It's been a good ride

Our opening song in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday was..."There is Sunshine in my Soul Today". And I found it quite appropriate for the day. You see...Ira got released from being the bishop of the Smithfield 22nd Ward. However, if I am to be completely and totally honest - it isn't all happy/joy - it is a bit of a bitter/sweet feeling (which surprised me that I would feel this way - I thought I'd be doing backflips when the time came to an end). The sweet feeling comes from knowing that this will mean that he now will have a little more time open for his family. And the anticipation with where the Lord wants him/us to serve next. The sweet also includes such tender memories and experiences, along with eternal bonds with ward members. The bitter comes from having these great times and experiences come to an end (I know the great times were frequent for him...not so much for me since I was "manning the homefront" when he was gone). However, the relationships built during this time will never come to an end, including, and especially, the relationship with our Savior - since we both had to rely much more on Him than we ever had before.

During the five years he has been bishop, he had to move our whole ward to a new building, and he also was released as bishop of 12th ward and sustained as bishop of 22nd ward, which was a brand new ward. So he and his two counselors were the only people in our ward who had callings for the first week. And during the next month, it was a marathon for them to get all the other callings filled. Needless to say, we didn't see much of him during that time.

I know it will be an adjustment for Ira when he maybe doesn't feel quite so "needed" when he's at church. But I hope he realizes how much he is needed at home, and I hope that this new adjustment will be smooth for him. I know that he put his whole heart and soul into his callings (as bishop and husband and father) and the people that he has served. I am proud of him for putting his faith in the Lord and doing the best he could do with juggling all his responsibilities.

The youth asked him what he was going to do when he isn't bishop anymore, and his response was: "I'm going to Disneyland!!" So next time I post, it will be after a great week in the sun with lots of fun. Nothing like a vacation to the greatest place on earth to help a transition like this one. :) YIPPPEEEE!

The following pictures are in no particular order. I wanted them to be in chronological order, but it wasn't working out that way - and I'm not about to spend a couple hours moving them all around :)

The 12th Ward youth at Temple Square

Bishop Crawford and his favorite youth in our ward. It was fun for him when Brayden turned 12 and could go on these youth outings with his dad.

This is Ira at the Ropes Course that they brought the youth to. Somehow they have some lesson that goes with this activity.
The group at the ropes course.
Then there are Youth Conferences.
This is the 12th ward Young Womens camp, and their fearless bishop, plunging into the freezing waters of Bloomington Lake (from the rope swing - and notice the snow still on the cliffs). But he would only do it if the girls committed to reading the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. They committed, and some of them finished.

Our ward camp out.
The first bishopbric with the 12th ward. I don't have a picture of the last one - I am going to have to corner them for one.
Bishop Crawford handed out candycanes to the children of our ward after a ward party.
With some of the Young Men in our ward - he's helping Brayden with his Eagle Project.
The next few pictures are when we went to Martins Cove with the youth. I got to participate in this activity too.

We crossed the sweetwater river - Ira carried me across.
The "old" Bishop Crawford and the "new" Bishop Davis (this was right after the wards split - so both wards went).
Our turn pulling the handcart.
Loved those activities we could have some of our family be together.
The two of us plunging into the Sweetwater River.

Our group.

Ira went with the boys on their High Adventure to Green River.



Bishop Crawford giving his daughter her baptisimal interview. (no he doesn't hold all the girls hands - just his two princesses ;) ).
This picture just made me laugh. It was taken right after he had been set apart as bishop 5 years ago. I must have thought that having that calling somehow would make him "all business" - but I was proven wrong (thank goodness).
I think this is my favorite picture of him through his church service. At Young Womens camp, we went to our own quiet spot and read our scriptures.
This was some derby with the young men. I helped him make a bus for his.
A quick nap at Young Womens camp.
Showing the Young Women that your never too old to slip n' slide.
Having a watermelon-seed spitting contest.
One of the campfire games at camp.
At cub scout day camp.

Snowmobiling at Yellowstone with the Young Men.

Bishop Crawford and his two counselors (Roger Douglas and Matt Larsen) at our ward swim party.
Bishop AKA Dad...showing Brayden how to shoot a rifle at the ward turkey shoot.
This last year with the youth in SLC.
Backpacking with the boys to Imogene Lake.



