tis the season

For...

-seeing pretty Christmas lights with good friends

-baking yummy Christmas goodies

-making diaper cakes

-having chocolate covered faces from yummy cupcakes

-playing with cousins

-spending time with family

-SANTA

-quilting with sisters (Thanks Nat)

-mugs of Hot Chocolate with mini marshmallows

-watching White Christmas, Frosty, Rudolph and Christmas in Connecticut

-feeling the spirit of the season

-celebrating our Savior's birth

Merry Christmas to all our wonderful friends and family and a Happy New Year!!

Christmas Program

Last week at Joseph's school they put on a wonderful Christmas program for all the parents and all of the kids did such a great job. They have been practicing for this all year and it really showed, Joseph has been walking around the house for weeks singing and then the other day he asked me how to snap so he could do it for one of the songs. All the kids looked so cute all dressed up. After the kids had finished singing they got a surprise visit from Santa that was so exciting they all lined up at once to see him.

Looking good!
We love you Santa!!

The whole class. There are 35 kids.

Waiting to begin.

Marching In. I think they were all blind by the time they got up front from all the parents camera's. :)

Joseph playing the bells. He did such a good job!

Over the river and through the woods to the

Hermansen Family Christmas Party!!

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to go over to Utah to visit family and PARTY!! We had so much fun seeing everyone, holding the new babies, eating yummy food and catching up. It is always nice to be together this time of year.

Sarah with Baby Audrey
Baby Jace enjoying bath time.

Kaden and Joseph having a bubble fight!

Uncle Collin and Joseph

Being fed like a KING!

Collin and myself with Grandpa and Elaine

Ben, Joseph and Grandpa

Me, Grandpa and Collin

The fearsome foursome! Don't let these faces fool you, these boys were known to cause all kinds of trouble.

The sweetest girls in the world!

White Elephant time.

Some of the gang.

Missy with Jace

The Lone Rangers

Of course no visit is complete without a special visit from Santa!

Missing

I feel like I have had a whole in my chest for the last week.It has been just over six months since Bill passed away and the other day I was upstairs getting something and I found myself wanting to go in and talk with Bill when I hit me like a ton of bricks that he wasn't there and all of sudden it feels as if my grieving has started all over again. Ever since that moment I find myself having more of those moments. I had one the other morning at Joseph's Christmas program while listening to Joseph sing and thinking Bill would have loved watching Joseph or we have had NO snow all winter here and all I can think is Bill would love this winter because he hated the snow.

I don't know if it is the season and all the focus on family and being with our loved ones that has brought all this about but I sure do miss him and I am not the only one. The other day Joseph asked me if he would be an adult when Papa comes back from heaven and all I could do was give him a hug. I know I should have answered his question but it's not the first time he has asked and I couldn't bring myself to tell him that Papa isn't coming back.

I am thankful for my Heavenly Father who can soothe my aching soul when I need it the most.

Thankful

A few weeks ago in our house for family home evening we read a story out of the friend about a family who was in a very serious car accident on their way home from Thanksgiving dinner but luckily everyone was ok. Well when they finally arrived home that night they were all so shaken up that they sat down to have what their son called a second Thanksgiving and talk about what they were thankful for. We made a family challenge that night that every night until Christmas we would say what we are thankful for and put a quarter in our thankful jar. It has been such a good experience for me to really think of and count all of the wonderful blessing's that I have in my life and to hear Joseph say what he is thankful for. I know that life can be challenging and that at times it is hard to see how blessed we are but if we stop and think about it for just a moment our blessings add up faster then our trails.

With today being Thanksgiving I have been thinking about what I am thankful for and here are a few of them. :

- I am thankful for our Savior Jesus Christ
- I am thankful for the Scriptures and Church
- I am thankful for the knowledge and peace the gospel brings into my life.
- I am thankful to know that while Bill couldn't be here with us today that he was with his family in Heaven.
- I am thankful for my wonderful and amazing husband. He puts up with so much from me and does everything that he can to make me happy. I don't deserve half the stuff he does for me.
- I am thankful for my mom. She is such an incredible woman and does so much for our family.
- I am thankful for Joseph and for the opportunity he gives me to be a mom. Some days he makes me want to pull my hair out but then he turns around and gives me a great big hug and kiss and in those moments I know that it is all worth it.
- I am thankful for my In-Laws they are the best people in the whole wide world. From the moment I first met them they welcomed me with open arms and loving smiles.
- I am thankful for my "Sisters". They are always there with a hug, a caring word, good conversation and they make me laugh.
- I am thankful for my brother. He is such a goof ball.
- I am thankful for all of my extended family they are so amazing in so many different ways.
- I am thankful for the gifts and talents that my Heavenly Father has blessed me with.
- I am thankful that Ben has a good job and that we have a nice warm home.
- I am thankful for my friends who do so much and are there for me in the good and bad times.

I hope that you have all had a wonderful day with your families and that you know how much I love you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Let the countdown begin....

I can't believe it is that time of year again already, it feels like only yesterday I was doing last year's Christmas shopping. I love everything about this time of year the smells, the colors, the sounds, gathering with family, baking with my mom and celebrating the birth of our Savior. Joseph is at such a fun stage where he just can't wait to celebrate all the holidays. Well the day after Halloween he started asking me how many days till Christmas mom? I would answer and then twenty minutes later he would ask again, so the other day I thought that if we made a paper chain it would him to see how many days until Christmas. It has worked beautifully the past few days and every morning he takes a chain off and informs me that we are one more day closer to Santa coming. Bring on the magic of Christmas. :)