Family Christmas Letter...sort of...

Merry Christmas!

Friends and Family-
I am a major slacker and will not be sending out Christmas cards this year. I’m not actually sure when the last time I sent them was…maybe two years ago? I had full intention of sending them this year, but was too distracted to think about much of anything, so along with a whole slough of other things…the Christmas cards were forgotten. Here is a little bit about what we’ve been up to this year.

Kylie is now 5, but missed the kindergarten deadline by 16 days, so she is still at home this year. She was in preschool during the spring semester, but we are now doing our own thing at home. She still LOVES books and make-believe. She can spell and sound out most three letter words and is starting to recognize her sight words. She can write her name very well and has started to write it all over the place like her bed, and dresser. Kylie is in a dance class as well and is doing very well. She is one of the tallest in her class and the only one who is in it for the first year. She can do perfect cartwheels, but after watching the other girls in class put their hands down and hop, she started to do them wrong. She thought she was the one doing it wrong and was copying them! She is constantly surprising us with complex questions, and is growing and learning so much. I’m almost going to be sad to see her go to school next year…well…almost…

Madison has changed so much. She is still pretty shy around new people and loves to cuddle and give hugs and kisses. She LOVES chocolate milk, baby dolls and talking. She talks from the moment her eyes open in the morning until past the time they close…literally! I have to shush her a thousand times just to get her to stop long enough for us to brush her teeth, and she usually talks herself to sleep. She is very independent and will not let you help her until she’s too frustrated to do it herself. She potty-trained herself night and day last July in 2 days and hasn’t had an accident since. I think that was well deserved for me after potty-training Kylie! Kylie and Madison beg for a new baby almost every single day and even try to bribe me by making me think they’ll change diapers and wake up in the middle of the night with the baby. I’m still not buying it. I think the baby dolls with have to hold them off for a while longer!

I love staying home (most days) and have been keeping pretty busy. I sometimes feel like as a mom, I don’t have much to write about. No major accomplishments or awards, and even though my job is so hard and wears me out every single day, I’ll spare the details because it’s late and it makes me tired thinking about it! I am the literacy specialist in the ward and am on the enrichment committee. This is the first time in 6 years I’ve served outside of the primary, so I am LOVING relief society! I have developed a definite love of cooking (not so much the dishes part) and have tried some pretty delicious dishes with success. And…that’s about it for me…

Terrence is still going to school full-time and working full-time. He hasn’t had a calling for almost a year, but I feel one coming on, so we’ll see how long that lastsJ Terrence kept busy all summer fixing up his grandpa’s fishing boat and spending every possible minute fishing. The girls have loved it and are so good on the boat with him. I’m sure many of you have read several comments I’ve made on facebook and my blog about some issues we’re having and feel free to skip ahead, but I am finally ready to talk about it a little bit. In October, Terrence was putting out a fire at work on a heater unit and suffered an electric shock to his left arm (his primary arm). His arm was completely numb for an entire week, and he FINALLY got approval from his safety department to seek medical attention 2 weeks after the accident. The work-med Dr. wasn’t sure exactly what was wrong and has been trying a bunch of different medications which have had TERRIBLE effects on Terrence. His arm goes numb and is EXTREMELY painful anytime he does heavy duty work or uses it for anything repetitive (like taking notes or FINALS in school or holding his children). So…he has had to withdraw from school this semester which has been so difficult since we already feel so behind in our goals. Due to all that has been going on, Terrence ended up losing his job for a month on wrongful terms and was eventually given it back after reviewing the action in a company court system. He was seen by a specialist called a physiatrist this week and will be undergoing some tests such as x-rays and a nerve conduction test to see how bad the nerve damage is and what steps we have to take from here. We don’t know yet if he will ever get full function of his arm back. I know this sounds terribly depressing, but I know a lot of you have had questions as to what is going on in our family and thought I’d shed some light on the situation. We have been able to stay pretty positive throughout it all and have learned to rely on the Lord. We have grown even closer together as a couple and a family and have definitely felt the power of the atonement work in our lives these past several months. Even after being out of work for an entire month right before Christmas, the Lord seems to be blessing us. Our testimony of tithing has definitely been strengthened for sure, and we are also so grateful for our loving parents who have been here for us every step of the way. Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement.
So, in my lame attempt in a “Christmas Greeting” I sincerely pray that you each have a wonderful Christmas season and feel the love of the Lord in your hearts and homes as we have been fortunate enough to do.
Love you all,
Terrence, Laura, Kylie Ann, and Madison Mills

Grammi Sharon's Visit!

Grammi came to our house last week for her nieces wedding and oh boy did we have fun! She's pretty special because she lets us get away with almost anything and Mom says it's okay since we don't get to see her very often. Grammi lives in Kansas, and that's a really far way away!

Grammi put curlers in our hair just for fun and I think I looked like Cindy-Lou-Who.
She even put some in Maddi's braids and my mom got a little jealous, so she let Madison do her hair for a while. Maddi asked Santa for a hairbrush because she loves to play with Mommy's hair.

