2014 Wrap-up

2014 was an eventful year filled with ups and downs!

We did lots of traveling, with trips to Disneyland, the sand dunes and Six Flags Magic Mountain! 

We got a new car and sold our old one.

We said goodbye to Tina as she went home to Norway, and a couple months later had a very sad goodbye when our sweet dog Rosie was tragically killed by coyotes.

We welcomed spunky little Daisy to our family and love her more and more every day.

We had many fun camp-outs and enjoyed a Gurr family reunion. 

I started teaching preschool in my home and I love it! The trio started the fifth grade and enjoy school and learning.

 Adam was released from his calling as Elders quorum president and was called to be the ward clerk. I was called to be the primary president and even with the challenges it brings, I love my calling!

We were able to attend TWO temple open houses this year, and we started construction on a home which we plan on selling very soon! 

All in all, 2014 was a wonderful year and we feel very blessed and happy with the direction our lives are going in. 

We look foreword to 2015 and the blessings and struggles that will help us grow! 

Girls Room Makover

Ever since Caleb and I gave his room a makeover, the girls have been chomping at the bit to redo their room. For their birthday I surprised them with everything we would need in order to get the job done. All during Christmas break we painted, sewed, and put things together.

Here are the before pics:

And here are the "after" pics.

We still have a few finishing touches to get done. Like, get a new dresser and hang some more art. But overall, the girls and I are thrilled with the makeover and had a lot of fun putting it together.

A Merry Little Christmas

This year we had another quiet Christmas at home. The kids all got wonderful gifts that they loved and Adam and I enjoyed their excitement. Later in the afternoon the Anderson's arrived from Mesa and we all had a lovely ham dinner together, and enjoyed a fun evening of playing games and eating sweets.

One different thing about Christmas this year was, thanks to Daisy (who is still going thru a destructive puppy phase), we weren't able to put our gifts under the tree. They were all stored safely away out of sight until Christmas Eve.  It was so nice not to have the kids constantly obsessing over presents. Instead of counting, sorting, shaking and talking about presents we all just enjoyed the beauty of the tree and Nativity. I loved it so much, I think we will have a new tradition of not putting gifts out until Christmas Eve. It also made Christmas morning all the more exciting!

Eliza loves her new IPod Nano!

Sarah was thrilled with her art set.

     

Caleb almost fainted when he saw his RC car!

                                  

        

Adam the Builder

Way back in October, we purchased some land in Shumway and made plans to build a spec. home. In December, Adam and his Brother Richard started building.  They have gotten so much done in such a short amount of time. Here's some photos of what they've gotten done so far:

The Trio Turns Eleven!

On December 12th we celebrated the trio's 11th birthday! We drove all the way to Show Low so the kids could go swimming in the indoor heated pool for their birthday. Unfortunately, it was closed, so we rushed over to the theater to see if we could catch a movie. Penguins of Madagascar had already been playing for 10 mins when we bought our tickets but it was the only movie we could catch that fit our time frame. We went in the theater and we were the only ones there. Then, the movie stopped and they re-started it from the beginning just for us! Later that evening,  the Daly family joined us for a little party with Pizza and cake. Caleb got a remote control helicopter and the girls got some new bedding for their "Room Makeover" which we planned to work on during Christmas Break. The kids said it was their best birthday ever....then again, they say that every year.  I love my Trio! Can't believe they are 11!

Happy Thanksgiving

We had much to be thankful for during this years Thanksgiving holiday. We got to feast with the Quist family at my sister Amanda's home. We enjoyed delicious food and wonderful company. We were thankful for the new babies that joined the Quist clan, we were thankful for good health and for the gospel in our lives and for the love we share one with another. Being with family reminds me how blessed we are.  It was a truly, Happy Thanksgiving!

The entire gang!

Sarah, Conner, Robert, Eliza, and Megan

Ruth, Adam, Carolyn, Russ
Debbie, Lydia, Emmalee

Caleb and Daniel

Thanks to Pinterest, I was able to have a little fun with the veggie tray this year!

Caleb's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad tooth!

