Kate-erina Ballerina

Aunt Julie made this super-beautiful and fun tu-tu and matching puppet (that looks just like Kate!) for Christmas. Thanks, Aunt Juge -- we LOVE it!!

Kate absolutely loves her ballet class once a week with Miss Katriina. This year for their Christmas recital each class performed a part of the Nutcracker. Kate's class were the "Buffoons"! They even had a Mother Buffoon with the huge dress (she was on stilts), and all the little girls were dressed as adorable little clowns who came running out from under her dress. What a fun, fun experience.

Rose Family Christmas Party part 2

More pictures of our fun family party. The obligatory 'New Jammies" pictures along with a few others are included. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Rose for always making our party so fun-filled. We all LOVE our new jammies!

Rose Family Christmas Party

The annual Rose Family Christmas party in Park Valley was the event of the year (as usual!). We had a wonderful, loud, crazy, yummy, silly, loving time and came away thankful for a terrific and close loving family. These silly pictures of the moms of each of the main families are classic. The challenge was to dress your mom/grandma up like a Christmas tree using only the few items provided in a plastic bag. We all had a ball and the moms were great sports.

Pumpin Poo Take 2

So ... let's just say that this is NOT my year for pumpkin pie. Thankfully, the redemptive pumpkin pie for the Rose Family Christmas party turned out blessedly delicious. However, last week as I was preparing dinner to take to a lady in our ward who is ill I decided to use the rest of my crust and pumpkin to make another pie. Never fear -- I DID put sugar in this pie, but as I walked in to her house and put dinner on the table I DROPPED THE PIE. Yep, you read that correctly. I actually dropped an entire pumpkin pie on a sick woman's living room carpet. Is that officially the worst act of service you have ever heard of? Yeah, me too. ;)

Happy Birthday Mom

Just a quick post about my amazing, beautiful, wonderful mother. It's her __ th birthday today! I just want you to know how much I admire and love you, Mom.

Thank you for teaching me how to be a mother by mothering me with care, love, and dignity. It's amazing how easy it is to follow the example that has been set. I'm thankful that my example was such a supremely good one.

Thank you for believing in me without pushing me. You are always so complimentary, so encouraging, and so genuine. It never occurred to me as a child that there was anything beyond my capacity. I credit you for giving me confidence in myself.

Thank you for loving the gospel and for teaching me to walk in faith. My life is the best it could be because I have you as my mother.

Santa Claus is Comin' To Town

Our annual Ward Christmas party was a big hit again this year. After a yummy dinner the primary children performed a simple nativity. They each prepared their own costume and learned 6 or 7 new primary songs and hymns. We had a narrator tell the story from the scriptures, then the kids acted out the parts and sang the songs . It was adorable. I wish I had pictures, but I was leading and forgot to hand my camera to someone beforehand. I did get pictures of the kids visiting with Santa, however, so all is not lost! Note that Jack is VERY happy to sit on Santa's lap. He laughed and giggled and talked up a storm. Definitely the first of our kids to ever greet Santa warmly before the age of 4. :)

Show Stoppers

Todd is performing again this year with the "Show Stoppers". They have been performing in various Christmas programs and concerts around the community. He's doing a great job and gaining a lot of confidence in dance and just being on stage in general. How hilarious are these suits???! I told him to save it for Halloween and he can be a gangster (or maybe a pimp?).