Belated Christmas Pics

Good afternoon everyone!  I keep meaning to update and I just seem to run out of time!  I love to blog, so I wish I had more time to get it done.

I've got a bunch on my mind today, so that's what I'm going to ramble on about.  Mostly, I'm including the pictures from Christmas that Michelle just sent me so that you all can see.  Then I'll ramble after them.

Nora got some new jewelry in her stocking.  She got a jingle bracelet and glow in the dark necklaces.  I also got her a flashing ring.  She is clapping in this picture because she loves them so much!

 Reed is a present opening master!

 Reed and James did the gingerbread house building again.  This time it was a small village. 

 London got a gift box, he promptly chewed up the rope and tennis ball.

 Lala gave Nora my old cabbage patch dolls, she loved them.

 We spent much of the weekend up at Snowbasin skiing.  We took Reed on Saturday, and Fogg skied in between Reed's breaks.  Reed did the middle sized lift (which goes halfway up the mountain) twice during the day which was awesome.  He was ready for the big gondola!  So on Sunday morning, we took Reed to ski from the very top of the Gondola!  He was excited and did extremely well.  He skied better than he usually does, mostly because he had to focus a bit more to conserve energy and there were some steeper parts that he had to turn.  He was absolutely rocking the turns.  I cannot tell you how proud I was of him.  When we got the bottom, he said that he wanted to go again!  I decided to quit while we were ahead and leave him wanting more.  In the afternoon, Fogg and I got a sitter and went for a few runs just for ourselves!  I think I'd like to make that a habit...

Here is Reed rocketing down the hill!

 Love my little buddy!

 Nora got some new long underwear for Christmas and she wore them for the first time on Saturday.  It's been so cold here, so I bundled her up.  They were so cute on and seemed super comfy!

While at the top of the mountain on Sunday afternoon, I took this picture of the inversion.  An inversion is when the cold air is trapped in lower elevations and this results in yucky air just staying down there.  You can see on the right side of the picture that cloud, that is yucky smoggy air in Ogden.  The left side of the picture is where we live, no yucky smoggy air.

Ok, so I wanted to update you on Fogg's dad.  He has surgery to remove his kidney that has the mass on it and it went really well from what I've been told.  He lost minimal blood which will really help in his healing.  The doctors seem to think that they got all of the bad stuff, though they will be testing the kidney and coming up with any further care down the road after they get results.  For now, he is just recovering and healing.  Keep him in your prayers!

I'm starting a working mom's group.  I'm excited to be able to chat with my friends that are working moms about our struggles.  It will be nice to have a sympathetic ear and hopefully we can share ideas with each other for dealing with the stresses of working while raising our kids.  I found this great poem that spoke to me last night.

There will be a time when there will be no slamming of doors

No toys on the stairs, no childhood quarrels, no fingerprints on the wallpaper.

Then may I look back with joy and not regret.

God, give me the wisdom to see that today is my day with my children.

That there is no unimportant moment in their lives.

May I know that no other career is so precious,

No other work so rewarding,

No other task so urgent.

May I not defer it nor neglect it,

But by the Spirit accept it gladly, joyously, and by

Thy grace realized

That the time is short and my time is now,

For children won't wait.

-Helen Young, Children Won't Wait

Well, that's all I got for now, chat with you later!