Sunday

Typical Sunday. We don't have to get up too early since this year we have the 1pm church. It was fast Sunday so there was no breakfast or lunch to worry about. Rob left early for meetings, we putzed and did hair and walked dogs and read. 

After church we went to the Streeters for dinner. Darlaina made delicious chicken pot pie soup.  We had birthday cake for Ainsley's birthday. 

We made paper snowflakes and the boys played games. We LOVE having them for next door neighbors! Best neighbors ever!!

When we got home we put on the first presidency Christmas devotional and all piled on the bed when suddenly 3 little urchins remembered they had homework.

It was a very nice weekend.

Christmas Lights

We had a good day. It was our turn to help clean the church building so went over this morning and did that. After we were done we helped decorate for Christmas, which was fun.

At 2 we left for the temple. Sadly Rob had to work and couldn't come with us, at the same time since Hannah was going to go on splits with the missionaries at the visitors center I was worried about leaving Ethan in charge for that long. We are at the weird point where he's too old for a babysitter but not really great at being in charge, in fact last time he "babysat" Grace she had to cook ramen for the two of them because he doesn't know how and she does. Anyway I was sad he couldn't go and glad the kids would have him home in the evening.

Hannah and Aubrey had a great time with the missionaries. We had a great time at the temple and then enjoyed watching the girls and going out to eat after and driving home in the rain (with Wade behind the wheel) chatting. It was a good day. 

I love the crèche exhibit they have each year at the visitors center. This Ireland one was my favorite.

Reindeer Olympics

Tonight we invited two families over for dinner.  We also prepared some friendly family competition in the form of reindeer games (thank you pinterest).

It also happened to be the night that Santa came to our neighborhood.

Here he is at the club house waiting for the all the children to come see him. Grace went down with the Streeters and I caught up after she had talked with him, gone on a sleigh ride and gotten a ride in the fire truck!  She said she asked for a boy gerbil. Yay, right!

Anyway after a quick visit we headed home and the Martines' and the Ely's and Caitlin's friend Kim (an exchange student from Germany), and Arden came over.  We ate chicken enchiladas and salad and chips and salsa.  So yummy.  Then began the competition.  

I found games and had prepared them and the families got points.  We played a newlywed style game where we answered questions about our spouses, we built reindeer houses out of toothpicks and marshmallows, we moved reindeer poop (cocoa puffs) with a spoon, we wrote and sang our own mad libs version of Rudolph, played pin the nose on Rudolph, raced to make some one in our family into a reindeer and several other fun games.  The Ely's took home the prize! ( a cute chalk board bucket with reindeer band-aids, Christmas playing cards and holiday pencils)

After the kids played just dance and we had treats, "Root Deer" and "Deercakes".

 

a series of unfortunate events

Yesterday I came home from taking the kids to school and grabbed the girls to go on our morning walk.  A helicopter flew into the neighborhood, circled and then landed on the construction site of the new elementary school that is being built.  Very curious.  Soon it was joined by first responders.  I wondered what happened but didn't join the crowd on site.  I didn't have to wait too long to find out, thanks to our neighborhood facebook page.  A 50 year old man suffered a self inflicted gunshot wound. It made me sad to think of him being so lonely and/or depressed at this time of year that he would do that.

After school most days the kids play tag on the grass.  The moms like this because it gives them a little exercise and a moment to socialize before we start homework.  Today they were playing when we saw Lawson rolling around on the grass and calling for 911. Lawson's mom wasn't there (he's in a carpool) and so we all ran up to see what had happened.  Unfortunatly he wasn't joking, he had a huge gash in his knee.  He had ran into a water pipe that was sticking out of the brick wall.  Like a well oiled machine we sprang into action.  Grace ran to our car and got a blanket to cover him up with.  Twins David and Douglass got paper towels to cover the wound with.  One mom called his parents (they didn't answer).  Soon we decided to take him to the ER and to wait for mom/dad to meet us. We had a 4 mom, 9 kid parade and took him in.  Poor boy.  Some stitches, TLC, and the arrival of his parents later he will be just fine.  Sadly I had a banana bread in the oven and when I got home it was too done :(

random

Christmas long long ago! 8 years ago actually.  We were in Utah for Dani and Greg's wedding.

