The Three Wisemen

We are going to Montana for Christmas so we decided to have "Chrstmas Eve", and "Christmas Day" early at our own house, so we wouldn't have to haul everything up there. Last night, we attempted our own reenactment of the Christmas story, starring Sheppard. Marshall wouldn't keep his headress on, it was a struggle to get this picture. Daddy was the narrator, mommy was Mary and Shep was everything else. I have to say, that he was an excellent Joseph. He took such great care with baby Jesus, I was touched by his love and tenderness. He was an excellent wiseman riding his "camel", the arm of the couch, to see the new baby Jesus. And, of course he did a great job as the Shepherd, a role he was born to play.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas, and hope during this time in our lives we can learn the lessons from the manger. May we be like the wisemen. These men were very educated and respected, yet they had the wisdom and humility to seek out the Christ child. May we be like Sheppard and Joseph and be tender and loving with those around us. May we be like the Shepherds in the fields and be willing to leave our fields (our hobbies, or interests) and take the time to to remember our Redeemer. We are so grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ. And hope all of you, our friends and family have a very Merry Christmas and a great upcoming year.

The Cowboy and the Cow

Shep and Marsh were the cutest little pair for halloween, a cowboy and a cow. When Shep first put on his outfit and saw himself in the mirror he made the best smile. He really liked the way he looked! Aram and I didn't want to miss out on the boys first trick or treating so we left the treats in a bowl on our front porch and went all together. It was great.

A Study in Motherhood

Look at these two pictures closely. The are almost exactly the same, just a different day, clothes and location. These pictures capture so much of what motherhood is. Motherhood is trying to make your kids do something they don't want to do, like take a picture or eat their dinner. Motherhood is holding on to those kiddos and loving them despite their "moments". Motherhood is finding humor in every situation and trying to have a good attitude, like when your kid poops everywhere and you spend the rest of the day clorox wiping down your whole family room, or when he wakes up twice during the night when he's almost one, or when they dump whatever you give them to eat on the floor. Oh the joys of motherhood. But, really it is joyful. I am so grateful for my two wonderful boys, even if it is hard sometimes they bring so much happiness, laughter and joy to my life.

Dinosaur Park

We have been enjoying all sorts of great fall weather at the Dinosaur Park. We meet Daddy there on his lunch break once a week. Last week our cute neighbors Jake and Addy came with us. Sheppard loves all the Dinos, he has an awesome roar.

Maple Bar Madness

I have gotten into a terrible habit of buying Sheppard a maple bar every time we go to the grocery store. It all started as an attempt to get some peace so I could concentrate on the important things in life, like deciding which kind of peanut butter I should buy. I started with good intentions and good parenting, "if you are good, then..." but it has turned to madness. The kid thinks he is entitled to the maple bar despite any type of behavior. My grocery store has awesome carts with cars in the front, and Shep loves to cruise the store while stuffing his face with donuts. This last shopping trip I realized Marshall could sit in the car with Sheppard. This is what I ended up with after the shopping trip was over. Needless to say I think they really enjoyed that donut!

The Moose is Loose

While growing up I would often hear a horrendous noise coming from afar. Whenever we heard this noise my mom would always say, "the Moose is Loose!" When my dad blows his nose, it almost sounds like he is blowing out his brains, he really does sound like a Moose, or what you think a Moose would sound like.
While at Grandma Lu Lu's a few weekends ago. Dylan and Shep found a very fun Moose hat, and we told them about how Pampa sounds like a Moose when he blows his nose. The boys did not forget this. A few hours later in Shep's broken english he mumbled "Pampa...nose...moose". So we asked Pampa to come show the boys how to really blow your nose like a man. They loved it! And, spent some time practicing their moose calls with Pampa.

A Great Opportunity

I am not the type to sell things to my friends. But, there is something that I’d want to know about if I were thinking about buying a home. As you all know the housing market has been a bit crazy for the last few years...it went sky high (too high for many of us to afford a home) and now it’s taken a major downturn. Many of us wonder when is the right time to buy.

My dad was asked by one of his dear friends, owner of Liberty Homes, to help him in a very diffiicult situation. Because, the market did what it did, he is left with high inventory and lots, and no buyers. He is to the point that he will do anything to sell these homes. So, the point I am getting at is if you are going to buy a house within the next year now is the time, and Liberty Homes is a great option.

My dad is going to be giving workshops for homebuyers. During this workshop you will learn how to get a government incentive for homebuyers, $7500 (a no interest 15 year loan. And you will also learn of the many things Liberty Homes is doing to get you to buy their awesome homes. They are cutting thier prices 18-22% (basically, selling them at cost). The builder is also offering incentives with closing costs. You will also learn lots of other valuable things for new homebuyers.

If you are interested in attending one of these workshops you can either call my dad directly. His name is Kelly Sheppard, and his number is 331-8322. Or you can email me your info. and I’ll have him call you.

Another thing. If you end up buying a house from Liberty there is a $300-500 referral incentive that both you and I will recieve. And, if you know anyone who is the market to buy a home you can refer them and if they buy both of you will get $300-$500. This a an incentive where both the referrer and the referred are rewarded.

The reason why I am telling you all about this is I honestly think it’s an awesome deal and I’d want to know about it if I were buying a home in Salt Lake or Utah Valley. I suggest visiting their website libertyhomes.com, they have some really cute houses.