Christmas Letter 2010

This year our Christmas Letter is on here, mostly because it would take three weeks for our Christmas letter to get to family and friends, and I didn't plan ahead of time. :)

I put a lot of pictures up, sorry about that, but the slide thing wasn't working for me (taking too long) so you just get a whole bunch on this one. I tried to get down to just a few pictures, but it was just so hard to do.

This year has been FABULOUS! We have had so much fun, and seen so many wonderful things.

This year, Tyler worked VERY hard at work. He got back into running again, but also hurt his back. He is all better now though. He has also become a great golfer! He was called to be the Young Men's President in our church ward, and the young men love him. Again, Tyler just relates to these young men so well, and can make them feel the fire of the gospel and now they want to go on missions.

Becca went back to college this year. She only had two years left, and now it's down to one before she graduates. Becca's teachers always have good things to say about her papers and she is getting straight A's. She is also working with the Young Women in the church, and loving it. The girls are teaching her a lot but she is also having fun helping them become stronger in the gospel.

Spencer graduated from Kindergarten this year, and is now in First Grade and loving school! He can't get enough of it, and is learning quickly. His personality and knowledge have grown leaps and bounds. He is figuring out that he loves to play sports (every sport!) and not sit around much. He also is quite known around here for being confident in anything he does. He loves life and just wants to enjoy it (as you can see from his pictures below).

As a family we have enjoyed living here in Zimbabwe and are quite excited for our next adventure. We have found out that we will be moving to New York City, right down in Manhattan, in the summer/fall time. We are thrilled we will be back in the States and close to family, but sad also that we will be leaving Africa which we have come to love.

We also went on many trips this year, with a lot of firsts happening. First time going to London and Scotland, first time going to Victoria Falls, and Spencer lost two teeth this year!!!

Enjoy the pictures and all that we have done this year.

JANUARY: Spencer enjoying the rainy season by jumping in the puddles.

Then jumping off the porch.

FEBRUARY: Found my favorite flower in Zimbabwe.

Got to dance with Tyler at the Youth Valentine's Dance.

MARCH: Had someone run into one of the poles outside of our house.

Easter fun!

APRIL: Went to London and Scotland. Saw Big Ben Tower.

Tyler met Van Gogh (made sure he didn't touch his ear!)

I met one of my BFFs the Queen of England and her husband.

Spencer loved running around there and chasing pigeons.

Spencer's favorite part of the trip, the Hedge Maze.

Scotland=Beautiful!

At Urquhart Castle.

MAY & JUNE: Spencer wanted our family to plant Sunflowers, so we did.

Spencer graduated from Kindergarten!!!!

Spencer's first trip to Williamsburg.

Met our new nephew, Dawson(pictured). And also new nephew Ryan, but not yet Elijah.

Saw my grandmother and Spencer's great-grandma!

Played with the Nicholes family.

JULY: Went to Lewiston's 4th of July celebrations!!!

Spencer waving to the pretty Rodeo queens.

Played with cousins!!!

AUGUST: Got together with my Dad's siblings and their spouses.

Watched Wyatt at the District Championships games.

Got up in Uncle Cowboys big rig!

Went and saw Eclipse with my best girlfriends. :)

Spencer lost his first tooth!!!

As soon as we got back to Zimbabwe, he lost his second tooth!

Spencer started First Grade!

Spencer's 6th birthday!

SEPTEMBER: Spencer started going to some soccer practices they had at school.

Tyler put his back out.

Tyler's 31st birthday!!!

OCTOBER: Spencer having gone to a birthday party, and got his face painted for the first time.

Being a surfer dude for Halloween, with a homemade surf board.

Got to see the spectacular Victoria Falls.

Also we were able to ride on elephants!!

NOVEMBER: no pictures?!?! Sorry, not too much happened then.

DECEMBER: Becca turned 30! but we forgot to take pictures. oops.

Spencer and Tyler going golfing together.

The Nicholes family 2010

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

May you all be safe and happy this coming year, and remember to enjoy what life has to give you. We love you all and miss you tremendously!

Christmas Traditions

Living overseas, away from family has really made us figure out which Christmas traditions we want to carry on in our own little 3 person family. :) Christmas is a favorite holiday, and it's great to be able to share with family and friends when we are home, but being able to share it with just us three makes it wonderful too.

Our first tradition is putting up Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving, we can't wait any longer, or I would have us put them up December 1st.

One of my family's traditions was doing puzzles at Christmastime. Well this Christmas I have bet (kinda, 'cause I'll just get one of my own 3 Musketeer bars) Spencer that I will finish every puzzle we have, which is 12 in total, before Christmas day. Most are just 500 pieces, so easy, I can do three in one day. But these 1000 piece ones are giving me some troubles. I need more puzzle people in this house too, because Tyler doesn't like it, and Spencer has lost any interest in it.

Can you tell I take this seriously? Tyler took this without my knowing.

The next tradition is writing our letter to Santa Claus. This year Spencer was able to write his own, and he had quite the list, but there is one thing that he REALLY REALLY REALLY wants this year, and he's hoping so badly that Santa will bring it to him. (it's a marble maze construction thing, where you see the marble go from the top to the bottom)

The next tradition lasts 24 days! We have this book my mother-in-law gave us one year, which has a scripture of Jesus' birth, a Christmas hymn, and then a Christmas story for each day before Christmas. So we start it on December 1st, and this year we have really stuck with it. It's a great way to keep in mind the real reason for Christmas.

