'Tis the Season

'Tis the Season for...
work deadlines, booked calendars, late nights getting Christmas gifts for the grandparents and in-laws finished, giving in to all the christmas plates of goodies, head colds, endless shopping trips...and the list goes on.

Oh how this season has changed from when I was a kid.
I miss it. I miss the MAGIC of the month of December. Somehow it just seems to get busier and busier every year for me. And i'm kind of having a hard time with it this year. I miss what it was...and what it could be. And yet... I know I am the only one who can create that.

There is something that hasn't changed over the years though...
The magical glow of the Christmas tree.
There is something so peaceful about it. Like you can literally escape from the world with it. I secretly wish I could have my Christmas tree up all year.

We took a few funny family pictures tonight...

(Emma LOVES her daddy! She thinks he is the funniest thing ever.)

(I thought I would bring out the fun reindeer hats for some jingles.)

After another crazy busy day today...I think the 20th in a row... I stop and let the Christmas Tree Lights remind what this season is all about. It's not those things that have been filling my 20 days of December already, it's about the things that need to fill my next 5 Days of CHRISTmas.

It's about HIM. My Savior. His Birth. His mother Mary. The Wise Men. The Shepherd. Joseph.

It's about what I will be giving to Him. 

I am writing this tonight for me. Thank you for endulging with me.

It's been a busy month, and I only see it getting busier...but tonight I needed to sit in this living room and let the GLOW remind me what is most important.

And so after I eat the last sugar cookie on the platter from the neighbors, I am going to turn off the laptop and get a few hours of sleep...and then awake tomorrow EXCITED for DECEMBER...and the REASON for the SEASON.

Much love to you and your family during this MAGICAL SEASON.

Hope you stop to enjoy the GLOW!

The Nanny.

Did anyone watch Dancing with the Stars this last week?

I won't be shocked if you say "no" because I think i've watched it one other time in my life, but this week we happened to turn to it right when it was "The Brady Bunch Theme Song". I got all excited and Ryan was like, "wow. I had no idea you were such a fan of the Brady Bunch." AM I EVER.

I loved that show. And still do...(kind of even want to get the series on DVD for Emma to watch when tv no longer produces shows we'll want our children to watch.) I mean look at this perfect, cute family.

But i've been thinking about the "brady bunch life" this week and now that I am looking back on it, I can't quite remember what the mother was ever really doing. She always looked great, and would come home from "things", but what was she doing?. Hmmmm....

And then I am remembering a few weeks ago when I went to lunch with a good friend I know through work who just moved to Salt Lake from the East Coast. Before we went to lunch she sent me an email and told me to be sure to bring pictures of little Emma. I thought that was a little interesting and of course, replied that I won't need to bring pictures because i'll be bringing HER.

When we got to lunch and started talking, she shared how she wasn't sure if I was leaving Emma with the nanny or not.
OH.
THE NANNY.

Of course.

Alice. The Brady's Nanny/house cleaner.
It's all coming together now.

How flattering that she would think I, litte miss Chrislyn herself, would have a nanny. I mean...wow. Am I really that mature? I'll take that compliment any day!

So the thing is, I was actually a nanny once. And absolutely LOVED every minute of it. And still ADORE the Katzmann family. Best people in the world! But I think once you ARE a nanny...you kind of always are the nanny...and the mommy...and the house cleaner. It's just the world I have always known. It's what I "do" as a  "stay-at-home-mother".

And so as I sit here on a Friday afternoon enjoying the cloudy day in my pajamas, cleaning the house, working from my laptop, changing diapers and cleaning spit-up off the couch....I am realizing that I may not ever have the Brady Bunch family or home. And I may not ever be in a position to have a nanny to take the little ones so I can have peace and quite while I work...but it's okay...

Because I AM THE NANNY.
And i've dreamed of this since I was 5 years old.

And lucky for all of you, BOTH of us didn't stay in our pajamas...and one of us was cute enough for a few pictures to share!

Yep, 3 months old next week, and the cutest, LITTLE PEANUT we've ever seen. (And a whole 9.3 pds and 23 inches!).

Meeting the Family

Emma finally met the "Barnes Family" this last week...and also learned how lucky we are that they live in such a beautiful place to visit (that would be the great Coeur d'Alene, Id...also known as "hometown" for me.)

Here's a little rundown of everyone she met and the adventures we had.

First stop: Grandma Lori & Grandpa Larry's House (including a little exercise/tummy time with daddy.)

The GARDEN & POND

And this is not just ANY garden. I think we counted 18 different things we could pick including corn, potatoes, beans, strawberries, carrots, and asparagus...yes, asparagus. Who grows that, anyway??? We have learned not to put anything past Mom & Larry!(if you look close, you might see where Emma and I could be found while the boys were working...).
Ryan always jumps right into the fun of Larry's projects. This time it was taking out the garage concrete floor and working the gas powered wheel-barrel. And it's never a trip home without shooting the guns with the boys! (Ryan's first time shooting a pistol.)

Second Stop: The Cousins! And AUNTIES, of course! (Emma is the 12th grandchild and she made it 6 girls, 6 boys.)

