Merry Christmas! We had a great week.
Monday: Nathan took us around to see the lights, something we've never done in Utah and we've lived here 4 years. He took us to a house that the lights played to music so that was pretty cool.
Tuesday: Making gingerbread houses and boys with all the kids just like old times. I loved having 6-7 little kids because they all wanted to do the same things but the past few years there is always 1 or 2 who are busy with school or friends or feel too old to do old traditions. This year everyone was excited to participate because it was Christmas Eve and the last year in maybe 9 years that we'll all be together.
I could have watched them all day decorating away, laughing and loving each other.
Thomas was hilarious going around saying the funniest things about the kids' creations, pretending to be some sort of judge or critic.
It had us all cracking up.
Kaitlyn's gingerbread man.
Samuel's
Makenna's selfie.
Alexis cooking Christmas Eve dinner. My sister-in-law told me 3 years ago about their tradition of eating fish, pita bread, and cheese like Jesus ate and we have loved doing it ever since. Alexis took charge of it this year and picked out the fish, found recipes, and started cooking it. She made some lemon pepper tilapia and haddock and I made some Tuscan tilapia and haddock.
Merry Christmas Eve!!
Acting out the nativity. Talea actually took most of these pictures while I videoed it on the real camera.
Not sure why nobody has sweet expressions, but oh well. They did enjoy doing it.
We love our nativity tradition.
No more real babies though.
Putting out stockings before going to bed.
Throwing carrots out for the reindeer.
Here's a view of how the living room looked when I turned on the lights before the kids came downstairs. This is Kait's, Kenna's, Sam's and Andy's Santa stuff.
The family gifts and Talea's.
Kylie's and Madalyn's.
Alexis's, Nathan's, and mine.
Spencer and Thomas's.
Trying to get them to line up. The middle kids have it figured out. Just waiting on the youngest and oldest.
Talea's taking off.
I was videoing on the real camera and trying to snap some on my phone at the same time.
After breakfast we went to front room (school room) to open presents under the tree that were from each other.
Someone left a bag of toys on our doorstep on Monday and Madalyn found this old American Girl doll. She fixed it up using pinterest for tips and gave it to Alexis.
Spencer got this Harry Potter hat for Madalyn.
Talea with her new outfit she was super excited about. I like the expressions on her face.
My mom got Sam and Andy basketballs.
I gave Makenna the pedometer she's wanted for a long time. (We all have one:))
I gave Kaitlyn colored pencils and a sketchbook.
Someone anonymously gave us enough money to buy gifts for all of our children. And someone else left that bag of toys that provided gifts the kids could give each other.
After days in the 50's (so nice!) we woke up to a white Christmas. It melted pretty quickly then blew flurries on and off all day.
All of Alexis' gifts.
A toy hedgehog and hamster set since she wants a real one.
Samuel and Anderson both love their new watches.
Talea loves the outfit my mom sent her.
Helping make rolls.
Thursday: Anderson ran into a hutch at Seth and Kira's house.
Doing his pouty face when people are giving him attention and he doesn't want it.
He hardly cried at all and it didn't bleed much either for a head wound.
Off to the urgent care we went. Alexis is his favorite family member so of course she had to come with us. She held him and read to them throughout the 40 minute wait time and then throughout the whole stitching up process.
He was so cute getting his weight, height and pulse taken.
If you zoom in or look really close at one point it goes all the way to his skull. He had to get 2 subcutaneous stitches there and then 7 on the outside.
The only time he cried was during the shot, but even then he was really good and calm. This is the first time Nathan was present when a child got hurt and needed stitches or staples so he was excited about that. And this doctor had a lot of patients looking for a chronic fatigue doctor who couldn't get into Dr. Bateman's (where Nathan used to work) so he was excited to meet Nathan.
The shot of lidocaine always makes the injuries swell up temporarily and look worse.
Calm and relaxed while waiting to get stitched up.
Looking much better after just the first few stitches.
Kira sent me with a ring pop to give him in case he needed something but he was great the whole time. I gave it to him afterward anyway.
Back at Kira's house, we think this is the hutch that he hit his head on.
Singing the Messiah- Christmas tradition.
Dropping off the girls at Aunt Sara for "niece's week" (1.5 days) It was sad leaving them but I was also really looking forward to having a little personal time and I was happy for them because they have such a good time with cousins and make cherished memories.
My crockpot fell out of the van and broke when we got home.
The little boys slept in their fort, something they've been planning for a long time. They kept asking me when nieces week was so they could sleep in the living room. Thomas stayed the 2 nights at Kira's so I only had Spencer, Samuel, and Anderson. It was so nice only have 3 kids and getting a lot done. It gave me time to reflect over the past year, think of changes I want to make in the new year, get caught up on my scrapbooks and journals, and even have time to read. I missed the girls though and was excited for everyone to be home again Saturday afternoon.
Friday: On the way to the store with the boys they wanted me to take a picture of the mountains so we could go home and draw them.
A pair of tights all 6 girls wore. I took this to send to the friend who gave us those as hand me downs if I can find her.
Getting out my journals, homeschool records (lesson plans over the years and school work), and papers to be scrapbooked. It was so nice to have all of Friday and most of Saturday to work on it in between playing with the boys and taking care of them.
Spencer taking the tree out. It was too dead.
Today after church. The lighting makes him look funny.
Leaving to run down the street to visit Nathan.
I thought we were going to have a journal-writing party but I looked over and everyone was laughing at something funny Kylie was showing them on her phone.
