Christmas Scenes at My House

The precious Ava Mae playing Santa Claus:

Kate & Dereck playing with the new dollhouse:

The beautiful miniature nutcrackers my sister Alicia painted for Jessie's family:

The Christmas tree, Kiara painting on her new easel, and Daddy having the traditional Christmas afternoon nap:

And after opening all of the Santa surprises, Kiara held Ava and said, "Ava is my favorite toy."

And to You the Merriest!

I happened to capture a photo of our living room right after Santa went up the chimney.

This is when we finally let Kiara come out of her bedroom. She woke up at 2:30 and 4:00 and wanted to know if Santa had come to our house yet. Kiara very patiently waited for Kate to wake up to open her presents (It was 9:00).

A Mary Christmas

On Christmas Eve we went to my mother's house and dressed up the little ones for the acting out of the nativity. We had a perfectly sized baby Jesus this year and two little girls eager to be Mary.

This is Mary and Joseph are saying to the wise man, "Hand over the gold."

Kiara and Kate had to take turns pretending to be Mary.

Although it seemed more like the story in 1 Kings where the two harlots fight over the baby and the king had to threaten to cut the baby in half to reveal the mother's true identity.

Kiara cried when Kate held the baby Jesus.

Family Photo Shoot

On December 5 (when Ava was 2 weeks old) we went on a search for indoor natural light for a family photo shoot. Thank you to our very talented neighbor and friend Travis Richardson for taking our photos at the Salt Lake City Library downtown. It isn't too often that we get all of us together in one photograph! I am posting some of my favorites here and a lot of you will be seeing us in your mailbox. Check out Travis's talent here and his very talented and lovely wife Taryn here.

This One Goes Out to the One I Love

Tomorrow Dereck and I will celebrate 11 years together! My love for him knows no bounds. Each year that passes I think I just couldn't love him any more, but it just keeps growing. I am thankful for his endless kindness and patience. He brings me my baby in the middle of the night just so I won't have to get up. He made the family german pancakes this morning and then exercised on the elliptical machine in the basement, where the ceiling is much to low for his tall body and he nearly hits his head on the light. We got to cheer for him at his ward basketball game last night. I love what a good sport he is.

I love to watch Dereck when the girls need help putting clothes on their Barbies. My man is not to proud to dress a Barbie. What a guy! The other night I woke up foggy eyed and in the darkness I could see the outline of Dereck standing up in the nursery with our newest born on his shoulder. I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest because of all the love in my heart for him.

He rode his mountain bike to the top of the tram at Teton Village with my Uncle Tom last summer and the tram operator asked how they got their bikes up there. He has steel determination and perseverance when he puts his mind to something. He is a determined goal setter. He is a worthy priesthood holder and blesses our home daily with his goodness. I am so grateful for the feeling I had inside when I met Dereck; I felt a "brightness of hope for the future," as long as my future could include Dereck.

What a ride it has been, not lined with perpetual hollyhocks, but a ride I wouldn't give up for ANYTHING!

Kiara Writes to the Man Up North

Dear Santa,

I really want a dollie for Christmas. If Katie be's naughty don't give her a present. I love you. Kate might want a present too. I will come sit on your lap. Don't forget that I love you.

Love,

Kiara

Little Miss Pumpkin at 2 Weeks

Sad

MISSING:

My happy Kate

LAST SEEN:

Before the baby was born.

If you see my precious Kate, please give her an extra squeeze and let her know how VERY special she is.

Ava Comes Home

First stop after leaving the hospital was my mom's house to pick up our little girls. I missed them so much and had to beg all the nurses and doctors to let me go home. They normally would have liked to keep Ava for 48 hours, but with the H1N1 flu scare visitors under the age 14 were not allowed at the hospital, and I missed my little girls! Kiara was homesick for Mommy even though my mom took excellent care of Kiara and Kate.

I wrote a little message to Ava before we left for the hospital.

Kiara is in love with the baby and likes to play mommy to her, which is a little scary sometimes. Kate would like to send the baby back.

Sweet Grandpa Boyd

I think Grandpa Boyd was tickled pink with his new great-granddaughter bearing the middle name of my late Grandmother Dona Mae and Great-Grandmother Maggie Mae. Grandpa told me he still talks to Dona Mae every day. I am so proud of the man my Grandpa Boyd is---his loyalty to my beautiful grandmother who passed away 22 years ago.

