I'm a morbid mother

Is it wrong that I was secretly disappointed that not one of my 3 children cried on Santa's lap?

yes.

oh. opps.

Um, Merry Christmas?

December 23 neighborhood Santa.

So long Jimmy

This is Jimmy. He's our Elf on a Shelf.

We love him mostly because our awesome neighbors Mr. Jim (thus the name) and Ms Stepahnie gave him to us.

He was pretty sneaky each night but once he forgot to move and the kids cried the next morning because they figured it was because they had been naughty:) They raced upstairs to clean the playroom and magically the elf moved.

Also once Naomi grabbed him. Kolby was so worried that Jimmy's magic had rubbed off on Naomi's fingers. I assured him this was not the case. Kolby wanted to make double sure so he sent a letter to Santa which read, "Santa, Naomi touched Jimmy!"

haha. way to rat out the baby.

So long Jimmy!

See ya next year.

Look he can see!

After several notes home from school I finally gave in a took Kolbs to the Optometrist.

Turns out he needed reading glasses.

We picked them up last week.

Such a stud!

Cookies Make Me Happy

Olivia has a pair of jammies that say, "Cookies Make Me Happy"

Shouldn't everyone own a pair?

December 23- making my dad's eggnog sugar cookies yum!

Snow School

December 22 we had "Snow School"

We read books, did an art project, and when the cousins came over we even made our very own snow.

Hey you gotta do what you gotta do when you live in Texas:)

"Holiday Party"

December 20 Kolby had his "holiday party" at school.

Nothin like cupcakes and Christmas songs at 9 in the morning:)

Mopping at Midnight

A few nights ago I was mopping at midnight. This led me to 2 epiphanies:

1. I live with absolute slobs.
2. Mopping leads to spirituality?

Allow me to explain #2, #1 should me obvious.

In the quiet peace of the night I contemplated my concerns for my children and whether they could understand the true meaning of Christmas when I wasn't sure I even did most of the time. While the tile and wood floors dried, I glanced up at the collection of homemade glittered Popsicle-stick ornaments and spotted beside them, an ornament my mother gave to me. It simply states, "The magic of Christmas is not in the presents but in His presence". At once I felt the true meaning of Christmas.

Perhaps His presence is just easier to feel in a calm, quiet, and freshly mopped home:) Although this is a rare condition in these parts, I'll gladly take what I can get. Mopping at midnight. Who knew?

5k and a Marathon Day

Saturday was a bit of a blur.

We squeezed in:

 8:00am- Setting up a vendor booth promoting the family running club

(I wrapped 7 cases of water bottles in gingerbread paper with a tag that read,

"Run, run as fast as you can... http://www.fairfieldarearunners.com/)

 9:00am- Cheering on family and friends at the 5k

(Cheryl, Jeremy, Di, Tyson, Mark, Daniel, Erwin)

Rosie and the girls also ran as well as a few other families from our ward.

 

 Aunt Lori, Holly and I manned the booth

and laughed at Naomi getting freaked out by the giant snow leopard

Daniel finished 1st!

I gotta admit I'm starting to kinda expect this:)

Dianna also won 1st (for the women)

Those talented siblings!

 10am- speed over to the rec center for Kolby's basketball game where he scored his first basket and I screamed like he'd just won a gold medal:)

What can I say, I'm a proud mama:) They won the game too!

12:00pm- head over the church to set up for the Ward Christmas Party

2:00pm- quickly change clothes in the restroom for our Christmas Piano Recital

(seriously couldn't be more proud of my students! Kinda wanna squeeze all of them to death!)

4:30pm- set up the technical stuff for the slide show at the Ward Christmas Party and race home to bathe the kiddos

6:00pm- Arrive back at church for the Ward Christmas Party.

The theme was A Night in Bethlehem.

The paper chain is from the primary kids. Each week they read their scriptures we added a link to the chain. It wrapped all the way around the gym and then some!

We also borrowed fabulous decorations to set up a market place. Each tent was a station for kids to make lanterns, play the dreidel game, and color. All the families ate the catered meal on blankets and listened to music and watched a slide show of all the primary kids dressed up to tell the nativity story. We've been working on it for weeks and I still get choked up seeing the children all dressed up:)

Daniel also surprised me with an early Christmas gift, a Nikon 3000. I'm lovn it but as you are about to see, I still have to figure out how to use it:) I tried to document as much of the party as I could so I could show my mom what words obviously cant describe.

Naomi and her crush:) They hug all the time. So sweet!



11:00pm- finish clean up, put kids to bed, send Daniel to grocery store only to realize he forgot his wallet. Crash in our filthy house:)

It was a marathon of a day but everything went so well and I was touched by how helpful family and friends are. I was especially glad for the sweet spirit felt at the Christmas party because we chose to just focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!



Its a German Thing

Yesterday was St. Nicholas Day.

