Midnight card making :)

Last night I made tons of cards for family. Wish I could make more for all of you, but consider these pics as if I made and sent one personally to each of you. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

We've had a busy year! First we moved into a beautiful house in February. We had so much help from the Benson's and members in our old & new wards. Mom & Dad Packer and the boys spent part of Easter w/ us. Then we had fun planting a garden, getting to know our neighbors and ward. We saw Sister Tricia in Temple Square in May. Then Jordan & Jared's parents went to Independence, Missouri and the Ventura, Cali. missions in the summer. We had a blast at Alpine & the Fish fry w/ the Johnsons in IF.

I got an awesome b-day surprise in September when Dad & Mysha w/ her kids came for 1 night. It was so fun to let the kids play and make bows w/ Mysha. Then Halloween came too soon. For Thanksgiving we visited Nana & Papa Sherwood and saw pregnant Laura & Brandon. (She's due in beginning of March:)

Jared just changed jobs (we are so GRATEFUL for employment!) from St. Luke's Elks Rehab to Blue Cross. He is training now and looking forward to this new phase of his career in the field of social work/counseling. Christmas has been busy w/ Brielle's 5th b-day (we had 15 girls at the party w/ butterfly wings, wands, and cake :)! Now for shipping off cookies and packages and cards to our family and missionaries. Hope there's enough time to get it all done.

I love to stop and take a breath to remember the reason we celebrate Christmas; CHRIST. He came so we could repent, try harder to be better, love others, and return to our Heavenly Father in heaven, and be with our families for eternity. I'm so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the message of hope he gives to all of us. I feel that because I have been given much I to must give. We are happy, mostly healthy, and grateful for the blessings we have and try to share. We hope your year is a great one, filled w/ memories, teaching opportunities w/ your kids, and lots of smiles.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all of you.
Love,
~Jared, Becca, Brielle, & Sydney :)

What you've all been waiting for....

Here are some pictures of our HOME!
My mom made the curtains in Brielle and Sydney's rooms as well as the Bonus rm. (I don't have a picture of that room, yet :)

This is our master bedroom and we LOVE it! We enjoy having a walk-in closet and our own bathroom. It's so nice to be in a house!


This is our front living room. We are so grateful for the beautiful furniture!

Syndey's room...I'll get more updated one's soon.
Us on the kitchen counter before we moved in.


Yay! We got the keys around Valentine's Day 2009 :)!




Here is the swingset that Jared's parents gave us and my Dad and brothers set it up before Easter. Thanks everyone!

Arts and Crafts

Brielle loves to draw, paint, stamp, sticker, cut, tape... the list goes on.

She made valentine cards last night.

I feel pretty...

"I feel PREETY, oh so Preety! I feel preety, and witty..."

Brielle loves to dress up, and now Sydney is getting into girly things :) She can say, "Pink and purple," and she loves to wrap up her babies in silk scarves I got from DI.

Island Princess Shall we dance? Carrie and Sydney dancing w/ ballerina doll.

Petticoats at Ali's. Emma, Lizzie, and Brielle at our apartment.

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!


This is what Brielle looks like when I take out her short-haired braids. She looks lie Pippi Long-stockings w/ the braids in and like a little dog with the braids out! She's realizing that she wants LONG hair now. (Cross your fingers) Brielle loves to wear a veil and crown. She feels like a bride dressed this way.This is Brielle's pout when she is not the center of attention. It's hard to share the lime-light. I remember... ;cD

Little Red Riding Hood... taking a basket of goodies to grandma.

Benson ballets, plays, and arts...

My girls just love to put on a show... dancing, singing, puppet shows, and drawing:

• We found a movie "Bride and Prejudice" that has us hooked. The music is incredible!
  
  
  

• Then the girls used our couch cover for a puppet show. It was with the reindeer puppet Bri made at Jared's work Christmas party.

• The musical (songs from Barney's show) plays on opening night. Lights, curtains...
  
  
  
  
• Songs...
  
  
  
  
• Ballet! After church the girls twirled in their "ballet/wedding dresses"....
  
  

It's impossible to get a shot of them spinning and their faces at the same time. :) [Feb. 1, 2009]

• Clowning around...
  
  

Share, share, share

Sydney and Brielle swarm Jared whenever he has a treat. This is him "Shawing" as Sydney would say. (Yo Gabba Gabba has a cute song about loving to share...anytime Sydney wants something Breezy doesn't want to share, she starts to sing. "Shaaw, shaw, shaah. I love to shaw, i wuv to shaw..." It's too cute!)

Choices, choices...

We are picking out colors to paint the house:

• Brielle's room: Sassy Lilac



• Sydney's room: Fresh Pear



• Master bedroom: Wool Coat



• Living Room: Wool Coat (just one wall)

Exciting decisions... ;c }

Daddy's girls

Almost EVERY night, Brielle & Sydney get geared up for rides w/ daddy! They have him wrapped around their little fingers. When I watch them gravitate towards him after work, they look like little bear cubs crawling and pouncing on him. They're SO Glad when Daddy comes home. :)

Sydney-girl

Sydney is such a trooper. She's had a broken leg and 2 eye surgeries, but she is one of the happiest toddlers. She loves to dress up and "dance." I love how whenever a song comes on, Sydney grabs my hand and begs me to join her in a silly dance. I'm so grateful for these moments.