Home for Christmas

You see my daughter in that dress, that is the christmas dress I wore one year when I was little.  My mom brought out the dress and she loves it.
We have almost lived here for three years, this is our third December.  Every december my kids get out for school the Thursday before Christmas.  Every Friday before Christmas, I work busy busy busy to get ready to leave bright and early in the morning on Saturday for christmas with the family.  And by bright I mean dark for two hours.  Except for the first year when a storm was coming, so we left Thursday after half day kindergarten. This my first lazy Friday before Christmas in this house.  It was thrilling.  We cleaned, we screen timed, we played, we wrapped presents, etc Three out of the five of us stayed in pajamas all day.  (Brent went to work)
Anyway, so... it has been 7 years since we have spent christmas eve in our own beds.  Its all very exciting to know we aren't leaving for Christmas. Although sometimes nerve wracking, we have never spent christmas alone! But I have no desire to sit in the car for 9-13 hours.  Seven years ago, the last time we slept in our bed for Christmas eve, our 10 month old went to bed at 6pm on Christmas eve.  Brent and I spent the rest of the evening with his family, his parents had just gotten off an 18 month mission for our Church in Toronto.  Everyone dressed up for the nativity, honestly it was my first memory of every seeing anyone dress up for the nativity.  I'm one of the younger siblings and cousins so I have no memory of doing it as a child. (Apparently Brent was a wiseman who brought root beer to the baby.)

   Then the next morning we woke up when the baby woke up.  We gave him some awesome presents, since we had barely any money. Which we had been storing wrapped in the fireplace for some reason, I don't know why Brent decided it.

  My husband gave me the movie Sphere.  I learned I hated that movie, and refused to finish watching it, while my husband did not refuse.  He also made potatoes for his family Christmas dinner.  Awesome memories huh?

Since we are having memories, lets continue
Last year we went to Utah, that was 2012

 Third Baby's First Christmas.  He and great grandma were fast friends.

The previous year we went to Texas, 2011

(Where my 4 year old nephew decided he wanted to be the baby Jesus. I'm so glad for pictures, it was super hysterical.)

The year before that we were in Seattle.  2010

My maternal grandma lives in that area.

Before that we were in Texas again.  2009
Look how little they all were.

Especially my daughter, who is now 5!

Oh the year before that was the year my daughter was born and two weeks old.  So we did spend that year at our house, but some of my family came to visit, two of my brother, my sister, my parents and their respective families.  (My daughter's stocking fit on her head, as her Aunt Teresa so kindly pointed out.) 2008

The year before that we spent it at my in laws.  2007

Remember 2006, is the whole point of the post, that we have only spent two christmases at home. This will be our third, and our first without family.

8 years ago we spent it with my brother, his wife and toddler. It was our first christmas married, and I was 8 months pregnant.  (Yes, this is a terribly unflattering picture of me, just keeping it real.) 2005

And 9 years ago, we were in Texas, a week before we got married.  2004

Nine years ago most people had huge boxy tvs with small screens.  My husband and I were quite young, but looked even younger.

Its December

Its December, and it has been that way for 20 days.  Have you been busy like me.  My daughter has, she has hit up every santa she can find to tell she them she wants a green boy bike.  Ok, she doesn't say all that, but the bike she wants is too big for her, a boy bike and green, I'm not sure why she got obsessed with it.  She isn't getting a bike for christmas. 

First we found santa at Home Depot. This is actually my favorite picture.  

(My seven year old won't go near Santa.)

 Even though baby is blurry this is my favorite picture of the month.  He has since learned how to rip ornaments off, and turn on and off the lights.  I guess he isn't a baby, he is my 16 month old toddler.

 Then we found Santa with Mrs. Claus at church.  This Santa actually distributes presents to poor kids on a firetruck, pretty cool in my opinion.

So the other day we also saw Santa at Bass Pro Shops, and I have the copy that Bass Pro Shops gave us, but I didn't bother taking a picture.  How many does one child need?  She knows they are pretend santas and will tell you that, but that doesn't stop her need to see them all.  I wasn't too impressed with Bass Pro Shops santa, which was annoying because they actually wanted money for seeing santa (buying pictures).

Finished

I do a terrible job of keeping track of my family's history. But it should be said today, November 19, J finished the Book of Mormon. We started reading it with him when he was a sunbeam, so when he was 4. About 6 months ago he decided he wanted to finish it before he turned 8. Last month we did the math, he needed to read two pages a night to finish it. As a family we were only doing 8 verses a night, so he needed to finish the 2 pages on his own. (He would knock out a few chapters a week during sacrament meeting ) Once we finished Helaman, he took off. In less than 2 weeks he on his own read 3 Nephi, 4 Nephi, Mormon, Ether, and Moroni.
This morning at breakfast we all individually told him congratulations, now we can start on 1 Nephi again. (We also had longer conversations about his awesomeness) But even his not quite 5 year old sister said it. She said it first, well she said now you have to start over. I loved that even she knows you never stop reading the book of Mormon.

Kicking baby

I have 11 weeks left. Today when I went to the doctor, I saw a med student first. She asked how I was doing, I responded uncomfortable. Her reply oh no, blah blah blah, question I can't remember. I said no, I'm fine, I just swear each baby kicks harder. (Not actually harder, my body just gets more sensitive to the pain.) Then she got ready to hear the baby's heart beat, as she exclaimed, oh my goodness you're right, I can see him kicking you!

Happy Thanksgiving

Ok, so its a little early for Happy Thanksgiving.  But you know that is about how my life is, either really early or late.  So here it is.  Here is cute almost 5 year old (less than a month!) with her turkey she made for school.  She did everything other than glue the leaves, I helped her because I used the glue gun. 

Speaking of early or late, we got the car all cleaned and vacuumed for Thanksgiving. Hoorah! And I got my christmas sewing done.  As it all my new niece's and nephews' stockings and a tree skirt.  They needed to be done before Thanksgiving, so they would be at their houses for set up the day after Thanksgiving.  So they are all shipped and I believe arrived.  Another Hoorah! Now, for some reason I'm making that cute girl above, matching dolly dresses and her dress, than I have a month to finish.  Then I have a baby quilt to make during December.  Then who knows what January holds, because I'm already so uncomfortable I want to scream! 12 weeks.

Guilty

I feel guilty.  I think I should be enjoying my daughter in pre-k, but I'm not.  Its good for her this year, she is doing well, she is excited, her teachers like her, but I just keep thinking kindergarten will be easier.  And by that I mean I don't have to sign her in and out of school, and her schedule will better line up with her brother's.  Yes, its stupid, but still this child has done so much pre-school, I'm ready to move on as a mom, even though I know her in preschool instead of kindergarten was perfect for her.

Nov 1

For now I feel like posting my gratitude online. We'll see as the month goes on. 

1. That I live in a place where I feel unjudged. I spent a lot of years feeling like everything I do is being judged it's a relief to feel free of that for the last two and half years. 

2. We had no school today, no one woke up before 8. I didn't see my kids until 8:30. It was nice.... Relaxing....

3. All of the Halloween decorations are gone, and costumes put away, my life feels so clean right now. Well at least the living room.