Christmas 2010...

 We have had such a wonderful Christmas season this year.

I have loved (nearly) every minute of it. Our home has been so filled with the holiday spirit.

We have been reading Christmas stories, listening to Christmas music, making yummy sweets and visiting with family. 

I have been so grateful for all of our blessings this year, both spiritual and temporal.

Here is the traditional Christmas Eve picture by the tree. It is pretty funny to set up the camera, get everyone in the right position, then Jeremiah touches the timer button and we watch his mad dash to  his spot. He does a great job of making it there in time without looking like he was just jumping over the couch to make it. Bode couldn't stop blinking, so he kept his eyes open :)

Christmas jammies!! 

Laine may not have known what the big deal was all day 

but she could tell she should be excited. 

Bode on the other hand knew what to expect.

He has been so excited all week. Everyday he would ask me if it was Christmas.

Finally when I said Christmas was tomorrow he couldn't contain it anymore.

He jumped up and down screaming yay!! I could barely keep him under control all day.

The kids were nice to mom and dad and let us sleep in until 7:30.

It isn't like we slept though. We both slept very light listening for Bode to wake up. Plus we were both very excited to see our kids on Christmas morning. It is so fun to see their little faces, one of the best presents on Christmas morning. We were both a little worried Bode might just rip into everything without coming to get us first. He didn't though.

He peaked down stairs then raced into our room yelling "Santa came, Santa came!!! He didn't bring a bike though". ?? I am not sure why this was a disappointed to the boy. 

He didn't even ask for a bike. He got exactly what he asked for; a flip-over car and a candy cane.

We had to wake Laine up. She was a bit upset until we came down stairs and she saw what all the fuss was about. Bode's request to Santa for Laine was right on. Santa brought her a baby doll. She has been playing mama ever since.

 After a nice morning of opening presents and eating breakfast we got ready and went over to spend the day with the Brooks family. It was a fun day full of family and way too much food.

By the looks on these 2 faces I would say Christmas was a success. Wouldn't you?

Merry Christmas everyone!

I am so excited to have the Merrill White Elephant party at our house this weekend, see my big sister and see my little sister bless her baby this upcoming weekend!

I guess Christmas isn't ever yet.

Merry Christmas...

Merry Christmas! The holiday season has come so fast this year and is nearly gone. 

This year has been a fun one for the Joncas family. We went on our first trip to Disneyland. Bode still talks about it and wonders when we are going back. We moved, but not too far, only a few blocks. Since our lease was up we figured it was time to get a bit more space and rent somewhere with a yard full of grass. We both love our ward and decided it was best to stay. We were lucky to find a beautiful home with a big yard full of grass for the kids. Having a bit more space has made it possible for us to have friends and family over more often and we are loving that!

Jeremiah continues to work for the Police Department. He loves his job to say the least. When Jeremiah isn't working he is either playing with our kids, playing basketball, working on his Scout or getting up early to go hunting with friends. Well we are using the word hunting rather loosely though. I have heard lots of hunting stories but still haven't seen any thing to show for it :-)

I love my job as wife, mother and homemaker. I feel so lucky to be able to stay home with our children everyday. They keep me busy but I wouldn't change that for the world. When I am not cooking, cleaning or doing laundry you can find me doing a craft, refinishing some furniture or at Goodwill looking for something to redo and make new.

Bode is 4 years old and will be 5 in March. He spends his time making forts, drawing great pictures and going to preschool. He is eagerly anticipating going to kindergarten next fall and talks about it all the time. Bode is a great big brother. He always makes sure Laine is taken care of. We love this little boy!

Laine will be 2 in January, although she has been a "terrible two" since she was one. She is full of spunk and we love every thing about her. She is saying more words every time I turn around. Laine is very active and loves to ride her bike, run and jump. We love this little girl!

Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

Jeremiah, Heidi, Bode and Laine

Does he do toilets...

Bode has been very helpful these days.

He "folded" a whole pile of laundry for me.

He actually did a pretty good job.

Homemaker...

Wall Street Journal, titled 

“The Most Creative Job in the World”:

“It involves taste, fashion, decorating, recreation, education, transportation, psychology, romance, cuisine, designing, literature, medicine, handicraft, art, horticulture, economics, government, community relations, pediatrics, geriatrics, entertainment, maintenance, purchasing, direct mail, law, accounting, religion, energy and management. Anyone who can handle all those has to be somebody special. She is. She’s a homemaker.” (3 June 1983.)

I have been thinking a lot about my tittle these days. Homemaker. What is my job worth? I know that for me, it its a priceless job. I always knew growing up that I wanted to me a mother, wife and a homemaker. Growing up in a small town I think the position of a homemaker was valued. Most of my friends, LDS or not, had mothers in the home. I never considered doing anything else. Not because I am lazy or lack motivation to do other things, but because I have always valued the importance of a mother in the home. I knew that I wanted to marry someone who knew how important is is to have our children raised by us and not by relatives, daycare workers and school teachers. I am grateful that I found someone who works hard so that I can stay at home to raise and nurture our children. I also feel very fortunate to have grown up in a home with a stay at home mother. 

