Merry Christmas 2019

We had a fun week!  On Monday, Anna went down to babysit for Taz and Kai.  While we did laundry and had fun together around the house.  We had a fun family home evening night playing a game that Evelyn taught us called "Don't Eat Petey"  I think we all had fun playing - even the older kids who were skeptical at first.  :)  Watching David was the funniest - he was so excited to eat the candy, but he got so into it!  He loved yelling "Don't eat petey" with all the rest of us, even if he didn't understand why!  

Tuesday morning, we went to see Frozen 2 with Sandi and Taz and Kai.  We went to an early show hoping to beat the mall traffic - it turned out to be a good idea.  We got there before the crowds and we had a great time together.  The movie was great and we all had fun!  

We spent the rest of the day having fun at home and getting things ready for Christmas.  There was cooking to be done and cleaning to be done and stocking stuffing to be done.  We had a fun time acting out the nativity with the kids.  Eileen was the donkey.  Anna was an angel.  Aaron and Evie were Joseph and Mary.  James was a wise man, and David was whatever he wanted to be.  Sometimes he was a shepherd with me and sometimes he was a wise man with James and sometimes he just ran around and had fun.  Dan was our narrator and I think it was a wonderful way to do it!

After we had some egg nog and the kids opened their Christmas Eve presents. We all got some fun jammies, then the younger kids headed to bed!  David just LOVED his WOODY pj's!  

  

The younger kids headed to bed and we moved the presents out and stuffed stockings and got those set up and all ready for Christmas Morning.  

Christmas morning came early, but the kids were excited!  Even Eileen and Anna didn't grumble too much about getting up before 10.  :)  We started with stockings and paused to eat some breakfast before opening the rest of the presents.  They opened their presents from Grandma and Grandpa Jones while we video chatted with them, then they opened their presents from each other, and finally their presents from us.  We had a fun time and the kids seemed happy with their gifts.  

Dan got me a printed book with 2 years worth of early blog posts - our family journal finally in paper format!  It's so much fun to read through and talk with the kids about it.  I simultaneously want the kids to all read it and not touch it.  :)  Or at least not lose it/leave it on the floor/get food on it/tear the pages....  

Wednesday evening we went down to my parents house for Christmas dinner and presents.  The kids were so excited and they love playing with their cousins.  My parents found some presents Grandma Penny had gotten for the kids and gave those out along with their gifts.  The kids were very excited!  Evie especially so since she got her luggage for her trip to Scotland!  We teamed up with my mom to get my dad some painting stuff - he is going full tilt into these Bob Ross painting classes!  It's so fun!  

Thursday, We took Eileen and Anna out to get part of their present.  Eileen had gotten some crochet patterns and was told that we would take her to pick out yarn for the pattern.  Evie got a fish tank - Gregory died recently - he lasted almost a full year and Evie was very sad, so we got her a new fancy fish tank and told her we would take her to pick out some fish.  She also used some money she got from Great Grandpa and Grandma and Grandpa Jones to pick out some decorations for the tank.  Meet Hillary and Chelsea.  She got a couple female bettas 

Friday, Anna went down to babysit again and the rest of us stayed home and played with our new toys and I enjoyed having the full run of my craft room again now that the Christmas boxes are out!  

Saturday morning, Anna and I went to work out with Grandma - and we brought Evelyn too.  After, we stopped by my parents house to pick up some things and change before heading to the American Doll store for Evelyn's present.  She loved going in there and getting to pick her doll and an outfit.  She and Anna have been having fun playing and dressing up their dolls together.  It's so fun to watch them together!  Then on the way home we had lunch with Grandma and California Pizza Kitchen.  It was a wonderful morning.  Then we had a great afternoon together.   We played some games and I cleaned up my craft room. 

In the evening, Dan and I went to the temple together.  It was great to be able to go and we ran into some people from the Frisco 6th ward.  It was a wonderful way to close out the year.  We had a quick dinner after, then headed home.  I grabbed my organ stuff and headed right back out to practice for Saturday.  I love playing, even if I'm not very good, but I will be glad with Brihanna is back and we can switch off.  

