Christmas with the Browns

The day after Christmas, we drove down to Utah to meet Steve's family for Christmas again. We had a fun day playing and visiting together. All of Steve's brothers and sisters were there, with most of their kids. It had been such a long time since we'd been with all of them. It was so fun! We also had the traditional "Brown Family Christmas Carol" program. Families sang, kids performed, adults read and family members shared their testimonies. What a beautiful spirit and testimony-building moment together. Sometimes there is whining and complaining about having to do the annual program, but every single year it brings us closer together and the Spirit touches our hearts one way or another. (Thanks, Mom and Dad Brown for putting up with us and making us do it every year. We'll never admit it, but we love it, and will never let it go...it's part of Christmas!)

The next day was Sunday. Steve's nephew, Matthew, had returned home from his mission in Ecuador, just in time for Christmas. He gave his talk in Sacrament meeting, and then we had a fiesta afterward with his extended family. He's such an amazing young man. As his sister says, he's just so "shiny". He's got such a beautiful kind spirit, radiating with light and joy, and grew into an incredible man on his mission. It's amazing what placing your boy into the Lord's hands for two years can do for him, not to mention all the lives he touched!

We spent the whole weekend with Steve's parents. His sister, Jennie and her family were there, too, and Kathy's family came to visit. We played games, did puzzles, played in the hot tub (kids played), talked, ate (always lots of delicious food at Grandma Brown's!), and had a marvelous time together.

Jennie's Trey, Bryson, Grandma Brown, Me, and Sarah
playing a very intense game of Doodle Dice

Steve's parents: Grandma and Grandpa Brown
(Yes, he is trying to shove that ball in Josh's mouth.
And...he must have deserved it!)

Dad's legs, Mom, Kathy's Cami and her baby Alex, Kathy's Britney,
Sarah and Me (wearing Nate's pirate treasure) watching a funny
home video from 30 years ago together

Me and Jennie's little Kamryn

I've decided that Heavenly Father was really smart when he planned for us to live our lives with families. Family brings so much joy. I'm so blessed to have three incredible families - the one I was born into, the one I married into, and the one Steve and I are raising. How can a girl be so lucky to have so many incredible people in her life to be guided, comforted and blessed by?

The Adventures of "FATMAN"

Last night, Bryson and I were in the kitchen doing homework, and Nathan came in with a cape and a stretchy fabric book cover (for his head) and asked me to put it on him so he could be Batman. (The corners of the book cover poke up like little bat ears. It's pretty funny.) Well, he doesn't exactly say "Batman". It sounds much more like "Fatman". After he left, we laughed and the conversation turned to what a superhero named "Fatman" would do. In light of my recent struggle with climbing over my "weighloss wall", I decided he should save me from eating too much chocolate. We had a good laugh about it, acting out how it would all go down. After his homework was done, Bryson drew me the first-ever authentic Adventures of "Fatman" comic strip. It is with much pride that I post it here for all of you to enjoy. (Please disregard the capital letters and bad spelling. My son is much more articulate in the drawing than the writing!! I also wanted you to notice that the "madam" in the cartoon is eating a chocolate bar, and Fatman's hat is a chocolate kiss.) Sure do love that special little boy!!

Starting from "Behind"

Well, the new year has begun, without so much as a moment of resolution or "newness" for me, except putting up a new calendar. In fact, I've found myself still trying to catch up from the last three weeks of celebrating, playing, and having everyone at home. Sarah and Steve got back to the real world last week, but my other three kids had an extra week off from school. It was so wonderful having everyone home together during the holidays and we had so much fun together. But, by yesterday, when everyone was forced back into a routine, I found myself breathing a sigh of relief (and still going to bed way too late). The last few days were a little much for all of us. The kids were really getting crabby with each other, the house was very far from clean, and the relief I thought I'd feel with a new year and new beginning, was almost haunting me with how far behind I was starting from. I kind of feel like I'm running a 15 minute race, and starting 3 minutes after everyone else. (And I really hate running, too.) So, I'm using this week to try and catch up, and hopefully, by the 3rd week of the month beginning the new year, I'll be ready for 2010 to be here! (Translate as: much more coming, including my new year's goals I should have set two weeks ago...)

Christmas 2009

As we reflected on the past year, we realized, with much gratitude and joy, the great blessings Heavenly Father has granted us. We are employed, healthy, and happy. What more
could we want? We have enjoyed many special moments together and marvel at the blessings and miracles we are granted daily. Through our successes and struggles, we are more aware and grateful for what we have: a most amazing family.

