Gymnastics Recital

The girls had their gymnastics recital on Saturday.  We did Molly's super straight hair in rag curls the night before and it turned out so cute and curly for her performance.

She and Alissa were not a bit nervous just excited and ready to go.  Showing their bridges. 

And splits even though Alissa can go completely down in the splits she wasn't doing it in this picture. 

They were so cute and did such a great job.  I was happily surprised that Molly kept up with all of the girls and did a great job.  The girls have had a good time being in gymnastics with their teacher Melissa but Alissa hasn't been enjoying it as much since Molly has been doing it with her.  She complains about Molly pushing her and things like that so we decided to separate the two of them into different classes. We will see how it goes.

I love their teacher

My cute girls.

So Ella started gymnastics at the beginning of the school year right along with the little girls but she was also playing soccer and piano lessons so after week 1 we decided it was too much and since we already paid for soccer we made her temporarily quit gymnastics.  Then when soccer got done she was heavily involved with play practice so we had to postpone gymnastics another month.  She got to go for one practice before the recital and her teacher told her she could join them and do the recital so Ella actually did perform after the girls.  My camera memory card was full so I only got video on Dustin's phone and no pictures.  I was impressed with her full confidence in herself although it was pretty foreign material.  She just went with the flow.  

Grandpa saved the day and put the sleeper hold on Lincoln.   Love that grandpa!

Gingerbread Houses FHE

December just wouldn't be complete without our traditional graham cracker gingerbread houses.  This year we invited our friends the Hansens and the Taylors over to join us.

We had a great time making houses and then having a nice lesson on the true meaning of Christmas.  It's such a blessing to share our beliefs with good friends who also feel such graditutde and love for our Savior. 

Christmas Trip to Utah

Our friends the Hughes live in Logan and were kind enough to let us come stay with them this weekend.  We stayed up late, played, ate and laughed harder than I have in a while.  Man it feels good to have such great friends!  We are super blessed.

We went to their sacrament on Sunday and then headed to temple square to show the kids the lights and visit the visitors center for a while.  It was 57 degrees when we got there.  Pretty amazing for December 7th!  Made it nice to just wear some light jackets as we walked around.

It is amazing the spirit that you feel as you walk around those grounds and look at their little Nativity set up in front of the visitors center.  You can listen to the scriptures being read about the Savior's birth and just feel so deeply that He truly is "THE GIFT" of Christmas. 

I love this family of mine so much.  I just felt so blessed to be able to go to temple square with them and see the lights.  Even if it was for only an hour and even if it took us way longer than it should have to get there because of all the potty breaks and stretch breaks for screaming kids. 

As we were walking to the car Ella said, "Mom & dad, thanks for bringing us here."  

Made it all worth it!  She is such a sweetheart! 

LOVE this cute boy! 

I just love this picture of Dustin and Lincoln.  It has made it to my top favorite pictures for sure.   

Alissa wanted to have this picture right here holding Lincoln. So sweet! 

Ella the alien. 

I am so grateful for the Savior and for his life.  I know he is the gift of Christmas and that we can give back to him by living as he would: giving, loving, sharing.  I know He is the way back to our Heavenly Father.  So grateful to celebrate this month and to find ways to serve and love others. 

So beautiful!  So thankful to be a member of this church and to know I have the opportunity to have an eternal family. 

A Christmas Carol

Ella's school started a little Drama club this year and made a big announcement they would be holding auditions for a play.  Ella expressed interest and I thought it was wonderful so I gave her all my support.  She went to auditions pretty unsure what she was going to be auditioning for.  In fact she thought she wanted to be one thing and when she went into the gym she ended up reading a completely different script.

She couldn't have been any more excited and proud when she got word that she had a part as Scrooge's sister, Fan.  She had just 2 lines but it was just absolutely perfect.

They practiced 3 times a week and worked so hard.  When the big day came she was pretty nervous.  She was so cute with her little costume and make up on.

I was able to make the program for the play and help the kids in the little "waiting room" on the first night and we finally got to watch her perform the next night.  They also performed twice for the school.   

