Merry Christmas!

The kids spent the first part of the week down at Uncle Frank and Aunt Tina's house, and honestly, I'm not sure we would have been ready for Christmas unless they had been.  I spent most of Monday running errands in the morning, then I met up with Dan and some of his friends from work for lunch, then I went home and frosted cookies all afternoon before making up plates of cookies to take to people.  Then when Dan got home, we grabbed the cookie plates and for our own little FHE activity, we dropped cookies off!  It was a lot of fun to visit with friends and spread some yummy Christmas goodies!  

Tuesday morning, Dan and I went to the temple, then Dan dropped me off at the mall to finish some Christmas shopping while he went to test drive a mini cooper.  We finished up and got home in time to get some wrapping done and be here when my parents arrived.  My dad had some last minute assembly and painting to do on one of the presents for the kids (not sure how he would have gotten it done with the kids running around)  Dan and I finished with our wrapping and made some shortbread for Wednesday.  

Wednesday was spent in helping my parents get ready for Christmas.  So lot of shopping at lots of busy stores.  The evening was filled with my parents wrapping, my dad painting and me cooking.  That evening we headed down to Frank and Tina's for Bagna Caulda and Christmas Singing.  It was great being with family and enjoying some of our traditions.  Then we brought our kids home - let them open some slippers for Christmas Eve and sent them to bed. 

My parents had always sorted their Christmas presents into piles by person - we were too lazy to do that this year - but it made it fun - we made the kids hand out presents which they enjoyed almost as much as opening them.

James was one happy camper - he wanted to do everything, play with everything, eat everything and tell me about everything.  The kids paused after stockings to eat some breakfast before opening the pile of presents from each other, mom and dad, grandma and grandpa, Great Grandma Penny, and their cousins.  

My dad always wants to make sure that he documents the kids opening the presents from Grandma Penny well so that she can see it and enjoy their excitement. Here they are all lined up and ready to go!

Aaron showing of some of his new clothes from Grandma Penny.

Grandpa's gift was a big hit with all the kids - he built (with some help from cousin Taz) a train table for the kids.  We've all been having a fun time seeing how awesome of a train track we can build (even mom and dad)  This one was mine - the girls helped decorate it with trains and trees for me.  And that's Anna in a vest that she got from Great Grandma Penny - which she has worn all day and all night since....

Thursday night, we had family over for dinner.  We cooked a huge turkey and a lot more food than we ended up needing for how many people came!  Frank and Tina and Frankie all stayed home sick :(  Some of Dan's cousins who were coming also ended up staying home sick.

Friday we went out to Costco to get me my new phone - after all the garbage we went through with the Sprint store - we got it at Costco for less money - more accessories, better service and more quickly... never going to the sprint store again.....  Other than that, we spent the next couple days playing.  We took the kids to Toys R Us to spend the money they had gotten from Aunt Pam and Grandma and Grandpa Jones.  The younger 5 had a great time picking toys out.  Eileen just walked around and looked since she had already spent her money that morning on a Kindle.  She is so excited to have it arrive next week.  She is excited about her green case that is coming with it and mom and dad are excited that she is getting this instead of more toys.

My parents left bright and early (or dark and early) this morning.  The kids all wanted to say goodbye and were all up early (which made for cranky kids later on...) Church was great, I've really been enjoying teaching the senior primary kids - they are so smart and so amazing!  It's so fun to be able to share my love of the scriptures with them!  This afternoon, we started out with an early dinner, followed by lots of playing and roughhousing on the floor, which dissolved into lots of giggling on the floor.  Finally we let the kids have a snack and then started trying to settle them down with puzzles and books.

Christmas Bustle

We're in the homestretch.  The kids had their last day of school until 2015 and all the parties and goodies that go along with it.  We also got to have friends come over to play on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday!  Addie came over Monday, Heather came over with Chasity to help me out with getting all the kids home from school.  When Addie's daddy Nate, came to pick her up - we asked him to stay for dinner, then we had a fun FHE watching the "He is the Gift" video.  

Tuesday, Meredith came over after school.  The kids all play well with her and she's a great kid.  Even Eileen likes playing with her and she rarely likes playing with kids that are much younger than she is.  That evening, I went to hang out with a bunch of my old friends in Peoria ward.  A friend is moving out of state and a friend who had moved was visiting, so we celebrated with lots of good food and lots of fun chatter!  

Wednesday was normal, morning, late start school day for the kids, followed by a trip to the library for story time.  We had fun there with Nicole and Riley and Tayanna.  We also bumped into Heather and Chasity there.  That evening, the girls had activity days, I dropped them off, then went to run a few errands.  I'm finally feeling kinda ready for Christmas....

Thursday was the last day of school for the kids - they had parties, and came home excited to be out for a couple weeks!  Then piano lessons after school, plus Meredith came over to play.  Then in the evening I went to go Visiting Teaching.  

Friday, the kids were all home and crazy!  We had the Crockett kids over to play and hang out with us.  We had fun playing with stickers and coloring, and decorating gingerbread cookies and playing outside.  Sister Crockett was kind enough to hang out for a bit after and watch the kids so I could clean up the disaster that was my kitchen!  The kids all had a great time together though.  

Then Saturday night, we did our Christmas cookie cook out - we made our cutout cookies and had fun decorating them.  We let the kids do a few each, then sent them downstairs to watch a Christmas movie while we cleaned up and did some decorating too.