Steve just finished his 2nd year working for the U.S. House of Representatives for Congressman Mike Simpson. He runs the office here and represents Mike at meetings and ceremonies. It has been a great experience for him as he's able to set his own schedule, work with wonderful people, and make connections with people all over southeast Idaho. He also serves on two community economic development boards, one as the chairman. He took somewhat of a "break" from local politics this year, determining to spend more time with our family. It's been marvelous for us. However, politics is "in his blood", and he still meets regularly with local Republicans. He currently serves on the Stake High Council, and we joke about dad "going to his church", but he usually takes at least one week a month to come sit by us at ours. His entrepreneurial spirit is still alive and well. He spent much of the year taking courses on internet marketing, looking at some avenues for a business that "runs itself". Through success we had in some direct mail pieces we created and sent out for a couple of friends, a new idea was born, and he's most currently working on a direct mail business. He's a wonderful daddy and husband, patient, funny and so supportive. We love him more than we can express!

I spent the year being the mom. Running kids wherever, volunteering many hours at the school as the PTO secretary and in classrooms, helping my boys with their homework, doing 323 loads of laundry, making 1,089 meals, and cleaning up the house too many times to count. I really love being a stay at home mom. I serve as the Stake Young Women President, which comes with the perks of working with awesome youth leaders (and their adult leaders) on things like youth conference and girls camp. The summers are pretty crazy, but I get to attend those stake activities with my girls and love the special testimony-building moments we have together there. When I make time for me, I love reading, blogging, card making, baking and spending time with my kids and sweetheart.

Sarah has had a great year this year. With a low-fat diet and handfuls of medicine, her health has improved dramatically. She feels so much better most of the time which has greatly increased her spirits, too. She is a Junior at Century High School this year, only missing a handful of days so far. She turned 16 and attended her first big dance this fall. She has a great group of friends now, and spends her time doing what teenagers do (whew...finally!). She likes to be with her friends, a good book, her mp3 player, Facebook, and the guy she attended the dance with (not necessarily in that order). She's recently found a new hidden talent in the choir at school and loves to help in the kitchen. She's in the Laurel class presidency at church and is a great example of faith and goodness.

Rachel has spent her year fulfilling her dream of going on the American Heritage Tour with the 8th graders in the community next spring. She decided last spring that she really wanted to go, and after Steve told her we couldn't afford it (over $2500), she moped for a couple of hours. He let her, then talked to her about ways that SHE could afford it. She put her mind to doing just that. Within a week, she had 6 children lined up for piano lessons, several babysitting jobs in the wings, a yard sale scheduled, and plans for a hand-delivered coupon packet (daddy's specialty) during the summer. She worked really hard, and by the time school started in the fall, she had earned $2100 of her money. She turned 13 this summer, traded her glasses in for contacts, started wearing make-up, and turned into a beautiful young woman overnight. She also serves in her Beehive class presidency. She loves to play the piano, read, write on her blog, and be with her friends. She's pretty excited to be at a public high school next year and wear "normal clothes" to school again. With all her drive and self-discipline, it's been so fun to watch her grow and mature.

Bryson had a pretty life-altering year this year. After so many struggles with school and some hard times at home, we finally found out that he has Asperger's Syndrome, one of the high-functioning autism spectrum disorders. So since summer, we spend our days in rigid routines, going to psycho and occupational therapy, encouraging social and physical experiences, and loving and enjoying our sweet boy with new eyes and hearts. He has responded well, and with his new accommodations at school and home, is thriving. He is still an incredible artist and loves to draw. He recently discovered that he kind of likes to read, too. He loves prehistoric creatures, ancient civilizations, and any animal that's ever existed (and some that haven't). He also loves cub scouts and just beams with pride when he earns his awards. Bryson is my special buddy, loving and sweet, tender and quiet, and good all the way through.

Joshua has decided this year that he prefers to be called Josh. (I think it's because it's faster to write.) But, he's still the same sweet, cute, cuddly kid he's always been. His darling little smile has saved his life on many occasions, as he's still our busiest, most inquisitive child. He builds traps, tears things apart, wrestles with his dad, and comes up with the most amazing things most of us couldn't even fathom. It is fun to watch his face light up when he finishes reading a book, or gets his spelling words right. He's excited to be in school all day, but is still practicing just paying attention and sitting still. He's a cuddle, a laugh, and a wildly vibrating ray of sunshine.

Nathan is such a fun little boy. He's very intrigued with letters and numbers and also loves to draw. He and Mom spend a lot more time together alone and we've become such good friends. He loves to go run errands with mom, play on the computer, read stories, watch movies, do puzzles, and make play dough "cookies". He is usually very loving and sweet, but has practiced his different moods and independent thinking a lot more this year. He's really grown up a lot, and has become quite a strong-willed little boy. He makes us smile all the time with his funny little antics, and has decided lately that he's either a pirate (aargghh!) or Santa Claus (ho ho ho!), complete with costume. We're so grateful he's in our family, too.

