The last few days...12/29/2009

Christmas Eve and Day...12/24-25/2009

We wanted to have a fun, relaxing Christmas Eve, so we started off the day at Grandpa Milne's house! The kids went out and started raking his leaves-by the time we told them to come in they had a pile of leaves five feet high!

Next we took the kids bowling! I thought it would be much too busy but it didn't get busy until halfway through our second game! We were all starving after two rough games of bowling, so we headed to the Outback! After stuffing our faces we went shoe shopping at Rebel Sports-the kids each got a new pair of sneakers!




Bailia and Jaden each made a card for Santa, they were so cute. Bailia's even made me cry! She wrote on the cover~ Merry Christmas Santa! On the second page~ Ho...Ho...Ho!!! Merry Christmas Santa. On the final page~ and a Happy New Year! P.S. Tell everyone at the workshop including you, the rain deer and miss clause they did a good job!


Jaden on the cover wrote ~ Merry Christmas Santa Love:J-dog Ho Ho Ho!!! On the inside he wrote~Santa we put out one of each cookies. My favorite cookie is the brownie type one because it tastes like a brownie with powtered sugar! My guess is Santa ate the brownie cookie (wagon wheel cookie) since it was so highly recommended!


Then it was time to pull out the Christmas Pajamas and get ready for bed! I buy the kids matching Christmas Pj's every year-the bigger they get the harder it is to find cute matching pj's! They all seemed to like them, and I thought they looked darling!
Jaden is at gymnastics about twelve hours a week-plus he works out at home-his six pack is proof of his hard work! WOW!













We had a WONDERFUL Christmas! It was a peaceful day spent with each other~who could ask for anything more?! Jaden made the comment that even though we told them it was going to be a really small Christmas compared to years past, he felt like he had as much, or more than ever! It was really nice to hear that, since I spent around $150 per kid~and usually I spend MUCH more than that! I saved money, the kids were more than satisfied, and we all enjoyed the day a lot more than in years past! Merry Christmas to all!

Gingerbread Houses...12/23/2009

Here it is the day before Christmas Eve. I am at the point where if I haven't bought it, or done it, they must not need it! There are oodles of neighbor gifts that should have been delivered, but haven't. Christmas cards that should have been sent, but haven't. I haven't really been in the mood for all of the "extras". But in the end I think focusing on what really matters has been accomplished, spending time together as a family, and the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Today we each built a gingerbread house (train), and loved every second of it! We started off with enough candy and frosting to frost a mansion, and ended up with half of it on our houses, 1/4 of it on ourselves, and 1/4 of it in our mouths! Talk about sugar OVERLOAD!
All of the houses were coming along just fine when Koda shouted OH NO, my roof! He had put SO much candy on his roof, that he was having an avalanche! We tried to fixed it, but the damage had been done! In the end he still loved his house! Bailia's train kept tipping over now matter how much frosting she used to stick it together! She had put so much stuff on top of the poor little train, it never had a chance! We actually ended up liking the train tilted better anyway!
The kids are so excited to have Santa see their masterpieces! They kept saying just think of what his face will look like when he sees mine! Mine too, the others would pipe up! Sometimes these little stinkers are just too cute!

Relaxed and Ready to be LAZY!! 12/19/2009

It has been almost six years since I last had an infant. It has been almost five years since I have changed a diaper. One thing is for sure-you never forget how to take care of a baby, you just forget how much time it takes. I watched baby Emerson and Josh for Jill today while they went to a wedding. First of all they are great kids, Josh and Koda were playing so well together that I almost forgot Josh was here! Eme is a GREAT baby, she smiled almost the entire time! I made the kids grilled cheese with Eme on my hip. We stayed in our pajamas most of the day-it was just like old times when I had three kids under THREE-how did I survive? I may never know!
Babies make you slow down and enjoy the little things in life. Although I enjoy that my kids are getting older, and that they can do a lot of things for themselves, I realized I miss a lot of things about having a baby around. I miss the smell of their breath, the way the smallest thing makes them smile, feeding time when they just look at you, and you wonder what they are thinking. I could go on and on... the kids LOVED having a baby in the house. I am sure poor Eme thought who are these kids that have been inches from my face all day! Bailia read her stories, while Jaden played his flutophone for her~she was memorized by both! It was a great way to start our Christmas Break~relaxed and ready for the next few weeks of laziness!

Three Class Christmas Parties...12/18/2009

Fluteophone Performance! 12/16/2009

Primary Class Christmas party...12/15/2009

When I decided to have a class party for my primary kids, I wanted it to be special. I didn't want it to be about Santa, gifts, and wants. I wanted them to really FEEL the true meaning of Christmas. Did that happen tonight? I hope so.
We started out on our journey on foot. Just as Joseph and Mary did so many years ago. It was starting to get chilly out when we stopped at Jill's house to ask if we could come in to get warm. She didn't have any room for us, but gave us candles (battery operated-could you imagine 10 kids with FIRE) to light our way.
Our walk from Jill's to Sister Suman's house was longer than our first trek. It was getting colder, and Kaden made the comment that he could see how tiring it would have been for Joseph and Mary. We all sang Christmas carols to pass the time. When we made it to Sister Suman's we told her we were cold, and hungry, and would really like to come in to get warm. She didn't have any room for us either, but sent us on our way with nice soft blankets (I had "He is the reason for the Season~Love Sister Milne embroidered on them).
Our third, and final stop, was at our house. We were getting tired of walking at this point and when we asked Adam if we could come inside to get warm he turned us down too! As we got ready to leave he said, but I have a shed out back that I guess you could use. We all settled in all cozy in our blankets, and out little candle light, we were soon warmed up with ten bodies crammed into the little shed! Baby Jesus laid beside us, in a basket lined with hay.
I started reading a story about Mary and Joseph's tough journey to Bethlehem, and the birth of Jesus. You could have heard a pin drop-and during that moment! It made the entire get together worth it!
After the story Adam brought out Little Caesars, and we talked about our favorite Christmas memories. In the end I would say they all had a good time. Did they capture in their hearts, the true meaning of Christmas? I may never know, but I would like to think so...




I have to journal how cute Jaden has been about buying Kenna a Christmas gift! When we went to the Nutcracker, Kenna had said that she had Jaden's present ready. He asked her what she wanted for Christmas and she kept saying I don't know. Then later she said that she loved Bailia's earrings and she wished she had some like that. Jaden's face lit up and he looked at me with a big grin. Sunday mornings paper came and he searched through all of the ads, then he came in and searched the internet. He called me in to look at "the perfect pair for Kenna".
Nice try I told him-you are not spending $70.00! So he settled on a few things in the Sunday ads, and sent me to the store on Monday with a list of ideas circled, and $20.00 of his own money. I found a few of the things that I thought were cute and bought them so he could decide which to give her. He picked the dangle rectangle dangle earrings with a heart in each one that read Friends~two lives, one heart, joined in friendship forever. He couldn't wait to give it to her tonight after the party. He asked if we could take Kate and Kenna home last so he could give them their presents~he is at such a fun age where he doesn't care anymore if the kids make fun of him! He has three or four close girlfriends, two or three close boyfriends that are all GREAT kids!


Koda came home from school today with the CUTEST card that read-Dad Mere Cmus (Merry Christmas) Love Koda. And a present that he had made the wrap and wrapped himself! He must take after his Momma in the wrapping department, because at five years old he does better than his dad!


Am I the only one that thinks drinking out of the jug is totally disgusting? My kids call the milk jug when it is almost empty. They also apparently have to mark their territory as well!

The Nutcracker...12/12/2009