I know, I know, I am becoming the forever apologetic late poster- but at least I am posting I guess... Anyhow, Matt's family celebrates Christmas on Christmas eve every year. It is a wonderful, festive, and spiritual experience- here is Daphne with her candy cane head dress! Isaac and Matt waiting for the gift opening hubub!
Daphne and her cousins presenting a special musical number for our Christmas celebration!
Isaac gleefully opening his castle from Nanny and Papa!

We had a wonderful time and I was extremely thankful to be over my morning sickness enough to enjoy Marsha's fabulous Christmas dinner. Thanksgiving was pretty traumatic with all of the delicious food around and with all of the roller coaster antics taking place in my abdomen. We had lots of singing and laughing and joyous festivities in commemoration of our Savior's Birth and went home thankful and happy!

YOGA

I have a Yoga video- I really love to do Yoga- I have just found it is too hard with my small children. It doesn't have the same relaxing effect when your preschooler comes and sits on top of you. Anyhow, Isaac's new favorite pastime is "doing some yoga" where he watches the video and tries to imitate all the poses. Every few minutes, he asks me to pause the video so he can take "three deep breaths". On this particular occasion, he was able to engage his sister as well. It's one of the cutest things I've seen in a while!

Anderson Family Christmas Party

Matt's Family (The Andersons) have a Family Christmas Party every December and we were able to have the kids go and meet "Santa"!! They were really excited and we had a lovely time!

December Snow Day!

I know I'm behind again- Sorry abou that! This December has been a complete blur! I'll try to add a few posts to back track... Here is the snow man Matt and Isaac made a few weeks before Christmas... It was over 8 feet tall!!

SNOW DAY!

We had our first big snowfall on Friday and Saturday- the kids were so excited to play in the snow. Matt woke up early with the kids and finished putting together his basketball hoop (which he got for his birthday). Isaac was "helping" him and got a little too involved, and Matt finally said, "Isaac , just don't touch anything right now!" Isaac went over in the corner and began crying. Matt said, "Isaac, what's wrong?" and Isaac said, "You're not helping me to be like you. When I grow up I want to be just like you." Matt felt sufficiently rebuked and figured out a way for Isaac to "help" some more.
After the basket ball hoop assembly, we got the kids in the snow clothes, and went outside. Here are some pics: This is the snow fort Matt built for the kids...

It's a snow woman!!

Snow Balls!

Chicago

I was able to attend a conference for the National Association for the Education of Young Children in November. I went with 2 other teachers and colleagues and learned a great deal from the experience. As the date for the trip approached, I became more and more worried about leaving my children, but I couldn't get my airfare back, so I continued with my plans. Matt was wonderful with the children while I was gone (I've gotten quite a few compliments on how well Matt did Daphne's hair!) It was hard to be away and I missed my family, but seeing their faces at the airport made the whole trip worth while.
My plane arrived home early, so I walked outside and met Matt and the kids at the van. I opened up the side door and Isaac jumped right up and hugged me- he was so excited. Daphne was just sitting in her seat saying "Mommy" over and over again as tears welled in her eyes. I finally said, "Come here" and she ran over and hugged me. Matt came around and kissed me and I gave the kids the presents I got for them. They were so excited! As I got them buckled up and shut the door, I turned around and a man nearby said, "Well that was almost sweet enough to have another one! That was great to see."
I don't know if I will ever go out of town without my children again, but I will never forget seeing their faces (and my husband's) when I came home. I don't think I could possibly love them any more than I already do, but perhaps, absence really can make the heart grow fonder.

Halloween

I know that I have been positively horrendous for not posting in such a long time. I'm very sorry- life just gets away from me during the school year! But here are some belated pictures from Halloween: Isaac was Buzz Lightyear and Daphne was Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty).
A profile of the prettiest princess in the world!
Isaac and Matt at "The Enchanted Woods", a special Halloween evening at the Treehouse Children's Museum.
Isaac and Daphne with some of their cousins. A few High School Musical Characters, a firefighter, a knight and Yoda!

