53 Dresses!!

My friend Deborah Wunderli, has taken it upon herself to help the children who were orphaned because of the devastating earthquake in Haiti.  She started her own Orphanage and has, after three years of red tape, adopted three children herself.  After the Horne and Peters girls got together and sewed our pillowcase dresses, I spoke with Deborah and asked if her Orphanage could use the 53 Dresses.  She was SO excited and took the dresses there herself.  She took these photos for us.  Needless to say, we were pretty excited to see these beauties in our dresses!!!!

A Letter to My Family!!

To my AMAZING HUSBAND and all of my dear MULTI-TALENTED CHILDREN:

Saturday I spent the day putting all my Christmas decorations away.  I don't know why each year it is so exciting to put them up, and so exhilarating to take it all down!  But this year, as I carefully put everything back in it's place until next Christmas, I was thinking the whole time about the wonderful Christmas Season you ALL gave me!!!  I want to express my gratitude and love to each and every one of you for the many many hours of thought and preparation that went into the 12 Days of Christmas!!  I can't begin to tell you how much each and every day meant to me. What TALENT you ALL have!!!!!! The gift of time, the gift of temples, the gift of dancing, the gift of memories etc. etc.   I found myself constantly smiling and laughing, which unfortunately, has not always been the case around Christmas time.  I don't think I have ever had a Christmas where I felt the true Spirit of Christmas more.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the videos!  I've watched them over and over, The Peters Family Kid History, The Gift of Dancing and The Gift of Memories all will be cherished forever!! Thank you to all the parents who forced their children to dance for me!!! Seriously my laughing muscles hurt after watching it! Peters family, thank you for all the effort that went into your video, truly you have some future Oscar winners there.  The "Then and Now" portion of the Memories video is something we will talk about for years to come. I have the photos on my phone and show everyone, even strangers! I'm weird that way!! (you already knew that) And then there was the MUSIC!  Tiffany, I love the CD you made with some of my favorite Christmas songs and some new ones that touched me so deeply.  Kim, I loved both your Christmas concerts and I am so grateful my head allowed me to attend both!!! I will never forget the feeling when you sang your solo. I was so proud of you and grateful to hear you share your incredible talent.  Also, I want to thank Treavor and Sara for the tickets to the Tabernacle Christmas Concert!!  UNBELIEVABLE!! I don't know how they will improve on that concert in the future. (maybe if Kim is singing in the Choir)  I'm grateful I was able to make it to most of the Grandkids performances, Pyper singing, Pyper and Trinity dancing, Grace, Jovie and Pyper tumbling and Morgan with her Tai Kwon Do advancement.  

This time of year with all your busy schedules, I am particularly thankful for the time you gave service, not just to me, but to the Homeless Shelter in Midvale and the little girls in Africa who will reap the rewards of your efforts. Thank you Tristen for hosting that event, and thank you to ALL the girls in this family who were there to serve!!  Thank you girls for helping Sara with painting.  I know there is more work for us to do and we want to help, so call us!

 And then there was the ultimate gift for ALL of us when Clay, Telisa, Bodie, Tatum and Lincoln showed up on my doorstep on December 20th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  What a shock and remarkable surprise that was!!! So thank you dear sweet Dennis Peters for making our family complete with the addition of the little VanLeeuwens this year!  Also Clay, please thank your boss for rearranging your schedule!!

Thank you all for your participation in the Christmas Eve program and help with both meals, Christmas Eve and the Wells Dinner!!!  I really could go on and on, but I know you all have stuff to do!!!  Just know that you have a very thankful and grateful mother/mother-in-law who feels so blessed and loved!!!  I love you all so incredibly much and hope and pray that 2013 is a spectacular year for you!!  Thanks for making this a Christmas to remember for me!

Con Muchisimo Amor,

MOM

PS  if there was a time when a crazy woman implied that her kids were not talented, then she would need to repent, because that is a complete lie!!!!!

CHRISTMAS 2012- Wow!!

CHRISTMAS EVE---The Nativity!!! This year we brought in some animals!!

Cousin love!!

The Peters boys with their families and Telisa loving her boys!

The Christmas Program!!! Thanks everybody!!!

Santa came this year.  This year the Grandkids gave Santa some of their good toys to give to other children in need.

CHRISTMAS DAY!! -Vita Mix Blenders and Grandparents Book

12 Days of Christmas!! 2012

 How my children listen to my lessons during Family Home Evening!!!!  Mexico City Mission Home!

                      Tara, Tristen and Tiffany ready for bed with their baby blankets and curlers!!
What's amazing here is  that the girls still have their baby blankets and they haven't completely worn out!!

 We drove from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles.  We thought our kids would be so excited to see where their parents were married!  Their faces say it all!

 A trip to Northern California, stopped at a rest stop for ice cream!  It looks like Dennis is holding my cone.

                                                                      Tasco, Mexico

A Ward Activity in Taylorsville.  I have no idea why they are all acting like monkeys!?

  Telisa and Treavor as we drive to Lake Powell!  They could sleep anywhere and any way apparently!

Our children gave me an incredible gift this year, the 12 Days of Christmas.  It was apparent they spent a great deal of time and effort, as well as, thought into each day.  The gifts were the Gift of Photography- an antique wagon to use in photo shoots, Music- Christmas CD, Joy- Hallmark Christmas Movie, Gratitude- Homemade Thank You Cards, Sleep- special pillow and eye mask, Temple-the girls all met me at the  Temple, Pampering- a pedicure, Beauty- a beautiful pair of Kate Spade earrings, Time- met all the girls for breakfast at Kneaders!! Dance- a hilarious video of ALL my grandchildren dancing to "Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson, Memories- a wonderful video of Christmas' past, and a segment of "Then and Now" photos of our 6 kids!!!, Comfort- cozy slippers and sweatshirt!  Above is a sample of the THEN AND NOW PHOTOS!

                                                          They are spelling out KAT!

Love you all so much for your efforts, talents and sacrifice to give me this remarkable gift!!!!  It is forever in my heart!!!

Dress A Girl Around The World!

The Peters and the Horne Gals spent an entire Saturday in December making Pillow Case dresses for girls in Africa.  There is an organization called "Dress A Girl Around The World" that accepts the donated dresses, then delivers them to cloth girls in Africa.  Often these dresses are the only dress they will ever own.  It was a treat to see the mamas teaching their daughters to sew!   Thank you to Tristen for letting us invade her home and thank you to EVERYONE for coming, sharing yummy food and giving your time to this worthy cause!  We ended up making 53 dresses in one day!!

                                                             My BFF/sister Nancy!!!