Merry Christmas to all!

This year has been another wonderful one in the Weight household with lots of exciting happenings:

Amy turned 1, took her first steps, then started running everywhere; spoke her first words, and then started jabbering non-stop. She keeps us very busy and makes us laugh every day – even her tantrums are funny, for which I'm grateful. She loves going every week to the library to pick out new books, and I love the library for being our 'storage' space.

We welcomed Esther Constance Weight into our home, the day after my birthday. She's been so adorable. She's a snuggler and looks so much like Amy at that age, but has blonde (almost invisible) hair – I'm constantly pointing out that she does have hair, AND eye-brows and eye-lashes. She has the most darling kissable cheeks, squishable thighs and big smiles. Amy loves her baby sister, and calls her “Etters”. She is so willing to run grab diapers for her, and I have to watch her like a hawk so she doesn't just try to hug her to bits. I am very grateful to have had two great pregnancies, do-able deliveries and healthy kids.

Ryan was promoted at work to a leadership position, which brought extra cash and extra stress. For several months he worked three separate jobs for the company while they sorted things out, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we're hoping that the New Year will bring a resolution and less stress. He completed his first two semesters at Western Governors University and is doing very very well there. He keeps chipping away at his education and I am so proud of him! Proud of him as a husband, father, provider, priesthood holder and student!

Thanks to our good friends the Fiedlers and Grandma Jan we enjoyed a delectable December with all of my favorite German treats and knoedel and rotkohl. Thanks to my sister Jenny, I am enjoying vegetable yumminess from using the new cook book she gave me. I tend to get really excited when healthier things taste good – I made brownies the other day with spinach and yams... sounds gross, right? It was DELICIOUS!!

I love December... not for all the shopping (I don't like spending money actually... I think I have a miser gene somewhere) but for the snow, which makes things so white and clean, for the contrast of cold which makes coming inside so homey and warm, for being allowed to sing Christmas hymns and for all the decorations that remind us of the Savior. My favorite Christmas hymn is “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”. One phrase in the German version is “Uns zur freud ist er geboren, denn sonnst waeren wir verloren. Er vertreibet alles Weh – born to make us joyful, because otherwise we'd be lost. He casts out all pain.” I have thought about this a lot this year – I am so grateful for the 'good news' of Christ. Without Him we would be lost – no chance of repentance, no chance of resurrection, no eternal families... in short, no hope. There are still trials in life, even with the gospel, but without it we walk a much more lonely road. I am grateful to know Christ lives, loves us and understands EVERYthing we go through. Some things may not make sense or get alleviated in this life, but because of Him, we have hope that all will eventually be made right, and God will wipe away all our tears (Revelations 21:4). He truly is the Prince of Peace, and an anchor for our souls. He is God's greatest gift to us! May your celebration of His life be happy, hopeful & MERRY! LOVE Ryan, Christina, Amy and Esther Weight

The Cost of Birth

So, you all know that we had some billing complications -- well, it turns out (though the lady was nice) we are now informed that this would be the price we'd be charged for every time (2,500+ for 4 hours in labor and delivery hospital charge (the OB already gets their own 2,700). Despite all my efforts for a cheaper birth this time... she informed me that the only way I could've had a cheaper birth would've been to arrive at the hospital at a 9 and deliver 5 minutes later... or not get checked into the hospital upstairs for recovery. Every woman who delivers is apparently a 'labor level 3' and it was a fluke in my favor that I was a 'labor level 1' with Amy.

Do you ever feel like you have no options? Logan only has one hospital. There are no birthing centers I can find, except in Roy which I'm not sure I'd make it down there fast enough. There is a good certified and licensed midwife, but she's not allowed any hospital privileges, so it'd have to be a home birth. You either look at paying upwards of 4,000 (with the help of insurance -- we have a 2,000 deductible per person) any time you have a baby... or you find something else. Everyone seems to believe that the hospital is the only place to have a baby. I have a dad who's an E.R. doctor and that's what I've been raised to believe, but from someone who has had non-complicated deliveries both times, and has not had much care from the nurses except to force me to stay on the External Fetal Monitor for longer, there comes a point where you are desperate for something different.

