REFLECTIONS OF CHRIST

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS! 2008 Much Love: the Haws Family

A Verry Merry Christmas!

The fun has begun and I cherish each time this Season comes around. We have been super busy with parties galore, and all the fun that Christmas brings. It is a special time of the year filled with much joy and some madness too. I have mixed emotions about all the commerialism that occurs during this time, but love all the wonderful opprotunities it brings. We have been tring to focus and find comfort in the true meaning of this holiday season, and this year I have made it a special point to focus on the true Reason....Christ. We have been sharing with those in need, and we recently gave FHE at a local Nursing home. I think those things are the things the kids have enjoyed the most......GIVING! Life seems to get to crazy some times and we end up running from here to there. We have been trying our best to find time just being together as a family. We and have decorated a Gingerbread House with tons of Candy (Dad even enjoyed this activity) . We have made our annual trip to see the Christams lights on temple square, taken a horse drawn caraige ride, we rode Frontrunner with our cousins and Grandparents! WE have seen many great frineds, laughed with fimily and have truely enjoyed the Season. We are so excited for Christmas!

BOO!!!!!

Here some pictures of our little cuties on Halloween...(better late, than never)!
We had our traditional pot of chili, and then went trick or treating through our little neighborhood and the kids scored royaly with loads of candy. Then we were off to the HV trunk and treat. You guessed it even more candy!!! We now have a two year supply (Don't tell the Dentist!!!) The kids loved being with both gmas and gpas and cousins.....HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

The Happiest Place on Earth.......A family Trip to Disneyland and SEAWORLD!

Over the UEA break we took our long awaited and much needed family trip for 08" to sunny California. The kids loved every moment of the trip, but especially DISNEYLAND, CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE, and SEAWORLD. It was so fun to watch each of their emotions and joys as we rode rides, met princesses and other Disney characters, and most importantly laughed together. I couldn't help but think of my own childhood memories when I was a child and although much has changed since then I still remember how I felt....Happy! What a great place for kids to smile and dream. We could all use a little more of that in the world today. What a fun memorable trip.

Top 10 great things about this trip!

1. Jenna being the royal guest aka (birthday girl) who got to introduce each and every princess at a Royal breakfast. Gavyn was a prince, but was not interested in having any photos with the beautiful princesses. He wanted nothing to do with them! Snow White deemed him as BASHFUL! His father on the other had had a top two that he wanted his picture with!

2. Gavyn who was called on stage to be part of a production with Buzz and Woody. He got to say "REACH FOR THE SKY" and his name in the mic. I was worried he wouldn't do it but he did like a champ. He received a hand drawn picture of Woody. He loved it! Most the rest of the time he wanted nothing to do with the Characters....I think the costumes made him a little nervous.

3. Rides....we took the kids at a perfect age when for the most part we went as a family on each ride. None of this waiting around stuff! I love to be able to experience it all together. Gavyn was a trooper. He went on everything! Splash Mountain,Thunder Mountain. You name it he tried it!

4. Friends! Angie and Justin Merrill and their cute kids ventured down with us! It made it fun to have some friends to hang out with. The kids got along great and us adults managed to enjoy ourselves! We both found comfort in knowing we were not the only parents spending a fortune on Disneyland trip! It was all about the MEMORIES! Rick and Maureen G. and their 4 kids just happened to be in Disneyland the same time as us, we met up a few times too. We had an awesome dinner in Downtown Disney with 16 of us! There was never a dull moment since we we out numbered by kids, but the waiters were great and the kids loved, loved, loved the balloon man that made each child their very own something. G...a Sword ofcourse. J.....a princess crown, it was her special b-day! and B... great at fixing the balloons when they came undone.

5. Spending 12 hours visiting with my husband about everything under the sun, while the kids watched endless movies! Thank heavens for the DVD player and head phones, it would have been a miserable trip with our them. Don't let me forget the beautiful countryside, a drive along the beach, and a great book! Navigation... I don't know who we ever survived with out it. It was our best friend on this trip!

6. Seaworld! I didn't think we would be able to top Disneyland, but I think the kids enjoyed Seaworld just as much. It was fun for them to experience touching the dauphins ant other sea animals and Shamu is so huge and beautiful and inspiring!

7. Baylee realizing she was not to old to still BELIEVE in the MAGIC! Her new found love was trading pins with all the Disney characters/workers!

8. A sunset on the beach and yummy Chipotle's afterwards that reminded me of my favorite days in MN.

9. PERFECT Temperatures not to hot or cold. Swimming in the sun! Warm weather to bask in while walking hand in hand!

10. Enjoying the moment and the Journey along the way Together! Memories that will hopefully last forever!

Here is my list of not so great things about this trip!

