Christmas

We had a pretty good Christmas.  We always just stay home on Christmas and enjoy being together and  playing with new toys.  Our Christmas morning started about 7:45am.  The three youngest kids all woke up between 4 and 5am, but luckily all three went back to sleep. When we got up we went up to see if Santa had come and what he had brought.  The kids all checked through their stuff and looked through their stockings to discover what was there.  Things looked a little sparse because Santa had left a big present that was hidden somewhere else, but nobody said anything. 

Shannon checking out what Santa had left.

Evan checking out his mini nerf gun that was in his stocking.

Lauren with her "kid" makeup.  For some reason that's what she really wanted. It's mainly different types of lip stuff.

Whitney unloading her stocking.  She seemed more interested in the little stuff in her stocking than the strawberry shortcake set behind her on the couch.

Tyler

After awhile the kids discovered that Santa had left a note with an envelope that contained a clue.  The note basically told them that they needed to go on a scavenger hunt to find their main present.  They each got to read a clue and find the next clue.  The last clue led them to the storage room where they found the big present.

Reading the last clue to find their present.

In the storage room they found a big box that contained this:

A brand new trampoline - Our kids have been wanting one for a long time.  Luckily Santa came through for them.

After discovering the trampoline we went back upstairs and began opening the wrapped presents.  The kids were excited to open up the presents they have been looking at, feeling and shaking for the past couple of weeks.  Lauren and Whitney scored lots of Zhu Zhu pets and accessories and have been having lots of fun with them ever since.

Whitney really wanted a pair of sparkly shoes for Christmas.  The last few weeks she would pick up presents under the tree and say "I think this present is sparkly shoes".  It took me a while to find some, but finally found some at Fred Meyer.  Kirk had to go to a couple of different Fred Meyers to find the silver ones in her size.

Whitney with her sparkly shoes.

Tyler with a book he got

Shannon opening a present.

Shannon's present below has a funny story to go with it.  A couple of days before Christmas I was wrapping the last Christmas present - a pair of boots for Shannon).  Whitney and Lauren were in the room with me.  After it was all wrapped Shannon came into the room.   Lauren said we're not going to tell you what's in your present and then Whitney blurted out "and it's not boots".  I quickly put my hand over her mouth, hoping maybe Shannon hadn't heard.  Then Whitney said "I said it's not boots" (with an emphasis on the not).  I told her not to tell Shannon what it was and she just kept saying "I didn't tell her.  I said it's not boots".  Then she started to get a sad look on her face and a little teary.  I felt bad for her because you could tell that she really believed that she hadn't told Shannon what was in her present.  Shannon just thought it was funny and didn't seem to really care.

Shannon just opened the "infamous boots'. 

Evan with a new star wars DS game from Grandma and Grandpa.

Lauren opening a present and showing her McDonald's and DQ gift cards from Grandma Garrison

Christmas Eve

We had a fun Christmas Eve.  We spent most of the day at home cleaning and getting ready for the evening and Christmas day.  That evening we went over to my sister Stephanie's house to spend some time with them.  We had our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of pizza and then we had a little Christmas Eve program.  The kids each participated in the program either by singing, playing the piano or reading a story.  We always end doing the nativity with the puppets.  This year we also watched the short nativity DVD from the church.

Jaron, Shaylee, Lauren and Whitney watching the program

Evan reading his story.

Some of these pictures are out of order because blogger wasn't cooperating for me today.

Watching Shannon's power point. (Shannon made a power point about the Christmas story and the symbols of Christmas.  She did a very good job with it.)

Lauren, Shaylee and Jaron singing Jingle Bells.

Tyler reading the nativity story for the puppet show.

The kids with their puppets.

On Christmas Eve the kids get to open one present.  We let our kids choose which present that's under the tree that they want to open.

Whitney waiting for her turn to open her present.

Lauren with her Zhu Zhu pet she just opened.

Evan opening his present.

Shannon with her headbands that Aunt Steph made for her.

Tyler opening his present.

