inventory two: december edition

Blessing: our December world finally became a winter wonderland. Snow is so peaceful. It prompts me to be still. 

Oh how I have loved seeing my world in white. 

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Blessing: being home for the holidays. 

Having so many littles at home to be the center of our celebrations made this year especially fun. 

Grandma Susie gathered everyone in and around to reenact the Nativity Story our first night home, including Ryan's family. 

(sub-blessing: mine and Ryan's families are friends, our homes are within a mile of each other, and his littlest brothers play with my nieces and nephews. Hello, awesome)

Everyone loved it, except for the babe-wrapped-in-swaddling-clothes, Olivia. 

All she wanted was to sleep in heavenly peace. 

I love the story of our Savior's arrival into this world. I love that today children most often reenact the event. Nothing else better conveys that magnificence and majesty are found in simplicity. 

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Blessing: my baby girl is loved. 

And she is so happy. 

It is such a privilege to mother her...kisses to you, Olivia darling. 

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Blessing: my family here is an eternal one. The end.

We had the merriest Christmas and a beautiful year. 

I am bursting for what is to be.

Dear 2013, 

Be as good to us as your forbear, if you will.

I think that you will be, if not even more. 

You have incredible potential. 

Love the blessed, hopeful, and excited lady,

 Jeni

giving some thanks

I love November. 

My Grandpa Gubler turns one year older each November. This year he turned 80 and all the family gathered to celebrate. 

My grandpa and grandma are darling. There are more than a few pictures through the years of my Grandma flashing a beautiful smile while my Grandpa looks down at her (literally) with doting eyes. He is a cattle man, and she wears pearls while she cooks and cleans. They are the perfect pair. 

Emily was called on a mission this November (wish I had my own picture of it!). She's off to New York City in just two months. Aunt Em is leaving Olivia and me with huge shoes to fill, as she is the only daughter in that family of eight. But, clearly, our darling babe will do a good job of filling at least part of the girl-void that Em will leave behind. 

The Awerkamps loved on Olivia. I think "babies" and "love" are the same thing to all of them - evidenced by their family of eight children, and in the desire of Ryan, BJ, and Emily, at least, to have large families of their own. Olivia loved their attention. She jabbed and jabbed as they ooed and ahhed at her and petted her. She was in heaven!

November also brings my older brother, Shandon, a birthday. To celebrate, we ate pancakes with buttermilk syrup in his honor, and he specially feasted on the red birthday plate while drinking a zuka-made-by-dad in the red birthday cup. That's tradition. 

There's no one on earth quite like Shandon. He is smart and so hardworking. We went around the table and said what we love about him, and my dad couldn't stop talking about the "Mr. Fix-it" and "Mr. Builder" that Shandon has always been. No wonder he is studying to become a master builder of homes...I'm so impressed with his desire to fulfill a dream and to do so in the best way he can. 

Shandon is the genius behind our family's themed parties each holiday season (i.e. Ugly Stache & Sweater Party & Redneck Party) because Shandon is funny. I love his made-up words and his ballads for TJ - I often hear him singing his own welcome home song to TJ boy across the way as the day ends. I love my brother! He is a wonderful father, brother, and friend. 

This November also brought us Olivia's first bath! 

Okay big jk. Olivia has been bathed every day of her life on earth thus far.

These pics just show that I got to be in my sweet mother's presence again over the weekend as I took care of my baby. Oh how I love seeing my mom's hands around her little body. Olivia feels as safe and happy in them as I do - she told me so :) 

Cheers to this blessed month of November! I have felt a new and improved type of gratitude growing in my heart throughout its days so far. 

I am so grateful for family - they mean everything to me. Becoming a little mama myself has helped me turn and see more clearly how much my family has done in making me "me," and for that, I give a little praise to my every aunt, grandparent, cousin, uncle, brother, sister, and to my mother and father:  you're all wonderful, do you know it?

Grazie. Merci. Danke. 

Thanks.

hello, sun valley!

We had an amazing time with the Awerkamps for a half-week vacation to Sun Valley, Idaho. It was my dream vacation, actually - it included mountains, water, tennis, sweet family, good food, active bodies, and some lazy afternoons...

So now, from experience, I'd say these are some "must-do's" while vacationing in Sun Valley: 

stay in a rustic mountain condo with your very large family

hike up and down a mountain for a few hours, marveling all the while at the beauty of this planet 

wander the quaint downtown district of the city

ice skate at an outdoor arena, especially with younger brothers that are skating for the first time

soak up the freshness of the mountain sun and air

feel so lucky- you're living on a mountain for a week!

must-do activities not pictured (should be done on a daily basis for greatest pleasure): 

swimming

swimming

and more swimming

then tennis, tennis, and tennis again

bike riding, mid-day siestas, and crock-pot meals

...

Ryan and I have this place on our "must-return-to-with-our-own-children" list...we can't wait to go back!