This was what we got done (not including the ones that the kids ate) and the plan is to do the rest tomorrow....  Then we get to distribute cookie plates with some of these, some shortbread, some ginger cookies, and some spritz cookies for FHE.

Today was the Christmas program at church.  It went well, but ran short.  The music was beautiful and I think the spirit was felt.  Then after church, we ate a quick lunch/dinner and then packed the kids up and headed to Grandpa's for the Christmas Carol Sing Along.  It was a lot of fun - the kids all got to play the piano for us (though Aaron refused) and did well!  Then Dan and I headed home and Frank and Tina took the kids - now I have a couple days to get everything ready.  I'm still not sure I will be able to get it all done, but now I have a chance!

Holiday Fun

The weather this week has been just gorgeous!  We have spent most of the week outside - going on walks, bike rides, and just playing in the backyard.  We had the TAPS worker come over this week - James had her wrapped around his cute fingers.  She was happy with how things are going for us and told our case worker that she didn't feel she was necessary.  

James and I had lots of fun taking walks around the block.  Also, there were some workmen in the street, tearing up the street and working on a pipe.  James just loved staring out the window and watching the trucks do their thing.  

Wednesday we had fun at the library as usual - James usually just wants to sit in my lap and have me read to him - but he's slowly starting to participate and enjoy the story time too.  

Thursday was the normal piano lessons and stuff.  Rose came over with Sister Hendrickson, which made James happy.  He  loves playing with her.

Friday was my final Christmas concert with the Chorale - I brought Anna and Eileen with me.  They both seemed to really enjoy the concert and did a really good job behaving.  After, I took them to Chili's for a Molten Chocolate Cake.  They liked it :)  Alot..... :)  I think they would have used their fingers to clean the plate if I would have let them.

Unfortunately, keeping Anna out that late made her a bit cranky the next day.  Dan and I went to the temple in the morning to be there when my friend's son was sealed to her and her husband.  Tina watched the kids for us, then we picked them up and headed home for lunch, cleaning, online Christmas shopping, cooking food and then heading out to the Christmas party.  The party was a lot of fun - fun hanging out with friends, great food and the kids had a blast with their friends.

Sunday, church was really nice, but James was cranky!!!  I did a musical number today, I think it went well and James even sat quietly for the whole thing, but that was the high point for him.  Tina came over in the evening to watch the kids so Dan and I could go to his company Christmas Party.  It was fun chatting with his co-workers. It's really a great bunch of people.

Takin' it Easy

We have mostly been taking it easy this week - as a result, I have no pictures.... oops...

The week started off normal and busy.  The older kids had school and piano practicing and playing outside (weather has been beautiful.)  Tuesday morning, Heather came over to help me get some primary stuff done.  Then in the afternoon, the Chorale sang at the Aurora Tree Lighting ceremony, which was a fun event - but not one of our best performances - we didn't really have much of a keyboard for accompaniment, and we couldn't hear each other or the accompaniment, but it was still a fun little event!  Thankfully it was early and close by, because by the time I got home, the Elders were over and everyone was eating dinner.  We made some yummy crock pot chili which I had been smelling all day, and thankfully there was still plenty left!

Wednesday was the library in the morning, James is starting to actually participate in story time some - usually he just wants to sit on my lap and have me read to him.  Then that evening, I had rehearsal - which was over by Grandpa's house and went late so I ended up getting home really late.

Thursday, was busy, I had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon, the piano lessons after school, then after dinner I made a quick run to the grocery store to grab the meds - one required the buyer to be over 18 - and I got carded :)  (made my day!)  Then I met up with some of the people from church to get a musical number ready for the Christmas program - I think it's going to work out really well - I think our group blends well together and I think it's going to sound really nice!  After the ladies of the group ended up just hanging out and chatting - it was a lot of fun - such a great group of women!

Friday, the TAPS lady came out - we mostly chatted, she took notes, but actually admitted that she wasn't sure what she was supposed to be doing here - so hopefully that means that they are seeing that we really are good parents trying to be better and trying to care for our kids the best way possible.

Friday night was the Chorale's first Christmas Concert.  We sang with the Lakewood Symphony which was a really neat experience - they were really awesome to sing with and the concert really felt like it went well!  My solo felt like it went really well and I got lots of positive feed back.  I brought Eileen with me, thinking that she would really like to see the Orchestra - plus Grandpa, Frank and Tina were all going to be there too.  She had a really good time and then we grabbed some dinner together on the way home.  It was fun to have some time with just her - she's getting to a fun age (well, ok they are all fun in some ways, but this is a new experience to be able to do things with her almost as a friend AND a daughter)

Saturday with the weather so nice, Dan took the kids to the park for a bit to tire them out while I worked on some Christmas stuff and church stuff.  Then he took a nap (along with James) and I took Evie to grab some groceries before the Sabbath, then took Aaron to grab some stuff for Christmas for the girls.  It was fun having some one on one time with them!  Our second concert also went well.  It was at our Stake Center, so nice and close, and it was PACKED - the chapel and the cultural hall were all full!  The concert went well too!  Eileen came again.

Poor Anna has been sick the last few days, she has been running a fever and coughing a lot.  I had planned on taking her to the concerts too, but she wasn't feeling up to it.  She has been napping most of the day and we took her and James (who had a slight fever) home after Sacrament Meeting on Sunday.  Anna had to stay home from school on Friday because of the fever and if she's not better tomorrow, I'm thinking of trying to get her in to the doctor's since it seems to be hanging on a long time.