A Busy Start to the Holiday Season

There has been so much that has happened the past few weeks I decided just to do one long blog.  The craziness started when I decided we needed to go to Utah for Thanksgiving.  All of my family was there, and it has been a long time since the whole family has been together.  We spent it at my sisters house in Syracuse.  It was a lot of fun getting to visit and watching the kids interact with each other.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner prepared by everyone.  Here are some pictures of the tables that were set.  Emily and Lindsey made the place cards and centerpieces for the tables.

The teenage girls and young boy table

The Princess table

The adult table

The teenage boys sat at the bar

Sweet Anna playing on the stair case

As you can tell by the pictures my sister has an amazing house.  They just finished remodeling and she now has a huge kitchen that was so fun to cook in.  In here basement there is an arcade and a movie theater so the kids spent a lot of time down there.  Andrea is such a wonderful host.  We ended the trip with an outing to a place that had mini golf, lazar tag, bowling, and bounce houses.  The kids had a fun time, and it was not busy so they were able to go off in their own groups and do what they wanted.  I am so glad we got to go spend this time with cousins.

We got home the day before setup for the Nativity started.  I was called to be in charge of the children's room this year.  I was really dreading doing it because I knew how much time it took last year, and I knew how far behind it put me in my Christmas, but I am so glad I still did it.  It was truly an amazing experience.  I don't think there is anything more wonderful than working with a bunch of people who all have the same vision and are working for the same cause.  There was nothing but goodness, and it was truly amazing.  I practically lived at the church for a week.  I probably got a total of ten hours of sleep for the week, but it was fabulous.  The people started coming through on Thursday.  I was amazed at how strong the spirit was that day.  We were so worried about Friday because a big storm was coming in, and anyone who knows Lubbock knows people do not come out of their houses when the weather is bad.  A prayer was said, and we asked that the weather be tempered so people would be able to come, and our prayers were answered.  It was cold, but the roads never iced over, it was truly a miracle.  Here are a few pictures from the event.

Here is a picture of the dress up stable area.  The stars from the ceiling are the gifts children were giving to Jesus

Josephs workshop where the kids could make a craft and play with nativities

The nativities all set up

The International room

Abigail dressed up for a picture

One of the men I worked with his wife was due the next week

During this week Ryan also turned 6.  He was so excited for his birthday since he is our only child who doesn't have a birthday in the summer.  This summer he asked me why I made him have a birthday in November when I let everyone else have one sooner.  He had breakfast in bed and opened presents.  I ate lunch with him at school and took cupcakes to school, and then we had dinner at Logan's Roadhouse (Ryan's choice).  We went to Grandpa and Annabells for cake because we had to get back to the church and their house is right by the church.

Ryan loves to play school and create.  All he only requested two things for his birthday, a voice changer megaphone and pez refill for his pez dispenser.  He got a few extra things like an art set, a hotwheels racer that goes on the wall, and a giant cardboard house to color.  He loved everything.  The kids really enjoyed working together on his house.

 During the last two days of the Nativity Jeff took the four youngest to Dallas for Tyson's soccer tournament.  They won their first game, lost their second game, and then the tournament was cancelled because of the rain.  I think it was kind of frustrating to travel 6 hours and not be able to finish the tournament, but I guess the fields were getting too flooded.  The kids still had a great time, and it was easier to finish up the nativity without having all of the kids at home being neglected.

I have spent this week trying to get my house back in working condition.  My kids are great at staying home and getting their homework done, eating dinner, and even going to bed without me their, but the cleaning didn't get done.  Jeff was gone almost every night also because he is in the middle of tithing settlement.

We are now spending our time getting ready for the rest of Christmas.  Shopping, making gifts from the heart, and doing something fun as a family each night.  Yesterday was Tyson's choice, we went out to eat and then played games, it was so much fun.  These are the memories I love to create.  We love the Christmas season.