Christmas Celebration

It was so nice to stay home for Christmas and just relax. On Christmas Eve we made steak and baked potatoes and corn and just enjoyed a quiet night. Of course we did the traditional open one gift (just for the kids).

Eli got 2 figures from the Kung Fu Panda movie which he held in his hands all night!
Alexis got a "feel Better Kit" from the American Girl Store and was so excited. Once she saw that the box said American Girl she had to run and get Julie so she could be apart of it!
What is it about Christmas morning? Even at 34 years old I still have a hard time sleeping and get so excited for the day! It was hard to keep Eli in our room so we finally gave up and even after a 6 hr night sleep we pulled ourselves out of bed and got going!
We seem to always start with the stockings- and the kids enjoyed opening theirs.
Eli's first gift he opened was from Santa-the Blue DS he has been asking for!
Tawny got a gift and it smelled so good she put her head in the bag to try to get it out!
Eli got some Toy Story puzzles...he is amazing at puzzles and is entertained for a while with them!
Steve's favorite gift was his gun...yes another one! He tries to tell me that it is for both protection and for us to have something to do together...because you know I am all about going shooting! I have done it once in my life!
The boys with their guns!
One of my favorite gifts I gave to the kids was a book I made of our trip to Disneyland. Eli always gets on my computer to look at the pictures of that trip so this way he can flip through the book!
I have to say-it is a pretty cool book!I got a Roomba Robot and I am so excited about it! I love it! He will be quite busy in this house!
I did a horrible job of taking pictures this Christmas. I feel like I always take way too many so I put the camera down and then forgot to pick it back up!

We ended the day with dinner at James and Lisa's house (Steve's brother). It was nice to hang out with family and play games...even though we got our butts kicked in Seinfeld Scene It!

It was one of my favorite Christmases! Hope you all enjoyed yours!

Haircut and Gingerbread Houses

Alexis needed to get her hair trimmed so we headed over to my friend Jen's last night. Then Alexis decided she wanted to get it chopped off. I told her she could do whatever she wanted with it.
So here is before:
All the hair that was cut about 8 inches
And after.
I love it-especially after Jen styles it. I don't think it will look that good again!

So Monday night we decided to make a gingerbread house. They should put a HUGE warning on the front that says this will take a total of 6 hours. We decided to get out the blow dryer and lessen the time. But we still had to break it up into two nights to let the structure dry before decorating it.
Eli pretty much just did this...
Just about done with it. It sure isn't a very easy thing to make but I also don't do well with the creative, crafty projects. That is where Steve takes over.
So I think we are all ready for Christmas. Just a few more gifts to wrap. I really should be making cookies to take to friends but I honestly don't know if that will happen or not...Sorry guys!
Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

SPT-Peace

The SPT's for this month tells us to, "Take deep breaths. Channel your chi. Don't sacrifice the small, still moments. Enjoy them! And photograph them!"

Tuesday December 23rd: PEACE

Little Catch-up

The first few weeks of December (ok all of December) are so crazy. We have had a lot going on but nothing really blog worthy!
Alexis had her Christmas Party at school on Friday that Nickie and I were in charge of. I thought I had taken more pictures but I guess I was too busy making sure this project was going to work. They made individual gingerbread houses. We had a TON of candy (funny though, only 4 people email me back to let me know they were bringing candy) so they had a great time building and eating!

Eli and Makenna
Alexis getting some help from one of the parents.
Those are the only pictures I took! :(

The other day I was cleaning up the office and noticed some coupons that I kept moving aside. I threw them in the trash and then decided to get them back out and use them. So I headed to the store...
Look what I bought (don't judge the unhealthiness) for only $2.08!!!!Not bad! I am not a coupon shopper so I was thrilled!

Snow Day!!!...wait...Snow Day?

On Monday it snowed in Vegas...I didn't think we got any in North Las Vegas but people said we did. It was crazy to see the mountain on Tuesday and Wednesday-I have never seen the snow so low!
Then yesterday it started to snow....even at our house. So we were informed last night that Clark County School District canceled school due to extreme weather.
It sure is a good thing they did...
Yeah-that is extreme!

Dear Santa,

This year I have been a good boy. All I want is a blue DS (Nintendo). I know I may seem too young for one but I am really good at solving puzzles and playing all the other games. Also, if I keep stealing my sisters she is going to get so mad at me.
Love,
Eli
PS Santa- Don't you think my smiley faces are coming along nicely? My mom was so proud to see my art work on the blinds!
And on the couch...

Dear Santa,
I have been a really good girl this year. I would love to have some clothes and accessories from American Girl for my doll Julie. I promise to be nicer to my brother...oh and can you please get him his own DS? He has to stop using mine.
Thanks! Love,
Alexis
PS Santa-I think my mom would like some new window coverings! and any suggestion in getting ball point pen out of leather!

Getting to Know your Friends-Christmas edition!

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper

2.Real tree or Artificial? I love real but we have artificial-easier to maintain!

3.When do you put up the tree? This year it was before Thanksgiving-pretty much right after Halloween!

4.When do you take the tree down? December 26th-by that time I can't stand all the clutter of the decorations! I am already going nuts!

