Poems, Plays and Punch!

 In the middle of December Jonathan's class was putting on a little show for the parents.  (I thought that all the first grade classes where doing this, but it was just his teacher.  She said that she likes to have something for the kids to look forward to and to have the parents that aren't able to volunteer to see what the kids are accomplishing.  I am continuing to just love Jonathan's teacher, she is so great for him!)  Jonathan has been reciting his poem for weeks, it is call "A Dog named Mim".  He was in the play, Princess and the frog and he was the frog.  On the day of the show a boy got very nervous, almost going to throw up, so Jonathan stood in a recited his part with him!  They all did wonderfully~

Seeing Santa

Getting ready to see Santa!

Standing in line to see Santa!!  The line went fast and they had coloring, and goodies for us!

Christmas 2013

This was right before Henry has his melt down, he wanted nothing to do with him!  Which actually suprised me cause he is so easy going!

This is Jonathan practicing taking pictures, 1st try!

Alot better Jonathan!  Me and my Sarah bear!

Sweet Sarah

My Beautiful Sarah!  I just love that she has no front teeth, it just makes her that much cuter!

Happenings the 2nd week of December

We always love listening to the First Presidency message to get us thinking and feeling about the real meaning of Christmas!

Writing Letters to Santa, the big thing that they each want is Slippers (yes it is cold here:))

We were shown so much love this Christmas season from those around us!

Playing together!

Henry was starting to get sick Thursday night with a cough, and just not feeling good!

The next day we had visitors in our state so we traveled to go see them! It was so great to see family!!!! We love this wonderful family!

Connor enjoying the legos!

Thanks for visiting us Nicki and Dustin it was so great to caught up!  We love you!

First week December

Grandpa and Grandma Jodie sent these to the kids, and they just loved doing them!  But of course we love everything to do with Christmas!

Dave was helping Jonathan with his homework, and I love watching them work together!

My handsome little guy, that just enjoys his food!

Handsome Henry, it is COLD!

Both Dave and I were sick with the stomach flu this week.  I started it then Dave got it.  Dave got a new position at work and so he news training so His company sent him up to the Cities.  They wanted him to stay there all week and have a hotel, so we where going to make the most of it and stay with him and swim and be together.  But the morning we needed to leave.  Dave threw up all night!  But on Friday we went up and spent the day up in the Cities while Dave worked.  We went to REI, Ikea, Mall of America, and then the temple!  It was a fun and exhausting day!

At REI

Decorating the tree

As you can tell, we were SOOO excited to put Christmas up!

Putting up our tree!  Thankful that was the last time we will put up that tree.  We were given it or inherited it when we moved into our first home.  So it has been with us for 8 years (and the people before us I think used it for at least 5 years, we think from what the box says) and it is on its last leg (for many years).  But this year at Costco we found one on sale for an awesome deal that is GE, prelit!  Which I cant wait.  Cause it took us about an hour half maybe 2 hours to put up just the tree and lights!!!!!

Helping!

Decorating, trying to get ones on the top!

Putting on the Star!!!  She couldn't wait!

Isn't his smile the cutest!

Thanksgiving

Gordon helping us with our turkey prep!

This was our first Thanksgiving doing our own turkey; it was an adventure!  Can't say it was great, but we learned a lot from it!

We enjoyed dinner with some of our friends, and they brought some yummy sweet potatoes!  As you can see Henry LOVED them!

That night we enjoyed games as a family!  We are learning to enjoy/embrace the holidays away from family!

Before Thanksgiving, things we were up to

Sarah had fun making a few things like a turkey with stickers our friends gave us! And her Indian feathers!

Gordon being Gordon, he could have pancakes everyday for breakfast if you gave him a choice!  The new thing is peanut butter and pancakes!

One morning I was helping get Jonathan ready for school and Gordon decided that he wanted to go outside, so he got all his snow gear together and I helped him get it on.  He played out in the snow and ice!

Jonathan just loves school, he came home with a pumpkin for me! I love his teacher, she is really great!

Gordon and Sarah playing nicely and creatively!

It is winter, so we love our family movie nights! Daddy spoiled us with Chicago popcorn mix from Costco!  I love that Henry can stay up for a little bit and enjoy popcorn with us!

Sarah making good choices!

Sarah has had a really hard time with emotions/choices ok life in general!  I had this idea to make a chart and have her work towards earning this doll set (that I got at a garage sell for a buck),  She had to get 30 stickers, it was an all day thing to get a sticker.  She could not have gone to time out that day, no tantrums, no yelling at me, okay just making good choices that will make her happy!  Well, in  the beginning of November she earned it and was so happy (so was I).  Look at her smile!

Tender Mercies

I love traditions! While things are financially hard right now but we are making it by little tender mercies and being wise. We have a tradition to make gingerbread houses each year.  We have not missed a year since we have been married.  While with things being tight, we just couldn't buy a kit.  I just pushed it off; the kids would ask but I just wold them to talk to Dave about it.  I knew that I would make the house, but then the candy we needed and in the kit it has the right amount of candy.  Well, yesterday morning Sarah asked me once again about if on the way to church, and I once again changed the subject.  Well, last night we where shone so much love from others and with that on our door step was a gingerbread house kit along with many other wonderful gifts that our kids will love.  I know that this was a tender mercy from above.  I know that it was little, but to me and my children this was important.  And if it is important to us it is important to him.  I am so thankful for this gift of love! I know that he know me and my family and doesn't just know me and my needs but my he loves me!