My children awakened to find Christmas cups, bubble gum and candy in their shoes.

My mother is German and this is one of the few traditions we have to remember our heritage.

However, this holiday is difficult to explain to my children.

And this is how it went with my 4yr old:

Me: Don't forget to put your shoes out tonight

Olivia: all of them?!

Me: nope just 2

Olivia: 2 pairs?

Me: 1 pair, 2 matching shoes

Olivia: because tomorrow is Christmas?

Me: no, its St. Nickolas Day and if you're a good girl St. Nicholas will put a treat in your shoes

Olivia: Does everyone around here put their shoes out?

Me: um...no.

Olivia: But aunt Brittany will, and Ona will and Ona's mom will and Ona's dad will. Mom, I know how this works. Everyone who knows Ona will put their shoes out.

Me: genau

(my fav German word ever, meaning... exactly)

* as a side note, not to offend any Germans who may read this...I am well aware that the correct word for grandma in German is Oma. When Kolby was little he pronounced it Ona and thus yet another one of our "Germish" words were born.

Like A {Bull} full of Jelly

Peanut Butter and Jelly that is:)

Move on over Michael Jordan...here's my new favorite Chicago Bull.

Basketball season has begun.

Favorite part of the game:

when Kolby dribbled down the court like a pro

and olivia shouted, "Go Number 2!" haha I'm so immature like that:)

Best Christmas Gift Ever = Georgia Thanksgiving

What's this? 4 blog posts in a row? That's what happens when I don't blog for a month. ugh. yep just keep on scrolling...Enjoy!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

My parents gave my sister and I an early Christmas present...they paid for my family to travel and come see Brittany and Ryan for Thanksgiving! I was so excited to play with my sister and my adorable niece and to see Brittany's new gorgeous home!
We arrived last Monday after driving all through the night. Ryan took off work and we played all day! Kolby whooped up on Ryan and Daniel in NBA jam, played in the playroom, dug in the sandbox, went to Hobby Lobby to buy stuff to make a Christmas wreath, went out to Shane's Rib Shack, and had a game night with the Cushmans.

On Tuesday: We visited one of my best friends from high school (Look everyone ists Ashley Peterson Willis) and ate a yummy breakfast with her and her adorable family. Then we made a Costco and Walmart run to get the Thanksgiving food. Then we listened to Justin Beiber's Christmas album while we made feathered headbands for the kids to be 'lil Indians' for Thanksgiving. That night we had soup and then Summer, her friend, and Momma Cush came over and babysat for us while we went on a double date to see Breaking Dawn....dirty.....


Olivia and Kensie were BFFs in no time:)

Daniel says we look like sisters Ashley, wouldn't that be fun:)

The Rugrats

*Passed out watching a movie*

On Wednesday: we started making our first turkey! How have I mananged to not cook a turkey in over 8 yrs? carefully my friends very carefully. It was a 22 lb bird and quite the experience. Daniel had to call his mom to figure out where the giblets were. At one point he was on the phone while Brittnay was holding a flashlight over the turkey....where was I? Taking pictures and laughing hehehe. I must say though that I was the one to eventually pull out the neck that Daniel swore he couldn't find:) We ended up brining the turkey (special thanks to my friend McCall) all day in the sink surrounded by ice. Olivia helped make the rainbow jello. We made pies, stuffing, yams, rolls, and decorative tee pees made out of ice cream cones. We made all of these things while chasing after the little ones. That night we just ate pizza and salad for dinner. Once the kiddos were in bed we watched Super 8.

 

 

 

 

 

On Thursday: The boys played in the "Turkey Bowl" while Brittany and I cooked and the kids watched Miracle on 34th Street. The Cushmans came over and we enjoyed a great meal together (I am so sad that I didn't get a group picture of them....they looked so beautiful)! We had our own "Turkey Bowl", played hide and seek outside, had a wii dance off, and ate pie! Once the kids went to bed we played Ticket to Ride.
*I am so thankful for our wonderful families, and now my own little family. What a great holiday where you get to eat and spend time with those that you love.
( I only wish that ALL of our family was here!)

We dressed the girlies matchy-matchy and Kolby was starting to feel left out. When low and behold Craig (Britt's FIL) shows up wearing a shirt just like Kolbys:) Instant buds.

 

 

 

Proof that Daniel was off-sides.....

On Friday: we ate pie for breakfast :) Then we went downtown to go Christmas shopping. That night Brittany and I put the stockings up, started a fire, turned on some Christmas music and made Christmas wreaths. Then we left and drove through the night again.

 

We had so much fun! Gosh, I hate that they live so far from each other! We were all exhausted after a crazy week but it was so enjoyable. We are so grateful to my parents for making this possible for us to be together. My sister always makes me a happier person. I love my BFF :) And out of the whole trip Olivia said her favorite part was playing with baby Avery!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!