Merry Christmas to all!

This week was full of fun and family and friends!  We started out on Monday with Morgan still over visiting and spending the night for one more night - and Evie's friend Emery came over for a play date.  They had so much fun together!  Tuesday Morgan was still over for most of the afternoon, then her mom picked her up late afternoon.   

Wednesday the kids had piano lessons in the morning, and Dan took the day off so I could get my Christmas shopping done.  The kids piano teacher and her daughter stayed for lunch so the kids could play a bit longer.  Also Mark and Julia and Doug came by after lunch to go over Julia and I's song for that night.  I did some more shopping in the afternoon and finally got it done enough...  Then we packed up into the car and headed to Grandpas for singing Christmas songs.  The kids read the Christmas Story and Eileen played her flute again!  Julia and I sang and some of the sweet people there remembered me singing "O Holy Night" in years past and asked that I sing it again.  After, we all enjoyed some yummy treats and Hot Cocoa and then headed home and got the kids to bed.  

Thursday was Christmas Eve and Dan and I were mostly working to get cooking done and to get the house cleaned up.  In the evening, we headed over to Frank and Tina's for Bagna Caulda.  We let the kids watch "White Christmas" in the car.  The kids had fun running around and playing with cousins and eating yummy food.  Then we spent some time singing and then headed home to get the kids to bed.  The kids got their Christmas Eve gift - slippers for Eileen and Anna, a bathrobe for Aaron and PJ's for Evie and James (which PJ's they have tried to wear every night since) and slippers for Dan and comfy PJ bottoms for me!  

Christmas morning started for us around 7am - The girls were up and waiting patiently downstairs - the boys were still out cold, so Dan woke them up and we all went to open our stockings.  the kids had a blast and then were hungry and wanted to pause for breakfast, so we paused and ate our pop tarts, hot cocoa and oatmeal.  

We got a White Christmas - part way through the morning it started snowing!  We called Aunt Pam and Grandma Penny on Skype and chatted while the kids opened their presents from them.  Anna and Eileen got cute umbrella's from them - Anna decided to use it while she shoveled snow on our driveway before people got her for Dinner.   We spent most of the afternoon playing and relaxing, then we turned to clean up and cooking again.  

Family started showing up around 4 and we all had a great time eating, playing, exchanging gifts and chatting.  The kids loved their gifts and had a great time with their cousins.  Becca and Jeremiah came too and we all had a great time!  

Saturday was mostly spent enjoying our Christmas presents.  We got the kids a new computer and they have been enjoying it thoroughly.  We also got 2 new Killer Bunny Expansions and a Dominion Expansion, So Dan and Eileen and I have been spending some time in the evenings playing games together!   Dan ran a couple errands on Saturday and we went to a baptism on Saturday and Dan helped some people in the ward move, but the rest of us mostly took it easy.

Church today was wonderful!  The talks in Sacrament Meeting were wonderful and the musical number was just beautiful!  The lessons were great and the hardest part of the morning was trying to figure out how to snuggle 4 kids on my lap at once.  After church, Dan took the kids up to care for Newell and Becky's cats while I took a much needed nap, then we spent the afternoon playing games and eating dinner and snuggling.  James has eaten way too much junk this week and his tummy isn't feeling so well - so thankfully he went to bed quickly tonight (as opposed to last night when he stayed up way too late playing in his room.

Crazy Christmas Fun

We had a fun week this week!  Monday was our usual insanity and laundry and such.  Dan got home after the kids were in bed from his short 2 day trip.  We were woken up early Tuesday by a call from the school letting us know that it was a snow day.  We hadn't really been expecting snow, so we looked out the window and were rather surprised to see over half a foot of snow on the ground!  We all just acted like homebodies for the day - it kept snowing most of the day, so Dan stayed and worked from home.  I left for a doctor's appointment and that was it!  Most of us hardly bothered getting out of our PJs!  We had the Elder's over for dinner - they weren't allowed to drive in the snow, so Dan picked them up and brought them over.  