Mom had to bring dinner to someone from church, and she made some yummy home-ade chicken noodle soup. Madison wanted to help make the noodles, but just ended up licking the flour off of the counter. I told her it would be disgusting, but she just kept laughing because she thought she was being funny. Sometimes Madison can be so weird!
Daddy bought some super yummy cookies and hid them on top of the cupboards, but Madison pushed a chair over and climbed right up and sneaked some. Mom says there is no such thing as "terrible twos" and it should be "terrible threes". I'm not sure what that means, but I think it has to do something with Madison being on Santa's trouble list.

Mom calls Maddi dirt magnet too, because she always finds a way to get messy.

On Saturday, we went to a fancy restaurant for a lunch after Brittney's wedding and I acted fancy just like "Fancy Nancy" in my books. I even used the right forks and mom did my hair just like a princess. I got to wear my new Christmas dress and everything!

It snowed a whole lot while Grammi was here, so we all got bundled up warm and went outside and built a fort around our back porch. Mom wore dad's "Carhart" coveralls, boots, and coat and I told her she looks like a chubby firefighter.

Daddy couldn't help us because he can't do much with his arm anymore. I ask Heavenly Father to make it better everytime I pray, but Mom says that sometimes Heavenly Father has to wait a while before he can help us. Dad came to spy on us though and we clobbered him pretty good with snowballs. Mommy couldn't move in her gigantic clothes though so she didn't even hit him once! I did though. he he he...

It started to get dark outside, so we had to go in for some hot chocolate, but we got a pretty good foundation on our fort. Dad says we should make some windows in it so we can use it for a snowball fight against all those boys that have cooties. I'm not sure what cooties are, but I know they are bad. They must give you diseases or something. I'm sure they're on the naughty list!

I wonder....

I am not a talented writer, nor do I claim to be, but sometimes writing down my thoughts help me to sort through them. Today I am wondering if it's possible to have too much Faith in something? I was told a story about two sister missionaries who filled their gas tank with several gallons of water one Sunday morning with a prayer and a lot of faith that somehow the water would be magically transformed into fuel so that they might make it to church. They of course ended up stranded on the side of the road with severe damage to their car. I think this problem was not due to a lack of faith, but rather a lack of preparation. So in my efforts to have more faith than I've ever had before I am wondering if I am covering all of my bases. Will I end up stranded on the side of the road because I forgot another essential step? Am I prepared both physically, temporally, and spiritually for the days ahead? I am giving it my best effort and forging ahead with faith and prayer. I just hope I have everything required to get me through. I have never been more grateful for the gospel and the atonement than I am now. I know that the Lord loves me and my family and that he will take care of us. It is that peace and knowledge that carry me through the day. Hopefully I can have the strength to cast my burdens to the side and kneel in prayer of Thanksgiving for every day I get to live with such beautiful little girls and a worth priesthood holder who surround me with a kind of love no words could ever justify.

Fall update...sort of...

Our fall festivities started with the USU homecoming parade. Kylie started dance classes in September and has been loving it! She had the opportunity to ride on a float in her first parade a few weeks ago and had a blast. I don't know what my deal was that day, but I totally started crying when she passed me. I was so proud of her, but at the same time so sad that she was actually old enough to ride on a float without me. I felt so grown up when I was old enough to do that and it's been hard lately realizing that she's not my baby girl anymore. I can't imagine what kindergarten next year will bring!NORTH LOGAN PUMPKIN WALK

The community has a free pumpkin walk every fall where different companies and organizations decorate pumpkins and display them in a park. Everything is made out of pumpkins and squash and some were very intricately painted. The keebler elf display and the michael jackson were our favorites! This was our first year attending and we loved it. I of course brough a camera with dead batteries, so I only got a few pictures before they died. Then, I took a ton with my phone but am not in the mood to download them right now, so sorry...this is all you get! ha ha

So, for those who don't know, USU's mascot is a bull and we're the "Aggies" (for agriculture) This is a cow. Check out the pumpkin milk sack thing with the carrots for utters. It was just too funny not to post!
These really are made of something in the squash family. SHOCKING I know!

Madison was too cold and scared to venture into any of the (limited) picture taking, so Kylie is our star:)

OLD NAVY GIVE AWAY

My friend Kerrie just started a new blog about saving money and using coupons. She has an awesome give away to get a $50 off a $100 Old Navy purchase. Check out the entry rules here: http://kerriekouponkueen.blogspot.com/

JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH!

Do you ever have one of those days when you just can't get enough of being a mom to such amazingly cute kids? My kids have done a great job of making me feel like that lately. Kylie is getting so grown up and mature (more on her later....when she'll hold still long enough for some pictures). Madison is our new little motormouth. That kid never shuts up!!! I am so entertained by her at times that I forget about everything else and we just chat till I realize the lasagna idea is out the window...again...and we're doing spaghetti...again...So tonight, while picking her nose and asking me if she can take some pictures of me, we decided to have a little impromptu photo shoot.

