Christmas Festivities

We organized our 2nd annual Christmas Carolling with friends which we did on Monday the 10th.  This year we had the Petersons, Hansens, Paynes, Pettingills, Taylors, Christensens, Bakers, and Laytons.  Each year I am learning how to make this all work out a little smoother.  However, kinks or not, it's a fantastic time.   Here are a few of the pictures I took of these fabulous people. 

Ila, Sydney and Jace

 

Shera, Benji and Clint Payne 

 

Sage, Hadley and Stacey

 

Kaiden & Austin

Ella & Addy 

 

My Friends.  LOVE these girls!

 

And these parents who kindly give their time and supplies to pull us around the neighborhood and make these fun memories.

 

Dustin's work did a kids Christmas party.  This is the first year we made any effort to go and I'm sad we missed it all these years.  The kids got to sit on Santa's lap, choose a really great toy and eat pizza, cookies while watching Frosty the Snowman and make an ornament.

 

Ella was so brave!  Now I have a picture of all my kids on Santa's lap.

 

Before we left my mom came and took a quick picture of all of us while we had our hair fixed so we could put it on our Christmas card.  She is a good mom.  I promised Ella if she would just wear the red sweater for these pictures she could put her pretty dress and high heels on to go see Santa.

 

Ella has been begging to make Friendship Fudge so I let her make it all by herself to put on the treat plates that we delivered to the kids primary teachers and our home teachers.  She did a great job.

 

 

And the kids had fun making treats in their PJs.  Doesn't get much better. 

 

We got together with Hansens again this year to make our gingerbread houses.   Molly would try to get the candy to stick and if it fell, she ate it.  I think it was her rule.  Notice the bowl of candy in front of her is EMPTY. 

 

Heaven on earth for this child. 

 

Ella did a great job making hers all by herself this year. 

 

Alissa had fun too.  She made a doorknob and a doorbell with Santa at the door and had pretty lights decorating the roof. 

 

The finished projects.  Alissa, Molly and Ella's.  Glad to see Molly's had any candy left on it.

 

 

Our elf came back this year.  His name is Jingles this year.  He got sick for about 4 days after Molly touched him and his magic was taken away.  However, after a big apology letter taped to the front door from Ella posing as Molly I think Jingles felt like giving them a second chance.  He's been busy watching the kids make good choices everyday and reporting to Santa and finding clever places to hide.

 

The kids immediately run to the living room every morning to see if Jingles has moved.  Most every day he is in a different spot.  It sure is crazy how motivating this little guy is.

 

Got our presents bought and wrapped.  Only 1 week left and 3 things left on our December bucket list.  I think we'll make it.

Clean Up

Besides Mom & Dad, Jodi and Bob & Haley...

If you read this blog, will you leave a comment on this post.  I really like that minimal people read this so I am going to remove any readers who do not make contact with me somehow before the end of the year.

Thanks!

Sunday Sobbing.

With the news that Dustin's dad has pancreatic cancer my heart has been aching and my mind racing.  So many things to be grateful for, and especially my testimony of the resurrection and eternal families in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The weekends are busy with family visiting from out of town and trying to squeeze in visits without tiring everybody out.  The emotions are draining though.

Dustin has been so good about holding it together and for that reason I have been pretty strong.  However as I sat down in Sunday's Relief Society lesson the Spirit confirmed so many truths to me and I couldn't hold my tears.  This scripture in particular caught my attention.

D&C 121:7-8  Peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thing afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. 

As we went to visit both of our families that night and after my big cry I felt so tired.  We got home later in the evening to find a treat left on our doorstep by one of our home teachers, a text sent by my friend telling me to stop by and pick up treats she had made for us, a facebook message, an email message all with encouraging words from good friends.  Here are a few...

How are you doing? I just wanted to check up on you. You seemed to be upset or something today in RS. Is everything okay? We actually stopped by tonight to see you guys and visit with you, but you were gone.  Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I was thinking about you.

Just want to let you know I love you and I am so grateful for your friendship.  I think the world of you.  You and Dustin are in our prayers.

I hope you know how much I love an admire you.  Anything I can do to lift your burdens I will do.  I'm blessed to have your sisterhood, and want you to know I am always available to you.  Love you much!

Just wanted you to know we are here for you in your time of need.  Let us know if we can help you out.  Home Teacher

I felt so so grateful for my friends.  I've never felt friendship quite like I have here in this ward.  After a soak in the tub I decided to write in my journal and as I was reading and writing the scriptures we had talked about that day, I continued to read D&C 121:9 Thy ^afriends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.

I really felt like weight was lifted as I thought of all my friends just so eager to help me.  I am so blessed to be a wife and a mom.  I am so blessed to be able to stay home with my kids and that my husband always provides sufficient for our needs.  I am so blessed to have good relationships with my family and have the members of my family close by.  I am so blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I am so blessed to have good ward family members/friends who are a constant watch care for me and my family.  I am blessed with a healthy body and healthy family.  I am so grateful for these blessings and when I think of them, the problems seem much much smaller.

