Rick and Tamara's 50th Wedding Anniversary

This was the dessert table which was later filled with a chocolate mousse cake, cheese cake, and the original type of cake served at Rick and Tamara's wedding (I forgot the name of it right now)

Angela, Tamara, and Tara

What they nieces and nephews did to entertain themselves before the party started:-)

Rick and Brian

Emily, Tamara, and Kevin Bake

Brian, Michelle, Emily, Tamara, Rick, Kevin

Sarah and Brian

Brian, Mark, Dan, Brad, Rick, and Rick Sr. (All the sons in the family with Rick)

Beautiful table settings

Tamara and her sons Mark, Brad, Rick, Dan, and Brian

Rick and Tamara with children

The view from the window with the Salt Lake Temple in the background.  The Salt Lake temple is where they were married 50 years before to the day (December 14th)

The book of memories and pictures we presented to them

All the grandchildren sang "Families can be Together Forever"

Rick and Tamara waiting in the Visitor's Center before going on their carriage ride around temple square.  It was a dream come true for Tamara, but for Rick, in his own words, "I am like a lamb to the slaughter."  I'm sure he had fun.  Doesn't he look like he is having fun:-)  Anything for Tamara.

What an amazing couple.  I have only known them since 2002, but I feel as though I have known them forever and always had a place in their hearts.  What love and compassion these two have for all those around them.  I have personally felt of this love and have been touched by their selfless sacrifice.  Thanks for setting the example of what marriage and life is really all about.

Evans Christmas Pageant/Party

Gingerbread houses under construction

Lacey and Mason...Mason was more into eating the candy at first, but then went crazy with decorating with the candy later:-)

You are witnessing Emily's first official gingerbread house.  She had a fun time...can you tell?

Madison loves this and spent about 45 minutes decorating her house.  She says, "an artist takes their time."

Mason and his house and funny face...I love this kid!  He kept me laughing the whole time we were there.

Do not enter...construction going on.  Notice Dave's tongue sticking out?  It happens when he is concentrating really hard.  

Now the couple got to work on their candy cane house.  

L-R: Mike's house, Melissa and Dave's house (notice the car and tree),

Emily's house, Madison, Sarah (nativity), Abby, Emily (candy cane front), Mason (back), Seth and Lacey's.

Christmas Morning (Dec. 10th) with McVea's

Put some tinsel around the tree:-)

Merry Christmas from our Family to yours

Dear Family and Friends,

We are happily settled in Ann Arbor, MI while Brian does his Anesthesia Residency at the University of Michigan.  In Brian’s free time he loves to play football, explore Ann Arbor on family bike rides, watch football, and play with the girls.  I am so proud of him for working so hard.  It’s been a tough year, but we have both grown from itJ 

I am learning woodworking in a friends shop right now and loving it.  It’s a dream of mine to do woodworking and now it’s coming true.  I love doing crafts with the girls.  We made a kitchen out of an entertainment center, built a dollhouse and all the furniture, and made many other crafts.  I am loving motherhood and feel so blessed and honored to be Madison and Abigail’s mother. 

Madison (5 ½) loves Kindergarten where she has learned to count to 100, spell many words, and come to see the world around her in a new light.  She loves her teacher Mr. Hagen and whatever he says is law.   She informed me the other day that her teacher knows more than I do.  I just agreedJ

Abigail (3 ½) loves her once-a-week preschool with 7 friends.  She loves to pretend play and has many friends that live close which means lots of play datesJ   She says the funniest things and keeps us laughing.  Some examples are when her food is too hot she says “blow this up” (blow on this),  “spelican” (skeleton), “prencils” (pretzels), “that orange just spit up at me” (the orange squirted her),  etc. 

If you are ever passing through please feel free to stop.  We love visitors!  We love you all and hope you have a very Merry Christmas this year. 