She wanted to show her newly aquired skill of making fishy lips. Her new favorite kissing technique has been mastered!

And then she refused to smile till I allowed her to capture my fishy lips.

She asked me to do a happy happy cheeseburger pose but then got mad when I wanted her to say cheese instead of cheeseburger. She was not amused...can you tell?

Then we got our happy happy cheeseburger picture after all.
After viewing the pictures on the camera and seeing one of herself where she was not smiling, she got very concerned and was telling me about all the millions of times when she was not happy. I even got to hear a detailed description of when she threw up in her bed...about a month ago...

Then she cracked herself up (which she does often) and made her "I crack myself up" face.

Again...like I said before, I can not get enough of my kids! Madison seriously does not shut up. I have to shush her about a thousand times at night just so she doesn't keep herself up with all of her stories. She has this cute, petite little voice and you'd never expect someone her age and size to talk so much. It's actually quite surprising. Lately we have played so much. She loves to fly around on my feet like superman, and faces the wall with her hands over her face counting so I can hide. But I have to say her favorite game of all it catch. I stand at the bottom of the stairs and she sits at the top and we throw a nerf ball back and forth to one another. She congratulates me on good catches and squeels when she catches it to tell me it was a great throw. I wish everyone could meet her just to know how much fun she is.

LIFE ACCORDING TO MADDI-

1. She loves to argue about silly things and depending on the day...she is either "Maddi Kewi (karri), or "Maddi kewit (carrot)"

2. Babies eat from their Mommy's belly buttons and they get to eat whatever we have just eaten. Madison usually feeds her baby after drinking"chwocolate miwlk" because it's her favorite.

3. Baby dolls should never throw rocks because they will end up sitting in time-out for the rest of the day.

4. If you tell your mommy sweet things throughout the day like "mommy, I wuv you, you'we so pwetty like a pwincess" She will do almost anything you ask.

5. She's very well informed about bad vs. good choices and will be more than willing to let you know when you're in the wrong. We've been teaching Kylie about modesty and Madison has apparently picked up on it because when we're out in public, she (and Kylie as well) will say "ewww Mom, that's gwoss. She's 'inproprate'. That's a bad choice huh Mommy!"

6. She understands us very well. When she has made a bad choice, she walks herself to time-out and after about a minute or so, she'll yell to us. "Mommy, Daddy, I'm weady to make good choices! I am sowwy for ______ I be a good giwl now."

7. If you're not paying attention to her, she says "HELLO! I'm talking to you!" in a high pitched voice till you listen. Last weeks scenerio: Terrence wasn't wearing his seatbelt yet (we were in the parking lot) and was on the phone and Madison was sitting in the back seat saying "HELLO Daddy! Get buckled. HELLO! I'm talking to you!"

We love that little girl. Now I have to see if I can get some pictures of Kylie so I can tell you all about how great she is. I suppose this is really more for me than anything. It's a great reminder on the hard days, but those seem to be getting even fewer and farther in between!

SHE'S FIVE!!!

My little Kylie is 5! I can't believe it's been five years already. If that doesn't make me feel old enough...Kylie asked me if television was invented when I was a little girl. Ummm.....EXCUSE ME?! I asked my mom that same question when I was her age!Back in the simpler days, she ran on my schedule and rarely cried about anything. She was such a great baby. We had so much fun!

But now I could swear she's already a pre-teen. She is in love with Hannah Montana and all she wanted for her birthday was clothes and a cd player with a Hannah Montana CD. SHEESH!

She won't come out of her room now, because she is so excited to jam out with her new cd. She cracks me up.

Anyone who knows Kylie knows that she is HIGH energy, and extremely curious. (sometimes at a naughty level) Unfortunately, there are some people who only see her as that and they don't get to meet the Kylie I know. She is so funny and smart and sweet. She loves to make people laugh and is the best big sister in the world. She's a great helper to me and knows what to do to earn privelages. She cleans and vacuums the front room all by herself almost every day. (wish it was that easy in her bedroom) She loves to be read to and we spend about 30 minutes every night reading books from the library together while she curls up in her blanket on my lap.

Funny things: She loves HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL and every time she watches it she sighs and says "Troy Bolton is so totally cute!" (in a cheerleader peppy voice)

Loves practicing dance, and would rather jam out to music and do cartwheels in the front room than play any game or with any toy in the world.

Loving things: After Madison got in trouble the other day, Kylie came to her in time-out and gave her a big hug and scratched her back while Madison layed her head on Kylie's lap.

Tells me how beautiful I am and how much she loves me, even when I'm having "fat" days. She seems to have that intuition in knowing when I need to hear it most.

Most of all...I love my Kylie Ann and she is such a light in my life. Despite the difficult lessons and trial and error of trying out this "mom" thing for the first time, we have so much fun together!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLIE! WE LOVE YOU!!!