BRANDON- the football player!

Kailee- the beauty!
Aunt April with Cousin Lilly May
Elijah- full of giggles & smiles (and great dance moves!) (We missed a picture with daryl..sad!) Aunti Michelle and Emma are reunited! Thanks to Michelle, mommy's house stayed and clean and mommy got more than 2 hours of sleep at a time during that first week of life!)

I didn't realize unitl we got home that we didn't have any pictures with Amber & Traci's family! We LOVED playing with them and can't wait until Emma can play WITH them!

Third Stop: The Lake We can't wait to come back next summer and take her for a swim in the best fresh water lake you'll ever find.

Fourth Stop: The Wilson's My HS best freind from, Marni (Hayes) Wilson had her first little girl in December and to our fun surprise they named her ELLA JANE. It was evident they are going to be bff too! Ella couldn't get enough of this live "baby doll". SO excited to see them grow up!

Those are just a few of the fun adventures we had. It was definitely a fun new experience to go "home" with my new little family. Definitely a "dream come true".

xoxo!

And for those of you who want to see ALL the pics...here's a little SLIDESHOW.

ANSWERS

I've needed a lot of these lately. And not just any answers...but answers from God.
Answers to some of my heart's deepest questions, desires and even achings. But the problem has been that unlike any other time in my life, I am in a physical place that makes it very hard to get those answers to come and then to stick. I don't think I have ever been so exhausted, hormonal, feeling out of control...the list goes on...all things that make being "out of tune" very easy.

This last week though, I was really needing some answers. And I got them...in a way I didn't expect. It was one of those times that I was having a hard time even having the energy to kneel and ask the questions. And to stay awake long enough to get an answer. And then even to have the energy to want to follow through. But I knew that if I did one thing, something good would happen. Not sure what, but I knew.
Because we have been promised.
JUST OBEY.

I learned a lot about obedience on that Sunday morning when it took everything I had to be obedient and go to ALL my Church meetings and classes and not give into my tired, new mommy blues. And this is the answer I got...

"Supposing today were your last day on earth, the last mile of the journey you've trod;
After all of your struggles, how much are you worth, HOW MUCH CAN YOU TAKE HOME TO GOD?
Don't count as possessions your silver or gold, tomorrow you leave those behind,
And all that is yours to have and to hold, IS THE SERVICE YOU'VE GIVEN MANKIND." (Anonymous as quoted by President David O. McKay)

Thanks, Sister Bays for your lesson on Service.

And then the second answer came when I got out of myself and was willing to be social for a few hours and just happened to run into a VERY good friend who later sent me an email and shared this:

"We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something. We have to learn to be content with what we are."
— Marjorie Pay Hinckley

BE CONTENT.

So now we try to make these answers stick.
Here we go!

Every Ounce Counts!

Whoever would have thought that we would be cheering on every ounce during our babies first 2 months?! I sure didn't. But it has been a journey to remember and we are finally celebrating today 8 pds! YAY! (i'll come up with a fun and interesting way to share all the highlights of our breastfeeding adventures someday...someday.)

But in the meantime, here's a little gallery of "Every little ounce" from the last 7 weeks.

Yes, she is TOTALLY a BYU fan. She told me so. Sorry Daddy. ;)

How about those attentive eyes!

And give it another week and I bet we'll have a picture of a baby with some CHEEKS!

Thanks to everyone who has supported us and our little one these last two months.

Woolston Summer Marathons

This past winter Ryan and I decided that this was the summer for marathons. Don't let me fool you though...neither of these marathons involved running shoes. But they did involve a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Take a look...

CHRISLYN'S MARATHON: The Natural Childbirth of Emma Jean
July 28, 2010
9 hours and 17 minutes

Dr. Hannele Laine, Emma Jean, THE COACH: Ryan, THE ATHLETE: Chrislyn

Years ago I learned about natural childbirth and ever since I knew it was something I wanted to try. Something I wanted to see if I could do for myself and my baby. I didn't really know what I was getting into, but now that it's over I have to say that natural childbirth is one of the most amazing and synergizing things I have ever experienced.

Ryan and I "trained" all summer long with the Bradley Method and our instructor Alyssa Cole learning the "husband coached childbirth" methods and amazing techniques of relaxation. I followed an incredible nutrition guideline based on 80-100 grams protein/day, and Ryan helped keep me training with daily squats, relaxation and other exercises to prepare us. I will admit that there were times that I wondered if this was really preparing us and or if we were going to get to the labor and forget it all and fail.

I am here to say though, that every bit of it made a difference and it worked!

My labor was right out of a text book, and I feel very fortunate to have had such a great first experience. I found myself being able to relax during the contractions and embrace the progress, rather than fear the pain. I have never had to use so much mental strength on something so physcially demanding. What an experience.

I never could have done it without my coach...Mr. W. What a champ he was. He took charge of the room and talked with all the nurses for me. He applied pressure on my back. He talked me thru contractions and gave me confirmation whenever I was slipping into doubt or fear. I was confident that he believed in me, which gave me the strength to believe in myself.

