Christmas in Dixie

God does love the South!

Merry Christmas

It's that time of year again--my most favorite day of the year. I love Christmas. Well, I guess what I really love is the anticipation. Christmas Day is always a little melancholy for me--the season is over and the spirit that exists so abundantly between Thanksgiving and Christmas becomes something that I have to search for the remaining 11 months of the year.

It has been a wonderful but hard year in many ways. I am ever grateful for the peace of the gospel. It is the only true solace in a world fraught with trials and heartache. What a blessing to end our year with the celebration of a baby boy, born to be the Savior of all mankind.

Our family continues to grow and change. It is exciting to have all of our children eagerly anticipating Santa this year. With Andrew being 7, I'm very aware that this may be the only year all of our children are old enough to understand, and young enough to believe. (One could hope he'll be slow to catch on and I can eek out another year or two!) When they are finally old enough to know, I think I may have to borrow someone else's young children. I love playing Santa--and I love the magic in their eyes when they truly believe.

So, I'm off to put the Wassail on to simmer for the night, prep the cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast, and fill the stockings with care.

May you be blessed with an abundance of the Christmas spirit and the love of our Savior Jesus Christ.

From our family to Yours-- "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Love The Peacock Family

Tuesday Morning

In case you didn't already know, I'm Mormon. And Mormons go to church a LOT. And we go to church even if the sun isn't shining, and even on weeks when it's not Christmas or Easter, and even when we should be home sick in bed. And Mormons have a lot of kids---A LOT of kids. And these kids come to church every week too--rain or shine, happy or sad, snotty or clean.  At our house, this leads to a little phenomenon we call "Tuesday Morning."

You see when a bunch of kids spend two hours in close proximity with one another, and all aren't necessarily well, and they aren't keeping their hands and snot to themselves, it ineveitably leads to this phenomenon in which one such mother finds her children always turn up sick on Tuesday morning. (well 98% of the time anyway.)  So this week is no different. Ava has a slight fever this morning, and when I showed Colonel Mustard she did, he replied, "Well it is Tuesday morning isn't it?"

 So it is--and I guess we haven't had a "Tuesday morning" in a long time. And I won't be too upset cause her fever has already subsided, so I'm pretty assured that it's no big deal. But...if you're a Mormon mother, try my experiement. Write down on your calendar the day your kid turns up sick and see if you too don't suffer from "Tuesday Morning."

Deep Thoughts....

When you open the fridge, and are greeted by a warm breeze--that's a pretty sure sign your Heat isn't working.

Til We Meet Again...

My beloved brother Kirk was blessed tonight to leave this mortal existence and pass into the arms of so many waiting on the other side.

I am grateful that his suffering is finally over. I am grateful to know that others are rejoicing this moment, as we, left in this mortal existence, grieve our temporary loss. I am so grateful to know that I will see him again someday. I am strangely grateful for this experience and how it has strengthened my testimony to know that indeed God's purposes are so much greater and wiser than my own.

I pray for his children. I was just 16 when I lost my father, so my heart is full of those same feelings of emptiness for their young tender hearts. I pray that they too will see wisdom in the Lord's ways and that this experience will strengthen them in ways that no other experience could.

My thanks to all who have prayed for our family. We are ever grateful for your faith.

Thank you Kirk for your example, your witty sense of humor, your testimony, your cute girlfriends in middle school you named me after, and most of all, just for being my brother.

Til we meet again-- I love you.

Colonel Mustard's Fun Time

We spent Thanksgiving in Kentucky with my brother and his family. The night before I was baking up a storm. While in the midst of 3 dozen cinnamon rolls, my niece parked a huge plastic roach on the dough and snuck out of the room. I'm terrified of roaches-If I go to bed without the dishes done I dream of roaches crawling in my sink. So naturally, I was freaked out and I might have squealed a little. She thought she was pretty funny.

When she returned to the kitchen I asked if my husband had put her up to that little trick.

"Yeah, he did."

"I bet he thinks he's pretty funny doesn't he?"

"No, actually he's playing with naked barbies!"

( Well at least I feel better that I can get back at him for the roach by posting his Thanksgiving activities. But....I would like to sleep in my bed tonight, so I'll be nice enough to clarify that on inspection he was helping Ava find clothes for the barbies!)


Oh...and I forgot Thanksgiving....I'm thankful...for lots and lots of stuff...I'll try to mention them in the future, but Thanksgiving is over now and I only want to talk about Christmas...and naked barbies.

10 years

I wish I had a scanner so I could put up a picture of 10 years ago today. Of course, then everyone would just say, "How did they get so old?" I am really having a hard time wrapping my mind around it. Has it really been that long?

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was late to my own wedding because my brother forgot to pick me up at the salon. As we sped down the freeway I was frantic that Byron would think I had "left him at the alter." When we finally arrived, Byron (aka Colonel Mustard) was quietly sitting on the couch, and much to my relief he expressed that he wasn't worried at all--he knew I would be there. And not to disappoint him-- I've been late everywhere since!

I won't share the details of our wedding night (no one wants to hear that!) but I will say it involved a nice hotel, a hot tub, and swimming suits! Funny looking back 10 years later at how young and shy we were--and for that I am most grateful. It was the perfect foundation.

Today I can't imagine who I would be without him. He is my best friend, my confidant, my reality check, and the half that makes me whole. He is the single most important and best decision I have ever made, or will make in my life. I could never truly show my gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the blessing he has given me.

Thank you Colonel Mustard,  for the 10 best years of my life and three beautiful children. I love you. Here's looking forward to our 20th anniversary--and jokes about your gray, receeding hairline and our teenage kids we need to slap around!