So I want to write about this so ellie can always remember about her miracle. We have windows that slide up and have a spring thing in them to hold them open. Well, as with many things in our house the springs are broken. So we put a board under the window to hold it open. It has been a very warm winter this year so the girls window has been open. Last night ellie decided to close it. These are very heavy windows, and with no spring to hold it when she moved the board the window crashed down on her hand.  We heard the crash and then screaming.  We all ran as quick as we could from wherever we were.  Harrison got there first and pulled window up off her hand.  As we looked at her hand we knew it was broken.  There was no question.  The middle finger bent in the middle of the top bone at an unnatural angle. 

We briefly talked and decided that she couldn't wait until tomorrow but if we hurried we might be able to get it done at an urgent care instead of emergency room which would drastically cut down on the fee.  She was freaking out.  Not only did it hurt and look gross but she could not stomach the thought of a broken finger.  She kept crying, "It can't be broken, it just can't be broken"  We were heart broken for her since we knew without a medical degree that her finger was broken. 

We had John give her a blessing and packed her hand in ice and headed out the door.  By the time we got to an open urgent care and checked her in we looked at the hand again, the bone was bending back.  It almost looked normal.  We didn't know what to think.  We took her back they did the xray and the doctor came back and said it wasn't broken.  He couldn't explain how it could look the way it did and not be broken. 

We got things like, kids are resilient.  Kids bones are softer and not so easy to break.  She is just lucky.  For her, she knows that she prayed hard to Heavenly Father to not let her finger be broken. (She is left handed and it was on her left hand.), and he fixed it.  She said I had faith that he could and when dad gave me the blessing it fixed it.  I don't have any explanation for it.  But I like her answer better than any others. 

The other minor miracle in the mix is with finances as tight as they are, another 75.00 copay was going to cut out food for the next week.  But earlier in the day I got a last minute cupcake order that would be 72.00.  No one does those kind of orders the week before Christmas.  I firmly believe that was my miracle. 

I am so humbled by my daughters faith and have such a testimory of the Lords love and for us.

My Christmas present to me is a commitment to get this blog caught back up.  I love my blog books and it's really not okay with me that it's so behind.  As I do blogs I will be dating them back where they belong so it may not look like new stuff since I'm currently adding sept 2013, but it's a work in progress.

 Every time I try over night curlers I wonder why?  This is a bit more curly than I intended.  Oh well.  Good think they are cute no matter how they look. 

 I'm never sure what the league is thinking when they hold a soccer game on Valentines night.  But we decided to make a night of it, and enjoy the time as a family...but if you ask Ellie and I feb is way too cold for soccer at night!

 Look Matthew even got a pink keeper jersey so he looks good for the holiday.  Okay so that's not why but it does make me smile to see him in pink. 

 Ellie also made me this great picture on my phone as a Valentine's gift.  Love that funny girl!

 Rachel made the puzzle she was given for Valentines day.



 And of course we have lots of yummy treats...more than we ever eat!
 Love this girl and her confidence in her own sense of style. 

 And of course, I love, love, love the tulips from John!  Perfect!

 My boys have really taken the advantage of having their mom be a baker. Every year they seem to enjoy having cakes that look like food, so this year, our pancake master decided he wanted a cake that looks like a stack of pancakes!
 This one was kind of tricky, given that he wanted it to look like someone was pouring syrup onto it, but I made it happen, just for him! They are always testing my abilities!
 Here is a picture of my happy birthday boy, with his awesome cake!

 While Grandma Heidi was in town she got to catch one of Matthew's high school soccer games.  We all love to watch him play...okay so it might not be the favorite thing for the girls but I love it and so did she. 




 Though how much ellie let her watch the game in the middle of the reading on the stands seems to be in question.  But I don't think my mom complained about any of it.  Short sleeves, beautiful sunset, watching one grandkid play soccer while reading to another one.  Heaven for her. 

 My sweet Ellie was born with the worst most uncooperative teeth ever!  Every single tooth has grown in without enamel on the edge near the gums requiring fillings on every single baby tooth.  Each time she has been in for work it's been for 14 plus teeth at a time.  This time she threw up on the dentist.  I don't know who I felt worse for. 

 Then when her adult teeth finally come in they do what we call "shark tooth".  The adult tooth doesn't push the baby tooth loose and out it just grows in behind creating a second row of teeth.  Then we have to really work to force the baby tooth loose.  When we finally do that the darn baby tooth never comes out.  The blood vessel holding that tooth in is so big we have to snap it and it bleeds a LOT!  Needless to say, this poor girls mouth is not a favorite thing for mom or child!

 Living in Arizona we spend lots of time at the park all through the "winter" months.  Since I watched my friend's son every day after school he and Ellie played there a ton. 

 We have had the opportunity to go to the gilbert temple open-house with many, many of our friends and family! The picture above is from when we went with my mom. It was so beautiful! We were able to feel the spirit very strongly through these many experiences, and our lives have been blessed.  She was the first one we went through the temple open house with.  The beauty of the rooms was overwhelming.  Ellie wanted to go again and again and again.  I love that my mom was able to time her trip here to add the temple openhouse. 






 I got the chance to bring my non-member friend to the temple as well, and it was beautiful! She enjoyed it so much that she later brought the whole family! And then she brought some neighbor friends with her also.  He son AJ is a member who was so excited to let his family see the inside of a temple.  Desi said she could see Haylee her 7 year old daughter get married in there.  I hope she sees several of her kids get married in there. 
 We have later enjoyed going many more times as a family, and here are some pictures to prove it!








Though each of us had gone at least 3-5 times we hadn't gone as a family.  Finally the last week of the openhouse we made it as a family.  I am so glad for all the memories we formed and the blessings we shared through taking our friends and neighbors through that beautiful building before it was dedicated. 




 Rachel also had the chance to take her teacher Miss Hunter one night and Mrs Witt another night, and they both marveled at the beauty of the temple together. Our sweet Rachel is such an example to all of us!