A few days after Christmas we went out to take some pictures for our Christmas letter. For the last couple of years our Christmas letter has turned into a New Year's letter. What's wrong with that - nothing I say! So, anyway, we found a great spot out in our woods and we kinda liked how these turned out. It turned unseasonably warm in the days after Christmas and got up to around 65 or so. So, we were thrilled to have a little break from the cold and wind, but we had to maneuver around the mud to get into the woods.

Christmas Eve's eve

Wow! What a month it's been so far. I feel like I've been very busy, but I've also been able to enjoy the season.

I love Christmas time! I feel so much joy and anticipation. I'm not big on the commercial aspect of Christmas. I just love the feelings that come along with this beloved holiday. One of the things we did early in the season is watch The Nativity Story. We had never seen it before and it is a lovely film depicting the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus. In this world of turmoil and confusion, I feel so very blessed to know and love our Savior. I'm thankful to be able to teach my children about Him and His life and to have the scriptures as a guide. I can't imagine a life here on earth without a testimony of Him. So, as Christmas approaches we are looking forward to all the usual fun things about Christmas, but we also need to slow down and savor the real reason we celebrate this joyous time.

I know it's been a while since I blogged so here are just a couple of the things that we have been doing this month:

Right after Thanksgiving we began a huge wreath making project. We offered to do a fundraiser on our farm making fresh, live evergreen wreaths from blue spruce trees on our farm. We have a wreath making machine that we bought last year. The fundraiser was for the Choral Boosters and we kind of threw it together last minute because we'd never done it before and we just thought of it. They ended up selling 145 wreaths and I had an order for 18 more. The chorus kids came and helped put wreaths together for three different days. They did a great job and we got them all done and people were very happy. So, it might become and annual thing.

Steve and had a great adventure at the beginning of December where we went to Anaheim, CA for an ACN Convention. We had decided to go as an anniversary trip and Christmas present to each other. It was very quick - Friday to Sunday- but we had a great time and the convention was amazing! We had a bunch of family with us and we just really enjoyed ourselves.

Last Thursday we got our best Christmas present- Seth got home! His best friend from here flew out to meet him and drive home with him. Seth has taken advantage of his first year of college and having a car and had driven our poor, old Taurus all over the west. On his last roadtrip home from Vegas for a friend's baptism, the old car finally gave up the ghost. In fact, he called us about 3 minutes before that last photo was taken as Steve and I were strolling around Hollywood, CA to say they were stranded in Cedar City, UT. Luckily, my brother Thatcher lives there and he was able to help them out. Thatcher went and got them, put them up for the night and loaned them his car to drive back to Rexburg for finals the next day. Thanks, Thatch!!! Then, my dad offered to let us borrow a little pickup he had and wasn't using for Seth to drive home with. We're going to keep it for a while and get it back to them somehow. Brooke's going to have to learn to drive a stick-shift. YIKES!!! But Thanks, DAD!!!!! Needless to say, we are so grateful to have Seth home safe and sound. He's already started the process of getting ready for his mission and says he ready to go.

Our 20th Anniversary!

Twenty years ago on this day, Nov. 25th, Steve and I were married. As I type this entry, I am looking out my window here in PA, and the day is so much like it was that day that I'm feeling a little nostalgic. So bear with me... It was a Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and we only had the weekend, for I was supposed to be back in school (Ricks College) on Monday. It was a snowy, blustery day and people were traveling from Dillon, MT and elsewhere to the LDS temple in Idaho Falls to be with us. We got started very early in the morning and were married at approximately 11 am. I had been very sick with bronchitis for a couple of days and was very overwhelmed with emotion, exhaustion, anticipation, etc. So, when we finally knelt across the alter from one another, the floodgates opened and I couldn't stop bawling. Then, Steve began to cry and who knows who else, but it was beautiful and we were so happy. It was cold but clear when we got outside and we were able to get some beautiful pictures outside the temple. We had planned our reception that same evening in Dillon so we had to start back (2 hrs. away) and the weather was so bad that the pass between Dillon and Idaho Falls was almost closed. But, we were blessed and everyone made it to Dillon safely. We had a beautiful reception and it was soon over.