2 Birthdays and An Anniversary

Okay, I know I have been a phenomenal slacker at posting for the past month! I apologize- we have just been so crazy it seems. In the past few weeks, we celebrated Matt's Birthday and Calvin and Marsha's 40th Wedding Anniversary as well as Matt's grandmother's 88th birthday.
Matt's parents, Calvin and Marsha at their surprise Anniverasry Party this past Saturday:

The Cake....
We celebrated Matt's Birthday over the past few weeks and the kids had a wonderful time- you would have thought it was their birthday- they were so excited for him. Matt had a meeting on the evening of his birthday and we stayed home and made snickerdoodles and birthday cards and surprised Matt when he came home. The kids were so funny and Matt was definitely surprised.
Matt and his birthday cake made of Caramel Corn!
Matt and Isaac describing Isaac's carefully created Birthday Card:
Isaac and his cousing Zach with crazy hair! :)

Daphne at the party!

Troubled on Every Side... Yet Not Distressed

Well, at the end of one very difficult week and at the dawn of a new day, I feel compelled to record a few of my experiences from this week. I contemplated posting a humorous anecdote on my terrible, horrible no- good very bad week. We seemed to encounter one struggle after the other: I was sick, Isaac was sick, Matt’s car broke down, Daphne managed to eat some peanut butter cake at preschool on Friday and had a terrible reaction ... I could go on and detail all of the other mishaps and set backs from this week… but I fear that it would be a little too much for all of us! I must admit that yesterday I was doing a pretty good job of feeling sorry for myself. I wept- just allowing the emotions of the week to envelope me.
But this morning I awoke to the tender mercies of the Lord! I read in II Corinthians ch.4: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body of the dying Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh… For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory…”( v. 8-11, 17). Again I am humbled by the tremendous grace and mercy of our Lord. How foolish and selfish I have been this week- I know that my natural self wants to cling to my own sorrow and self-pity, but Christ wants me to cling to His perfection and become more than I can imagine!
I sit back and I look at my life- my loyal and steady husband- faithful to Christ in all things, my precious and delightful children- healthy and happy and joyous, my family, who will drop everything in a moment to help me out of a bind, my dear friends, who buoy me and support me and guide me back to Christ, I could go on and on counting my blessings… but I’ll spare you that!  Suffice it to say, I love my life!
And just because my kids are so cute- here are some pics of them at Isaac's first soccer game last week:

How Great is My Joy!

Matt's sister Raegan took pictures of Daphne for her third year of life. I am having a little trouble deciding which one of Daphne to hang on my wall. I want all of them! Help me decide! I am going to crop out her house in the background... I put the numbers before each pic. Thanks!
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First Day of School!

Well, this was a week of firsts for the Hunters... Monday was my first day at the University, Tuesday was Daphne's first day of Preschool, and Wednesday was Isaac's first day of Kindergarten! I was bummed that I would be teaching on Isaac's first day, but Matt took off work to take him and pick him up, and I think it was for the best seeing that I cried at Back to School night and at his Kindergarten Assessment!
Here is Daphne on Tuesday morning right outside her classroom!

I decided to make a "First Day of School Cake" for the kids each year... I know I am not much of a cake decorator, but it's functional enough... At the bottom are their initials and the grade they will be entering this year. The idea is that we make it together the night before school starts and then we can eat a piece of cake when they come home and they can tell me about their day at school! I hope it will continue to work in the future...



He looks so grown up with his back pack on...

Here is Isaac all lined up with his class... he is the tallest one!


I guess Isaac's first day went well... he was a little teary eyed and kept saying that he needed to barf! We thought he was just nervous, but later that evening, he threw up his "First Day of School Cake" all over our van! Yuck- I have definitely had more enjoyable days! Daphne is doing really well in her class- she never wants to leave! School is going very well for me also, and Matt is just chugging along trying to keep up with all of us!

Daphne's Birthday

Okay, so I have been a slacker and haven't posted about Daphne's Birthday in July. We celebrated it early in July with Matt's family in Utah, and then on the actual day while in Texas. Actually, Daphne thought that we were going to Texas for her birthday! So, here are some pics...

GiGi was so sweet to make a Strawberry Shortcake Birthday Cake for Daphne, who was thrilled!

Opening Presents


Daphne in her new Strawberry Shortcake outfit from her GiGi!

Here is Daphne at her birthday celebration up here in Utah in early July...

Yummy Cake!!

A Fairy Princess!!