My Missionaries

Dear Missionaries,

Thank you so much for bringing your amazing spirit into my home when I needed it so badly. I know the Lord works in mysterious ways and he brought you to our door tonight. Thank you so much for your encouragement and support. You are truly doing the Lord's work and I am so proud to have you as my missionaries. Keep following the Spirit's promptings because they will always take you where you need to be.

Yours,

Sister Barker

The Day After

Well the holiday is officially over but we will most likely be in the Christmas spirit for a little while longer. I was so glad to see how much Charlotte enjoyed opening her gifts on Christmas morning. It was so fun to see how much she liked the paper. I don't think she really enjoyed all of her gifts. But there was one that she totally adores.

Her Molly Dolly

When I opened the doll and gave it to her she gave it a big kiss. She really likes this doll. She took it to bed last night and for her nap today. It is so soft and has the cutest features. This wasn't a gift from santa, it was a gift from her Grandma Alane. This year instead of buying for everyone. We did a gift exchange and Alane got Charlotte and Charlotte go Alane. They loved each other's gifts. Charlotte got Alane a story book all about their first year together. I thought it was very cute and so did everyone else. It was ten million times cooler than two gravy boats and a trash can.

We had a great Christmas morning. We ate Christmas casserole and had some yummy orange rolls and just enjoyed each other's company. It was nice to not be rushed or have to be somewhere at a certain time. In the late afternoon we went down to Grandma Read's and visited with her for a while. Everyone showed up at some point. It was fun to hear about everyone's Christmas morning.

After than we went down to Bountiful for Christmas dinner. We had been eating all day. I didn't know how I was going to fit anything else in my tummy, but like to trooper I am, I ate dinner at Breanne's. We played some games, Jake's family stopped by for a little, we played some more games and then we went home. It was a long day but very mellow. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I had such an amazing Christmas.

I hope everyone else had a great Christmas celebration too. How did you celebrate? Tell me in the comment section.

Christmas is coming...

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I am so very excited to make soup and hang out with my family. What I am most excited about is spending my first Christmas as a Mommy. I get to stay up late and put all the presents out with Riley and eat all the cookies we are baking for Santa tomorrow.

I am so looking forward to seeing Charlotte's face when she wakes up Christmas morning and sees all of her presents. Most likely she will yell at them. But I still can't wait.

Letters from the Heart...

Lately I have been voicing my complaints in letter form. Here are few of my most recent letters. All of which came back with return to sender on them.

Dear United States Postal Service,

I was expecting a Christmas present in the mail over a week ago. I wanted to have it all wrapped up and under the tree by now but unfortunately there is no package. I was hoping it would show up today, but alas it didn't. I would like my package tomorrow. If it doesn't get here then I will have to call and complain.

Yours,
Mary

Dear Presents Under the Tree,

I see you. You are sitting there tempting me. You are screaming "OPEN ME! OPEN ME!" and I have resisted. I would like you to stop taunting me right this instant. Thank you and have a nice day.

Sincerely,
Mary

Dear Dishes,

We have been in a long standing battle for months. I am just writing to tell you that I bought paper plates and I do not need to use you anymore. (Unless we have company.) I win. You loose.

Love,
Mary

Dear Inversion,

Please go away. Nobody likes you. You smell and bring bad air quality with you. I haven't seen the sun in a while and the lack of sunshine has been quite depressing. Not to mention you have made me and Charlotte very sick. Oh yeah, and you suck.

With much shagrin,
Mary

Dear Vida (the cashier at Walmart),


Every week I painstakingly scan the ads and lists of savings online. I do this so I can save money. I can't afford not to save money. So when I bring my list of price comparisons into the store I want what is on my list. I do not bring my ads because you have a book full of ads that your CSM picks out of the Sunday and Tuesday papers. They have this book for a reason. That reason is so I do not have to bring all of my ads. It is a pain in the butt lugging around a notebook full of ads and having to show you each one. Frankly, you should be looking at the ads every week so you know what is on sale and when people are just pulling your big, fat, ugly leg.

So when you tell me that Mars candy bars aren't on sale and you need to see the ad if you are going to give me that price, that makes me a little pissed at you. And then you tell me that you have never seen Progresso soup for under a dollar and you are only going to give it to me because you have a line behind me. Well, Vida/Stupid face, you are an idiot.

You are lucky I didn't make you walk your 17 kid butt over to the csm stand and get that book. You are lucky that I didn't throw a temper tantum and tell on you for being a royal youknowwhat. I had half a mind to take the candy off the belt and throw it on the floor. I didn't do any of these things because it was only candy. I didn't need it. I wanted to use it as stocking stuffers and a pickle gift for my family at Christmas. But oh well. You are rude and inconsiderate. One of these days someone is not going to be as passive aggressive as I am. That person is going to yell at you and make you cry. They might even tell your supervisor and you will get in bigger trouble for being a big meanie face.

Vida, this should serve as an eye opener for you. I am not stupid and I will be back tomorrow with my ad and my extra coupon making the candy bars 15 cents. I will seek you out and make you eat the Walgreens ad. In conclusion, you are stupid and I don't like you.

Sincerely,
Mary

Bittersweet Chirstmas

My Family

[From Left: Walt (Daddy), Deanna (his Girlfriend), Sara (sister), and Chip (brother)]

When I think about Christmas, it is very hard not to think about family. I love my family so much. For the past few years I have spent Christmas Day alone. Needless to say Christmas and I do not have a loving relationship. It serves as another painful reminder that my family is two thousand miles away.

Now when I say family, I mean my Dad, brother, sister and cousin. I have my own little family right here. That makes this hard. I am so used to just sleeping through Christmas and trying my hardest not to think about it. But this year, like last, I put the tree up and hung our stockings with care. This holiday is not about me anymore. This is about Charlotte. She won't know that her Mommy hasn't seen her Daddy in four years. She won't know that every holiday that passes that I feel further and further away from my family.

This is a very hard thing for me to talk about, I thought blogging about it would be easier, but it has proved to be just as hard as talking about it. I am struggling right now with even posting this. I truly miss my family and I wish they could be here to see Charlotte's first Christmas morning. I wish my Dad would wake us up with Christmas french toast and I wish my sister and I could spend hours under the Christmas tree. But that is not going to happen so I will try to enjoy this season with everything I have because there is only one first Christmas for your child and I plan on making sure she has a great first Christmas...

Guess Who is Nine Months Old Today...

("Look Mom! No hands!")

BABY CHARLOTTE!!!

You are such a big girl now. I remember the day we first met.

It was the greatest day of my life. I am so proud to be your Mommy.

I love you so much.