One night - James wanted to be carried to his room to go to bed, but I've been having back and shoulder issues all week and couldn't, so his wonderful older brother gave him a horsey ride to his room.  

Wednesday was the usual for the kids - school day, James and I went to the library with Nicole and Tayanna.  They gave us some yummy gingerbread houses and people!  In the evening, We were invited to go to the Cub Scout Christmas party since Aaron will be joining Cub Scouts soon.  He had a great time and is REALLY looking forward to cub scouts now!  The kids all had a great time playing red light/green light (though they gave it a cute Christmas-y name that I can't remember now) 

Thursday was the last day of school for the kids.  They were all so excited about their Christmas parties and since Aaron's teacher had said I could bring James with me, we went in and helped with crafts, read stories and ate snacks.  Aaron had a blast. After, the kids had their piano lessons and we settled in for a quiet evening at home - for once.  

Friday we played at home.  The kids mostly just goofed off  and we all took it easy, enjoying our first day of vacation.  In the evening, I took the girls to a Messiah Sing-In - we all had a great time together!  It was so much fun sharing that experience with my kids!  

Saturday was a bit crazy.  Eileen and Anna and I went to the rehearsal for the Ward Christmas Program in the morning, then Eileen had flute lessons, Dan ran some errands in the afternoon, and finally in the evening, we had a babysitter for the kids, so Dan and I could go to his Company Christmas party.  We had a lot of fun and ate too much food!  

Today was the Christmas Program at church.  It went really well.  Eileen played her flute and we enjoyed singing Christmas music and being filled by the spirit!  The afternoon was the normal lunch, play games and talk to family on the phone.  Then in the evening, Eileen's BFF Morgan came over to spend the night.  We always try and get the girls together for a day or two during breaks.  Eileen was so excited that she stood at the window waiting for her for over half an hour.  :)  

 Now we are in the countdown to Christmas, and I still need to do some shopping.....

I LOVE CHRISTMAS MUSIC!

This week has been busy!!!  We started out normal - Dan and I have started trying to take some time on Sunday to look at our schedule for the week and get it all on a calendar so that we don't forget stuff :)  

Monday, I had a few extra kids at the house - I ended up with three 3 year old boys and an 18 month old.  They were so funny to watch them play together.  They all were superheroes and had fun running around like crazy :)  Other than that, it was the usual school, clubs, homework, piano practicing, laundry and grocery shopping.  

Tuesday, James had preschool.  He always has fun at preschool - it's a great group of kids that he loves to play with.  But his favorite part of the week is when his Best Buddy comes over to play Monday and Tuesday for a couple hours.  Tuesday night, we had the sister missionaries over for dinner.  

Wednesday the older kids had late start, then James and I went to the library with Tayanna and Nicole.  It really is a great little library and the kids love it.  After school and afternoon craziness, I had choir practice which was our tech rehearsal for our orchestra concerts and went for nearly 3 hours.  I was so tired by the end that I was about ready to pass out when I got home.  

Thursday was preschool for James, school for the kids, piano lessons in the afternoon and my second concert of the season.  There's something about singing with an orchestra that is just so amazing!  The concert went well, Doug and Grandpa came to hear me - after I went with Grandpa back to his place for hot chocolate and shortbread.  I also got to look through an old picture album that he had from his father's time in WWI - it was amazing and horrifying all at the same time.  

Friday morning, I went visiting teaching, then James and I took it easy while i tried to get some stuff done at home.  Then another concert in the evening.  Dan took the older 3 kids to this one while one of the young women came to babysit the younger two.  Frank and Tina and Frankie came too.  After the concert, I took Aaron over to meet the percussionists and they were really nice and showed him around and he looked like the proverbial kid in a candy shop - grinning ear to ear!  After, we went out for dessert with Frank and Tina and Frankie and got pie at Village Inn.  The kids had a great time, but Aaron and Anna were exhausted by the time we were done.  

