Dear Brother,
Its a little late at night for me---10PM! and I'm thinking of you. I know your out there. I know you miss me too. We have a lot in common still. I miss the down to earth talks we shared. Speaking of those talks, Mom's doing really good right now. She comes over quiet a bit and helps me around the house. I'm feeling like we are finally starting a healthy adult to adult relationship. It's nice.

It's been an incredible year for me. I've learned a lot and grown in ways I didn't know I needed to. It's been a nice Christmas season so far. Different then any of my other ones.

I wonder where you'll be this Christmas Eve. I read the Christmas Orange story to the girls. I remember the Christmas Eve we read that story and you held Andrea on your lap, both of you eating oranges. A nice memory. But wherever you are, I hope your being fabulous and having a great feast. Merry Christmas. I miss you.
Love,
julie

Christmas Cheer

After visiting my sister in Salt Lake and Wade having a couple job interviews :) we came home Saturday evening. My sisters husband got very sick while we were there. Unfortunately a little while after we got home each of us girls got the terrible stomach flu. First Lydia, then Andrea, and I could feel it coming on as I was next. Luckily Wade and Damon did not get it. Wade was right there taking turns helping each of us. This sickness is something I get very often. Once a year or every other year. I don't understand it. Even as a young child I constantly got the stomach flu. Its this one sickness I always get. The rest of the time I am so strong and healthy. Luckily it is always a 24 hour bug or less. But miserable every minute until it passes. I thought to myself during it how weak our bodies are. How easy it is to wipe us completely out and unable to do anything. And yet how strong our bodies can be. The girls and I took turns round and round throwing up and Wade emptying our bowls. Misery!!!

Through all of this at about 10:30 all three of us are still going strong dry heaving when the door bell rings 3 times fast. Wade goes to the door and opens it to see no one. He quickly closes the door and back to helping us. A few minutes later the door bell rings with some vigorous knocking. Wade is holding the bowl for Lydia and doesn't bother answering it. A few minutes later we hear someone banging really hard on the door. I am on the bed moaning and helpless. I hear Wade storm into our room and say, "those punk kids are going to die!" He puts his shoes on and his big coat and grabs his BB gun. I ask, "What are you doing?" "Don't use that!"

He goes to the garage door and is about to go out the side of the house to try to get those teenage boys (he is thinking someone in our ward), when his phone rings.

"Hello?"

"Will you please open the front door!"

He goes to the door and opens it to find a huge box filled with food and food stacked on top of it!

It was the biggest surprise ever!

Wade says to me, "Someone just spent at least $200 on food and left it at the door!"

This was not just any food. It was all kinds of expensive quality food. Steaks, turkey, lunch meat, bacon, sausage, eggs, juices, nuts, candy, pineapple, kiwis, oranges, avocados, gum, cookies, chips, salsa, cereal, dips, bagels, cream cheese, hot chocolate, milk, Ben and Jerri's Ice cream, sherbet, oil, all kinds of things!!

I was really overwhelmed (in the morning when the sickness past!) when I saw all the food. The vast amount, the variety, and quality was so great. Food that I could no way buy right now. It made our burden feel a little bit lighter. I'll never forget this time in my life. Never forget this gift of Christmas cheer. I hope to brighten someones Christmas like they did for ours in the Christmas' to come.

Angels really do live among us. As I was rummaging through this box with amazement at the things I kept finding I thought, "This feels like Christmas."

Damon 2008 Christmas

What to write about?

How about the new job we got and that we are moving soon? I wish.

Trying to think positive but it is hard. Some people say you should invision yourself that you have already received what you really want. Some people say you have to ask the universe and think positively about all the things you want and that the universe will give it to you. Well you wont get anything if Heavenly Father doesn't want you to have it. No matter how much metitating and wishing over it you do. How about being happy with what you have now? How about that?

Heavenly Father, you know what we need. You know our desires. You know what is best for us. Guide us on the best path that you would have us go and direct us to what would be best for us. These things we want and need but Thy will be done. Help us be good, serve others, be more obedient and cheerful. May we be inspired by Thy spirit and have the courage and strength to follow it.

Didn't have famly prayer and scripture study this morning or yesterday. Andrea barely made the bus both days. Just not getting up early enough. I can feel a diference with not having it. Also been thinking about the Book of Mormon. I love that book and need to get my personal routine going again.

Not looking forward to Christmas. I've been trying not to think about it and realizing today how soon it is coming.

We went to the temple on Friday. It had been a couple of months. It was amazing. We went with another couple and it was so fun. There is a young woman in my ward who refuses to accept money to babysit for people while they go to the temple. She loves to babysit and she did a good job. All my kids had been fed and were sleeping when we got home. What a relief. I hope to call her every month!! That is the whole challenge with going to the temple---arranging and paying for a babysitter.

Tooth

Thinking about the little things I am grateful for. Because I've been going without them.

Boneless skinless chicken breasts, you are amazing

Best Foods Mayo

Paper plates

salmon fillets

liquid fabric softener

soft scrub!! your the best!

air wick fresheners

eating out

liquid hand soap

Kleenex

Other things I'm grateful for

Lydia saying, "You've got to be kidding me." (she is adorable in every way)

Reading books and coloring with Andrea (quiet sophisticated and proper)

Damon's loves and noises

Daddy helping me with dinner

or helping me clean up

my home

my Tahoe

oranges and cranberries on my tree

dancing with the family in the living room

uninterrupted nights of sleep

Book of Mormon

prayers

hugs and kisses

smiles and laughs

Today my husband called me, "The mommy who cried, TOOTH."

The story goes.....

In July Damon got two front bottom teeth. That was 5 months ago. Today I said to Wade. "I think that Damon is getting his top front teeth." He said, "Oh sure, like you haven't said that before. 'Tooth Tooth'. Oh nope. Later, 'Tooth Tooth'. Nope not yet."

Now he doesn't believe me if I cry Tooth!

The problem was that sometimes his bottom teeth would cut into his top gums and make it look like his teeth were coming in. The crying "Tooth" that he said I was doing had me rolling with laughter today at lunch. How true it was. But he said that he thinks that this time I just might be right!