Christmas 2009

ok, so i was hoping that i would have gotten all caught up with 2009 IN 2009, but alas, it did not happen. so here is our wonderful Christmas celebration......

we started out at the ward Christmas party.  it was so fun to beable to celebrate with friends and family and those we love.  it was wonderfully done and the food, as always, was great!  this is the only picture i could find of ALL off us, notice joe and monkey in the background, this is when we were waiting for santa.  chunks expression says it all about how he was feeling.  but they both did very well- and monkey didnt eve cry!  he actually gave him high five!  that was a HUGE improvement in respect to the other to kids!  and i cant find the pictures that i have of them with santa, kinda sad- i will have to find them.....

anyway, then we went on to make the sugar cookies that one must make for every holiday so that way you can decorate them, and then feel like a good mom for doing something the kids love and that you can give away, and use, and eat, and takeup time- all in one shot.  we LOVE to do this, i think if i had the energy to make sugar cookies for each holiday, i totally would, make little boats and globes for columbus day and stuff- how fun would that be?  and not to mention, i have the YUMMIEST cookies recipe!  as long as you dont work the dough too much, and that part i am still getting down.  oh well.

here are the 2 big kids- jellybean got that apron for her birthday, and she loves it- she is a 'princess making cookies'  =)

hes too young to really do anything productive and he was NOT excited about the dough, so he played with bowls and stuff.....

a fraction of the mess......

these are the candels we made for jellybean's gifts to give to her teachers.  i think they turned out pretty!

here are chunk and jellybean decorating the kids tree upstairs, they really enjoy the fact that they have a special tree that they can decorate however they want!

and monkey didnt know what was more fun, the ornaments, or the fact that daddy had a camera- isnt he too cute?

isnt he a hansome man?  i can see why mommy was caught kissing santa!  (*heehee- wink,wink*)

here is us decorating..... (half the string of lights went out, and so after i went to the store to buy more lights, we undecorated and then RE-decorated the tree.  the kids thought it was hilarious!  but just picture the finished tree with colored lights all the way up to the top!  =p

here is where you can see baby belly....... ugh.

so ya remember the cookies we made earlier? well- this is where we decorate a sugar cookie family for santa- the kids each decorated their own- i helped monkey cuz he was sleeping.......

here is chunk and 'cookie chunk'

jellybean and cookie 'wanna be jellybean'

daddy and 'sugar daddy'  (i couldnt resist that one....)

and the momma's!

arent we the 'sweetest' family?  (ok i know the cheesiness is awful but its just too easy at this point)

after the kiddos were sleeping and we were awaiting santa to make his appearence, i was told there was snow on my car.  so i checked- and i had to get proof!

see!!!!!  yes it was gone by first light, but still!!!  how AWESOME is that!  i had a white....ish Chirstmas!!!

well- santa did come, and he left some good stuff for everyone!

the grown-ups.....

the big ones.....

and the baby!

*disclaimer- i havent found stockings that i like that arent like $80 each.  so i am using these until i decide what kind of material and stuff i want to use to make some.  i was also waiting to be done having babies, and since this is the last...... well now i can really start searching!

here is the 'mommy and daddy' tree as the kids call it, bottom branches are empty because of the cats, not the kids- how funny is that? 

and here is the leftover family that santa couldnt eat, with the note.  the kids thought it was hilarious how santa ate different parts of everyone!

all in all- it was a great day!  clint, laura, and cait came over after breakfast and we all opened presents.  it is so special to be able to spend it with those we love and remember why we really celebrate this special holiday.  jellybean was really cute- she asked if we were going to make cupcakes and sing for baby Jesus becuase we were having his birthday party.  and at some point in the day, i about cried when i heard them telling monkey the Christmas story, and say: 'we give presents because the wise men gave baby Jesus presents.'  how sweet that they can make such connections at such a young age and be thoughtful enough about things to want to make cupcakes for baby Jesus.

every year since jellybean was born, i have had a new respect for Mary and what she went through.  i held my little angel on Christmas day, and she held hers, but our thoughts were so different and in some aspects the same.   she sat in that stable and thought about what His life would entail being the Son of God.  she worried about His health and education, and if he was warm enough, and if He would always know how much she loves Him.  and many years later, i sat in my heated living room, un-bundling my baby, wondering if she was warm enough, and if she would be completly healthy, and smart and happy.  but i wondered if i could teach her to be like Him well enough.  and if i could ever convey to her how much i really truely was changed because of her presence.  Did Mary wonder how she was ever going to teach the Son?  i think i will have to have a very long conversation with her when i get to heaven.  she really was a wonderful example of trusting our Lord.

anway, i hope your Christmas was as good as ours!