Saturday morning, my dad got into town and we hung out at the house with the kids in the morning, then in the afternoon, we tried to take the kids to the Hammond's Candy factory Candy Cane Festival, but it was all outdoors, and it was snowing and James forgot a coat and Evie had left her's at school, so we looked around a bit, shopped a bit and headed home to get warm.  

Then, my dad and I headed to my final concert of the season and Dan and the kids headed to the ward Christmas Party.  The kids got to sing and James even went up and sang with them since he knew all the songs.  Dan recorded it for me so I got to see it!  The party was "Polar Express" themed and so Dan went dressed as a hobo.  :)  The kids all got to wear their pajamas and loved it!

Today Dan headed out of town this morning for a meeting and then after church, we headed home for lunch and cookie making before going to ward choir practice and then after that we took Grandpa to the airport so he could head home.  At church today, they needed people in the nursery, so I went in and helped out during 3rd hour, and had a blast!  I had fun reading to the kids and playing with the kids and singing with the kids!

A week filled with Christmas music can't be a bad one - but it will be nice to have some time with my family again!

Christmas Crazies Begin!

So we got our tree last week, but I didn't post the pictures, so here's a picture of us with our tree outside Home Depot.  

Monday evening for Family Home Evening, we decorated the tree.  The kids loved putting their ornaments on and looking at all their ornaments.  They are really getting excited for Christmas!  

Tuesday was the usual.  We had preschool at our house, but we only had two other kids come - so we had fun and took it easy and the kids had fun.  After school was choir for the girls as usual, but Anna's trumpet lessons have been moved so at least we didn't have that too.  :)

Wednesday James and I went to the library with Nicole and Tayanna, then after, they came to our house for lunch and Dwayne and Dan met us there.  We had fun and ate good food and James (as always) was sad to see his friends go.  He is such a social little boy!  In the evening, I had choir - last rehearsal before concerts start!

Thursday James had preschool again so he had a friend over - just one - but they had a lot of fun together.  In the afternoon was piano lessons as usual.  The kids love piano lessons, both because they love the lessons and the teacher, and also because they love having the piano teacher's daughter come over and play with them  :)  In the evening, I had Institute - the lesson was wonderful!

Friday I spent most of the day listening to James be mad at me because he didn't have any friends coming over....  Once we picked the kids up from school he was ok again.  :)  We went to get my allergy shot - and he had fun flirting with the ladies there, but once we got home... "mommy are we going to pick up Payton, or Tayanna or Lauren?"  "Well who are we going to get???"  In the evening, I had a girls camp meeting.  It was fun and I'm starting to get excited about next year!

Saturday was full of crazyness.  Eileen had flute lessons, I had a Relief Society activity (cookie exchange - yum!) Evie and Aaron had a birthday party and Anna had trumpet lessons.  Somehow Dan and I managed to get everyone where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be there.  Dan also got some shopping done, I got some cookie dough made and then in the evening, I took Eileen, and we went to my first Christmas concert of the season!  The concert went well and then after, Eileen and I got dinner and dessert together.

Sunday was wonderful and crazy.  Church was amazing!  I got to see a friend there who is usually unable to come, but she came to day and it was wonderful to see her there!  The testimonies born today were wonderful and the lessons were amazing! After church I was beat (two wiggle kids battling for lap space can be exhausting, even if I do enjoy the snuggles)  but I made lots and lots of cookies and cleaned up the kitchen.  Around 3, Newell and Becky and family and Natasha came over to decorate cookies with us!  It's always a fun group to get together.  Then after decorating, Dan made dinner and the missionaries came over for dinner.  We had a great dinner followed by the Christmas Devotional which was wonderful.  Finally the kids went to bed - Dan and I cleaned up the chaos that was the kitchen, we finished frosting the cookies and now he's out cold and I'm ready to head to bed too!

James was so funny to watch decorate - he was so meticulous about how he decorated his cookies.  Evie's were of course laden with sprinkles of all kinds.  Aaron was careful and so cute!  Anna had a lot of fun being artistic with hers and made some beautiful cookies.  Eileen and Zoe were having tons of fun together and it was fun to watch them have fun together.