Here she is saying her part.  Dustin and I were sure she was the absolute best performer out there.  :)  Proud mom and dad.  

It was such a good experience for her and helped her develop so much confidence.  She had a great time and is looking forward to doing it again next year.

The girls loving their daddy while we waited for Ella to get her things after the play.  :) 

The Christmas Tree

2 years ago our "hand me down" tree finally went to the dump and last year we borrowed a spare tree my mom had.  This year we decided to buy a $20 real tree at Home Depot.  We always have fun taking the kids out to pick out their favorite tree.  Home Depot had hot chocolate to sip while we walked around on the cold evening.  Of course the girls got excited and started pouring and we immediately spilled it all over their little table.  Once I got it under control and everybody hot chocolate poured, Molly took a big drink and burned her mouth.  So that became an ordeal with her crying about her burned mouth.  There is never a dull moment!  We picked this fluffy cute little tree to be ours.

We got our traditional ornaments.  Ella got a soccer one, Alissa chose Sophia, Molly got gymnastics and Lincoln got a baby boy with a stork that says Baby's First Christmas.  Of course he was tasting it before we put it on the tree.  As much as I love this tradition of getting a new ornament, it drives me crazy to glue one after another together as they drop them on the floor.  They play with them pretty much every day the first week.  Molly's got the leg, toes, hand and fingers all broke off so we glued it very carefully.  Many others were glued as well.   Dustin had a headache so he went to bed after we got home so the girls and I brought the tree in and decorated it.  By the end of the ordeal I had sadly lost all my patience and sent the girls off to their rooms to go to bed.  The next day while we were doing our Sunday journals Alissa drew the Christmas tree and me standing next to it with a giant sad face.  She said it was because I was mad at them last night.  Sheesh.. made me sad.  After an entire day of pleasing them with new ornaments, Christmas tree, hot chocolate all we can document is mom's sad face?!  I guess I learn from it and keep moving forward.  

I sure love these kids.  They make me so happy.  The joy of Christmas is so much more with little kids around.  I just love it.

Other November Events

Other than the girls getting their tonsils out, we had Lincoln with an ear infection, Dustin with sinus infection and a WHOLE lot of medicine taking!  Thankfully Ella and I stayed healthy.  

The girl's school had a Vetrans Day program again this year and Uncle Devin came to hang out with us.  I sit and cry as I think how grateful I am for the servicemen & women and their families who sacrifice so much for our freedom.  Devin's son David is serving in Afghanistan right now. 

I'm happy that Molly still likes to take naps sometimes.  

Lincoln is growing so much!  He's going to have to learn to walk soon cause Alissa can't hold him up very good.  She only has about 13 pounds on him now.  Ha!!

We built a fort out of their bunk beds.  Love these cute faces!! 

Ella packs this boy around all the time.  I sit him down on the floor to get something done and about 10 minutes later she is handing him to me because she went and got him and played with him and is ready to pass him off.  :)  He loves Ella too! 

Lincoln's First Tooth .. and 2nd .. and 3rd

This poor baby boy must be so miserable.  November 4th he cut his 2 bottom teeth.  Both the same day.  Just today I noticed the top left 2nd tooth is coming through.  I have never had a baby cut teeth so quickly or so oddly.  Usually 2 bottom, 2 top, 2 bottom, 2 top.  Love having my boy!  Hopefully he will just get them all so he can feel better soon.

Doing Less?

I have been having a battle in my mind this week with why is it that I have eliminated cutting hair (one day at least per week), one calling, and 2 visiting teaching sisters and I still feel almost as behind as I did then.  I guess a nursing baby adds a whole new dimension to our family of 6.  I will do my best to catch us up on this blog because I most certainly have been blessed by it in the past.

When all the kids head off to school or lay down for a nap I ask myself, "do I catch up on my blog, run errands, sleep or do house work?"  Those are generally the hardest things to do when the kids are home.  Today, the blog wins for the 1 hour they are at their activities.