8 Years and Counting!

Today we're celebrating eight years of marital bliss. We celebrated by having a nice dinner at home with the kids :) We really go crazy don't we? It's been a good eight years, lots of ups and downs, good times and bad times, but overall, it's been great. We looked at some of our wedding pictures tonight, and it brought back lots of memories, we both agreed that we were way skinnier then :) 8 years down, and the rest of eternity to go.

Mitch Lindsay Basketball Player

Mitch finished up his basketball season this last Saturday. Mitch was able to play up with the 3rd and 4th graders to get some experience. His team was the underdog team, to say the least, but they tried hard and improved a lot over the season.

Mike was the coach this year. He learned a lot too and is glad to have the season over!

Team Photo:
Coach Lindsay, Tayson Polatis, Bridger Wray, Chandler Coombs, Jake Lee

Justin Martin, Doug Metcalf, Juan Rodriquez, Aidan Allmon, Mitch Lindsay

Libby's 4th Birthday and Pinewood Derby

I wish I could blame my lack of blogging on being busy, but really I've just been lazy! Libby turned 4 this year and she was so excited! She knew once she turned 4 she had to give up sippy cups, so that was her big milestone for the day.

With her beloved unicorn pillow pet

Mitch had his first Pinewood Derby the same night so we spent the night watching him race his car. Thanks to his dad, he had the best looking car, but not the fastest :( Mitch's car hadn't won a race yet and he turned to Mike and told him he "hated that stupid car" Mike was about ready to slap him, but he ended up winning a few races and overall had a good night.

He Knows Us and He Loves Us

Lately I'm finding myself frustrated in life, over old things and new things, and I question why now? Why do things not go as smoothly now? Have my life plans always gone smooth because I wasn't able to handle what trials I go through now then? That what I want and what I get can't be the same? And I'm finding myself turning to prayer and begging for what I want, and then coming to the realization that it's not meant to be right now, maybe never. But what I do know for sure is that through all these rough patches in life, Heavenly Father knows us, and He loves us, and he only does what's best for us. The hard part though is not seeing what He can see. Sometimes I find myself begging for a glimpse of the "Whole Plan" because if I can see where everything fits in I can deal with it all. But that would defeat the purpose of faith and humility. So I turn to him knowing that He loves me, and that He will never leave me, and face each day with faith and humility knowing that everything comes into place at the right time.

A New Year

A new year always brings reflections of that past year, the good things and the bad, the happy times and the sad, and always brings wondering of what will happen in the future. The last couple of weeks I've thought a lot of 2010, of how much I'll miss it, even though it was pretty darn tough. On New Years Day we sat at the cemetery, sharing our time with another man who came to share some donuts and hot chocolate with his young angel grandson. His comment to us was how hard it is sometimes to not have these "little guys" here with us, and so true that is. As we sat for a while there Mike made the comment about how 2010 was a year that is bittersweet. One we are excited is over and yet hate the thought of it being over. I'm still stuck there a little bit, not quite wanting to move on yet, still clinging to the familiarity of 2010, not wanting to forget how great our year was, even with all the pain. 2010 was a year to learn eternal principles, like faith, and prayer, and the principle of eternal families, and that those we love are never far from us. 2010 was a year that Heavenly Father poured more blessings upon us than we could have imagined. He truly became our best friend because he knew all. Last year made us strong, it made us realize we can do anything with the help of God, and we know we can face all trials that lie ahead of us. So although it's a bittersweet good-bye to 2010, we look forward to our year in 2011, with all the blessings and trials we know we may have.

December Recap

Better late than never! Our December was a whirlwind! It started with Michael coming home from Hawaii. Then Mitch was baptized the next day! Wow, where has the time gone, he's not a baby any more!

Then we had a Nelson Family Reunion at Lava Hot Springs followed by Michael's welcome home the next day!
We somehow squeezed work in there and then got ready to go to Hawaii!
We went to Temple Square to see the lights before we left for Hawaii, they were beautiful as always! And there's always such a good spirit there.
And we finally got to Hawaii! We hit the beach,
Santa found us there,

Enjoyed a few different beaches

Went to the Polynesian Cultural Center and got tattoos, and loved the show!

And we hit quite a few other places like the Laie Temple, Leonard's for Malasadas, Pearl Harbor, the Swap Meet, ate lots and lots of food, and met lots of great people!

And we wrapped up December by making it home just in time for New Years Eve! We have had quite the year this year, full of lots of ups and downs, but one things for sure and that is that we love our family and friends! We're grateful to know that families are forever and that we are so blessed by a loving Heavenly Father! Now off to a new year!

The White Stocking

I received this little thought at our RS Christmas party this month and I'm always glad to be reminded why we celebrate Christmas.

It wasn't that anyone had been forgotten, no child had been slighted or made unhappy and no adult had been left unremembered. The present had all been distributed and all the stockings were beautifully filled-- all that is except one; one stocking that had never been hung. It was the stocking intended for the child of Bethlehem. Of all the people belonging at that Christmas gathering, only he had been forgotten. Only he had been left out of the festivities. This didn't seem quite right, inasmuch as it was his birthday that was being celebrated. Since then the little white stocking has hung in the center of all our stockings. On Christmas Eve, we gather in the living room to recall and express our feelings of that Christmas Eve so long ago. During this time we reach into this stocking and pass out the paper that were placed in the stocking the year before. Each person quietly reviews last year's gift and then privately writes down his or her offering or gift to Jesus. The new gifts are then placed in the stocking to be reviewed next Christmas Eve.

As I've pondered this all month long, I've remembered just how grateful I am for the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For his gift that he gave to us, that gift of everlasting life. And as I think about my gift to him, I think of my many flaws and everything that needs to be better. My goal this year is to strive to be a little better each day, and to set a better example for those around me and especially remember the true reason for the Christmas Season.