Jacks Quilt

A little RicRac lovin!

Yes we love the quilt Mom & Sarah made for us. And yes I do mean us. Here are some pics of Jack and his lovin' the quilt but honestly... I still can't decide if I'm going to let him use it so people see it everywhere we go or if it's going on the wall in his room because it's to perfect to use!

Thanks again Momma & Sarah! I have to admit I'm lovin' that quilt shop for all it's benefits!

Nativity & Noel

So our stake puts on a community concert and Nativity display every year called
Nativity & Noel.

It features choirs and groups from the area, such as performance groups, and even some spectacular High school groups, and even work choirs (the walmart choir was fantastic :) ) as well as "The Ozark Mormon Chorale" including members from all over the area. I didn't get to stay and listen to all of them this year just a short sampling of some.
But hey maybe next year I'll be in it. :)
For this year I participated in the Nativity display.

It's called an International Nativity Display and includes Nativities from all over and a live Nativity performed every few minutes.
This year Alex and I and baby Jack got to be Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus.
I've done it once before when we had Allyson and I looked like the young teenage Mary. They were willing to over look that this year since we had a brand new baby boy who was absolutely perfect in the manger.
He just lay there and looked around all wrapped in swaddling clothes... He did need a pacifier on the last few times. Jack was 9 days old when we did this so I ended up trying my best to sit normally in between performances but it seems every time I sat down the music would be on to cue us for another round. It probably didn't help that we always ended up stopping to talk to people who wanted to see the baby and ask questions on our way out. :)

Oh well, oh, I'd started to say that having done this once before I have to say I am truly grateful to have had this experience. As wonderful as it is to watch a Nativity scene taking place before your eyes. It's fantastic to be apart of one. To sit there listening to the narration (it doesn't really matter to me what exactly it is, they all tell the same story) and knowing you are representing the earthly family of the Christ child let's me feel so much closer to the experience and there is nothing I can think of that helps me more to remember the true meaning of Christmas.


Merry Christmas to everyone. We love you all.

It's a boy!!!

It's a boy! 

OK, so I'm here and ready to go! If you want to see what I did for thanksgiving you'll have to check out my sisters blogs but really I think we're all past that now :) Please every one know that I am thankful for many things. :) I am now in the Christmas spirit and after birth pain! So here's the official announcement...

Jackson Alexander Sperry 

was Born

December Fourth Two Thousand Eight

At Three Thirty Three in the Afternoon

Weighing Seven pounds Nine ounces

At a Length of 

Twenty and one Half inches

to

Quintin Alexander Sperry

And 

Hillary Ann Sperry

hehe. Yeah, we are pretty excited! We have been so blessed by the love of friends and family too! From the shower and the meals and offers of childcare and personal care and visits, you have all been so wonderful. Alex just asked if I thought I would still know how to cook after this is over... my response... Well you know I can still make cheesecake so we're good. *Ahhhh, to live on cheesecake.* Sorry slight distraction, Anyway, Jackson has been well welcomed into this world. Now if we can just keep him awake to see it then maybe Alex and I can stay awake too. Can't wait for a good sleep pattern to kick in. At the right time of day. :)

Mothers who know by Julie B. Beck

My friend Jolynn sent this out on facebook and it made me think alot :) and cry. Ok, so I know I'm all pregnant and emotional but yes this made me cry this morning... Perspective is a horrible thing to have some times... It makes my vision blurry... or maybe it clears it, but the tears make it very confusing to decide which one it is.

I know in this talk there is a lot of we must do this, and do this, and this. And part way through the tears gave way to being overwhelmed... The tears returned shortly after... We need to remember that there have also been many talks that speak about not being overwhelmed and not comparing ourselves to the talents & abilities of others, and the things we think... we know others are doing, but it's also important to remember what we are shooting for. The compilation of clips is from a talk by Julie Beck titled Mothers who know, I've linked it here. And while there are inspirational talks out there for women in every walk of life this one is specifically for mothers, as the title indicates, however there are many instances where Mother could easily be exchanged simply for Women. These are things that we as women should be doing and striving for not only in our families but in our lives. To help those around us and ourselves. Think of how you could improve yourself if we nurture our own minds with the gospel and time. If we pattern our homes after the Lord's will it only be beneficial if you have children? No, it blesses everyone who enters it. It would certainly be wonderful in the lives of our children though to have such peace and order around them... I think it will even help if *ahem* we (this one is definitely for me ladies) even just strive to have that.

Thinking a little towards fly lady principles a little is better than nothing, and we can bless our families and our lives simply by making the effort. (Even housework done incorrectly still blesses our families... that's such a freeing principle.) Anyway I could go on... I suppose the end rant was partly brought on because I read a few comments that were left to the video. Oh well I suppose in the end we just need to remember a couple of things, One - what good is anything if we don't have a goal to reach for, and Two - that whoever we are there is always room for improvement.
And thus the tears and blurry vision.

Yes we did have Pumpkins!

So about a week before Halloween we bought pumpkins...

A few days later we dove into the gooey nastiness. The girls loved it! Ally is starting to show some pumpkin carving understanding and Livvy is doing great as well. Honestly it was nice to circle the table helping people and actually be helping some of them, because they were actually making good progress on there own! So good job to them!

Layna and Phoebe both had a blast! Layna got right into her pumpkin designing it and cleaning out guts! Woo Hoo Layna! Phoebe didn't get into the pumpkin but was very excited whenever dad pulled anything out... she eventually tried going after seeds :) She was fun to watch!

Phoebe eventually decided the coolest part was sculpturing the guts after they were out and on the table! Thankfully there was no eating it just playing with it like it was an awesome gooey sand pile!



Livvy liked it too... a little bit :) hehe


Our lit up pumpkins! Yes success!

And last here is some Pumpkin Joy from Phoebe.... For Everyone!!!

My sister in law Misty mentioned this on her blog so my family has all seen it but I thought I'd post it for all my Bella Vista friends because it is so perfect, and appropriate to how we should be feeling and acting The links above will take you to a blog titled Shark Bait by a woman called Tiburon/Tib & Misty's blog... I'm so glad Tib & Misty found this, Now here's the text of her quoted post: I think Bob Lonsberry summed it up well:

Barack Obama was not my choice, but he is my president. That is true of all Americans. For the last eight years, there has been an ongoing campaign of destruction meant to handicap and hobble the last president. I refuse to be part of an effort to do the same to the next president. Those who didn't vote for Barack Obama must set a higher standard of civility and citizenship than those who didn't vote for George W. Bush. In defeat, there must still be nobility. The last eight years have taught us what happens when you set out to destroy a presidency for political gain. You help your candidate, but you hurt your country. That pattern must not be followed with this new president. America must treat Barack Obama better than he treated George W. Bush.

While the candidate that I voted for did not win - I will make this pledge. I pledge to be kinder to Obama than his party was to Bush. Cause that is how I roll.

Me again. The scariest thing about this election to me has not been the candidates or the house, though all are intimidating subjects, the scariest thing to me is how the American people have reacted. There has been more violence and acting out and growing to hate than I can remember seeing in our country. And it is wrong. Respect for me will be a hard thing to muster for someone who has not earned it from me but I can reject the hate that has begun to surround this subject, and I can be kind... and hopeful. Cause that is how I roll.

Just started going through pics of Halloween and our quick but wonderful trip to be with Sarah and her family when they were blessed to have Jason sealed to them this last weekend. I found and edited this one of Phoebe. I'm trying to find one of her to put on the wall because at this point we have one of everyone (even though they are seriously out of date) except her up. I don't know that this is it but I thought it was cute and thought I'd share! Happy Fall!