Tyler's pictures

Ever since this summer Tyler has been wanting me to post some of his photos on my blog.  My Dad lets him use his nice DSLR camera (he's a brave man).  While we were in Utah Tyler decided to take some photos of the kids that were still hanging around at that point.  He set up his own little photo "studio"  with a back drop and everything and then he started taking photos - lots of them.  Here is just a sampling of a few of them.  He did a pretty good job.  His photos are improving.

Matthew and Lauren - both 6 years old

Lauren

Whitney

Whitney

Matthew and Lauren.

Annika and Whitney - both 3 years old.

my sister Debbie's kids (Steven, Summer, and Matthew)

My sister Cindy's kids (Jillian and Annika)

This Week . . . . .

. . . has been a busy one.  I have had something going on everyday this week.

I started the week off by getting a new calling at church.  I'm now the 2nd counselor in the Relief Society Presidency and I was released as a primary teacher.   I still don't really know what I'm doing and am a little overwhelmed but I'll soon learn, I guess.  I've been in the primary pres. twice and YW Pres. twice, but this is my first time in the Relief Society Presidency.  So it's definitely new territory for me.  I haven't even attended R.S. in my ward for over two years.

It feels like I've spent my week picking up Christmas tree ornaments.  Whitney is constantly taking them off the tree and playing with them.  I find them all over the house.  The poor tree is looking a little battered these days.  The other day Whitney's coat was laying on the living room floor and I asked her to hang it up (I meant on the hook in the laundry room).  A little while later Kirk asked why there was a coat hanging on the tree.  I went in and looked and sure enough there was Whitney's coat hanging on the Christmas tree.  I'm surprised that it stayed there and didn't fall off.  I guess I didn't specify where to hang it and she did hang it up like I asked.

Whitney's coat hanging on the tree.

On Wednesday we went caroling to the nursing home with Evan's cub scout pack.  It was a good experience for the kids.  They had a lot of questions about it and why the people lived there and such.

Not sure what Lauren was doing here - watching Belle sing I guess.  She actually turned her head right before I snapped the picture.

Most of the group singing.

Evan is in the middle of the back row.

After the kids finished singing one of the residents gave them each a bag of popcorn.

Yesterday was the last day of school before winter break (I guess you can't call it Christmas break anymore).  The kids are excited to be out for a couple of weeks.  Now I have to figure out how to keep them entertained all next week. 

We actually had a couple of sunny days this week.  It was so nice and I was able to get out and go walking three times this week.  It's been a long time since I've been able to do that.  I really enjoyed it.  It felt good to be out in the fresh air getting some exercise.  

I'm looking forward to a fun Christmas week this coming week.

Tid bits of December

Not much out of the ordinary has happened lately, but I thought I would give you a peek into our lives over the last 10 days.  I think I'll do it list style because that we'll be a little easier for me.

• We started the month out by doing scouting for food with the cub scouts from our ward.  We went out on two different afternoons to hang bags on the front doors in a couple neighborhoods in our ward.  Then on Saturday (Dec. 4th) we went out and picked up the food that had been left out for us.  After collecting the canned goods we went to the food bank to unload it and watch it be weighed.  It was my first trip ever to the food bank.  Our pack collected 414 pounds of food.  Both Evan and Lauren thought it was great fun to run up and down the sidewalk and up to people's front doors dropping off bags and collecting food.
•  We also got our Christmas tree and decorated the house (which I blogged about in the previous post).  Kirk and Evan also put up lights on the outside of our house.
• On the last day of November Evan had an eye doctor appointment.  This past week his new glasses came in (Tuesday, I think). He  was very excited to go and pick them up.  His new glasses are blue and they are a size bigger than his old pair.  He is quite excited about the fact that they are Nike glasses.  The glasses seem to be sturdier than his old pair so I'm hoping he doesn't end up getting these so crooked.

A silly picture of Evan in his new glasses.  I told him he could do one silly picture and then we had to take a nice picture.

Closer up picture of Evan's new glasses.