Church today was great but a bit chaotic.  The talks today were wonderful and my organ playing wasn't too bad - not too many mistakes and the ones there were weren't too big or awful!  After I headed to primary where we were missing a pianist and a lot of teachers.  Somehow it all worked and we made it through the last week of the year.  We spent the afternoon playing games together and having a good time together as a family.  Anna spent most of the afternoon and evening working on her Christmas present - she even let David "help"

We had a lot of fun playing games - but it has not been my day for games - I lost once to Evelyn, once to Eileen and twice to Dan.... sigh.... maybe next week....  

More Christmas fun!

After making all those yummy cookies, we made up cookie plates and for FHE on Monday night, we went and delivered cookies to some families in our ward and neighborhood.  We let each of the kids have a chance to pick a song to sing when we dropped off the cookies.  David got to choose first.  He chose Baby Shark.  So the first family we visited got to listen to us sing Baby Shark.  It was great though, since they have a little girl who is one of David's friends and we are good friends with their whole family, so they were very good humored about it!  The kids were so cute!  We love dropping off cookies and singing to some of the wonderful families who have blessed our lives this year!

Monday morning,  I went with a friend to go help clean up from the nativity concert.  Our kids had fun running around and playing while we packed up decorations.  David spent the rest of the day asking to go play with his friends again.

Thankfully he got to play with them all again on Tuesday while mommy exercised.  We had some errands to run though, so we headed out a bit earlier than usual and David kept telling me he wanted to go back to the church.  He's so funny.

This was the last week of school and so the kids had half days and parties and all sorts of fun.  Wednesday, I got together to practice for the Christmas Program, then took the girls to their Young Women's activity.

Thursday, Dan and I headed out to do some Christmas shopping.  It was so nice to be able to go with him!  We had a fun time picking stuff out and goofing off together.

Friday we hosted our Bagna Caulda night.  It was nice and small this year - but we had good friends, wonderful family, great food and beautiful music.  It was kinda nice having it a bit smaller this year, and we all had a great time.  The Call's came and watching Eileen and her friend Daniel together sparked a bunch of questions from my mom and sister later - we had to let them know that they are just friends.  :)

Saturday, Anna and I went to work out with my mom, Sandi couldn't make it :(  We got our butts kicked and now we are both a bit sore in some areas!  Dan and did a bit more Christmas shopping and except for letting the kids pick gifts for each other from the dollar store, we are done!!!  Now we just need to wrap and stuff!  And Dan's been working on some of that, so there's a fair amount of that done too.  In the evening, Dan's company had their holiday party.  It was a lot of fun - food catered by Chipotle and a magician who made balloon animals for the kids and did a show.  The kids loved it and it was entertaining enough even for the adults.  We had a fun time, and still got home in time to get the kids to bed and for me to practice the organ before today's program.

The Christmas Program was today.  It feels like I've been preparing like crazy for this for awhile now, and while I was excited, I was also a bit stressed that it would go ok.  I asked for who was willing to help with music or narrating and mostly got crickets.  That meant that I was heavily involved in almost every song in the program along with preparing the narration.  I was also nervous because I'm not really a great organist, or pianist (though I was doing both in the program) and my voice was not at it's best - I'd hardly been able to speak when I went to bed the night before.  Thankfully all went well.  It was awesome because my parents and Sandi and her kids all came to listen and support us!  Every one in our family but Dan participated in the music.  Even David went up with the Primary kids and sang.  He was so cute!  The kids did a great job!  Eileen sang with a small group of young women and they did an amazing job!  I had a solo - and my voice held out.  Finally, I sang in a small group with a couple other women.  Plus I was playing the organ and Eileen was directing the music!  The power of the words of the scriptures along with the beauty of the sacred music brought the spirit so strongly and people were very sweet and kind after.

