Christmas 2013

This year Russ' sister Kirsten and her family stayed with us for Christmas. They also had out family to give to for Christmas. Before they arrived this package did and it said to open right away so we did. 

They got these adorable elf hats.

Even one for baby Lou. They are the softest, most adorable hats ever. 

Then on Christmas Eve we had more of Russ' family over. Now I didn't takeaway pictures at all of Christmas or the Christensen family reunion that followed because Ted the photographer was there. The only problem is I don't have the pictures yet. 

We read a story about Santa and Jesus

Gracie, ever so sweetly and beautifully sang Silent Night for us. 

Joseph got the boom he wanted from Grandma and Grandpa.

 Saying thank you. 

And here is the Christmas tree just before we went to bed. 

These were some pictures of Russ with Lou I the night. She must have needed a diaper change. 

Waking the kids up in the morning. Gracie was completely under her blanket. 

And of course Joseph was sleeping in our bed. 

My little elves 

Connie made William a Deathly Hallows t shirt. 

Gracie hugging Joe, just because.

Connie gave Gracie an Indian costume which was something she was wanting so bad. 

Santa brought Joseph a sword. 

Then we headed over to my moms for Christmas breakfast and I took no pictures of that. I did get on if some of the kids and dads throwing around a football at the park. 

Then we went to the movies. Russ took William to see the second Hobbit movie and Connie and I took the rest of my kids to se Frozen. 

We loved it. 

Then we went home, ate some cereal and then went to bed. It was a fun but exhausting day, cause during all of that I was probably holding or feeding a baby most of the time. 

Christmas dresses

My mom found a cute little Christmas dress for Louise and so I let Gracie go pick out a dress.the Sunday before Christmas was sorta crazy and stressful and I didn't get a picture of them until after church. 

I took these with my real camera and it made me realize that I am not very good at it and have forgotten how to use it (not that I ever really knew).

She still managed to look beautiful and the. Joseph came and photo bombed. He really can't leave her alone. 

Gracie's other tooth

Gracie's other tooth was pretty loose and  here is Russ trying to pull it out. He was not successful. 

Here it is super wiggly and gross on Christmas Eve. It actually ended up falling out that night, but I don't have any pictures of that.  

A story about a pig

We decided to sign William up for 4H swine club. We figured it would be a good way for him to earn money and learn responsibility. Unfortunately the day they had to go get the pig was a Sunday and I decided to go to church with the other three kids by myself. This is how sacrament meeting went (this is completely unacceptable behavior, by the way. But I couldn't do anything about it and he knew that.)

 After church was over and I went to get Joseph from nursery and he was asleep on the floor (that never happens). So I had to put Louise in the car and come back to get him and while I was carrying him out he threw up all over both of us. It was so sad. But when we got home we got to meet Charlotte, William's new pig.

This is her a few months later. We had to get a picture of William with her for the fair entry and it was almost impossible to do because she just wanted him to scratch her belly.

And I love that William labeled her pigpen.

William has done a very good job of taking care of her. He is 100% in charge of feeding, watering, and cleaning up after her. I have been very proud of him through this whole thing.

Russ' phone - November

Since Russ and I both have cameras on our phones and we both use them often I will miss posting pictures that only he got. For example this one of Lou taking her first bottle while I was getting a root canal at the dentist. She wouldn't take it for a few minutes but eventually did.

Russ took the kids to A mountain one day while I stayed home with Louise to rest. They all had a really good time and I am glad I wasn't there.

 And Gracie lost her first tooth! Which was a relief because both of her grown up bottom teeth were fully grown in behind the baby ones.

 And here is Russ getting his dental work done in December. We crammed a lot of that stuff in before the end of the year because our insurance is changing.