We have been so abundantly blessed this year, but among our greatest treasures is our wonderful family and the incredible blessing that we can be together forever. We couldn't stand it any other way.

The Christmas Spirit

This month has flown by, and despite my greatest intentions of doing something different this year to help us feel the Christmas Spirit, life has gotten in the way, and there are many things we haven't done. However, we have had a sweeter, kinder spirit in our home with more patience and love. We attended Christmas Piano Recitals, The Gateway Foundation's "A Dickens Christmas", the annual Dixon Family Home Evening complete with Christmas program and the children acting out the Nativity, and Grandma's Cousins Christmas Party. The girls and I sang in the choir and Rachel played a piano solo for the ward Christmas program, we gave gifts for some children in our ward that needed them, and have been busy enjoying Christmas movies, projects, and treats. The boys count down each day, and still haven't figured out if you count "today" or not. Although it's not been quite what I wanted for us this year, it's been a good month. We're reflective and grateful, happy and healthy. I watched this video that was posted on the church website the other day, and it made me stop and think again. Sometimes we just need a little of a child's sweetness to help us stay focused. The Christmas Spirit

Biggest Loser Update: The Wall

Here's an update on my Dixon Girls Biggest Loser challenge...

Five years ago, I lost 28 pounds. I wanted to lose about 37, but I hit a point that I couldn't get past. I called it my wall. For months, I kept at it, trying to break through, but just couldn't get past it. I finally decided that with that weight loss, I would just be happy being that size, and be grateful that I shed the other 28 pounds. ...And, here I am again...

I'm happy to announce that I hit that point again about 4 weeks ago. My weight has been fluctuating right above that since. I've been pretty frustrated because no matter how hard I work out and regardless of what I (don't) eat, it doesn't seem to make a difference. I would really like to lose at least 7 more pounds, and be within the middle of my healthy BMI range. However, my ultimate goal is, of course, to be healthy and have the energy I need to keep up with my kids. I feel like I've already begun to accomplish that one. So, I'm doing okay, just want to figure out how to get past "the wall"!

I recently finished reading Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture (great book!) and pondered some of the things he taught. The one thing that has stuck in my head the most is something he said about brick walls. "...A brick wall isn't there to keep us out. It's there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something." So, my brick wall (the point where I quit losing weight over and over again) has become an even greater challenge for me. It's the point where I get to decide HOW BAD I really want to lose those pounds (be a size 10, get in better shape, establish healthier habits...etc.). And I have decided!! I'm going to bust down the wall by working my butt off (literally). And if I can't bust it down, I'm going to use all my new-found energy, and just climb over it!!

Christmas Time

It's finally here! It's Christmas time! I love this time of the year. So far, I've celebrated with handfuls of mint holiday m&m's, decorating the house, making hot chocolate, watching the Polar Express, watching my boys and honey shovel show, and playing endless hours of Christmas music. The kids helped me string popcorn and we decorated the tree last night, too. It's so pretty. I loved sitting around it together last night, talking about Christmas and what it means to us and what we want this year to be like, while we enjoyed the soft music and cuddled around the sparkling lights. I'd really like to do something this year with my kids to help us feel and remember the true spirit and meaning of Christmas.

We watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional Sunday night. That was a great step in the right direction. I loved the message from President Monson. I was reminded us about my need to simplify and just spend time together doing the things that help us remember Jesus. I also enjoyed Pres. Uchtdorf's talk about how over the years, even in Christ's time, people have spent so much energy trying to "find" Christ, but because they're focused on the wrong things, they end up missing him. The music, Pres. Eyring's talk, the whole spirit that I felt, snuggled up in my blanket in my festive living room, made me feel a sense of peace, and confirmed that we really need to do something that would help our family feel Christ in our lives, most especially during this wonderful Christmas time!

Kristina sent me to the lds.org website and there's a resource to help families put Christ back in their Christmas celebrations. Here's the Link: Christ: The Real Gift of Christmas. It was so cool, the list of ideas—some of which we're already doing, and the ones that I really want to try this year. There's the 12 days of Christmas, where you read a scripture about the birth of Christ, each night, the 12 days before Christmas. There are lots of other neat ideas, too. We're also talking about giving some of our Christmas budget money to help someone who has less than we do, and needs more than they have. The kids are pretty excited about that, too. We have been so abundantly blessed this year, we definitely need to do something to show the Lord our gratitude.