Having our car broken into ...yes with my purse in it with lots of money$$$$$$ and cell phone, gift cards, ipods, and Nintendos all stolen. What a bunch of JERKS!
Long lines (just one of the nights in Disneyland I wanted to scream...there was way too many people!)
Paying Maddox price for a reheated nasty $12.00 hamburger!
Driving for 12 hours!
Exhaustion!!!!! Jayson and I were exhausted on this trip. It was hardly a vacation at all with zero sleep in time!


OVER ALL THE GOOD OUT WEIGHS THE BAD!!!! What a fun family trip! How blessed we are to have each other, and as the story goes.......
AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER..... THE END!

Happy Birthday Jenna!

OCT 15th 2002
She is such a cutie and keeps me and her dad on our toes! She had a never ending week long celebration for her birthday....a family party before we headed to Cali for DISNEYLAND family vacation, which she naturally assumes was totally for her and her birthday. She may have gotten that idea form all the Princesses singing Happy Birthday to her as she ate breakfast with them. It will be hard to beat next year. Keep watching and someday when I get a few extra seconds I'll share her pics with all the Princesses and the Fun we had at Disneyland together. Happy birthday little J. We love, love, love ya!

Now WHAT?

So I turned 31 last week and despite my nervousness about getting old, it happened to be a great day. All my good friends called or came over, which was fun, cuase birthdays are so boring when you are the MOM and your OLD! My wonderful Hubby sent flowers and we ended the day with a trip to a Logan to the Halloween light park and cornmaze. I got to hang out with my family, Jaysons family and my wonderful kids. It was a good day,considering I am OLD, and only getting older. I have had a plan my whole life that took me to about the age 30. Well, I am now 31 and guess I need a new plan, because I never pictured myself past 30 and it is definately here, whether I want it or not. In my next 30 years...... I will
I will say I love You at least 30 times each month.
Jump out of a plane!!!
Take a little more time for myself and read 30 killer books without feeling guilty.
Be there for all the special moments with my kids.
Not be so crazy about a tidy house and enjoy the little things a little more.
Go on way more fun and outrageous trips....capture unforgetable memories!
Reconnect with long lost friends!
Take way more naps!
Make sure that a moment never goes by that I didn't cherish TIME!
Eat more popcorn in bed while me and my hubby watch TV.
Run a 1/2 Marathon!!!! (yes, this may not happen, but it would be fun)
Eat more ICECREAM!
Hire a maid to clean windows and baseboards!
Learn to like laundry!
Start a journal...This could be tricky! I am so already behind in blogging!
Wow! I could go on forever it is a good thing I have 30 more years to figure it all out, I guess I will start a new plan!
Jasyon and I went to the AGGIE AND BYU game and out to eat with friends for my B-day too it was fun to go back to our old stomping ground and hangout. YES.... that was another reminder about how old we are getting. I swear we were just in that stage (college days) and now we have 3 kids and it has been 9 yrs later and everyone there looks so young. Don't worry it happens to the best of us.....GETTING OLD!

Baylee....9 years It's birthday time for you!

Wow how time fly's bye. I still remember her crazy delivery in Logan. Her dad was so proud to be a father. She has been a sweety and we love spending each year with her. She holds a special place in our hearts and we can't believe how she is growing up. Her birthday is always such a crazy time of the year. It is usually the first day of school, or during the county fair. We managed to squeeze her in a birthday bash with friends and family. They had a jump party and some fun swimming and lots of pizza and of course cake and ice cream. it was soo hot even the adults jumped in the pool. We love ya B and hope to enjoy many more birthdays with you! AUGUST 1999 Logan Regional Hospital.

Oh CRAP!!!!! Summer is over and I am always behind!

It is now official. I am now one summer behind on documenting all the fun things we did this summer.So much for our family history, mom has messed it up once again. This happened with scrapbooking too, oh well I am trying...... so here is just a small summery of the fun we had over summer vacation. We started it off right by going to concerts in the park and enjoying some great music. Jenna and Gavyn both caught their first fish this year, thanks to grandpa Haws in Escalante. We spent time in the Mountains and Desert with Jayson's Family and ofcourse, there was Lava Hot Springs for another family get together. Don't let me forget the FAVORITE Swim lessons at the Brigham pool and the summer movies each week with so much popcorn we could hardly stand it. Grandma Hurd got married, so we shared in her happiness and then last, but not least we took a fun trip to Park City with friends to experience the Alpine coaster over Labor Day Weekend! We had a great summer being TOGETHER as a family, with fun memories we will cherish forever.