The life of my Grandpa would make Grandma proud. Thank you for visiting me at the hospital, Grandpa, Lezli, Mom, Alicia, and Luis! Luckily I only had to be there one night!

A Labor of Love

November 20, 2009

3:50 p.m.

Ava Mae Jacobs came to us, and our lives will never be the same.

7 lbs. 11 oz.

19 1/4 inches

November 20, 2009, will forever be engraved in my memory. It was the most spiritual experience of my life. Dereck and I were in the hospital room at St. Mark's alone most of the day listening to inspiring music and anticipating the birth of our daughter. The connection between heaven and earth was undeniable. I am so thankful to Heavenly Father for allowing me to feel what I felt and to experience this joyful birth.

Ava is the sweetest little angel. This is still her favorite spot to be and is so easily consoled when she is near her Mama. I love you, my sweet Miss Mae. Thank you for bringing your love and purity to our home.

Kate at Preschool: B is for Blue Bats

Super Girl Turns Care Bear

Kiara insisted on wearing her Care Bear costume that was much too small with her red cowboy boots that were much too large to the ward trunk or treat.

Super Girls Take on Salt Lake City

The super girls saved the day at daddy's office by snatching as much Halloween candy as they possibly could from sedentary office workers and...

...by securing the jobs of Sandy Library workers by pulling many books of the shelves.

Diagnosis

Symptoms:

Extreme Grumpiness

Inability to Bend Over

Happy, Sad, Happy, Sad

Can no longer see toes

Doesn't feel the least bit attractive

Heartburn

Heartache

Can not look upon dirt with the least degree of tolerance

Prognosis:

8 months pregnant

Note from the Patient:

I wish to issue a formal apology to my loving husband and all others I offended during my last months of pregnancy. I still love you with all of my heart, but it may have been hard to tell with all of the grumbling.

These Are the Days of the Jacobs Girls Lives

Act 1:

Kiara and Kate scale the railroad ties in the backyard and are happily standing in my herb garden.

Act 2:

Things take a turn for the worse when Kiara says, "I don't want to play with you anymore."

Act 3:

Kate cries, "Please play with me, please!"

Act 4: Kiara comes back to play with Kate. Kiara and Kate throw things at Mom saying, "Stop taking our picture."

Fun Valley

My dad turned 60 in October. My extended family traveled from Boise, Salt Lake City, and Denver to be together in Sun Valley.

My dad gives me much cause to celebrate. I love my dad. I love how he is having a belly laugh in this photo because Lezli is always making us laugh. I love my dad's sister Lezli. I love my dad's brother Tom and my Grandpa Boyd. I love that we were all together in Sun Valley in October and that we visited Redfish Lake, a sentimental place for me where we used to all camp when I was young and my cousin Megan and I would slide down rocks until we had holes in our jeans.

I love that my dad wore a fleece hat that made him look Russian. I love my dad's fetish for jackets and bags. He has a closet full of jackets and he can explain to you why he needs each one and explain the reason for each detail of his jacket (i.e. "This jacket would be good for a windy but warm day because...", etc.). I love that my dad is so tender hearted and sensitive. I love that he feels things deeply, which makes it hard to feel sometimes. I am a lot like him.

I love that my dad is clever and makes up funny riddles. Sometimes his riddles are frustrating like "Boise horses have pouches, but Pocatello horses do not." (Figure that one out. He made it up himself.) I love my dad's neat handwriting. I love how tidy my dad is and how he takes really good care of his things. (He is a lover of shoe horns.) He is a lot like Grandpa Boyd in that way. I love that he still loves toys and Scientific Wizardry, a fun store in Boise he used to take me to every time I visited him as a teen. I think he even had more fun than I did. I love my dad's taste in ties and swimming suits and music. I love that we all went to the Trailing of the Sheep parade in Ketchum and the way my dad enjoyed the bagpipers.

I love my dad and I love that I am the daughter of Randy Williams. It is something I will always be proud of. Happy 60th Birthday, Meine Vater!

Here Kiara and Kate are discovering what I used to love about Redfish Lakes. Sandy beaches and clear water with Sawtooth Mountain views.

That's one small step for Daddy; one giant leap for Kiara and Kate.