Unless the hospital agrees to let me labor how I want, or I can find a family doctor to deliver me there and then discharge me right away, I must say (and I hope my Dad at some point can understand) I am looking into another option and praying that I continue to have no complications.

Delectable Lentil Stew

We've made this 3 times in the last week... it's that good:

4 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 onion, diced (I used 2 T. dehydrated onion)
1/2 c. bell peppers, chopped (I used 1 T. dehydrated bell pepper)
5 1/2 c. water
4 tsp chicken boulion
1 c. lentils
dash garlic pepper
sprinkle red pepper flakes
1 tsp sugar
1 c. cubed ham, cut up ham lunch meat or maple link sausage
1 c. yellow squash, cubed
1 tomato, cubed

Put everything but the squash and tomato in a pot, and bring to a boil. Let simmer in a covered pot for 20 minutes. Add the squash and tomato and cook for 5-10 more minutes. It's so delicious!!

Don't you think our girls look remarkably similar?

Esther's blessing

We had Esther's baby blessing yesterday, and had a wonderful time with all our family visiting.
(Incidentally, that beautiful painting in the background was painted by my wonderful Mom - it's an ocean scape, if you can't tell).
Amy loved having her Oma to visit, as did I. I always love seeing my Mom and am grateful she's not only my mother, but my friend.





Esther Constance got to meet one of the women she was named for, Constance Erickson, who is a dear dear friend. I lived with Constance for 6 months when I was saving up money for college and she helped and blessed me greatly by her example, friendship and unconditional love. I will forever be indebted to her for boosting my self-esteem and believing in me, even when I did not.


We blessed Esther in the same dress that I was blessed in 26 years ago. I love being a mother.








Amy enjoyed having Opa read to her and was happy to have him sitting by us at church. They are such cute pals.










Most of Ryan's family was able to be there for the blessing, which was really great. We missed his Mom, Ben, Alissa, and Joe and Jack. His sister Stephanie even came, though she just gave birth two weeks ago. All of Ryan's sisters are beautiful, and it's nice that it looks like Amy and Esther are taking after them in appearance -- though, I think I may want to buy a bat to keep boys away.
Ryan's aunt and uncle, Brenda and Jurgen came with their kids... we love them, and are glad they got married, because in a way, it led to our being

married, since Jurgen was the one who told the Weights about the canyon where we lived, and they built up there. :)

Need I say how much I love this little wiggle-worm?

I am enjoying being her, and Amy's, Mom so much. Ryan and I are just nuts about these two precious kids.

I'd just finished feeding Esther and snuggled her up next to the couch so that hopefully she'd stay sleeping and feel like she was still being held...

needless to say, she woke up and was searching for more grub. Is it any wonder she's growing so well?








My Mom especially liked having us down to visit. She was eager to hold Esther any chance she got. I'm glad she loves our kids, and us, so much.












We got to visit Grandma and Grandpa Weight who have many MANY grandchildren -- in the 70s I think -- and had 13 children themselves. I'm amazed how they remember us all individually. We love seeing them.







My Dad has a lot of fun with his grandkids. Here he was giving Amy and Rylee a tutorial on how to play the piano. I love Rylee's facial expression. She had just gotten up from a nap. And note the little clip in Amy's hair -- I made that! Shera taught me how to make little bows and clips and I loved it!! I never knew a glue gun, felt, buttons and yarn could be so fun.








It was great to spend time with family. I feel very grateful to have such a wonderful family who also make me laugh a lot. Ben, my brother, never fails to make me laugh quite hard when I get to see him. All in all, though traveling is not my favorite thing, it was a great visit and well worth going.