On Sunday November 16th, while we were at stake conference Adam and I noticed that Caleb's jaw was swollen. He said it hurt, but not too bad... So when we got home I just gave him some ibuprofen and made a mental note to call the dentist in the morning. On Monday morning it was a little more swollen and he said it was hurting a bit more, so I called the dentist's office first thing. His assistant said that the swelling is likely caused by an abscessed tooth and that the infection needs to go down a bit before the dentist will pull it. Otherwise, he may not be able to numb the tooth before it gets pulled.  We were given a prescription for an antibiotic and got Caleb started on it right away.  By Monday evening (after being on the antibiotics all day,) the swelling was so much worse! I sent the dentist this picture:

He advised me to take Caleb to the ER for an antibiotic I.V. 

Before we left, Caleb received a priesthood blessing form his dad and brother Webber. We went to the hospital and they said we brought him in just in time. If the swelling and infection had gotten much worse, it could have obstructed his airway, or caused blood poisoning. They gave Caleb  some antibiotics along with a bunch of pain killers and such and after being there most of the night, they sent us home with a prescription for some very potent antibiotics and pain killers. 

On Tuesday, the infection was a little better, but not enough to pull the tooth. I was getting discouraged because the antibiotics didn't seem to be working. I was praying, and asked my Heavenly Father why, after receiving a blessing and getting proper medical attention, Caleb's infection wasn't getting much better. The scripture came to my mind that says "This thing goeth not out, but by prayer AND fasting".  I'm ashamed to admit it, but I sort of dismissed the thought, thinking "he needs medical attention, how would me, fasting help?"  I kept giving him his medicine and praying for the swelling to subside. By Wednesday morning the swelling had gotten worse again. I called the number the hospital gave me to call if he wasn't getting better and they referred me to an ENT specialist. By now, I knew what I had to do. I started fasting.

On Wednesday afternoon, the ENT told us that weather or not the swelling subsided, the tooth needed to be pulled ASAP. So, I called the dentist and he made arrangements to get Caleb in early the next morning. Right away I texted as many family members and close friends as I could and asked them to pray that the swelling would go down enough for the tooth and surrounding area to get numbed, and I continued to fast. Caleb went to bed that night very anxious, he knew what needed to be done and was trying to be brave.

When woke up on Thursday morning, we could see that our prayers were being answered. The swelling had gone down considerably. The dentist was able to numb Caleb's mouth and he pulled the tooth without causing Caleb too much discomfort.  

By Thursday afternoon Caleb was feeling 100% better and by Friday, he was back at school. 

We are so grateful for everyone who prayed for Caleb. I am grateful I headed the prompting to fast and I am grateful that Heavenly Father answered our prayers.

Nerdy Halloween

The kids each had a $5.00 budget for their Halloween costumes this year. I took them to the local thrift shop and let them decide on their own costumes. They found some matching visors and then they saw the ties and came up with some pretty nerdy outfits. We decided not to host a Halloween party at our home this year. Hosting that party every year was starting to get a little overwhelming for me, so we  decided to " reduce and simplify". We let the kids "trick or treat" at a few homes, then we all went to the Snowflake High homecoming football game! It was a really fun night for all of us, and much more relaxing for me. :)

Phoenix Temple Open house

On October 24th, we all took a trip down to the valley to take a tour of of the Phoenix temple during it's open house. We all struck by the amount of beautiful artwork in the temple. We also loved all the beautiful marble and attention to detail inside the Lord's holy house.  We are grateful for the opportunity our children to have tour the new temples being built and for the spirit we all feel when we are in the temple together as a family.

Hat Day

In mid October the kids decided to have a little fun with Hat day at school?  I sure love how fun these kids are!

A Happy Birthday.

On October 8th we celebrated my 37th birthday! I know, I don't usually post pictures from my birthday.  After all, birthdays are for kids right? But this year I had to take to take a picture of the Dairy Queen cake the kids and Adam and the kids got for me. It made me so happy! I also got a picture of the kids with their napkins when we all went out for birthday dinner at the pizza factory! Thanks for the wonderful day guys. I don't mind getting older as long as I get to grow old having these guys in my life!

October General

The first weekend of October, we were blessed to be able to watch general conference together. We have a tradition in our family where every Saturday morning, before watching general conference, we make a bunch of waffles and get out every topping we can imagine! We love our "waffle bar" and we love watching general conference together!

Girls Night Out

On September 27th the girls and I had a lovely girls night out. We went to the LDS General Women's broadcast, then we out out for pizza! We were filled with the spirit as we learned about temples, and our divine role as women in the church. I love that I got to share such a special night with my girls! We took a "selfie" before we left. Love my girls!!!