I’m titling this post “Time” for so many reasons.

It’s “time” for me to update my blog. I know. We didn’t fall off the face of the planet, I promise! I’ve just have no “time” and so many other things have taken priority over the ol’ blog.

It seems like the “time” of blogging is winding down. Or at least family blogs. I still read every blog post written by my closest family and friends, but it seem like, overall, most of us are posting a lot less. Not sure if that’s because we are all getting busier as we add more children/grandchildren, or if blogging is just getting less popular. I think I need to keep doing it, though, since it’s really my only regular (ha!) method of journaling right now. That, and facebook. Does anyone know if you can get a printout of all of your facebook status updates since the beginning of time??

My “time” is very stretched right now. Between taking care of my family’s needs, chauffeuring kids around every day, working out, teaching HypnoBirthing classes, attending births as a doula, singing in various choirs, hanging out with friends and family, catching up on TV shows I’ve missed, cloth diapering, laundry, housecleaning, teaching piano, SEO writing, completing my doula coursework, church obligations, and me time, I am SWAMPED! Does anyone else feel this way? Some days I feel like I am drowning. I have so many things on my mental “to-do” list that I don’t even know where to begin. Those days are the worst because I get so overwhelmed I just sit and play Candy Crush and get nothing done. Sad, I know.

I’m ready for some more “time” this summer. I won’t have to do as much chauffeuring or singing, and hopefully things will slow down a bit. I’ve planned a lot of fun things to do with my kids this summer. I’m going to get a zoo membership and enroll Kaisa in dance and Everett in karate. We also have our Seven Peaks passes. Nathan and I have been planning a lot of other fun things to see and do around Utah that we’ve always wanted to experience. It should be really fun!

It’s about “time” for another trip to Disneyland. Nathan and I have told the kids that they have to earn it. We have a jar in the kitchen that is the “Disneyland jar” and they have to fill it with marbles in order to earn their trip. We’ll see if that happens. I hope it does because I soooooo want to take Harrison to Cars Land! He will JUST DIE!!!

I’m also feeling it’s “time” to start thinking about baby number four. I want to have one more baby, but I’m scared. I feel like a juggler who is barely keeping up with three balls and someone wants to throw in a fourth ball. It freaks me out a little and I think all the balls might just fall on the floor. But I don’t want to wait too much longer because I want baby #4 to feel included with the other children growing up. We’ll see how we feel at the end of the summer, but I’m thinking baby #4 will make her (hopefully!) appearance sometime in 2014.

Well, that’s all for now. It’s “time” for bed. More updates are coming, with pictures too!

I am LOVING this cute bag! They are doing a giveaway and you can enter here:

http://blog.groopdealz.com/chevron-bag-giveaway/

About this time of year, I send Christmas cards to our friends and family who live far away and invite them to visit our blog for more info on what we have been up to. So, if you’re visiting our blog after getting a Christmas card, welcome! Enjoy this little recap of our past year!

Nathan

Nathan is still on the executive team at Boostability. He has done some great things this year and the company has been treating him well. Boostability has really grown this past year and we feel so blessed that Nathan is able to make great money doing something he loves! When Nathan isn’t working, he’s usually picking up the slack at home so I can go do my various activities (bless his heart!). When he gets free time, he likes to play iPhone or XBox 360 games, research domain names, spend time with his brothers, or hang out with his gorgeous wife (haha!). He is also the ward clerk for our LDS ward and spends a lot of time on Sunday helping out with meetings and other various tasks. Nathan is a great husband, father, employee, and friend and everyone who interacts with him loves him!

