Getting to know the Christmas ME!

I've been tagged: 1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Always wrapping paper - no bows, just names. 2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial - and prelit this year. 3. When do you put up the tree? Thanksgiving weekend. 4. When do you take the tree down? I usually take it down on New Year's - sick of the clutter and ready for some more space. 5. Do you like Egg Nog? I'll drink it, but prefer the pumpkin eggnog and usually can't wait for the eggnog creamies - YUM!! 6. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably my cabbage patch kids - still have them both. 7. Hardest person to buy for? Anyone that I have to consult David on - we can never agree what gift would be best. 8. Easiest person to buy for? Me - not sure if I would have a gift if I didn't take care of it myself. 9. Do you have a Nativity? The more the better. 10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Usually mail - but probably not Christmas cards this year - maybe just winter cards. 11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? 12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I like them all - just depends on my mood. 13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Lately - about a week before Christmas 14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?No, I don't give it as another present, maybe just give it away. 15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Homemade Chocolates! 16. Lights on the tree? Is it a Christmas tree without them? Always white. 17. Favorite Christmas Song? Merry Christmas, Darling - Carpenters. 18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home - we just take it easy and let the kids play with their new stuff. 19. Angel on the tree top or a star? A big bow. 20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? PJ's on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning. 21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Christmas starting before Halloween - can we just do one holiday at a time? 22.Favorite ornament theme or color? Red and white on a green Christmas tree. 23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Anything easy. 24. What do you want for Christmas this year? I would like a white Christmas - all our snow melted yesterday and I'm hoping we don't get missed with the Christmas Eve/Christmas day storm. I'm tagging Grady and Janie - you're it now!

YUCK!

It has been really interesting around our house in the last 24 hours. Poor Luke and Caleb are both sick - maybe the stomach flu. We had to put Luke back into a diaper to sleep last night - he refers to it as "the leaks" and Caleb is also throwing up. Just what I want to be dealing with when my stomach is already queasy. I can't seem to get it under control this time - with the girls I could control it by making sure I ate regularly - with the boys it was all the time but tolerable - this time it's all the time but gets worse when I eat - don't know how to solve that problem! I hope that we can at least get over whatever this is before Christmas and the girls don't come down with it - there's nothing worse than being sick for Christmas (or your birthday).

Christmas Party

Grammy planned our Christmas party this year at the Woodland church. We had a terrible time getting up there - left our house about 9:15 and didn't make it to Kamas until about noon - normally an hour and fifteen minute drive. There were several times we contemplated turning around, but David pressed forward and we made it safely. It wasn't snowing too bad at our house, but when we got out of Granstville, the roads got worse. We saw a car that had slid off in Lakepoint, just as we were getting on I-80 and had another one fish tail all over the road behind us. We passed several other slideoffs before we made it to SL. It was great in SL, only wet roads, but as we got closer to Parley's Canyon it was posted 4x4/chains required - we didn't know if we would get stopped or turned around, but decided to see. The roads were pretty snow packed and slick, but we finally made it. We had a good time and were able to catch up with our cousins. We played fun games, had a great dinner, watched the kids in the Nativity and had a visit from Santa. On the way home, just as we were leaving Kamas, we got pulled over by a county sherrif - what else?!? Luckily he was just letting us know that we had a brake light out. (I just got the van inspected in October.) I hope that next year we get to travel on a day that isn't quite so stormy and exciting!

Gingerbread Houses

I finally undertook making gingerbread houses on my own last week - I like it a lot better when we all get together and all I have to worry about is helping the kids decorate. It was a lot of fun (a lot of work, stress and mess), but it is really nice to share this tradition with my kids in a more individual setting. They had lots of fun and each house is so different and cute. Caleb even took the time to select the candies he specifically wanted - I can't believe his processing at age 2. I lost Luke and Caleb when it came time to do the roof, but Luke did his sidewalk and decided where Santa would go. The girls had so much fun and knew what they wanted to do - Haylee was able to do most of the piping by herself this year - Maddie just said where she wanted it. I had two of my sisters-in-law come and help (thanks Denise and Christine) I couldn't have done it without them. We kept Caleb's house, gave Luke's to David's parents, Maddie gave her's to her teacher and Haylee gave her's to her activity days leader. It's so much fun to share them with others.

Caleb's house

Caleb's back window - he made sure he chose the matching candies.

Caleb's front

Luke's house

close-up of Luke's sidewalk and front

Luke's stained glass window - he dumped a whole jar of colored sugar.

Luke's Santa on the chimney

Maddie's house

front of Maddie's sleigh

Maddie's

Maddie's star roof

Haylee's house

Haylee's marshmallow roof and tree in back

Haylee's front door

Haylee's

Happy Birthday Haylee!!

It's hard to believe that Haylee is already 11. It seems like just yesterday that I was bringing her home from the hospital and we were celebrating her first Christmas. She's always had such a great personality, so outgoing, friendly and silly. I miss her "cheese"s with just her four front teeth. She is a good helper around the house and people are always commenting on how sweet she is. We love her very much and are grateful to have her in our family. Happy Birthday Haylee!!