We started our life together in Rexburg, Idaho where I was finishing up school and Steve was working on a dairy farm. We lived in a little two-apartment house that Steve helped fix up for a savings on the rent. It was actually quite a dump, now that we look back on it, but with all our newlywed bliss and brand new wedding gifts we felt like a king and queen.

From there we hopped on our own personal roller coaster of life and we've been hanging on together ever since.... We've been exhilerated by incredible highs and hung on to each other through some deep lows. We heave deep sighs of relief during the nice level times, but brace ourselves for the next go around. Through it all, we're so grateful we found each other and that we've learned to laugh. We love our crazy kids, our families and each other and we're so glad we have eternity to figure it all out ... TOGETHER!

Then......

A few pounds and gray hairs later...

Now.....

If you want a good read for this Christmas season, pick up The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck. It's based on his life experience and right now it's the New York Times #1 bestseller. It has a beautiful message and reminds us all to appreciate the wonderful things we have in our lives, especially during these troubled times. Each day is truly a gift.

We're still here!

Just in case anyone is wondering, we're still here - just very busy. At least I (the main blogger) am very busy. The kids have recently had a brief break from sports and the like. They all finished up their seasons a couple of weeks ago and it's been nice. Steve and I, on the other hand, have been extremely busy. I finally got all my paperwork into the school and immediately started substituting as an aide. They called me in several days the first two weeks and then four days this past week. I am really enjoying it, but it's a little stressful. It's anything from being a personal aide for a child with difficulties or a teacher's aide. The first two weeks I aided 3 different children at different times and last week I was in the second grade all week. I am also volunteering at Savanna's Pre-K. If I get 35 volunteer hours in and a video training then I can start working for pay and one of the teachers is going on maternity leave in December, so I'm trying to get that in. We have also volunteered to spearhead a pine wreath making fundraiser here tomorrow for the Choral Boosters. We are using our blue spruce trees and our wreath machine and the chorus students are coming over to help. The kids sold 140 wreaths so we really have our work cut out for us. Wish us luck! Besides that, I clean an inn between weekend guests and I spent DAYS cleaning out our little store to make it nice for this work party tomorrow. Since we didn't open this past summer, it really needed a lot of work done.

Steve has been repairing the barn roof and putting up a new chimney for our wood stove. That kind of stuff takes every spare minute of his time, besides his job, being Branch Pres. and working on ACN business. So, anyway, that's just some of the fun stuff that we've been up to lately. I like to be busy, though. I have a tendency to get the winter blues and being busy really helps to avoid some of that.

An update on Seth, too, is that he recently broke his thumb rollerblading and got shot in the eye with a pellet from an air pistol thingie. But, he looks like he's having the time of his life (from what we can tell in pictures). He only has a month left and then he comes home. His best from from here is flying out just to roadtrip home with him, along with a buddy they are "dropping off" in Georgia. No, it's not on the way to PA. And another friend from Oregon is coming along for the ride and flying home. So, we just home the old Taurus with over 200,000 miles on it gets them all home. We're sure getting excited to see him, though. Can't believe his first year of college is almost over already. He says he's really excited to get out into the mission field after his b-day in Feb.

So, anyway, that's an update. Hopefully something more interesting will follow soon. Ta Ta for now!

FALL SPORTING EVENTS!

We have been very occupied with sporting events this fall, but we've been having so much fun. Everything is coming to an end (before winter sports start up) so I decided to post pictures of the four who are in sports all at once.

Um, are we a little preoccupied with our mouthguard? I have about 15 pictures of Gideon playing flag football and about 12 of them look like this. This is the second mouthguard. He chewed the first one up. No kidding. Gid LOVED football! This was his first year and he finally realized the joy of a physical sport. He is so full of energy that in everything else he's played (soccer, basketball, etc.) we're always telling him to calm down because he accidentally plows the others kids down from just going all out. He could finally just give it everything he's got and he so enjoyed it. We enjoyed watching him, too, because he was so in his element. He was on a team that was undefeated. In this last picture, they had just lost their first game in three years. He wasn't very happy but it didn't last very long and his coach was great about it.

Jacob is big #50 on his Jr. High Football team. He loves it! He doesn't like practice so much though. This is a 7th and 8th grade squad and he's a 7th grader so he's second string this year. But, for the 7th grade games he's starting center and linebacker. His season just ended and the reason we're glad it's over is because Jacob was always the next to last person out of the locker room. Aargh!! No matter how many times his waiting sisters and mother complained about it, he couldn't seem to hurry out of the locker room. Other than that, Jacob had a great season!

