Keep Moving Forward...

Friday started off good, I got to relax a bit with Miss Tiffany and we watched movies with Harper and made a few deliveries. Then Miss Ashley and my mom and dad got here and that's when the action started. After everyone caught up on the chit chattin', we got GH3 out and the rockin began. Ashley and Kenzie played for a while, and dad started to doze off, when suddenly, he woke up saying nonsensical phrases peppered with the words "60's songs!" We assumed this meant he wanted to play, so he and mom took over the guitars and they rocked out all by themselves while Ashley and the kids and I went upstairs to lay on my new bed of wonder. (new bed, new mattresses, omg, so comfortable) When Mike got home we all went to dinner at Dad's favorite place (Coco's!!!) in Redlands and everyone ate til they were stuffaged. Ok so you guys, my parents brought down presents like you have never seen before. Can I tell you that Santa came this year in many forms already, but my parents were no exception. How thoughtful they were, and my kids were thrilled! They always manage to pull this off every year, and they have 11 grandkids to buy for! Not to mention, they have always been good at getting us kids and our spouses something nice, but this year, I think was our very best. Here are a few reasons:

1. My mom made all the tags herself! She's become quite crafty and she and her crazy friend Leslie (who we loooooooove) make cards and tags and bags and gifts all the time, and I love each and everything they create.
2. Wrapping paper bought from my nephew Riley. It was so cute! See?
3. Gifts to open on Saturday AND Sunday before Christmas?!? Needless to say, on both Saturday and Sunday, Mike and I were awakened by the kids with the gift in hand, ready to roll at 6 am. Nice.
4. The sentiment they wrote in the gift they gave Mike and I made me cry. There are words you long to hear from your parents your whole life, and I've never heard these come from their mouths. I read it this morning because Harper ripped open the card, but when I read what they said to Mike and I, I cried and cried and cried. I have waited to hear those words from them for 34 years...and it meant so much. I love you guys.

Anyway, Saturday Mike and I went and finished our shopping for the kids and tried out a new restaurant on our date. We love sushi joints, and we love asian fusion food, and we love the whole "Bistro" atmosphere, so when we saw the Cantonese Bistro in Redlands, we had to go in. The atmosphere is so awesome, kind of like a P.F. Changs, but with more funky lighting, awesome bass heavy background music and real Japanese sushi chefs at the most beautiful sushi bar you've ever seen. We also tried their lettuce wraps, since they're my favorite...and I never thought I'd say this but...it totally wasted Chang's wraps. So stinkin good, you guys. Who ever comes next to visit, we're totally taking you.

On Sunday, we had our typical primary program, and it was really cute. The speakers were excellent as usual, and after church we came home and had some friends over for the afternoon. Mac and Aimee Wayment are good friends of ours in our ward, and they're the family we went to Disneyland with last week. He's a pediatric ICU doctor, and he works every Sunday, so she and her kids came over and we had dinner and chatted and laughed and played and made sugar cookies til it was night time. Her Mackenzee LOVES my Kenzie, and they're inseperable. Here are a few pics of the festivities:



cookies all over the table! We made christmas trees, leaves and skulls and crossbones...because pirates love Christmas too, right?



This is sweet lil' tiny Eliza, and she has the best pouty lips ever:



This is Mackenzee who is hilarious and we love her. I don't have any of Parker that turned out, that boy moves too much ;). He's so wiggly!



Mackenzie warmed herself by the fire at night and as you can see, we've got our Guitar Hero guitars right there set up all the time incase we need to rock out real quick like:




Anyway, today is a busy day as I'm sure it is for all of you, but I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. This year was better than last year, and that year was better than the one before! Life has been throwing me a few curves in the past 4 or 5 years, and although they've been the hardest of my life, they've been the most joyful, the most emotionally enriched, the most loving and the absolute best so far. I have really come to understand how our Heavenly Father really does watch out for us, and how his blessings can be so abundant we can't even make room to take them all in. I've learned that those who really love us and our kids are the ones who do not only say they do, but the ones who show they do. My kids have learned forgiveness, and I've watched them all turn into little "people". They're not kids anymore, and they are so smart. I've seen them cry this year, and I've had to hold myself back as they learned through experience that there are some people you can't count on, but that you still need to love them. I've seen them accept a man who truly loves them as his own, and watched as their respect and adoration grew for him as he worked 12 hour days, 5 days a week, and still came in the door every night with hugs, kisses and smiles for everyone. My children are calm, they're happy, they're secure, and they're loved...and best of all, they know it. You can see it in their eyes...you can see it when it's 9 oclock at night, and they're all snuggled up next to us on the couch watching movies, or reading by the fire. They are at "home".


I hope your Christmas is great! We love you all and can't wait to hear what yours were like!!!

~The Easleys