Merriest of Christmases & Happiest of New Years

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

 What's more Christmas season-y than tea time at the tea gardens!

 Ho Ho Ho, Love Rupert.

General Conference Gem

Many of us can admit it is sometimes difficult to focus in for two straight hours --- in the comfort of your family room, draped in cozy clothes and blankets, fireplace on, all cuddled up --- on General Conference talks from familiar voices that tend to {unintentionally} lull you to a state of deep relaxation (aka sleep).  No matter how hard you try, there just will be at least one talk you doze off on...  And that is why I absolutely LOVE when the General Conference Ensign comes out!  It is my opportunity to go back through the talks and really study them without constant heavy eyelids.

This time around, I have been drawn several times to the talk by M. Russel Ballard, "Be Anxiously Engaged."  Something about the title seems to catch my attention everytime I scan the talks.  I have read it now at least twice and also watched it again on the LDS website.  It is so worth it!  The entire talk is just chalk-full of little gems, but I especially love that he specifically answers the question,

"How can we become completely converted to the Gospel of Christ?" 

His answer is this:

"How do we make this change? ... There is one simple daily practice that can make a difference for every member of the Church, including you boys and girls, you young men and you young women, you single adults, and you fathers and mothers ... That simple practice is: In your morning prayer each new day, ask Heavenly Father to guide you to recognize an opportunity to serve one of His precious children. Then go throughout the day with your heart full of faith and love, looking for someone to help. Stay focused, just like the honeybees focus on the flowers from which to gather nectar and pollen. If you do this, your spiritual sensitivities will be enlarged and you will discover opportunities to serve that you never before realized were possible." (emphasis added)

Do you not just love that?!

His whole talk uses the metaphor of honeybees who work so diligently, even though each of their individual contributions to the honeypot is only a mere one-twelfth of a teaspoon in their entire lifetime.  But no matter how small the contribution, it is still a "part of the whole" and each honeybee is important and necessary, just like we are as God's children.  After reading this talk, I think honeybees are just so cute & busy!  (Even though I will definitely still run from them.)

SIDE NOTE:  Did anyone else know before Elder Ballard's talk that the podium in the Conference Center is made from the wood of a walnut tree grown in President Hinckley's backyard?! 

AMAZING. 

(And not to mention, there are multiple beehives carved into it... Coincidence?  I think not.)

Announcement

Josh & Caitlin Baker are pleased to announce the arrival of their son....

Mister Rupert

Born: July 14, 2012

Joined the Baker Family: October 15, 2012

Weight: 14 lbs

 We are so in love!  He is the best puppy we could have imagined; never once has he kept us up at night, his potty training has been pretty good (but maybe it just doesn't seem so bad because we have hardwood floors...), he hardly ever barks or makes a peep for that matter, and he LOVES us.  

Rupert is very popular everywhere we go.  People drool over him and just want to squeeze his bubble head and pinch his wrinkles.

In other news, just like my last post talked about how fast summer went by, is it seriously already NOVEMBER?  Thanksgiving/Christmastime is actually here.  

Here are some pictures to catch up on this fall.

Like usual, lots of fun Temecula time.

Rupert loves the Valencia ----> Temecula drive.

Penny meeting her idol at Disneyland.

Oceanfront room at Surf & Sand in Laguna

Josh finally had his ever-so-needed ear surgery!

"Surfer's Ear" is finally gone.

Thumbs up before surgery.... 

 Thumbs up after surgery...

He was seriously such a stud.
(And I'm pretty sure that nurse wished Josh wasn't married.)

And Josh turned 25!!!

 Loving the arrival of fall in California... finally!

And finally, a special thank you to Tracy for creating this awesome meme.

Rupert is smarter than most of America.

But I am NOT going to get into that.  (That would be the longest blog in the history of blogs.)

Summer Has Wings

I honestly can't believe that it is already August.  Summer is FLYING.  But it's been an amazing summer so far, and we have been having tons of fun.  Every day holds something new.

First time back inside the SD castle since the big day.  It brought back so many memories of 3.26.11 to walk through the doors...And also of my childhood going there monthly with Young Women's and thinking about how one day I'd bring my future man there and marry him :)

A little boat time with the Spikers/Alvords.  Josh #1 manning the boat, Josh #2 manning the flag.

 Getting pitted, so pitted.

It is so sad to know that my little babies are so far away in Pennsylvania!  I love getting picture updates and FaceTiming those little bugs.

 Batman w/ the Fam.

Brooke's big dance performance with Temecula Dance Company!

Sisters getting the big star prepped...

Brookie and proud Daddy.

Even my job is fun!  Working 9-6 thru the summer isn't so bad when you work with these fun people (including my husband).

My Heart Can't Handle

The cuteness.

Please make it stop.

A perfect model for perfectly adorable backdrops. 

Check out Tracy's Etsy shop HERE to see the amazing photography backdrops she sells.