Road trip

CAN'T WAIT!

Hi,this is RC!

I am so excited to go to TEXAS! (By the way Mom actally let me type on my own this time!) It will be the awesomest if I make it without puk'in the whole time (I get car sick if I don't take medicine)! Anyways, I just can't wait to see G and G's new house! It will also be awesome to see other family members, too. Christmas is the time of giving so here's a joke. Why did the orange go to the doctor? Because he wasn't peeling well! Have a great Christmas everyone!-RC

A good point

Rhiannon: Mom, can I make some posts on the blog? Because, ya know, it's the Cushing Family blog, not the Verity Cushing blog.

(Expect future posts from Rhiannon! :))

"What do we DO with our blessed life?"

Last week I came down to the kitchen in the morning and noticed this beautiful "picture"--the sun was shining directly on the vinyl clings we'd placed on the porch doors, leaving a nice Christmas reminder for us all! :)

Over the weekend I was SICK, SICK, SICK with a stomach bug that's been going through Ridgecrest like wildfire. I paid homage to the "porcelain god" all Friday night, stayed in bed all Saturday, was super sore on Sunday, and still recovering Monday. Tuesday was the first day that water finally tasted good! I am SO thankful I'm feeling better and very appreciative to Jason and the kids for taking care of each other and letting me rest. I'm praying that they will be able to stay healthy, too, especially for our big trip next week!!! Except for that road bump, it's been a busy month. I think we've had a good balance of "doing good to others" and also having fun with lots of parties and fun activities.

Last night our fantastic home teacher dropped by for a visit. One thing he said that I haven't been able to stop thinking about was that blessings should flow. Instead of saying, "Oh, I'm so blessed, I'm so thankful for my good life" and then sitting on those blessings, we should use our blessed life to continue to bless the lives of those around us. That thought reminded me of a quote I read from President Uchtdorf, too:

"Disciples of Christ throughout all ages of the world have been distinguished by their compassion. … In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers.”

I love that. If I can do that, it will be easy to keep "the Spirit of Christ" in Christmas!

Christmas lights

The picture isn't too great, but the lights sure look great in person! Thanks, babe!

A delicious "disaster"

This week we got a fun Christmas package from Grandma Deb. We love the seasonal surprises she puts together! :) The gingerbread house kit was great--the kids LOVED it! Even after I totally screwed up the icing, Rhiannon and Wade went to town with all the candy. They stuck it on the roof the best they could, and then they'd take turns tapping the house to try to get the candy to fall off!!! Thanks for a fun activity to kick-off Christmas, GMa Deb!