Thankful Hearts

We pretty much had the best and easiest week of our lives.  Sunday I won Catan.  

Monday my mother sent me this 2012 photo of baby Eddie shopping the Black Friday sales.

Tuesday I sewed little birdies.

Wednesday the break began.  We rappelled in Sedona for much of the day.  The rain from the previous week created trickling waterfalls and small puddles.  The earth gave a great sigh as if her parched lips were finally sated -- I heard her exhale a deep breath.

Maddie gave a great sigh and napped while waiting for her turn.  The children scale up the rocks and plunge down the rocks without any hesitation.

Austin put up Christmas lights this year.  YAY!  The blue and white lights reflecting off the concrete almost looks like we have snow.

Thursday our Thanksgiving prep was measly and minimal.  Molly and I baked Wednesday evening, so just the bird and veg were left. 

Because we had so much time, Molly and I spent the moring creating this centerpiece.

Our honored guests arrived (Grandma, Grandpa and Bobby O.) and we feasted with fatness and tranquility.  The afternoon was spent discussing the similarties between gospel principles and engineering strategies.  I lie not.  I lie not.  I lie not.  Bobby's presentation was interactive and internalized.

After which we ate pie.  Rather, no one eats pie, so Molly and I baked cheesecake and peanut butter pie.

Austins's back needed a quick stretch -- mobility work and stretching seems to have crept into our routines.  We're old.

Friday we skiied for the first time this season.  Delightful.  Our muscle memory proved us well.  Austin and I are much slower than the children -- they aren't afraid to crash out -- but we did make it down a few times before our thighs were on FIRE.

A little bit of leftover Thanksgiving lunch.

Home and in our yard a couple hours later for a bit of football.

This week was glorious because we stayed in a pack and enjoyed lots of games and play.

Maverick Run

Saturday we were asked to sing at a funeral.  "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" was the request, all four verses.  This is my view from the organ -- they watched the BYU football game.

At one point this week Ryan rolled into a cactus and needed minor surgery.  Our resident doctor came to the rescue.

Grandpa B. loves his little friends.  

We love him.

Andy and Becca are spending quite a bit of time together.

He's also working on harder and harder climbs.  His life seems to be evening out again -- his business trips were quite profitable.

This little baby had an audience for her first real bath.  She's growing so big and strong.  Way to go Meg, Elijah, Bea and Winnie.

Nick is thriving in a world of loving and hard working people.  

Maisie and Sister Hill are quite the duo.

Winter landed softly in New Hampshire this year.   It looks good on Maisie.

Grateful

Life is a bit overwhelming at times, especially at this time of year.  Managing my own expectations is the hardest, especially when I'm injured physcially.  And yet, redirecting my energy to focus outward is just the remedy -- ergo, living a life coupled with charity is everything.  Just when I think I understand this principle, whack, I see more and more of what I lack.  Miniscule progression is a powerful process.

Our sweet grandma never misses a chance to sit and play games, serve the ice cream and turn on all her twinkle lights when we visit.  She's a dear.

Family choir is ringing with Christmas carols and anthems to the blessed Baby born in Bethlehem.  Oh how I love to SING!

Time for Molly's underbite to be corrected.  Phase 1, part A has begun.

(She didn't want to show the boys.  This picture captures so much of what is not pictured.)

Brava!  (She whined the next three days.  Poor, little lamb.  Meg bouyed her up -- "It's better to start now and get it done."  Molly needed that simpathetic wisdom.  I told her to buck up.)

Another set for my mother.  I really hope to make me some.

My mother sent me this idea -- I whipped it up.  I dont' think anyone will steal my cord.

Can you even handle this breakfast?  Our herbs are so happy and add a splash of fresh that's sometimes hard to find in late fall.

This day we rushed out of the house right at lunch time to get air in the bus tires and fill it with gas.  We ended up in sweats in Discount Tire for a rather long time.  All we had was one RUBIX cube and "Heads Up" on my phone.  A refining experience for sure.

Home for 20 minutes to eat lunch, pack snacks, dress for cold and rain and head to Phoenix for Maddie semi-final flag football game.  Our girls played so well -- 10-14 was the score and the final game of the season.