Love from,

Brian, Sarah, Madison, and Abigail

Christmas Fun

It all began on a not so snowy night.  Ok, so a no snow night.  We have begun our own Evans Family traditions this year.  On Christmas Eve, Madison and I spent time together making raisin oatmeal cookies for santa (a favorite of his).  I simultaneously made a pumpkin pie for Christmas dinner and some cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning.  Our house smelt of Christmas spices and everyone was happy.  The girls opened a present from their cousins Mesia and Anna and played with them well into the night and even the next morning for 30 minutes in their room from 7-7:30am.  It was then time to see what Santa brought and both girls ran down stairs and I hear a squeal from Abby and then, "I love Santa."  Both girls just looked at all the presents and then we came down, ate oatmeal, cinnamon rolls, and a green smoothie and then it was off to church for a beautiful Sacrament meeting filled with singing and the true Spirit of Christmas.  It was such a spiritual experience to celebrate Christmas in a nice dress and to sing hymns before opening a present.  Madison and Abby were both so patient.  In church Abby whispered to me that she wanted to go to nursery and I told her, "We aren't having nursery today, just Sacrament and then we get to go home and unwrap the presents" to which she responded with, "but I want to go to nursery, I don't want to unwrap the presents."  Feeling this was really odd I rephrased it and said, "we are going home to open the presents."  To this Abby's face lit up and she said, "I want to go home right now."  She thought we were going home to wrap presents:-)  The first thing they both opened was the long awaited baby alive from Santa.  They weren't interested in any more presents after that and we opened them slowly throughout the day.  We still have two left under the tree for tomorrow.  I guess they really only need one thing:-)  I totally got shown up by Santa.  What a spirit filled day of love, family, warmth, and the true spirit of Christmas.  We spent a few hours watching home videos of Brian when he was a baby, first learning to walk, etc.  It was so touching and fun to see his siblings when they were all so young.  How Brian's mom ever did it with 9 kids I will never know.  I stand all amazed.  I feel so blessed to have had Brian home with us this Christmas season and know that not everyone has that miracle or blessing.  The girls loved sharing it with their dad and I loved having him home.  I must admit it was a bit untraditional in the fact that we ate pumpkin pie, asparagus, and cinnamon rolls for dinner.  Madison had one asparagus, two pieces of pie with cream, and a cinnamon roll for dinner.  After I brought out the asparagus on a plate for everyone to eat off of while watching the home videos Madison asked what else we were having for Christmas dinner.  I felt bad knowing we had Happy Meals for Thanksgiving and she wanted a turkey then and for Christmas dinner I didn't make anything really.  I then told her she could have pumpkin pie and eat it in the living room.  I don't think this will become a tradition, but it worked this time and she was very happy:-)  Pictures to come...I did document our Christmas:-)

Quotes on the true meaning of Christmas

Mother Theresa:  Nothing makes you happier than when you really reach out in mercy to someone who is badly hurt.  

Poet Rabindranath Tagore:  I awoke and saw that life was service.  I acted and behold, service was joy.  

Patricia Holland:  God wants so much for us to bless others, to find our lives by losing them, that he frequently and purposefully answers our own prayers, as well as those of others, through our acts of caring and comfort. 

Henry Drummond:  You will find, as you look back upon your life, that the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others.  

Jesus Christ: Follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do... Freely have ye received, freely give.  May we continue to find joy in sharing our love, faith, and service with others.

Face down on the gym floor...