As wonderful as it was, it was so nice after to be able to relax a bit!  We spent most of the rest of the day playing games with the kids and talking to family.  We had yummy pancakes for dinner and had fun playing and then read scriptures.  Then more games :)  Dan got out his old balloon animal balloons and let James have at them - he had a blast just making anything his heart desired.  He spent hours entertained by that.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies.

It's been a crazy busy week - as might be expected at this time of the year.  Monday is laundry day as always - and David loves to help with his laundry now - He wants to put the clothes in and take them out and push the buttons.  

We made a lot of cookies and fudge this week....  like really a lot.  The kids had lots of school stuff going on.  Mommy and David had fun working out and playing with friends.  Evie and Aaron had Activity Days and Cub Scouts, Eileen and Anna had Young Women's Activities.

Anna's band concert was Tuesday night.  Their band did a great job - plus we had fun listening with all the other families in the ward whose kids were in the band.

Thursday evening, Dan and I went to the temple.  It was so nice to be there and take some time away from the craziness of life to reflect and worship.  It did mean more to do on Friday, but it was totally worth it.

I spent Thursday and Friday making cookie dough and baking cookies in preparation for our cookie cook off.  Saturday morning we went to clean the church building.  Then Anna and I went down to work out with my mom and Sandi.  Then we went home and had a quick lunch before the cookie making and decorating began.  Sandi came up with the kids and they all had a blast making and decorating cookies.  My dad came up too, but instead of decorating he mostly just sat and chatted with us, but it was great to have him there!  Then once they were decorated out, we let them watch some Christmas movies and Sandi and I finished the decorating.  The kids had a fun time, and so did the adults

After that, we had the sister missionaries over for dinner, then Anna and I were going with them to teach a sister and her daughter who are investigating.  Unfortunately they weren't there.  :(  After that, we got the kids to bed then I went to practice the organ.

Sunday began with church which was great!  We had our priesthood and temple preview for the kids turning 12 this coming year.  I went both as a member of the primary presidency who was conducting and as Aaron's mom.  I can't believe that he is almost a deacon!   I'm going to have 3 kids in the youth program in just a couple weeks.

Sunday night was the nativity concert.  The children't choir did a wonderful job!  They had a great time singing and were a huge hit.  The kids were so sweet and I gave them all little gifts after with toys and cookies.  It has been so much fun getting to do this!   The rest of the concert was great too - some of the performers were just wonderful!  and all were great!  The only downside was that it got the kids home rather late.

Music Music Music!!

This week has been packed full of Christmas music!  And I love Christmas Music!!!!   The kids had a mostly normal school week - plus a bunch of UIL tryouts for the kids and Anna's all-region band tryouts.  

Monday, we decorated the Christmas tree for Family Home Evening.  We had a fun time decorating and singing Christmas music and drinking eggnog.  I had fun telling the kids about some of the ornaments.  

Tuesday is David's favorite day because he gets to run around the gym at the church and play with friends.  Then after piano lessons, I headed down for an extra rehearsal before the concert this weekend.  

Wednesday, Anna had young womens, but Eileen didn't, so I took Anna down and I practiced the organ while she had fun with her friends.  

Thursday was crazy.  We found out on Wednesday evening that Aaron had a band concert - that he hadn't told us about - we didn't even find out from him - we found out when Anna told us - she knew because they had asked the Honor band for volunteers to help out.  But we had already bought tickets to see the high school musical for that night, and he didn't seem to care about us coming, so we dropped him off and went to the play.  The play was Frozen - and it was awesome!  The kids had fun - David sat enraptured by the whole thing.  

Friday DMCO had our final rehearsal before the concert, and Anna had all-region auditions which also happens to be a big part of her grade, Eileen went down with the Call's and I went to pick Anna up and take her down to the rehearsal.  Thankfully the rehearsal was at the performing arts center instead of our usual rehearsal site, so it was much closer.  After rehearsal - I was up late hemming Eileen's dress.  