As I grew up and left the comfort of home I found out that the world does not value the job of a homemaker. One semester  in college I was taking an English class. At one point we were supposed to take one of the short stories or essays we had read in our text book and write a paper. I choose an essay about working women. I can't remember what was exactly in the essay I read or exactly what was in the paper I wrote, but it was me taking a stance against working women. I made it clear in my paper that I felt that women should stay at home and raise the children. My English teacher did not like it one bit. She wrote on my paper, "your opinion isn't valid". She was a very opinionated women with 2 young children. She worked while her husband stayed home with their kids while she could as she put it, "have a career and not be defined by the title of mom." 

Please don't misunderstand what I am trying to say here. I have no problem with a woman bettering herself with an education or having to work because of personal circumstances. What I am trying to get at is the value of a mother in the home. That the position of mom and homemaker is a valid "career" choice in a world that says it isn't. 


So that is what I am. A homemaker, a wife and a mother. It isn't a glamorous job. It is a selfless job. No matter what I want to do there are always 3 people who are a head of me. It is a 24/7 job. There are late nights and early mornings. Poopy diapers and never ending laundry. You clean a kitchen just to get it dirty for dinner. Bath time, jammies, brush teeth, read stories and off to bed. I wouldn't change my career choice for anything in the world. No doctorate, masters, big paycheck or promotion could be any better than me being at home with my children.

Spreading Christmas Cheer....

one piece of gum at a time.

Last week we decorated a gingerbread house.

We saw the little kit at Safeway a few days before and every day after that 

Bode bugged me to get one.

So since there was no way I was going to actually make the gingerbread,

and make the actual thing, the kit was perfect.

I decided to let go and let them basically do whatever they wanted to.

I just put down frosting and they went to town.

The kit came with little gum balls.

Of course part of the fun of decorating a gingerbread house is sampling the candy.

So the kids were just eating and decorating away.

Then Laine got really exited and pointed at her side.

This is what I found...

 A piece of ABC gum.

Yes, "already been chewed" gum is proudly displayed on our gingerbread house.

 The finished product.

 Bode's side. He did such a good job.

Laine's side. Gum and all.

Christmas is in full swing...

 Last night was our ward party. Bode always gets to excited to go to "actibities". I (have said this before, but...) love Jeremiah's new schedule. We were able to go as a family.

 The ward put on a nice program. Bode was very excited to see Santa. 

Although you wouldn't know it by the look on his face. 

Last year went the kids sat on Santa's lap, Laine cried so hard the Bode couldn't get a word in.

This year Laine sat very quietly and Bode did all the talking for him and for her.

Here is what he asked for...

In case you missed what he said it was a candy cane, helicopter and a flip-over car aka a remote control car.

 He made sure Santa knew Laine wanted a Baby Doll.

Just a heads up...

I decided to make my blog open again. For now anyways. You can only allow 100 readers and I hit that mark and had some more people that wanted to read it. So this blog will just have post on it now:)

Thanksgiving 2010

 This year Thanksgiving was at our home. It was fun to gather the food, buy some new kitchen gadgets to prepare the food and cook the meal with my mom. We decided to have it late in the evening so my brother and his family could come. It was really nice to not have to get up early to get the bird cooking. My mom and I were able to have a nice relaxing day in the kitchen. The food was good and the company was better. I enjoy having my home full of family. I did not get my camera out once the whole weekend. Luckily others did and I bummed my pictures off of them. We missed the Papa's and Jeremiah this year. Hopefully soon we can all get together again!

Bode and Laine really liked the parade on tv. They sat and watched it for quite awhile. Every since Bode has organized parades in the house and in the back yard for me to watch.

 Laine Jo is a whoot. She loves her Grandpa and Grandma.

I am glad my parents are so involved in my children's lives.

All the cousins got to have a "sleepover". This is the first time, to my knowledge, that they have all slept like this. They are all such good little friends. Bode said what he wanted for his birthday(yes, the boy has moved on from Christmas and is already thinking about his birthday)  is a cousin sleepover.

We might just have to work that out.

The morning after Thanksgiving the boys went jeeping and the girls stayed home and watched the kids.

They all played and played. Laine really thought she was going to pull that red wagon. Maybe next time. 

 What is the point of stairs if you don't use a sleeping bag to slide down them!?!

What dangerous fun.



Month of Thanksgiving...

I tried but didn't make it everyday. I do have so many thing to be grateful for though. I think what I am most thankful for is my families. I am grateful for my parents and the influence for good that they have made in my life.

My brothers and sisters. I have a different relationship with each of them I am grateful for each one of them. I love that as we get older we can all have friendships not just sibling relationships.

My husband. There are not enough words to describe my sense of thankfulness towards him. He makes life wonderful. I love you Jer!

My children. They have taught me so much about myself. I am so grateful for their little spirits. They fill our home with so much love and laughter.

My extended families. I wish I had a picture of all of the great people in our life. We are so blessed to be welcomed into the Brooks/Davis family. I am so very grateful for our relationship with all of these people. I love having them as my "family".

My Sister in Laws and Brother in Laws. I am glad that my siblings have found their match. Their spouses are great people and have made an effort to be part of the Merrill family. I am sure that isn't the easiest thing to do too.

My nieces and nephews or as we call them "the cousins". These little people are some of my favorite. They all have so much fun together. I am thankful that they are all close enough in age that they can play together and be friends. I hope that it will be like this forever.

And since one more has been added since my mom posted all these picture. Introducing cousin number 12...

Daisy Anne Brooks born on the 28th of November.