A whirl-wind Holiday Season! And Oh yea, we’re Officially Engaged!!!!

I feel like Jonathan and I have been going nonstop since December 24. It has been crazy here in our family! No rest for the weary, or the sick for that matter. As you all now the 24th was Christmas Eve, which we spent at Aunt Jill’s house. That evening we took the time to continue our Hendrickson, Ostler, and Migdat family tradition; of sharing a light supper together, then putting up a little paper doll nativity scene and singing about the story of Christ’s birth. We have been carrying out this tradition ever since I can remember. Our family has used the same nativity set every year, from the time cousin Amy was four years old.

The Christmas Eve nativity night has been carried on year after year, much like Christmas Caroling Monday. Christmas Caroling Monday is always done the family night before Christmas! This is a tradition that has been set in stone by the Shaw/Sharp & the Ostler family. Every year they would take their kids and their friends Christmas Caroling to any families who needed a little cheering up. Both the Ostler and the Shaw/sharp families have always shared a love of music and singing, which they passed on to their children. Now that same love of music has been passed down to their children and so on. And so the Monday night Christmas Caroling has continued over the past 40 years or so! It was so fun to have the little boys, Teague and Corin around to share in each of these activities with us again this year. I know they were the Hit of the Caroling night, with their cute little voices and mispronounced words!! I love kids!!!
On Christmas eve Marina and my nephews spent the night, so that they would wake up at G.G’s house on Christmas morning! It makes it much homier to have little people to wake up with on Christmas morning, Grandma and I enjoyed it very much. In fact I think we all did. It was really nice because I spent that night talking with Marina. We talked for a few hours, late into the night. It was comforting to have that time to catch up with her alone.
As you can see in the pictures that will follow; this year’s Christmas morning went off much like many others. We all woke up and waited for Kate (Marina’s mother) to get to the house, so that we could all open gifts together! She arrived and we each began to open our gifts. A short time later, it started to looked like CHRISTMAS WRAPPING HAD EXPLODED IN LIVING ROOM!!!! It was awesome to see how happy each of the new presents made the boys. Their little faces lit up, with each unwrapped package!

When we were each done opening all the gifts, we sat and ate some breakfast. After that, we all went our separate ways to continue our own Christmas celebration. Marina and Teague and Cory went to her Grammy and Papa’s house, to visit with her family. I waited for my Jonathan to come get me, so that I could open presents with the Robbins family.

On the 26th of December my cousin Kristie received her endowment. Jonathan and I attended a dinner that night to show our support to her and her soon to be, Bradley Corbett. It was fun to be there and learn a little more about the happy couple, before they tied the knot that very next day! WE LOVE YOU BRADLEY AND KIRSTIE!
The 27th was the day Bradley & Kirstin were sealed In the L.A. Temple for time and all eternity as husband and wife, in the presence of the Lord and with the love of many family and friends around them. Jonathan and I love both the Corbett and Perry families very much! We are so happy that Brad and Kristie have found each other, to share their life together. We love you lots Kristie! Bradley, we are so grateful that you are so nice! You have been so warm, loving, kind, and down to earth, with both of us. It has meant a lot to both Jonathan and I! We are glad Kristie found such a good man! Take care of our cousin! We are counting on you. We know you will do an amazing job! :}

Before MR. and MRS. Corbett’s wedding reception, Jonathan and I had his family reunion to go to, at 1:00 p.m. It was clear out almost to Temecula! We spent some time over with his family, and then we shot over to Glendora as fast as we could; to see the bride and groom and share in their special day with them. Needless to say, Jonathan did a LOT of driving that day! He said we put about 180 miles on the car that day; but it was all well worth it. We had a really fun time sharing in the special events with both the families. At the end of the great day, we were both extremely tired though!! As you can tell, Jon and I have been very busy!

Now that I have had a chance to breathe a little, I want to tell you a little more abbot all the gifts Jonathan gave me for Christmas! As I said before, after I finished my Ostler Christmas morning, I went over to Jonathan to open presents with his family! Everyone had finished opening all the other gifts except one. Jonathan had put all my presents from him, in one huge box. Each box that was in that big one, got a little smaller. Each gift had a note that was numbered from 10 to 1. These are pictures of what I found in each box:

Gifts number 10 & 9: Green sweat pants and a matching jacket. Gift number 8: A package of my favorite kind of socks! With the cute pink toes, which he likes.

Gifts number 7 & 6: A toothbrush, because I am obsessed with keeping my teeth clean and he knows that! The other was the Twilight soundtrack, because I LOVE that movie! It's awesome! Gift number 5: A set of walkie-talkies: This is so that we can keep talking, even when Grandma tells us to get off of the phone!! I LOVE THE IDEA!

Gift number 4: A package of my favorite hipster underwear: I use theses to protect my Garments during that "special time of the month" that every woman experiences. Gift number 3: The Bee Movie! This was the movie we went to see on our very FIRST DATE :-) Gift number 2: A stained glass heart: He said, "You can have my heart for Christmas!"
As you can see the number 2 box had a heart in it with the note as pictured above; then he told me to turn the card over and this is what it said:
At this time, I turned to look at him. He was down on one knee, with the Ring in his hand and he said “WILL YOU MARRY ME??” I THEN SCREAMED IN HIS FACE, CRIED, SCREAMED AGAIN AND THEN, SAID YES!!!!!

He caught everyone off guard, including me! I had no idea it was coming on Christmas Day! He caught his dad so off guard, that he missed getting the WHOLE THING on film! Philip asked us to act it out again, but it's just not quite the same!! You can’t redo a reaction like I had. :-D Jonathan says my reaction was priceless and so worth it!! His knees were shaking for a while, after he proposed. It took like 20 minutes for my heart to find my chest again; but after the shock had worn off somewhat, we were both okay!!

We are both so EXCITED and it is still hard to believe that we are now FIANCEE'S!!!!!!! We are both happy, excited, overjoyed, and overwhelmed nervous, and a little scared all at the same time! It’s more a fear of the unknown, kind of thing. Despite our nerves, we both know that, with a little determination, faith in our Lord, and lots of love for each other, we can get through any challenge that may pass our way!!!

WE ARE ENGAGED!
THE TEMPLE SEALING IS, MAY 16 2009
10:30 a.m. In The L.A. Temple
Mark it on your Calendars!