Saturday I had to squeeze in some organ practice before the concert - but thankfully it went pretty well and I didn't have to stay too late.  We all got ready - Eileen had to wear some makeup for the concert - she hated it and didn't see any difference, but I thought it made her look all too grown up...  We all got ready and headed for the concert.  

The concerts went well - my parents came and Dan brought the kids, we also saw other friends there too.  The whole night was amazing!  It was so neat to get to do this with my girls!  Eileen's feet started killing her in her shoes - so we traded shoes, but her's were much too small for me - had it just been discomfort, I could have dealt fine, but I couldn't actually fit my feet into her shoes, so I tucked the back under my heel and made do.  We survived (even our feet) and we headed home.  The girls wanted to stop for our traditional Chili's stop for a molten lava cake.  We had a great time together and then headed home full of chocolate, happy and tired.  

Organ mostly went well, though the program was incorrect which confused the chorister and caused a disorienting moment that made me mess up one of the intros. but otherwise, it went pretty well!   Eileen and another young woman were officially called as choristers, so we now have some more help!  Primary was more Christmas music and

Thanksgiving Fun

We've had a crazy week here.  Monday morning, Eileen had a doctor's appointment.  Then in the afternoon, we took Evelyn in to see the doctor because we were worried that she might have strep.  She was put on antibiotics and sent home.  David's tummy hasn't been feeling great either and he's getting new molars in.  It was a busy day - with all the kids home from school for the week, they went a bit stir crazy with all the sick-ies going around and needing to stay home and get better and not infect everyone else.  

Tuesday morning, David and Anna and I went down to the church for the workout group and playing, then David and I went to get our hair cut.  David did so well!  He sat still and listened to Cathy and was such a sweet heart for the whole thing!  After, he looked so much older.  :(  But he's still my sweet little boy!  Then I took him home so he could nap, then I dropped Koopa off for grooming and Anna had an eye appointment and then we picked up Koopa and finally headed home.  

On Wednesday, Evie had a follow up doctors appointment where it was determined that her sickness might be Strep or it might just be a viral infection...  Sigh.   With everything going on, we were worried we might have to postpone or cancel Thanksgiving dinners.  Thankfully, the kids woke up on Thursday feeling much better.  Fevers were back down and the kids were doing well.  We went to a friendsgiving on Thursday afternoon and had a great time.  Eileen found a new Naruto friend.  It was kinda funny to watch her attach herself to her new friend - (un?)fortunately he is a grown son of friends in the ward, so he isn't around much and I think he was a little confused by the 15 year old girl following him around wanting to talk about Naruto.... 

Friday, we got things ready for Thanksgiving with my family.  We went down to my parents house earlier in the day to decorate with Grandma Penny's ornaments.  Then we headed back to our house for Dan's yummy smoked turkey and a whole bunch of other super yummy food!  Then Sandi and I had fun singing Christmas songs together. 

Saturday, Anna and I went to work out with Sandi and Mom.  Then in the afternoon, Dan and I went to donate blood at a blood drive in our area.  It was done in honor of a young man in our ward.  Dan and I had fun being there and fun together.  Anna had fun and did a great job volunteering.  Dan and I had a friendly competition to see who would finish in the least amount of time - I won.  :) 

In the evening, we went to get our Christmas tree.  We headed down to Home Depot to pick it out and their employees miraculously managed to get it tied to the top of the van even without racks.  We had fun picking it out and getting it set up inside.  Now the kids are eager to decorate it - but they will have to wait until Monday!  

It's officially December!!!  That means countdown to Christmas!  We pulled out the Advent calendar tonight and the kids are all excited about it!  This morning in church, I got to play Christmas songs.  I've been practicing them on the organ forever, so it went well this morning - and I love Christmas Music!!!  We had a great turn out for the Children's Choir again - it's going to be wonderful!  We are heading into the craziest month of the year....  but also one of the best!!