Fiona

I am busy, as usual. It’s not enough for me to be a wife, homemaker, and mother of three children: I also have to pursue multiple hobbies and career opportunities! I am still teaching HypnoBirthing classes, and my business has really taken off this year. I’ve had a lot more couples and am now teaching my classes at a birth center. I’m also studying to become a doula and hope to have my certification by early next year. I attended a birth in October and have two more booked already! I am also writing blogs and articles for Boostability from home, which provides a nice little side income each month. I’m still singing with the Utah Chamber Artists and have been teaching piano to Kaisa and one other student in my neighborhood. Somehow, I manage to squeeze in the day-to-day stuff like shopping, cooking, cleaning, chauffeuring kids, and going to the gym. I’m not always good at balancing everything, but I have a great husband and kids to help me out. :)

Kaisa

Kaisa had a fun year! She turned 5 back in April and started Kindergarten this fall! She absolutely loves her class and teacher. Every day when I ask her how school was, she always says “It was a blast!” Kaisa is a social butterfly and a budding artist. She combines those two traits by making pictures and books for just about everyone she can think of. She loves primary and sang her little heart out at the primary program this year. Kaisa is a great help to me and is getting very good at responding, “yes mother” when I ask her to do something. She is learning the piano and took ballet lessons last summer. We love having Kaisa in our family!

Everett

Everett is such an energetic little boy! He is always moving and talking…he never stops! He turned 3 last February and started preschool this fall. He also got to take some fun classes at preschool this past summer with Kaisa. They took a sports class and he loved it! He loves everything having to do with sports and superheroes. He also loves riding his scooter outside and always wants to ride with his neighbor friends. He is excited to start primary next year. We sure love this boy!

Harrison

This kid is into everything! He is constantly pulling things out of drawers and off of shelves. I am picking up after him ALL DAY. He is super cute though, so I hardly mind. He is finally starting to talk and can say over 50 words now. He almost never says “no” but he does shake his head a lot. He says “yeah” a lot, and it is so cute! Harrison loves watching TV and playing with cars. He is obsessed with the Cars movie. He also loves to follow his older siblings around the house and play with them. He imitates everything and everyone, so we have to be careful what we do and say around him. He is such a joy to have in our home and provides constant entertainment with all the cute things he does!

All in all, it’s been a great year for our family. We want all of you to know how much we love and appreciate you and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Please remember to take a moment to reflect on the real reason for this season–the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are so grateful for his sacrifice and try to live as He would. The gift of his life is the greatest gift we could ever receive.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

This year we spent Thanksgiving at Camp Keisel. It’s a boy scout camp up near Ogden. Nathan’s cousin works for the BSA and gets to use it for free for one week every year. They decided to have the annual Judd family reunion there over Thanksgiving. I was a little worried that we would freeze, but it wasn’t bad. We spend most of our time in the heated lodge, and the cabins were heated as well. However, the beds were TERRIBLE. I had a backache for days afterward. Harrison also decided he needed to sleep on my chest that night, and he is HEAVY. Anyway, despite not sleeping well, we had fun!

Sleeping quarters

The lodge

We played a lot of games!

Cousin fun!

The people who braved the cold were rewarded with gorgeous outdoor scenery!

I am so thankful for my wonderful blessings. The Lord has truly blessed me and my family this year! It’s so great to have a day to reflect on all that we have and give gratitude to our Heavenly Father for all He has given us.

After the snow-less winter we had last year, we were SO EXCITED to get a decent snowstorm in November! The kids had stayed the night at Nathan’s parent’s house so we could have a date night for my birthday. It snowed like crazy all afternoon and night. The next morning the kids were begging to go play in the snow, but we needed to get them all snow gear. As we were out shopping, we found these awesome ice block makers. We tried them out by making an igloo at grandma’s house. It turned out okay for our first try, but it was not very stable. The kids got to go inside for a few minutes, and then I went in to take some pics from the inside. As I was crawling out, my leg hit something that caused the whole thing to collapse. I was sad, especially when the kids saw it and exclaimed, “Mom! You broke our igloo!” Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!

So excited to go inside!

From the inside

Getting ready to crawl out...

It's collapsing on me!!!!

SO. SAD.

After our igloo collapsed, we went inside to get warm. My mother-in-law cooked a yummy birthday dinner for me and I got to open presents!

Sporting my cute new scarf while I excitedly examine my knitted uterus/pelvis mini model kit. Love using this kit in my classes!

I also got a rice cooker, new boots, a memory foam bath mat, an iPhone case, and organizers for my van.

CUTE. KID.