Last night we had mutual/scouts/A days.  The girls made quilts for the veterans hospital.  Hannah brought hers home to finish.  The scouts worked on their personal management merit badge.  Grace's group made snow flakes.  I am not sure why but Grace had fun.  I helped Jodie make decorations for the ward Christmas party coming up.

Yesterday I wrapped most of our Christmas gifts.  We are getting so close to ready.  I am pretty excited about that!

Ethan didn't have school again because of the water situation at his school.  He went to Saar's to hang out in the afternoon.

Grace was invited to join a little book exchange group.  She got a letter from her friend Madison and had to send a book to the girl at the top of the list.  Then she wrote 6 letters, putting Madison's name at the top and hers next.  I let her do it, and we sent our book, but frankly I didn't expect her to get any books.  She has gotten 3 so far.  Last night we stopped by the mail box and there was another book.  I said how surprised I was and the kids asked why.  I told them I had received a similar letter years ago for a dish towel club and never received a single towel so I thought this would be the same.  "Dish towel club!," they exclaimed, "that's the dumbest thing I have ever heard of! Who would even want one dish towel??"

On our way home from church Ethan asked what we were doing next week.  I wasn't quite sure what he meant so I asked him to clarify the question, like was it something in particular he was asking about?  Some special thing he was looking forward to?  Nope he just wanted a general run down, so I started running through the calendar leading up to Christmas and a bit into it he was very distressed and said "why are we doing all that??" "I just want to stay home!!" He was very upset so I said "why did you ask me if you were going to be so upset?" He said, "I didn't know our schedule is so UPSETTING!!!"  That boy is such a homebody.

cookie night!

Tonight was our girl scout cookie baking night.  It was lots of fun! I made sugar cookies this afternoon so the girls could decorate them.  They also made cookies.  We started with that.  We had two groups,

Madison, Laci, Samantha and Grace made chocolate chip cookies with  Miss Teresa.

Grace L, Fiona, Katie and Ava made peanut butter cookies with me.  After they all decorated the sugar cookies.  There were sprinkles and frosting everywhere!

It was a wild and crazy night!  These girls can be so nuts!  They loved the cute aprons we made them so I was very happy about that.

This afternoon we had 5 friends in the yard.  I never get tired of seeing them.

Ethan didn't have school today and doesn't tomorrow either.  They had a water main break at the school and so they can't go back until it's cleaned up, or safe, or whatever the problem is.  

yawn

Today was a busy day.  We got up at 5:30, which felt a bit rude after a few days of sleeping in.  Hannah actually fell back asleep after I woke her up so she missed seminary.  Kids got ready for school and I helped Grace with a little bit of homework she had left. After I took her to school I went to the bank and then to the Ely's to pick up my aprons.  Dixie embroidered names on them for the girl scouts. I brought them home and started to sew.  Around 10:45 I quit, showered and went to meet Rob for lunch, went to the music store, bought groceries at Wal mart and went back home to sew some more. 

Talked on the phone to Val and Mom and Sierra and Dani.  Sierra is having problems with her wisdom teeth and has to have them removed. Not surprising but still a bummer. 

I sewed until it was time to get the kids.  First Ethan, then Grace and Hannah.  Hannah had play practice and then an orthodontist appointment.  Two more months and she gets her braces off!!

We got home from there, made dinner, stroganoff and peaches with a pretty table.

After dinner was FHE, which went well.  Nice. 

After all that it was back to the basement and I finished the lot of them.  Ethan came down with me to keep my company.  Dogs went out in the yard many times.  Emailed with Anthony regarding youth conference.

10:40, headed back to bed.  I was literally busy every second of this day.  Which is rare.  Got a lot done.  Which was nice.

Tired now. Which is good.