. I'm worried that the weather won't cooperate with Sam driving there. I'm worried that I will fly into Rapid City with a grumpy LucyMae from traveling and there will be no Sam to pick us up at the airport. I stress about how we will arrange everything in our new house. I wonder if we will be able to find jobs to pay the bills. I worry that it is going to be too cold for me to ever go outside with LucyMae and that we will both get totally sick of each other. I hope that our ward will be welcoming and warm. I wonder how I am going to handle living somewhere where I currently know no one. BUT I also know that change takes time to get used to and that we will make friends, that the Lord will bless us, and even if everything doesn't go exactly how I would like it to we will be okay and we will always have each other.

So, Christmas came and went. We had a very enjoyable Holiday Season. I spent a lot of time (during LucyMae's naps) with my scriptures and have felt the love of my Savior increase in my life as I have made the effort to draw nearer unto Him. Although it might suck to move in January, I have been so grateful for the extra 4 months we have had here. The Lord answered our prayers in so many ways - but most importantly in the time we have had to spend with family, strengthening those relationships.

Sam finished his last day of work at ARUP today, and we will spend the next week packing, playing and enjoying every moment we have with friends and family!

Here are a few videos of LucyMae and a slide-show for your viewing pleasure:

Eating spaghetti squash


getting excited about the microwave


first real crawling moments!


1 week later crawling...


loving the johnny-jump-up