I hope it was peaceful

Christmas is done. I am a bit sad to see it go, but really I am relieved that it is over and that it was successful and magical. 

I hope my children caught the true meaning of Christmas and of giving. I know they loved the getting part:) We stayed pretty consistent with our rules. Santa brings one present and they get 3 from us, just like Jesus. This year Gracie and William got each other a present and I loved that.

I got a little sick just before Christmas with a sore throat and cough type stuff, but luckily it wasn't too bad and it is still hanging around but mostly just making me tired. Which I will take, I hate feeling sick. So we have been having some lazy type days of staying in pajamas, doing laundry, and watching movies. 

I want to start the New Year right so I have some lists to make and things to get done but hopefully I will be able to keep it simple. Maybe I will even take down the Christmas decorations. Our tree is so dead and it really needs to get out of here. I also need to go through all the pictures on the camera and pick which ones will get loaded on to this here blog. And I should probably shower. So while there isn't that much to do, there is a lot to do at the same time. I am tired and not making sense. So let me say this. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas this year and that you are feeling happy and excited about the year to come. I know I am.

Leaves are falling all over town...

They had a hard time being patient watching me rake them all up. But in the end they were glad they waited.

Counting down and crossing off

 Only 5 more days until Christmas! (the exclamation point is for excitement and disbelief). There is still so much to get done, but we have been steadily crossing things off the list. For example my large yarn wreath.

We were also able to get a decent looking picture using the timer on the camera and Christmas cards are sent out. whew. Today I barely got teachers gifts wrapped in time (meaning no time to take a picture).

Yesterday was Russ' day off and the entire day was devoted to finishing the playhouse that Russ is building for the kids. My brother Mark came and helped and my parents came over and helped watch the kids so we could get it all done. My Dad even did my shopping at Costco for me. Blessing I tell you, all of them. The playhouse is done! It just needs a few finishing touches on the inside. After all the work was done yesterday we went with some more of my siblings to see Mission Impossible at the IMAX with the biggest screen so we could see the 6 minute trailer for Dark Knight Rises. The trailer and the movie were good.

There is still so much to do, but I am confident it will all get done without things getting too crazy. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and that things aren't too crazy.

I think I am going to let myself lay down and relax for awhile today cause I am really tired.

Dear Gracie

I don't know where to start so I will just dive right in. You are so much fun. You love to talk and most of the time you don't have anything to say or can't think if anything so you say complete nonsense. You will say sentences of half words and then fill in the rest with "da-na-na-na-nuh". It cracks me up.

(below photos from Oct 2011 wearing her Tinkerbell costume to dance)

you went through a phase where every time we went anywhere you wanted to put makeup on and wear a head band and necklace. You still want to look nice, but aren't as adamant about those few things.

You love to go and hang out in Josephs crib with him when he wakes up from a nap. You guys will play in there for quite awhile.

You also sing all the time and REALLY loud. You love to sing and talk in microphones, in fact that is what you want from Santa for Christmas.

(below pics from November 2011 her Joy school feast)

You love preschool and your favorite is when we do calendar and the pledge. You also love playing with friends. You are not the type of person to be really friendly right off the bat. You take time to get to know people and once you know them and they know you, you love them.

You love to play pretend and sometimes you want to pretend real life. Like the time you came up to me and said, "pretend that you are my mom and pretend I am a little girl." No problem, Gracie :). You love playing pretend with your brothers. 

(below pics from Dec 2011, decorating herself)

You had a dance recital recently and you have been listening to the cd of all the songs from the recital and dance to it all day long. You are getting so good at dancing and you really love it.

You  love reading books. When ever I offer to read you a book you go and grab a stack of 10. You also like  to read books to Joseph.

You still like being messy and playing in sand, dirt, and mud. You also love to help me cook. 

(below pics pretending she is Jovie from Elf singer in the shower)

Sometimes you can be very sassy and it is hard for you to stop whining. This is something we are trying to work on. It is really bad when you are tired.

You love to watch movies and ask to watch them all day long even though you know you can only watch one.

Your best friend is Connie. You got to sleep at her house and you loved it so much.

You saw Captain America and ever since you have been obsessed with being "tough". You are always telling me how tough you are and showing me how tough you are. It cracks me up. And you will salute me, which is awesome.

You love color pretty pictures and they are so pretty to me.

You fill our home with music, beauty, and dancing and I love it. You can be super independent and that can be challenging, but it is a trait that I know will make your life better. I think you are so beautiful and

wonderful and I love you so much.

Love, 

Mom

how lovely are thy branches

We got a real tree at costco again and love it. They have really great trees. I let the kids decorate and I have not moved any of the decorations since so the top is pretty bare, but I found another box of ornaments so I will get out some tall stools and let them decorate the top.

The kids think it is magic and by some miracle, Joseph leaves it alone! If he does touch it he does it very gently. Christmas is coming and I love it. Today I am heading to my moms with Connie and the kids to get some Christmas crafting done. I always get so much done at her house.

Dear William

I have been meaning to write a letter to you for awhile. I don't have a lot of pictures of you cause you don't usually like me to take your picture. But you know I do anyway. After we decorated our blue tree you decided it needed a star and without me knowing it you took off to the office to make one.

You folded to pieces of paper into triangles and then taped them together. Then you cut out more triangles and glues them on. 

Then we covered it in glitter. It turned out so great and this made me happy because this is the first time you have made something on your own. You draw pictures all the time, but this is your first time creating something out of something else.

You have been growing up so fast lately. You read tons of stuff, you are flying through math facts, and you are just starting to understand things in a more mature way now.

You love to make people laugh and be funny. You have what I like to call little-boy-humor that you have perfected since you have been in school. It mainly consists of making gross or loud noises and then laughing about it...a lot...loudly.

But you are also kind and good. You love to play with your brother and sister. You love when Joseph walks to you and he loves it too. You and Joseph play with each other in the car and I love hearing both of your laughs coming from the backseat.

A few weeks ago when I was picking you up from school your teacher came up to me and told me that the was a boy who was going to push another little boy off of a tire today and you stepped in and pulled the bully back so he couldn't do it, and you got scratched in the process. I was so proud of you for doing that. You had to think quick and I am glad that you are a fast thinker and that you do the right thing.

This is another Christmas decoration that you came up with for your room. This also made me happy. You are a lot like me in some ways and decorating and celebrating is one of them. You love holidays and every one is going to be the "best ever!"

Oh and I almost forgot that I was very proud of you when you told me that you told someone in your class that he should not say "oh my G--" and the boy said that it isn't a bad word and you responded "yeah but it is taking the Lords name." (you forgot the "in vain" part:) And then he said he didn't believe in God and you told him that you did and it wasn't nice to say. That made me very happy and we were also able to talk some more about how others have different beliefs and that is okay, but that it is also okay to ask others to respect yours. 

You are just growing up and I love the person that you are.

Love,

Mom

The blue tree

As I was walking through the thrift store a month or so ago and saw this outdoor Christmas tree with faded blue lights I knew I had to have it. I set it up one night just after thanksgiving and loved just the way it was.

But when I pulled out the Christmas decorations I found a bunch of blue ornaments that I had gotten last year at Targets after Christmas sales. I thought they would look pretty on the blue tree and the kids really wanted to decorate it so I let them.

Joseph only pulled down like 20. smile.

Gracie put these "brothers" together. She loved pretending that they are alive.

I loved the way her hands would cup each ornament after she hung it.

We listened to Christmas music, danced to a little Mariah and had a really fun time.