'Joy to Everyone'

This is our Christmas wish to everyone this season...

http://www.joytoeveryone.com/en/

Merry Christmas!

'The Nutcracker Suite' - Tchaikovsky

For Sarah and I, this year marked our 10th anniversary trip to 'The Nutcracker.' We started this tradition when she was only 5. We go out to lunch, squeeze in some shopping if we can, and enjoy the ballet. The first year, she wanted to go to Chik-fil-a for lunch and fell asleep before intermission. Since then her tastes for lunch and the ballet have improved! We've gone to several different productions, and really look forward to this 'girl time' together. For some reason the boys never want to come with us.

Every year I also give her a nutcracker to add to her collection. When she heads out on her own, she'll have them to remind her of Christmas' past, and fun times with her mom.

This year we invited Emily and her girls, Olivia and Kate, to join us at the Covey Arts Center for lunch and a matinee. Merry Christmas to us!

'All I Want for Christmas...'

All I want for Christmas, I've already got...
Love you babe.

'Let Him In' - The Forgotten Carols

Our Christmas spirit took a boost when we went to see Michael McLean's 'The Forgotten Carols.' Poor Benji was sick, so dad stayed home with him and we took our 'other brother' Joe, Spencer's best friend, and Sarah's best friend, Paige.

TFC is the story of a man who claims he has lived nearly 2000 years to share the Christmas songs we don't know. After a particular poignant monologue from MM's character, Parker leaned over to me and asked, 'Is he one of the 3 Nephites?' Made me smile. It was a great show.

'Count Your Many Blessings' - hymn #241

We spent a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday in St. George. The weather was warm and toasty, and we packed a lot of fun into our stay there. Our Thanksgiving feast was just that. Cousins Chris and Jennifer Peterson were gracious hosts and amazing cooks. Our kids had so much fun playing with theirs. This is a picture of the 'girl table'...Sarah, Claire and Hailey. After dinner we went to see 'A Christmas Carol.' Scary!

Our favorite breakfast spot...The Bear Paw for chocolate waffles!

We went to the St. George Temple and it was Benji's first opportunity to do baptisms. I loved watching our oldest son perform the ordinances with his younger siblings.

Nothing says fun like a face full of red dirt. The bike trails were awesome and pretty intense.

I liked being Spencer's tennis partner,
because I could really just stand there and let him do all the work.

The kids were excited to show Spencer their favorite hike.

On our last evening there we went golfing then to the live nativity at Tuacahn.
I love this stage in our lives when we can all enjoy doing the same things TOGETHER!
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done!

'You've had a birthday, shout Hooray!' - #285 Children's Songbook

I wish my baby Benji still looked like this, but our caboose turned 12 this month
and made the jump from primary to the deacon's quorum.

He hasn't had a party in a few years,
so we took a couple carloads of kids to the BYU basketball game.
Gary said it was like herding cats.

Benji made his wishes known for breakfast in bed, but was too excited to sleep in and ate in on the couch watching Sports Center instead.

For dinner, we hit our favorite burger joint.

The infamous birthday dessert everybody orders. Benji had a hard time sharing.

Benji received the aaronic priesthood from his dad, and did a great job passing the sacrament for the first time.

Happy birthday beautiful baby Benji boy!

'Bring Him Home' - Les Misarables

Our cup runneth over.
My best 'mother day' so far...

'Anticipation' - Carly Simon

It's hard to explain the mixed bag of emotions that keep spinning around inside my chest, each taking their turn to make me burst into tears or gleefully laugh out loud. Only 5 more days, and our first 'Elder Judd' will be home safe and sound. I thought I'd share his last email to home. Part of me thinks the boy I will be hugging at the airport is someone I've never met before...

hi mom!

life is great here in clarion and despite the bad weather we are sowing seeds! my feelings have been very near the surface these past few days. the feeling of approaching loss can’t be described. life is good, and the work is wonderful. I love my mission. It's absolutely impossible for me to articulate how these two years have affected me. I KNOW that it has literally changed me and set a course for my life. While I long to see the beautiful faces of my family, my heart aches to stay. I, along with more than fifty thousand others, am ” set apart from the world to a higher plane of thought and activity”, and I don’t want to come back down. Not yet.

I have become consumed by the fire of this work. I have consecrated these two years to my Heavenly Father and because of it so many things seem clearer to me. And there are so many things I need to learn. BUT I have learned things that could not have possibly been taught to me in any other place! This has given me fresh eyes and a fresh heart.

The lord gave me my mission as a gift. This is my errand from the Lord. I could never have served anywhere else. The Lord has given me this portion of his vineyard and I have been hard on myself and have done my best of every waking moment to humbly and prayerfully serve Him. consistency is a blessing of humility. I was thinking the other night of home and how exited I am, how happy I am and how absolutely scared I am to be coming home – when almost immediately these words of the apostle came to my mind……

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
NAY!, in all these things WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I know that things will work out. I love my Savior and he loves me. I know that I am nothing, I know this church is true, and that Christ is at it's head. I know that our wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they are in harmony with our thoughts and actions. Joseph Smith was an honest man. What an incredible testimony Elder Holland gave this past weekend.

How are things at home? the pictures of the boys with the cougarettes were hilarious. and sarah is a beautiful young woman. dad's talk was simply great. pretty sure i was crying in the subway as i was reading it. regrets and reunions. I love you and hug benji and parker and sarah for me.

Elder judd

'There She Is...Miss America!'

Saturday night Sarah competed in Miss Utah's Outstanding Teen, representing American Fork City. We are so proud of her! Not just because she was named a runner-up, but because she was a shining example of a virtuous young woman! Several of the contestants chose less-modest fashions, but Sarah radiated true beauty, light, and purity.

Her focus was on doing her best, and all she could learn in the process. Her goal was to make friends, and it was obvious from observing her interactions with the other girls, that she loved them and they loved her.

The girls who placed ahead of her were the returning attendants from last year. As one of the youngest contestants, she held her own, and showed everyone what a fun-loving 15 year old looks and acts like. She sang beautifully, and she said she made the judges laugh a lot in her interview. And she won a $1500 scholarship for her efforts!

They didn't allow cameras during the production, so these are all we have right now. Hopefully we'll be able to get some more soon and I'll pass them along.

Congratulations from dad and the boys, who snuck out of the priesthood session so as to not miss the big night.

Megan and Staci, huge supporters and dear friends from the city committee

Sarah's 'Little Miss', her cousin, Olivia and Aunt Emily

We couldn't ask for a better hostess than Ann Marie. We knew our daughter was in capable and grounded, giving hands.

'Rise and Shout!' - Cougar Fight Song

A great way to start off General Conference week-end is the traditional Friday night BYU football game. The stadium is always so fun under the lights. We like to go early to the Cougar Club pre-game shindig under the stadium for dinner and pep-talk from former players. The boys love it, because as you can see, the interactive scenery is always so accommodating!