Kelsey is co-captain of her Jr. High Volleyball team. She is a great little volleyball player. She is an awesome server and setter. She just finished her season and her team was UNDEFEATED! They are going be a super team through the next few years.

Brooke is co-captain of the Girls' Varsity Soccer team. She plays midfield/center forward. She is feisty and fearless and she does a lot of tumbling on the soccer field. She had been having some trouble with her hips getting out of joint this year and she's been going to a chiropractor to be adjusted. That really helps. The kicking motion in soccer really agitates those joints for her. But, it certainly doesn't slow her down much. I am so impressed with Brooke's grit and determination. She is a very driven person and works very hard when she sets her mind on something. She's also very hard on herself and I try to remind her to relax and enjoy what she's doing. We love watching Brooke play sports, though. Feisty little bugger!

Seth's alive!!!

We finally received some pictures from our long lost son in Idaho. Yay!!! Seth says a group of future missionaries hiked the "R" mountian just out of Rexburg. It sure looks cold out there. It's still 70's and gorgeous out here - not to rub it in or anything. Anyway, it sure looks like you're having a good time out there, Seth. We can't believe that 4 1/2 months have gone by already and you'll be home in December. Gideon and Savanna saw your pictures and said they really miss you. Thanks for the pictures and keep them coming!

Final Fall Birthday!

Yesterday was our final birthday in a cluster of fall birthdays that come very quickly one after another. Our Gideon turned 8 years old! He's ready to be baptized and he's becoming so independent. There were several years there where I didn't know if I would survive Gideon - his being sooooo very full of energy and all - but, one thing he's always had going for him is his adorable smile and his very sweet heart. Under all the wiggles and leaps is a darling little (uh, I mean big) boy.

Gid wanted cupcakes to take into school to share with his class. Then, I made his favorite dinner which is, of all things, Fish! So we had lemon pepper baked tilapia, rice and broccoli and he was happy as could be.

And then he unwrapped a new football, some lego sets and other fun stuff, played a little catch with Dad and Jake and went to bed a happy boy. He just wishes Seth were here to play catch with. We'll save that for when Seth gets home. We love you, Gideon, and we're so glad you are such a fun part of the Snyder family!

This past weekend was Homecoming for our high school. We wanted to share some of the festivities the kids were involved in. First, Brooke and Savanna were princesses on the Junior class float (theme: Disney), Jacob was on a float (I'm not even sure which one) with his football buddies, and Brooke went to Homecoming with her friend, Jacob. They went in a big group and had a lot of fun!

Today we had another birthday. Kelsey Noelle is 14 today! Wow, that's hard to believe. She played in and won a great volleyball match. She's captain of the volleyball team and is a great player. Kelsey just ran for and won Student Council President of the Middle School. She is a natural leader and a fun person. She is a very good girl, too. We surprised her with tickets to the Broadway show "Wicked" in Pittsburgh and we're going tonight! She is so excited! We love you so much, Kels. Happy Birthday!!

This is a picture of one of the gorgeous PA sunsets we are graced with most every evening. The sky turns a brilliant pink and we never get over how beautiful it is. Our niece, Sara, and her husband, Jonathan, came over for dinner last week. She ran in and said "I need your camera!" Then she ran outside and took this picture. Thanks, Sara!

Kelsey

My mom is just so busy that she doesn't get to blog too often, even though I know she loves it! So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and give you a little update! Basically, what has been going on is sports, sports, sports! I ( by the way, this is Kelsey) have been playing Jr. High volleyball like crazy! I am captain and I start outside hitter. We had a tournament on Saturday, and we were undefeated until the championship game where we lost! I was so mad because I knew we could beat the other team! We had already beaten them earlier in the tournament, so I was especially angry! Seth has been doing great. He signed up for basketball, football, and ultimate frisbee at BYU-I. He was also just set apart as the ward greeter and he is on the Proclaim My Gospel committee. He is having a great time out west! Brooke has been playing soccer non-stop. She starts middle midfield and is awesome! She loves it and was so mad when her team lost their first game by one goal! Jake is a great football player and starts the seventh grade team as a linebacker. Gideon plays football too. He is a monster, and everyone thinks he is going to be amazing when he grows up! Savanna has started preschool and is having so much fun. She loves being able to do crafts whenever she wants and is in seventh heaven! Well, I guess that pretty much sums up our life, besides Dad being branch president and Mom being crazy over their new business. I hope this little update lets you know that things are going great!