• Tyler was sick this week and missed two days of school.  Monday he called me from school and wanted me to come pick him up.  So far nobody else has gotten sick.  Up until Tyler getting sick we haven't had any sickness at our house, since school started.  I don't think we have even had any colds.  I'm sure there will be some to come, though.
• Tuesday my sister came over to visit.  She brought a large bag of clothes with her for Whitney.  As soon as my sister left Whitney tore into that bag and was so excited by all the clothes.  She loves to have new clothes to wear and loved the dresses and skirts that were in it.  She had to immediately change her clothes and put one of her "new" dresses on.  Everyday since then she has worn something new from the bag of clothes that Aunt Steph brought over.  She is already into clothes and loves to pick her own outfit each day, much to my dismay at times.  Her choices are not always what I would choose for her to wear.
• Thursday evening Whitney went with me to drop Tyler and Shannon off at the church.  As we drove up our road to return home there were four deer eating apples off a tree.  It was dark, so you could only see the outlines of the deer.  Whitney asked me if they were reindeer and I said no they were just regular deer.  To which she replied that "yes they are reindeer."  Then she said "Did Santa lose his reindeer?!"  They way she said it was just so cute it made me chuckle.
• I've gotten most of my Christmas shopping done.  Just a few more things to get.  It will be nice to get it done and get the last few things wrapped.  Then I can focus on doing some holiday baking and having fun with the kids.  It's hard to believe that the kids only have one more week of school until Christmas break.  Kirk had finals last week and now he just has to get his grades done and turned in.
• Last night was our ward Christmas party.  The younger kids were excited to have Santa come visit.  My kids engorged on way too much sugar and drank a lot of hot chocolate.  Oh well I guess it only happens once a year.  I put clean clothes on Whitney and Lauren so they would look nice in their picture with Santa and then Whitney spilled hot chocolate all the way down the front of her dress before she got her picture taken.  It ended up not mattering though, because she didn't want to have anything to do with Santa and you can't see the brown stain down the front of her in her picture.

Lauren telling Santa what she wants for Christmas.  Lauren recognized Santa and told me that he wasn't the real Santa because he looks like Brother S.

This was as close to Santa as Whitney would get.  Today she told me that she likes Santa.  I guess she only likes him if he keeps his distance.

Evan told Santa that he wanted Madden 11 (a wii football game).  That was the first time I've heard that request.  He keeps changing what he wants.  Santa's going to get confused.

• It has been so rainy and gray the last few days.  It is starting to make me feel so blah and definitely affects my energy levels.  I have really missed being able to get outside and go walking on a regular basis.  Unfortunately we are in for a ton more rain, ugh!

Christmas Preparations

Over the last week and a half we have been decorating the house for Christmas.  The day after Thanksgiving the kids were anxious to get the Christmas decorations out.  I wasn't as anxious as they were.  I wasn't feeling very motivated to do it, so I told them we would get one box out a day and do it a little at a time.  The kids ended doing most of the decorating this year, which was fine by me.  They did a pretty good job and I haven't even redone any of it. 

This past Saturday we went out and got our tree.  Kirk had to work, so I wasn't sure if we would be able to get it that day, but luckily he got home about 3:00pm.  We decided we had better go ahead and get the tree because it was dry and then forecast was for lots of rain in the days to come.  It's not very fun  having to bring a wet tree into the house.

Here are some photos of our outing to cut down a Christmas tree.

Tyler

Shannon

Evan's turn.  Evan was actually the first one to try and cut down the tree.

Lauren trying to cut down the tree.

Whitney didn't want to take a turn to try and cut the tree down.  She was kind of grumpy that afternoon.

Kirk and Tyler hauling the tree down to the truck.

The kids were being grumpy that evening, so we ended up not decorating the tree that evening.  Everybody went to bed instead.  The kids weren't happy about that.  Sunday morning when everybody got up we decorated the tree.  That's why everybody is in their pj's in the pictures.

Lauren in front of the tree.

Whitney liked standing on the chair and put up a lot of ornaments in that one area.

Evan

Shannon

Tyler's tall enough to reach the top of the tree now.