Beautiful sweet bread for a sweet friend this week.

Katie and Jared were well due for a birthday celebration.  We gathered as friends to do just that.

A bit of CFM yoga.

Saturday began the season's wrestling tournaments.  

Eddie in a sea of middle-school wrestlers.

He won two and lost two.  "We just have to get him to keep his head up."Eddie's Win (Maddie was crushing on the ref.)

 Updates from the four bigs:

Maisie, Nick and I were on a joint call.  They began to compare how they introduce and explain the Book of Mormon.  Nick rattles off an explanation in Portuguese stopping often to translate (althougth the cognates make it pretty obvious).  "I don't even know if I can do this in English," he decided.  Maisie retorted, "It's easy, just explain in normal and natural ways."  She began to explain the doctrine in her way.  Nick interrupted her and said, "You're going too slow.  I just drop bombs!"  This interaction made me smile so big.  Next thing I knew they were having a push-up competition.  Nick did 20 to Maisie's 7.  Her's were deep and in perfect form; his were fast and less deep.  Grateful is the way I feel.

Andy spent the last week or so in Mississippi working.  His room was filled with bugs and creepiness.  He more than survived -- his business venture paid off financially.

He met a new friend at church.  Love him.

The Armstrongs have such a busy world with three little girls.  Here is the reality of holiday pictures.  My favorite part isn't Bea's hands on Quinn's face, it's Elijah's gentle hands on Bea's.  Sweetest family.  Grateful.

Not pictured: Lots of stake meetings and administration.  A quiet Saturday evening spent with Austin in our home working out, eating dinner and cleaning up. Love him.  Grateful.

A Brand-New Baby

 Wait for it.  Meg gave birth to a baby girl, Quinn Phoenix Armstrong!  The pictures were reversed, so scroll to the bottom if you can't wait to see the blessed addition to our family.

Maddie is a boss line-backer and is leading the state in sacks.  Her second round play-off game was Saturday.  Her legs and thighs are sratched up, and she often limps after games and practices.  Still, she helps her team get victories.

The 4th quarter of Saturday's game started 0-0, and ended 14-0 with Mingus winning and headed to the semi-final.  For sure the other team knew Maddie was there to blitz their quarterback, so they had her number, but she made such an impact that they never scored. Ha!

We celebrated in Sedona with Chinese food.

While playing cards, I found this baby tooth in the carpet.  I can't even.  Eddie immediately went to the mirror and checked to see if it was his.  "I'm pretty sure you would know if you lost a tooth," Austin convinced our worried son.  Still, no one knows from whence it came.

Austin made so much pasta for Maddie's carbo load.

He also went rappelling at a pretty epic spot, "Spy hole."

Here's the best bit.  We drove to Utah to spend a few days in the heavenly Armstrong home and helped welcome their new baby, Quinn.  She was born at 2:03am and weighted 8 lbs. 5 oz.  Meg v-backed in her home with midwives.  Seriously, respect.  We're so proud of her.

How fortunate that we were there to help celebrate Bea and Winnie's second birthdays.

Walks, songs, books, cakes and gifts made the day pretty fun for us big people.  

Winnie often protects herself from the "Cheese Touch."

These two ladies decorated their own cakes.

My little angel-baby is just that -- an angel wife and mother.  We couldn't be happier for her and her perfectly amazing hubby, Elijah.

Our one picture during that late afternoon in which the very happy granny is trying to take a picture that will last for generations whilst all are melting down.  We should have taken pictures a little earlier in the day.

It's always so hard to say goodbye.

Bonus: Great-Aunt Kimmie came to hug and kiss our little lady. 

Kimmie's Callie is always a treat.

Extra -Bonus feature of the week -- Andy came for hugs and kisses.  He works so hard and tries so hard to do all the things.  His life is happening.  He's a goat.

Double-extra bonus: My mother was at all the crossroads to make our visit so blessed.  She fed us breakfast and dinner, kept Ryan with her the day he was not feeling great, and she even made cranberries pop.Popping Cranberries

The aurora borealis tinted the evening sky.  Good ol' AF canyon, you're everything beautiful.