Three weeks ago during church Brian and I were in Sunday school when a nursery worker came and got me (which is weird since Abby is potty trained) and said that Abby was laying on the gym floor face down and wouldn't move or let anyone touch her.  She said her arm hurt.  Well, I arrived and usually Abby would say "I want to hold you", but instead would scream if I tried to pick her up or move her.  I then had them get Brian and when he got there Abby still wouldn't let us move her.  The three year olds who were playing with her said, "We were just playing and she fell down."  That being helpful we worried she had broken her arm and would have to have it set, maybe surgery, and a cast.  Just what we need.  Why does this always happen to us on a Sunday?  After about 10 minutes of allowing Abby to just lie there crying, Brian just picked her up to which she screamed until she was in a sitting position with her arm in an L shape.  There wasn't any pin point pain and the main pain was above her elbow.  We had her get a blessing and then headed to the ER.  After the Dr. poked around and assessed it she ordered an X-ray to rule out a broken bone.  Brian took her back for that and when they returned Abby was holding her arm with huge red eyes and tears streaming down her cheeks.  Brian said they kept trying to extend it all the way and Abby just screamed and they finally gave up and allowed her to have it bent a bit.  The PA came back and said there weren't any breaks and then tried to extend and bend Abby's elbow to which Abby screamed that "why are you letting them hurt me" scream.  The Dr. said she thought it was a nurse maid elbow which is caused by a pulling and twisting which causes the bones to partially dislocate at the elbow and is very painful until it's popped back in.  That is what the Dr. was trying to do, but failed the first time.  The head Dr. came in and tried to set it and got it to pop in that time.  Abby was up and using it within 2 minutes as if nothing happened.  It was a miracle and a blessing that that's all it was.  We walked out of there a few minutes later with a happy girl.  Oh, did I mention $25 for doing a survey while waiting in the ER?  Added blessing and bonus I guess.  That was the second time in the ER in a 6 week period and both happening on Sunday.  We just felt so blessed that Abby didn't need to have her arm set, wear a cast, or anything like that.  It was the best ER experience I guess one could have with a child in extreme pain one minute and totally better the next.  I imagine that is what it's like when Christ performed a miracle and healed someone.

Bugs on a stick...

Tonight we had ants on a log (peanut butter and raisins on a celery stick) and it reminded me of when Madison had it at a friends house a year ago and couldn't remember what they were called and asked for bugs on a stick.

"I want to call Grandma." Abby

I say "which one? Grandma McVea or Grandma Evans?"  To which she replies, "Grandma McEvans."

All Restrictions Lifted!!!!

I have had all restrictions lifted as to what I can do now with my knee.  Basketball here I come.  I am so excited!  It's been 5 months since playing ball or running.  I am excited to try this out.  I must say when they allowed me to bike I was in heaven.  We went on a long bike ride last weekend and I am looking forward to it again this weekend.  Biking with the family has become such a fun family tradition with the girls.  We go weekly when it's good weather.  I'll post some pictures soon:-)

Abby says...

We went and toured the new children's hospital and the girls got some hand sanitize and Abby calls it "hanitizer".  She says, "can I put some hanitizer on?"  I love it.  She also says "spelicun" for Skeleton.  It's so cute.  She also sings the song "Have you seen the ghost of Jon?" and there is a part that says 'with the skin all gone.' and no matter how many times I correct her she still sings it 'with the skin of God.'  I've tried to correct her, but she just won't sing it right.  It would be more funny if she wasn't saying 'God'.

Silly Goosey Abby

At the dinner table the other night we were having grapes and Abby said, "Those grapes spit my forehead."

Halloween Day/Night

 Madison chose her designed face for her pumpkin, poked it, and then carved it all by herself.  It's fun to see my kids grow up, but it's happening so fast that I just want them to stay little forever.  I want to always be there for them and be able to put a band-aid on and have everything be ok.  I miss Madison while she is at school all day.  She is always coming home and telling me the things she is learning and I have to come to grips that she is really growing up.  I am loving their stages right now!  What a blessing these two little girls are in my life and Brian's.  We feel so blessed to be their parents. 

 Abby helping Brian carve his pumpkin.  Abby wouldn't touch the insides of the pumpkin and thought it was gross and disgusting.  Madison on the other hand just dived right in and loved the squishiness between her fingers.  

 About to head out Trick-or-Treating!!!  They were so excited!!!!  They loved the glow in the dark masks (thanks to Grandma Evans) and loved getting all the candy.  

 Madison's Pumpkin

 Brian's pumpkin

 They wanted to hide in the bushes and watch their masks glow.

 Abby's small pumpkin.  This was actually pumpkin number two since her first pumpkin was smashed out in front of our house along with mine.  It was pretty sad actually.  We had picked them from a pumpkin patch and everything.  She was a good sport about it and Madison said "it was probably a boy. They do stuff like that."

After Trick-or-Treating.  Still happy:-)  Cute girls...