After the last push, the baby was lifted up and into my arms and i'll never forget looking over at Ryan and seeing him burst into tears. Sobbing, he and I looked at each other and said, "we did it!" It was the greatest sensation of achievemnt I have ever experienced.

And then I held the prize. All 6 pounds and 10 ounces of her.



And then the Coach held her. She LOVES her daddy.

And now almost 8 weeks later, it's just a dream. It's hard to imagine that we really created this amazing daughter of God and brought her into the world in such an unforgettable way. But we did. And I have to say, we are one pretty good team. WE ARE WOOLSTON.

RYAN'S MARATHON: LOTOJA Bike Race (Logan to Jackson Hole)

Sept. 11, 2010

206 miles of road
10 hours and 47 minutes

(Starting line. 6:45am. 40 degrees.)

The training started as soon as the snow melted enough to get on his road bike longer than 30 minutes without freezing. The team formed, the rides started getting longer and the races began. And they prepared mile after mile for the big one. Also known as "LOTOJA". And if you're a real cyclist, you pronounce it "LO-TA-JU".

Ryan loves cycling. We sometimes have to remind him that he won't be taking the bike to heaven with him. It's his outlet and recovery on a daily basis. It's his passion. It's what keeps him going. And we as a family LOVE to watch him succeed in it and have fun with it.

This was Ryan's second year to compete in LOTOJA and we have decided that if they gave out an award for most improved, he would have been at the top spot on the podium. Last year he went into it without even a fraction of the training from this year, and without a team as solid as Revolution Rio, and his time was over 12 hours.

This year he trained his heart out, had an incredible team, knew the course and finished in 10:47. Pretty amazing. Way to go, Tully!

(Sorry we don't have more pictures...unfortunately the new little one didn't think it would be a good idea to make this trek this year so we didn't get pictures of the finish line.)

And that's the review of our 2010 Marathons!

WITHDRAWALS

Yes, I know. You've all had withdrawals from me and my blog. Sorry about that.

But this weekend I went through withdrawals.

The busy week at the office pre-event...a flight to a fun new city...a hotel bed all to myself...new, delicious, local restaurants...amazing women gathered for 2 days...being able to make an event a success and see the results of all the hard work...let me just show you a few of these things:


(Pics Top to Bottom: Dinner with TOFW team in Pittsburgh, Memphis event, Quick stop at Memphis temple after event with Laurel)

It wasn't until this weekend that I realized how much I missed it when I found myself looking at the clock every couple hours of thinking of what my co-workers were doing at that very minute in their event city...without me. It was almost like I was breaking myself of an addiction or something. And it kind of surprised me.
I mean, I DO have a new "job" filling my time, right? Why am I missing the old life so much?
Well, this new job...let me just share with you. It is 24 hrs a day/7 days a week. I stay busy all day, but often can't see a single thing I accomplished. The shower is the only time I get to be "alone". I'm lucky if I interact with an adult other than my hubby during the day. And if I do, it's usually another cute stay-at-home mom who i've decided really won't judge me if i'm in the same comfy clothes as the day before and my hair clearly hasn't been styled for days (and if they do judge...I don't really care). I make lists just to see if my brain can really think of all the things that should happen in a normal life again...just to put it under a pile of paperwork and not see it until the next week when I think of making another one. I sleep with one ear open at all times. Never turn all the lights off in the house at night since we'll be using them a few hours later, and can't remember the last time I completely got ready for the day.
It's just a little different than my previous job. Just a little.

Then I thought of a dear friend. Who just happens to be my favorite co-worker to travel with and also happens to be my boss. And I remembered her FB status this week from the beginning of the week, "8 hours later and i'm back at the office already?". And a blog post that voiced the desire this past week to have that honey at home to help with things us busy working girls need help with...like picking up the dry cleaning and registering our cars (LC: I hate to break it to you...but I STILL do this...wink, wink.)

And I remembered that I used to have those updates and journal entries. And I dreamt of a time I didn't have to go through that. And I dreamt of a time I could stay home and cuddle with my little one and have time to make dinner for my husband.

So why the withdrawals?

Well I let myself feel it this weekend. I cried and I cried. I let myself miss it. And then I took Emma out on a Saturday night date to feel a little bit of what my co-workers were getting to experience. But surprisingly, we only did it for about an hour, because then we missed being home.
We missed just cuddling.
We missed nursing.
We missed not being pressured into anything other than what baby and mommy needed.
We missed daddy.
And we realized we love this new life. We really do.

And we also realized that it is okay to love and miss the old life...as long as it wasn't keeping me from enjoying my TODAY. Just like my dear friend has clearly learned how to embrace TODAY even though she HOPES for the future.

So i'm keeping my deal with this friend from an earlier text exchange this week...if she will enjoy every minute of those amazing women in those cities and the fun adventures of traveling and working long hours...i'll enjoy every minute of the smell of a new baby and having her smile when she hears me come into the room.

Yep...THIS is what I get to look at 24/7 at my new "job". I know...I know...amazing.

ps. Please don't laugh when you scroll down and notice that my last post was EXACTLY one year ago...and I was committing to be a "blogger". I'm not promising anything this time...