An Eventful Week

This week was quite busy at our home.  It snowed all day Sunday, we got a phone call Sunday night saying school was delayed (yes!) we let the kids stay up late playing a family game since they could sleep in for a few extra hours, then at 6:30 they called to let us know school was cancelled (oh man!).  We love it when school is delayed, but when it is cancelled we have to make it up, and it didn't help that they called at 6:30.  I ended up getting a stomach bug and couldn't hardly stand up all morning, but the kids had fun in the snow.

The baby bird the kids were feeding on our back porch

The mom that came to eat too

Building a snow fort

snow fort complete

The snowman they built

As you can see from this last picture, the snow did not last.  This was about 11:00 a.m. roads were clear by around 9:00 which is why we didn't want school cancelled, but we are glad the kids had fun while it lasted.

Valentines day was on Tuesday.  I had parties all day.  Justin's was in the morning they had breakfast.  I had a crepe bar for the kids.  It ended up being really fun and I think the kids all loved them.  A lot of the kids had never eaten a crepe before.  I have no pictures because I was too busy running the party. Abigail's party started at 11:15.  They sang some songs about love for the parents, it was really cute.  I made Abigail's outfit with my new sewing machine.

Abigail and Molly showing me their rings in their mouth

Singing their love songs

Abigail in her love bug hat

Abigail

Ryan's party was last.  They had ice cream sundaes, decorated a picture frame, and played some games.  I just did the games in his class.  I used the same games we used in Justin's class. 

Ryan showing us how to tango with one of his Valentine gifts

We had two basketball games Tuesday night so we didn't even have our nice Valentines dinner, we all ate in shifts.

Ryan in the dentist chair

Wednesday Justin, Ryan, and Abigail all went to the dentist.  It was Abigail and Ryan's first time.  They both did really well.  They let me hold Abigail which helped her. 

Thursday Emily had a tennis tournament.  She made it to the consolation championship game, but it started to rain so they cancelled the rest of the tournament.  Friday we had two basketball games and our neighbors birthday party.  Saturday we had two more basketball games, an indoor soccer game, and Abigail had a birthday party to go to.

Today we are ending the week with a Bishops Fireside at our house.  It hasn't been easy getting the house cleaned up and ready since I haven't been home much, but we made it. 

BYU Cheerleader

Abigail wants to be a cheerleader when she grows up.  I don't know if she will always have this dream, but it is interesting to watch her because she loves to cheer people on.  The other day she had on a cheerleading costume and was practicing her cheers while standing on someone like the cheerleaders do.

Abigail as a proud cheerleader

Abigail decided she needed two people for a pyramid

Now she looks like a "real" cheerleader.

If you look in the back ground you will notice BYU is playing basketball on the TV.

Ryan's Birthday Party

At the end of January Ryan finally was able to have a "kid" party.  I have decided for our family and our busy schedule during the holiday season we need to try to have Ryan's birthday before Thanksgiving, otherwise it ends up being the end of January when we get around to it.  Ryan decided he wanted to have a party at the rollerskating rink.  We have an old one that is kind of ran down, the advantage of this one is they don't care what you use on it so people are welcomed to use scooters, bikes, etc.  Ryan loves to roller blade, but a lot of kids his age don't do this yet, so we were glad you could do other things.  The other nice thing about this rollerskating rink is it is the same price for up to fifty people so we were able to invite his friends and their families.  We all had a wonderful time.  Here are some pictures from the celebration.

Ryan and Archer getting ready to race

Ryan, Archer, and Laney (Laney loves Ryan, we laugh because you can tell even when they are sitting down there is a big size difference).

opening gifts

opening gifts

Abigail's Independence

Most of my children have been very independent and done things on their own at a very young age, Abigail has not had as much of a desire to be independent.  Since she is the youngest I don't think I have encouraged it as much, but I realized I needed to start.  I think children are happier when they can accomplish things on their own, so I have been working with Abigail more.  I have been successful with some of my efforts and not so much with others.  One thing she has learned to love to do is make her own lunch.  She can get her tray and put a fruit, a main course and a dessert on it.  Her favorite thing to make is a pizza with a hamburger bun.  Here are a few pictures of her making and eating it.  Her face shows just how proud she is. 

Spreading the sauce

putting on the cheese

watching to see when it is done

enjoying her lunch

a proud chef

Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas.  We actually had snow all day Christmas Eve and Christmas day.  It made it seem so magical, and it was the perfect snow because it never stuck and it got warm right after so the kids could go outside and play with their gifts. 

We do an advent calendar that has something to do everyday with the family.  The kids each have one day that is their choice.  On Emily's choice she decided she wanted to have a Christmas party at our house.  Because she thought of it so late we ended up just having it with the Hardy's.  She did a great job putting it together, and the kids all had fun.

Ryan, Addison, Justin, and Abigail all put on a puppet show to start the party

trying to get the Rudolph nose stuck on their noses

The yummy food Emily prepared

trying to get an Oreo in their mouth

Justin stacking the cups into a Christmas Tree

balancing the candy canes

playing the flour game

 This year for Christmas Eve I gave each child a basket with a book theme that had pajamas in it and fun stuff to do for the day.  A lot of times Christmas Eve seems long, but this made it a lot of fun for everyone.  I came up with the idea because I had bought a Fancy Nancy basket for Abigail at an Auction at school.  I think we will continue to do this every year.

Emily with her cooking mystery basket

Tyson with his random basket (I couldn't come up with a theme for his with books he likes)

Justin with his Harry Potter basket

Ryan with a Froggy basket

Abigail with her Fancy Nancy basket

Gifts all out for Christmas Day

Emily with some of her gifts

Tyson and Justin with their BYU hats and coats

All the kids opening a family gift

I am never very good at taking pictures on Christmas day because I am too busy trying to keep order in the opening of presents, and then I am always busy helping kids put things together, but everyone enjoyed what they got.  The older I get the more I just enjoy being together as a family on Christmas Day.  With Jeff as Bishop and doing tithing settlement in the month of December, we had to do a lot of our traditional stuff without him, so it was fun to have him with us on Christmas day.  I also enjoyed so much going to church and Worshiping our Savior on Christmas day.  We don't have church until 1:30 and for one Sunday it was kind of nice going that late.

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.