It was Grandparent's Day this past Sunday so I thought I would post a little tribute to my grandparents. I feel very blessed to still have my maternal grandmother and both paternal grandparents with us. They are such wonderful people and examples in my life. I love them dearly and my kids are grateful for their great-grandparents. They all live in Dillon, MT. I grew up living smack dab in the middle of both sets of grandparents. They each lived 1/4 mile on either side of us. I'm not sure how that always worked out for my parents, but for us kids it was heaven! I could always walk, ride my bike or eventually my motorcycle to either house whenever I wanted. They spoiled us, supported us, and loved us and then sent us home. So, in honor of all grandparents and great-grandparents out there, "We love you!"

This is a picture taken when we went out to take Seth to college. Pictured are my dad, My Grandma Rebich, me, Grandpa and Grandma Taylor.

Another birthday!

Savanna turned 5 on September 6th. Our baby.... Wow! Kelsey and I went shopping for her birthday and we decided it sure is fun to shop for a little girl. We had fun picking things out for her and it was so easy. Shopping gets harder the older kids get, I believe. "Happy Birthday, Savanna!"

We happened to be having a Branch picnic on Savanna's birthday so we celebrated there a little bit. Our cousin, Sara Lawrence, has been visiting for a few weeks and she made Savanna some yummy cupcakes that she took to the picnic and she gave Savanna some cute presents. "Thanks, Sara!" At this moment Sara is on her way back to Alaska to see her commercial fisherman husband, Jonathan. We can't wait to meet him.

Happy Labor Day/Birthday!

On Monday, September 1st, it was Brooke's 17th birthday and it happened to be Labor Day as well. So, we were happy to get a day off and we went up to Centre County, PA to see our cousins for the day. We got to celebrate Brooke's B-day with great food (thanks Jen), swimming and football. It was a gorgeous day and we had a super time!

I honestly cannot believe Brooke is 17! It just shouldn't be. Brooke is such a neat girl who we are grateful to have as a daughter. "Thanks, Brooke, for being a wonderful part of our family. We love you."

It's kind of sad to see the summer coming to an end, but autumn in PA is gorgeous and I just love it, as long as it's not too cold too soon. So, happy end of summer, everyone!

Ahh, reading again....

One of the things I have missed these past few years in being so busy with life is reading. I have definately not taken enough time to read good books. So, one of the things I have decided to do with some quiet time during the day, besides catching up on numberless projects, is to read more. So, I went to the library and got three books by Jane Kirkpatrick. I love to read historical fiction, especially about pioneering people. I just finished A Sweetness To The Soul. It was wonderful! I highly recommend it. And to all you Twilight fans out there... I know, I know. I'll get to them soon. I'm not sure why I've resisted so far, but they're on my short list.

This was a bittersweet day for me this year. This is the first time in 13 years that Seth has not been in our "first day of school" picture. This is also the first time in 18 years that I am going to be home with no kids during the day because Savanna started preschool and here it's all day, everyday. I have asked her teacher to PLEASE let me volunteer. She is the first one I've sent to preschool because I've always had a hard time letting go knowing that the school will get them soon enough. But, Savanna misses the Kindergarten cutoff by 6 days and she is so ready for something new. She is going to love school! Brooke is a Junior, Kelsey's in 8th, Jacob's in 7th and Gideon's a big 2nd grader. I'm so proud of you guys! It's just hard for me to believe that I've reached this new chapter in my life where my kids are all growing up and leaving. I still feel like a kid myself sometimes. It's exciting and scary, fun and a little sad all at the same time. We also had our annual Family Home Evening where Steve gives a father's blessing to each of the kids before they head out to school and we really missed Seth then. So, in honor of Seth, I wanted to post his very first "first day of school" picture from 13 short years ago. We waited anxiously for the bus to come and I just remember being in tears after I sent him to the bus and turned around to walk back to the house. I feel like that every year with all of the kids on the first day, but then life goes on and we fall into the routine. So, this one's for you, Seth....