The next tradition kinda just happens. We get SO EXCITED for Christmas around here. We can hardly stand it! We love being able to care for others during this time, and be loving and kind and thinking of others. It's just so EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lastly, our best, yummiest and most delicious tradition is Monkey Bread on Christmas morning. This is the one tradition I love most, but the sad part is, Africa (both Congo and Zimbabwe) doesn't have buttermilk biscuits. Yes I could make them, but that adds one extra long step to an already long process. :) So, needless to say we can't wait to get back to the States to be able to have more!

I love Christmas traditions, and one more we have is our annual Christmas Letter, which will be up here next. We have many other traditions and one that I also love is that we give Spencer an ornament every year for something that happened that year. This year he got a Bear dressed as a Buckingham Palace Guard from our trip to London. It's fun to keep all of our fun memories alive with his ornaments.

What are your favorite family traditions?

Golfing

Tyler decided today that it would be a Daddy and Spencer day. :) So they decided to go golfing.

I love Spencer's outfit, it's so like golf!!! :) Plus I think he looks REALLY cute in it. :)

Showing off his golf swing.

30th Birthday

Today is my 30th birthday. Wow. I'm thirty! It's weird to think that I'm this old already, because I remember growing up thinking that those who were thirty and older were considered old people. Um, not so much.

I don't feel 30, but I do feel older. Which is good and fine. I don't mind getting older because that means my life is being lived and I'm loving it. Today I've been thinking back about my life and what I've accomplished, and I think I've done quite a bit in thirty years.

I mean, first off, I accomplished all those goals as a baby, walking, talking, feeding myself, and figuring out how to go to the bathroom the right way.

Then growing up as a kid I had a great childhood. It was fun, and full of play. I made some great friends back then, some I'm still in contact with and others I'm not.

Then came the pre-teen years....wow, now there is some confusion for ya. I think I handled it...hmm....as best I could. They were not my favorite years, I did too much thinking for my own good, which I try not to do too much now. I was more down on myself, which I still get some now, but have pretty much thrown that out the window.

Then the teen years. Those were fun years. I finally found some of my bestest friends and got some kind of confidence to do the things I knew I should. I was my best self I could be during those years. Great friends, great weekends with them, and getting along with parents.

I LOVE MY FRIENDS!!

This was an EPIC trip we took up to D.C. together. Such fun times!

This is most of us from the above photo 12 years later.

Graduating High School.

College years, those two years I was able to graduate with an Associates Degree and find the man I was to marry for all eternity. Which now that I think about it, I don't think either one of us knew that was going to happen so quickly, or why it was, but it did, and it worked! Thank goodness for just doing what we feel we should when the Spirit is pushing us in these directions.

The love of my life.

Then came adulthood or married life. We worked, and worked, and worked!! Some hard years, but a learning curve for us I think, and enough love to get us through.

Then came parenthood. More confusion on how not to mess up this little person I have just been given. And more love than I could ever imagine for another person.

He's turned out well, yes? :)

Then came moving, yep that's what I'm calling that and this part of our life, because we have moved A LOT. Five times in one year, not fun, but we made it. Now moving every two years. And during all of these moves we have seen the world!! Which I've always wanted to do, and I have. I have been able to do so much, and see so many things I wanted to see.

My life now is college, and making sure Tyler and Spencer are taken care of.

I still have so much life to live and accomplish which I can't wait to do. Most of all I can't wait to be able to share it with Tyler and Spencer. They are my rocks and have made my life so much better than I could ever imagine.

I have changed in these thirty years, but that's good. We will always change, but we have to make sure that we change in a good way. I have more confidence in myself, sometimes, and I have noticed that the fear of not looking good or acting right or talking the way people want me to talk is gone. I am me. I have learned much from my thirty years, but the thing that NEVER changes is family. FAMILY is what is always there for you, what always has your back, what will never fail you in life. Thank goodness for that! :)

FAMILIES ARE FOREVER

I love my birthday, but I love my birthday more for the family and friends I get to share it with. Happiness is everything to me, and today my happiness cup is overflowing.

Birthday Wishes

I did this last year for my birthday, and wanted to try and have it done again, because I really love this as a birthday present. :)

I know you aren't suppose to tell what you wish for, but I'm going to tell anyway, because it involves ALL of you!!!

My wish for my 30th birthday this year (which is on Thursday) would be that everyone celebrates with me!!!

Here's what you have to do (and you have to do one of these if you want to help me have a fabulous birthday!):

1.Dance a little dance sometime during the day, and do I mean just wiggle your hips a little?? NO! I mean turn UP the music and DANCE!!!!

2.Sing out loud in the car on the way to work, even if you get strange looks from others, then you know you are doing it right. :)

3.Help someone out. Plan on holding the door open for anyone ahead or behind during the day whenever you walk through a door. If someone drops something pick it up for them. Just be on the lookout for things you can help them with.

4.GIVE! Give out hugs, give out money, give someone a listening ear, do something where you aren't thinking of yourself.

5.LAUGH!!!!!! Tell funny jokes, or have someone tell you their funniest joke.

That's it! Pick one or more of the 5 things I put up here, and that can be your way of saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECCA!!

Comment and let me know what you did! :) REMEMBER: THURSDAY!