just a few

we squeezed in a quick photo session with an old friend in CA over thanksgiving. we got there much later than anticipated, so lighting was kinda out the window, and the kids were a little stir crazy. which means, less than super stellar photos. but im glad we have them! the last group shots we did were after claire was born, and although the family continually changes, im way glad we got these in. finally seeing these pics after all the fam left after christmas festivities for the night (and being sad joe had to work) finished off a pretty wonderful day for me.

so much to be grateful for. i cannot even begin to list it all. its almost disgusting to think how much i have when so many don't have some of what i consider basics. i use an electric toothbrush to brush my teeth for crying out loud! i can straighten my already straight hair into something silky! i get to drive a car around, and park it in a garage and not scrape off ice. i can drink bottled water when i want. i can have diapers shipped to my front door. i can throw diapers away and not have to wash them! virtually any book i could ever want in my hands, as fast as i can think of them. i can talk to my mom 50 times in a day after pressing some buttons. food is so readily accessible, i dont even think about throwing away leftovers i might not eat. my clothes and dishes are washed AND dried for me. 

and on and on. i was thinking all this while i brushed my teeth, that lots of money was spent on to straighten. to STRAIGHTEN. (they werent even that bad to begin with.) and none of that even matters- i would give it up for my family. for my husband and kids. my wonderful parents, siblings, extended family, in-laws, any of them. for my constantly nudging baby GIRL in my tummy. 

and none of them would even mean that much to me if it werent for my Savior. no matter how much i would give up, it wouldnt amount to anything next to His sacrifice. 

and there i go crying.

perhaps i am not as stone-cold-hearted as it seems. 

welp. i love my husband. my family in its entirety. it was a christmas to remember, with some miracles mixed in. wouldnt be christmas without them, huh? 

one little miracle, and then good night: my parents drove here from houston, and got stuck in roswell, NM for 24 hours while they waited for the roads to become drive-able. my dad grew up in roswell, and went 55 years without a white christmas, and just happens to drive through it and get stuck there 2 days before christmas. how RANDOM is that? they dd make it late on christmas eve to provo, thank goodness! but really, of all the places?!?!?! just happy the made it safely :)