Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our family!

White Christmas

A blanket of snow two days before Christmas! Just like I ordered it.



Daddy has the most dangerous best ideas, and this day he taught the boys how to pack snow on our deck stairs and sled down them. It is one speedy ride!

I love the close-up of this picture.

Look at those happy boys. And that protective daddy.

Santa Claus

I searched high and low to find the perfect Santa for us to visit this year. And what makes up a perfect Santa? He has to be free. And pictures with him have to be free. Our usual Santa started charging a sitting fee last year. And all the malls don't allow you to take your own pictures. You have to purchase theirs for $15-$20. So I was on a mission.

I found the last free, professional Santa that our town has to offer, and it just happened to be our most awesome Santa visit ever! This Santa was at 'Bass Pro Shop', and we had a blast.

They had all sorts of things for the kids to do, like race tracks, Wii fishing, and a shooting range.And the store is so cool. It's a camping and outdoor supplies store, and they have taxidermy displays everywhere. There was a really cool shooting range on the second level.

The boys all gave it a try.

And daddy blew everyone away with his amazing sharpshooter skills. I had no idea he was such a good shot! His talents have no boundaries.

It was a fun place, and a fun visit with Santa.Santa almost forgot to ask the boys what they wanted for Christmas, though! Free Santa's have long days. But he did ask them at the end, so we were set for Christmas!

All I Want for Christmas...

...is a bumper sticker that reads:



Or one that says:



I obviously had a rough day on the road today. It's very unfashionable to be a cautious driver where I live. Especially this time of year.

All He Wants for Christmas......

The perfect timing! Kismet.

They've been listening to a lot of the 'Chipmunks Christmas' album this month.

Luke says, "Mom, I talk just like Theodore. I can't say 'Christmas' (said correctly) right. When I say 'Christmas' (said correctly) I say 'Chwith-muth' (said incorrectly).

Love him!

A Zoo Trip in December

A lucky, warm day in December. Jakob took the boys to the zoo BY HIMSELF so I could get some things done around the house. They were practically the only ones there.





We took Jude off the streets awhile ago, but he still can't kick the gang signs.







Zoo count for the year: THREE! FOUR! Jakob took them again on Saturday!

Journey to Bethlehem

This year our ward did the "Journey to Bethlehem" for the Christmas party. I loved it! Any excuse to dress in our nativity garb gets me simply giddy.

We've done this theme before, but this year's party was, by far, the most beautiful and wonderful 'Journey to Bethlehem' we've ever been to. So much hard work went into it, and it was apparent in all the beautiful details. The program was wonderful, and we felt the Spirit so strongly.

I was lucky that the boys all fit into previous years costumes, so I didn't have to sew much. But we didn't have any adult costumes, so I had to dig into my fabric bin and whip Jakob and I out a costume pretty quickly.

Jakob's gown and hat were entirely black, so when he took his striped robe off, he looked very Taliban.

Tate loves a good party these days, so he was pretty excited. Doing his dance moves all over the place. It's getting easier and easier as the boys grow older. Life, I mean.

The boys are very appreciative to me when I work hard on their costumes. They all gave me an impromptu hug without me asking! "Grab the camera, Jakob! Capture this!" Sweet boys.

A fun night and wonderful way to remember the true meaning of Christmas!

The Tree

We put up our Christmas tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving. These kind of events can be a tad overwhelming for me because of my controlling nature. But this year I just opened up the box of ornaments and said, "Go for it!" I sat back and was somehow able to just enjoy the chaos. I think it's the Wellbutrin. :)

The boys did a great job of trying to spread out the ornaments.

Tate woke up from his nap a tad emotional about the whole ordeal, but he quickly got into the Christmas tradition.

Jude saw the flash of the camera and had an impromptu posing session.

The first Christmas in our new house! So new and exciting!

Thanksgiving '09

We had a wonderfully relaxing Thanksgiving.

We enjoyed it with our friend's, the Collards and Tolani. It was at the Collard's home, and the ONLY thing I had to prepare and bring was strawberries and brownies. Easiest Thanksgiving ever!

Carmen made the most delicious turkey. And I'm not just saying that. It was the most delicious and flavored turkey I have ever had. Everyone agreed. She soaked it in orange juice or something like that. She'll have to teach me.

The kids had a great time together.

Dessert (as well as appetizer and main course) was a chocolate fountain. It's a bowl full of chocolate, with optional fruit. That's how my boys saw it! (I'm so in love with this boy right now, by the way. I'm in love with all of my boys, actually. And Kobe is just being so loving! Happiness.)

After dinner we went to the church to play some volleyball, and Carmen brought a bunch of toys. I was kind of a nervous wreck. As I have mentioned before, our ER copay is $200. And to have to pay a copay like that at the end of the year, so near Christmas, would be very traumatic. So I'm trying to keep my boys as bubble-wrapped as possible.

So you can imagine how unnerving it was to watch my boys move around the gym on skateboards, scooters, pogo-sticks, and stilts. There were plenty of crashes, a few volleyballs to faces, but, fortunately, no ER visit. Phew!

I am so thankful this year for so much:

My sweet spouse. He is so calm, forgiving, understanding, hard-working, humble, patient.....the works!

My boys. Four boys, and such sweet angels! They have inherited so much of their dad's goodness, yet they each have their own unique personalities. They are kind and sweet. Sensitive and forgiving. Funny and interesting. I love them so much.

Craigslist. I cannot wait for you to read my future Craigslist post. Especially after the insane find I picked up last night. Craigslist makes it possible to own things that you NEVER would've been able to get new at full price. And you can find things that are no longer in stores. My town has the most amazing Craigslist, and I am thankful for it.

The computer. My strength and weakness. But where would I be, could I be, without it?

My beautiful home. I am in awe always that we got to move into such a beautiful, spacious home. Such a blessing and a miracle! I love my home, blue carpet and all.

Jakob's job. It's a good environment, good commute, good pay, great work/life balance, and - fingers always crossed - stable.

My new car. That we need to take into the shop next week. No worries! Minor, and under warranty.

My physical health, my testimony, my extended family, my friends, my talents, my life! It's all too, too much! Enough! I can't take anymore! (Just kidding.) I'm so grateful. Happy Thanksgiving!

My favorite crafts that the boys bring home are Thanksgiving crafts. Here's Jude's from nursery:

Dreams? Hilarious! My Bros = My Brothers. Here's Kobe's Pulitzer Prize winning essay:

It says, "I am thankful for my family, the ones who always inspired me. My friends who are nice to me. My body which I can do physics with. Friday, my favorite day of the week. Technology, the best thing in the world. And God, who created everything." He's a writer.

Luke missed his Thanksgiving craft because of the flu, but here are some gingerbread men he made:

It's him and his four brothers. He's holding Tate. Lukey SUPER-DUPER loves Taters. So sweet!