Home alone..... and then some

with 3 kids i know i am never alone, but joe is gone, so i am all alone with the kids. yikes. there are being pretty good so far, but then by friday we are all tired and onery cuz no one sleeps well when he is gone. *sigh* oh well OH!!! and he is in my new favortie vaction spot- peru! not fair! i think i am going to go with him from now on. our little resuraunt that was next to our hotel, he was going there today. i miss it. :(


i was released on sunday- i was YW president. it was fun but hard, just cuz it took so much time. but i truely did like it, and i love those girls so much! its always amazing to me how much serving someone makes you love them. i guess that is why service is so important, that is where we can get our Christ-like love. you hear it all the time, but i love to realize things over and over again, strengthens my faith. and that is a good feeling.

the kids have been really good lately. i have been sooooo blessed with happy sweet kids and LOVE to play with eachother. i love it. it is going to be sooooo hard for claysen when jerra goes to school! max wont really be old enough to really play with, so he will be so lonely. that is sad to think about. poor kid.
max is smiling so much now, but only if you are mom, or a light. sometimes you can be lucky and get them outta him, but for the most part, he reserves them for me. :) and i dont mind at all! :) i have tried really hard to get him smiling, but to no avail- nothing. maybe next time. it really funny to see his expression when he sees the camera- he looks so confused! its really funny.

oh i was going to blog about my Christmas, my birthday, and valentines.... so lets start....
Christmas was AWESOME! i loved having family here and playing with them! we all have so much fun together. first we decorated cookies.
we made TONS of cookies. they tasted fabulous! i have to say that i am glad they tasted better then they looked. claysen and jerra just arent........ ready to be on "Ace of Cakes" yet. :) but they were yummy!

this is food for 9 adults and 5 kids- there wasnt enough. it was good.

claysen bonded with his aunt jessica- he still talks about her and how fun and nice she is. i would have to agree.

Santa came at night, ate some cookie (notice one bite each- that was one cookie from each kid, that they decorated, i think he had a bit of a frosting overload....) and drank the milk (to wash down the frosting ;p)

i also ate pickeld okra. sounds gross, but it was strangely delicious! next time i go to sam's- i am going to pick myself up a bottle! :)
the tree was loaded......

and in the morning they were DYING with anticipation!

and this was last focused moment..... pure joy! heehee santa was good this year.

and then the mayhen began! it was AWESOME! cant wait fo it to happen again!

then we went to Mimi and Papa Clints- that was just as exciting!

dad was happy it was naptime, and the kids were sad cuz it ws naptime (they really just played with their toys, but it was quiet and they had some good down time)

and then the feast began. Clinton, my BIL, made this beautiful, delicious, scrumptious turkey. so good. there was so much food and laughter- it made Christmas really Christmas ya know?

i dont know when we will all be together again, but i look forward to it. i love when family comes together. :) we did take family pictures- rather candidly- but its tradition, and i will post it when i get a digital copy. well- Merry Christmas! (and i know this post is rather pathetic- posting about Christmas when it is nearly april (10 hours and counting), but i wanted to document it. so you are stuck with it! :) )