5.Do you like eggnog? yes but after last night I don't know if I will ever be able to drink it. I took a big gulp and then realized it was sour. I stood over the sink throwing up.

6.Favorite gift received as a child? a doll

7.Hardest person to buy for? My sisters

8.Easiest person to buy for? Eli

9.Do you have a nativity scene? Yes but it is the only decoration not set up. I will do it right after this post!

10.Mail or email Christmas cards? MAIL. If someone sent me an email one I would probably take them off my list

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Sticks and Stones. Here is the story-when I was around 8 yrs old my sisters got me all excited for their gift for me. They wrapped it in a huge box and in each box there was a smaller box. When I opened the last one there was sticks and stones and coal in it. To say the least, it was not funny and had we not JUST gotten new carpet I would have dumped it on them. To this day it baffles my mind why they would do this and why my mom would let them do this. After all these years I still find NO humor in it!

12.Favorite Christmas Movie? Santa Claus with Tim Allen-although Elf is a strong contender!

13.When do you start shopping for Christmas? November

14.Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes-Erin knows what this is!

15.Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Italian Cookies

16.Lights on the tree? Definitely and ONLY white!

17.Favorite Christmas song? Breath of Heaven

18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? Both-usually stay home though. Too much work to travel

19.Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Probably

20.Angel on tree top or star ? Neither-some ribbon looking thing!

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? The kids get one on Christmas Eve-Steve and I don't have enough to do that!

22.Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The clutter!

23.Favorite ornament theme or color? Ornaments that represent something about the year. Although I love blue and silver (Hanukkah) Christmas is red and green...what kind of combination is that!

24.Favorite for Christmas dinner? Whatever my brother in law is cooking or the buffet has!

25.What do you want for Christmas this year? The Willow Nativity-I have told Steve this in passing for 3 years and have yet to have it sink in!

26.Who is most likely to respond to this? Whoever finds this fun!

Christmas Program-the right way

Last year when we went to watch Alexis's school program at school we were so disappointed when they sang, Feliz Navidad, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, and the Dradle song. There was no mention of the real reason we celebrate Christmas. Christ was left out of it completely. That was the last straw for Steve and she started at Cumorah Academy a few weeks later.
This year the Christmas Program was full of the meaning of Christmas. It was so nice to see!

Here are a few pictures of the night...
The kids playing the recorder
Alexis and some of her friends seemed to know when they needed to be on stage but not the others. This picture is funny because she saw that I was taking pictures so she grabbed her friends and they all posed long enough for me to take it! What a good girl!

Kids were asked to dress up from different countries if they had a costume so there were many countries represented.
Click on this picture so you can answer me this....what the heck country is this kid representing...with his boxers hanging out and no shirt on...oh, maybe he is the United States.

Kindergarten through 5th grade doing the nativity and singing "Hallelujah"
Alexis and Aubrey
Makenna and Alexis

SPT-Joy

The SPT's for this month tells us to, "Take deep breaths. Channel your chi. Don't sacrifice the small, still moments. Enjoy them! And photograph them!"

December 9th-Joy

A new kitchen appliance brings me joy! Ours decided it was old and wanted to retire! So we got an early Christmas gift this year! A new fridge!

The old one-nice yellowing around the ice/water dispenser.
The new-pretty one! So I will have to be more diligent in wiping it down to clean the finger prints but it is so pretty to me! And there is a water dispenser inside of it! Bonus!
I thought you couldn't put magnets on stainless steal appliances. Is that just so it doesn't scratch? I am glad I can because I just made these magnets and I would hate to not be able to use them!
(Does it look like a face to you?)

It was also a good time to go through the crazy amount of condiments and get rid of them....seriously, do I have enough???

Flashback Friday-More Christmas Cards

Here are two more Christmas cards from my childhood.

This was the first year my mom was re-married to Jim and we became the Workman's
(not really but on the Christmas Card)

1981

I love that I am holding a Nutcracker like it is an everyday thing! And Leissa is holding a package like she is ready to open it. Cheezy!
1982

Surgery Update

We are all home and well! Eli is a champ! He of course had NO clue as to what was happening today! I didn't tell him-I am thinking telling him that his belly was going to be cut wouldn't go over too well anyway!
He just took it as an adventure.
He loved the gown the hospital gave him.
Thought the monitors and blood pressure cuff was cool.
He talked to Alexis before she headed off to schoolThe nurse gave him a demonstration of what the doctor would put on his mouth-we told him to breath like Darth Vader and he thought that was cool-plus it was strawberry flavored!
He was apprehensive for a second when they were going to wheel him away because Steve said it would be like a Disneyland ride...(yeah we scarred him with taking him on the roller coasters!) But I gave him a little R2D2 figure right before he went and that was all he needed!
In the recovery room they gave him Popsicles-it was funny because he was a bit loopy so he kept missing his mouth.
The first thing he asked for was his Star Wars toy. He hasn't let go of it since.

The purple is the mark so the doctor knew where to cut and the little bruises are where they injected something (pain medication?).
But...he is like his mama! Anesthetic makes him sick so the car ride home he threw up a few times (I had a bucket in there just in case). He is asleep with R2D2 clutched in his hand so life is good!
Thank you for all your well wishes! They were much appreciated!
(Pictures of his tummy to come!-Because I know you want to see it!)