10/20/2012 Late Night with Kenzie

I know there are many parents who don't mind their kids having sleepovers and we did all the time as kids and that's ok.  However, before Ella could even talk I felt so strongly that we needed to enforce no sleepovers.  There are too many scary things that can happen in this ever changing world.  As she has gotten older and found some really great friends who belong to really great families and the conversations of sleepovers come up much more often I have been tempted to make exceptions.

Thankfully we have been able to do a few "Late Nights".  Our good friend Kenzie got to come over for a late night a few weeks ago when there was no school on Friday and she and Ella discovered they have matching pajamas.  They got to eat footlong licorice and watch movies in their pajamas.

So grateful for good friends and neighbors for my kids.  It's so fun to watch them creating these lasting memories.

Alissa's 1st (successful) Dentist Trip

We have visited the dentist 2 times previous to this trying to get Alissa's teeth cleaned, but this was the first successful trip.  Not sure what made her feel more brave, but I'm happy about it.

 

We actually viewed pictures from Ella's first dentist visit so she could see the fun bib and smiles from Ella.  She was 3 just like Alissa.  Times like this make me so glad for my blogging.

 

She did such a good job.  She had me hold her hand a few times but let them clean and count her teeth.

 

She wouldn't talk, just kept licking her lips and looking really nervous.  She liked the idea of watching the TV while they cleaned her teeth.

 

I went to check on Ella and found her enjoying every minute of it.  She knows to ask for the cool shades, TV and yummy flouride by now.  Everybody is happy when we walk out with new toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, a token for a prize and NO cavities!  Hooray!

When Dad Comes Home

When dad comes home all the girls run to give him hugs and if he lets them catch a ride on his legs. 

 

I love how they are sitting there just waiting for him to move.

 

And then... GRIP he starts walking.

 

We love our daddy!  Things are complete when we are all home together.

Preschool Field Trip #2

We had our 2nd joy school field trip this week. We went to Pizza Pie Cafe.  It was such a great time!

 

They taught the kids how to make dough with the GIANT mixer and 50 lbs of flour!

 

 

They thought it was pretty awesome! 

 

And then how to make the dough flat for the pizza. 

 

River was the only one brave enough to try throwing the dough. 

 

But everybody was THRILLED when they told the kids they got to step up on the stool to make their own pizza.  They got to reach their little hand right into the bin full of cheese and sprinkle as much as they wanted onto that pizza.  Then they had a big variety of toppings to choose from. 

 

It took only 7 minutes to wait for that pizza to come running out of the oven belt and I don't think they have ever tasted anything so yummy as their home made pizza. :) 

 

THANKS PIZZA PIE CAFE!

 

As a little side note on preschool, Alissa just started writing her name all by herself in the last week or two.  It's been pretty exciting for me because up until this point she hasn't even wanted to trace letters.  I love it!

 

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..

A few days after Thanksgiving we pulled out all our Christmas decorations and put them up.  As always the tree belongs to the kids.  It was only a day or two before the entire thing had tipped over.  They stand on the side of the couch or pull the stool up to it daily and take ornaments off and put them back on.  I'm happy that it makes them happy.

 

We have carried on the tradition my mom started by giving the kids an ornament each year and it makes my heart so happy to put the tree up and hear the kids already saying, "Oh, remember this ornament!  I was only one and I used to make the elephant sound and it was so funny!" 

I still get to tell a few stories as I put up some of mine.  Sadly they have broke a majority of the ones I got when I was a kid, but there are still a few. 

 

Like the Precious Moment Ice Skater who is missing his girl because she is broken off.  He is dated 1997.  We probably had gone ice skating that winter or fall as a family. 

 

Or my little snowman friend.  He is dated 1993.

 

My little baby - I am pretty sure it's the last ornament my mom gave me because I had Ella and got to start the tradition for myself.  This would have been 2005. 

 

This ornament still from my piano teacher the few years I took lessons. 

 

This year Ella got a Ballerina Barbie.  Mostly because she does ballet moves around the house all the time and says she has music playing in her head as she dances and she LOVES the nutcracker.  She also loves the new Barbie Princess and the Popstar.

 

Alissa got Rapunzel.  After getting upset that she didn't get to go with me to pick the ornaments out for everybody she confessed that she did really like her Rapunzel ornament.

 

Molly did get to go with me because the other kids were at school and there is only one thing she could choose above Dora, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Mickey and Minnie .... ICE CREAM!  Fit her perfectly and everybody got a kick out of her in the store saying, "I love it!  It's my favorite!"

 

We made our December Bucket List 2012.  Excited to do some fun things! 

Ella brought home this cute little countdown from school and shares the chance to rip a chain link off with her sisters.

 

My favorite.. the Fisher Price nativity set.  The kids arrange, rearrange, and arrange again this little nativity scene.  I love that they are familiar with the characters and know where they belong.  I love that they make them talk to each other and I find them a little different each time.  I SUPER love that they can't break them.  So fun!

 

We are sending out Christmas cards, wrapping presents and listening to good music.  Next week is our newly organized, annual Christmas carolling with my parents and our friends.  Can't wait!