The two of us canoeing at Girls Camp.
Ira with his two counselors (Roger Douglas and Drifty Crossley) at Young Womens camp.
Like the title of this post says...It's been a good ride (yes, even for me...sometimes - you didn't see me in many of those adventurous pictures) :) I know the responsibility was great for Ira, and often weighed heavily on him. But from the looks of these pictures (and there aren't even pictures of most of the acitivites) - I think he had A LOT of fun along the way!

Cousins...Cousins... and more Cousins

Cousins are the greatest thing ever invented. I love having cousins, and my kids love, love their cousins too. So before Christmas, I had the littlest cousins (who live close enough), come over for a Christmas party. (The two older cousins go to Utah State and I recruited them, and they entertained these kids - good recruit on my part ;) !

We made gingerbread houses.

Grandma made cookies that they also decorated and ate.

They traded gifts.

I can honestly say that when this party was over - I was sad. It was a lot of fun to have them all over with all the excitement of Christmas in the air.

The next cousin get-together over the holidays was the day after Christmas (my daddy-o's birthday).

These three boys loved playing the DS. (is there a computer key sign that shows eyes rolling? - that's how I feel when they had a whole gym to be running in, but they found a corner to play a DS - and yes, it's my sons DS, so it's my own fault!)

Grandma had made Christmas stockings for the missionaries on their island for the last couple of years. So this year she made... I don't know how many...but a lot of stockings from island fabric that she brought home, for all of her grandchildren and children. They are so dang cute - We just love them.

I'm so grateful for this big group that I call family. I love every get-together we have with them. It is harder and harder to get us all together now that my nieces and nephews are getting married and having families of their own. So when we can spend time together - I treasure it.

Christmas Morning

I think every year, Ira and I have been the first to wake up at our house on Christmas morning, and we have waken the kids up. Not this year...no such luck. They were awake and ready to go way too early for me. With squeals of "Hurry mom and dad - wake up! Hurry...hurry...", our morning began.

As tradition goes from when I was a child, we have family prayer, then line the kids up from youngest to oldest and let them come into the room one at a time.

This year, they found their main gift was inside 4 bags like the one Jarin is holding. Hmmm...what could be inside?

I had purchased several small items (4 of each), mostly from the dollar store to fill these bags up. At the bottom was these Disney pillow pets, and Brayden got a Disney sweatshirt.

Any clues yet what their main gift is?...DISNEYLAND TRIP! SO excited. The last gift in the bag was a Disney gift card so they could get a souveneir at Disneyland. The kids are so excited they can hardly wait. It's the gift that just keeps giving.

I had also made scrapbooks for the kids of the last few years of their lives. They each got their own.

Santa put these cutest ever hats in their stockings.

My santa knows the way to my heart - my 4-wheeler. I got this cutest ever helmet - now I can be stylin'! And I also got a walkie talkie system that hooks to the helmets with an earpiece and microphone so we can have conversations when we're on our own bikes. I love that! We go on these great weekends away, but haven't really had much chat time - now I can talk his ear off! Not to mention - when we have our kids - he always leads and I take up the end - to make sure our kids are safe. This way I can let him know if we are having a problem. And guess what I got Ira - a helmet! ha ha, great minds think alike. And, my parents got us something for our 4-wheelers too. Boy, does my family know me or what? :)

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Isn't December the best?! I love all the excitement in the air. I love that people are kinder to one another. I love that total strangers smile to each other and lend a helping hand in times of need. I love that we think of our neighbors more. I love that we spend time together as families. I love the homemade gifts that come home with my kids from school. I love the sparkle in my childrens eyes as they anticipate what Santa Claus will bring. I love that the world seems to be a more peaceful place, even if it's for just a short time. I love the Christmas carols. But more than anything else, I especially love that we pause more to reflect on our Savior....the reason for the season.

Kamden helping Ira put up the star.

Brayden hugging the tree like on the "Grinch".

Jarin with his Rudolph shirt that the kindergarteners all make for their program. The cutest program ever!

The kids with Santa himself.

Our traditional Christmas Eve dinner by candlelight.

Another tradition - following Santa on the computer. This way we know when he's getting closer to Utah.

Another tradition is that our Sister in law, Beckie, makes us matching jammies for Christmas Eve. We always look forward to see what the new jammies will be, and every year we think they are the best ever.

After reading the account of our Saviors birth and singing a couple songs, the kids head off to bed and wait to hear Santa's bells ringing outside. And this year, like every year - they heard his bells - so they hurried to sleep!