New Year's Eve 2013

New Year's Eve morning Aaron spent building a coat rack shelf in the hallway just as you come in the garage door. I'll post more pictures of that project when it's all finished. The kids and I played with toys and put together this awesome safari floor puzzle that the Yoshiokas sent us for Christmas. I love the Melissa and Doug floor puzzles. We got a few of them this year and they are a huge hit at our house.

In the afternoon we packed up our stuff and headed to Hooper to spend New Year's Eve with my mom and Kerry and Gran (who is still in town from the funeral). We had a blast. We played the M&M game with the kids. Basically, you have a big bowl of M&Ms and everyone has a straw. One person uses there straw to try and suck as many M&Ms as they can and put them in their own cup. Meanwhile, the person in front of the person with the M&Ms is rolling a dice, and if they get a 1 or a 6 then it's their turn to take the bowl of M&Ms, and the next person's turn to roll the dice. At the end of 5 minutes whoever has the most M&Ms in their cup is the winner. My kids were really into it.

After the M&M game we put Adelia and Ollie to bed. Lincoln and Aaron played checkers while I did that. Then we all played a round of Go Fish. Then we played the Candy Bar game. Everyone starts out with a candy bar and a dice. You roll the dice over and over and over, and when you get a 6 you can take a candy bar from someone else and put it in your pile. You play for a set amount of time, and at the end of the time you get to keep all the candy bars in your pile. Lincoln was all over this game too. He was actually a lot of fun this New Years. Not that they kids aren't always fun, but you know what I mean. It was enjoyable to have Lincoln playing games with us, and we didn't have to baby him or favor him. I think in a few more years, New Years with our kids is going to be one of my favorite holidays.

By then it was about 9:00pm and so we put the boys to bed as well. The adults stayed up and played Dice Sequence and Progression until midnight. Happy New Year!!

Frozen

We took the kids to see Frozen this afternoon. It was their very first time EVER going to a movie theater. So celebrate this long-in-coming first, we even bought popcorn. :) The older kids loved it, well, except at the end Ivan said he didn't because he thought it was scary...but he watched it very intently the whole time. And Ollie did really well until the last 15 minutes or so, when he got tired, so I took him and rocked with him on the ramp, and he fell asleep and I finished watching the movie.

We liked Frozen, especially the music. It wasn't the best Disney movie ever. It was really too similar to Tangled, except with out the depth of story line. But it was cute, and it was fun to take the kids out to the theater.

A Contest of Mad Men

Ivan drew this picture this morning. It says, "We will have a contest of mad men." I have no idea what this means, but he and Lincoln are currently sculpting Play Doh trophies to give to the winners. #ilovethem

Book Review: The Aviator's Wife

by Melanie Benjamin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was beautiful. It was raw, and heartbreaking in places; but beautifully done. It was real. It never tied itself up in a neat little bow. It was complex, and deep. It was unfair, and unresolved. It was life. I liked the stream of consciousness narrative. I fell in love with Anne, the main character, as she copes with the unexpected ups and downs of marriage, fame, and life, while trying to find herself, and figure out what it means to be a woman. Historical fiction has always been my genre of choice, so of course, I also loved getting to know more about that time period, and the Lindberghs and the many things they accomplished. This fictional story, left me wanting to go learn more about the facts. I would really like to read Anne Morrow Lindbergh's book Gift From the Sea. I will be buying a copy of The Aviator's Wife, and I will also be reading the other books Melanie Benjamin has written.

Here are a few of the pieces I loved:

“Who was this woman before me, her face imprinted with the expectations of others? I was Mom. I was Wife. I was Tragedy. I was Pilot. They all were me, and I them. That was the fate we could not escape, we women; we would always be called upon by others in a way men simply never were. But weren't we always, first and foremost -- woman? Wasn't there strength in that, victory, clarity -- in all the stages of a woman's life?”


“A woman's life, always changing, accommodating, then shedding, old duties for new; one person's expectations for another until finally, victoriously, emerging stronger. Complete.”


“Mother shook her head impatiently. 'You need to...stop looking for heroes, Anne.' Her speech was slow, slurred, but understandable. 'Only the weak need...heroes...and heroes need...those around them to remain weak. You're...not weak.' I remembered those words. I knew they were true, all of them. True about me, and true about Charles. I brought them out, every now and then, as I kept working -- on both the manuscript and myself. And, perhaps on my definition of my marriage. No, my prayer for my marriage; a marriage of two equals. With separate -- but equally valid -- views of the world; shared goggles no more, but looking at the same scenery, at the same time.”


“Jealousy is a terrible thing. It keeps you up at night, it demands tremendous energy in order to remain alive, and so you have to want to feed it, nurture it -- and by so wanting, you have to acknowledge that you are a bitter, petty person. It changes you. It changes the very way you view the world; minor irritations become major catastrophes; celebrations become trials.”


“Dana taught me that the ability to grieve deeply also meant that a person had the capacity to love deeply, laugh deeply, live deeply -- and that this was a capacity to be cherished.”


“And I knew, as I had always known but somehow forgotten to remember in these past years, that I could never have done it, that no one else could ever have done it. That I would never know anyone as brave, as astonishing -- as frustrating, too, but that was, I was forced to admit finally, part of his charm -- as the slightly stooped elderly gentleman standing beside me in the shadows, listening while schoolchildren read of his exploits. The man who was, for better, for worse, my husband. The man who I loved, in spite of himself.”


“I will fly, alone. Wearing my own pair of goggles, my view of the world just as unique, just as wonderful, as his was, but different. Mine.”

My Great Grandma Roberts

Evelyn Hayes Nelson Roberts

Obituary

Evelyn Hayes Nelson Roberts
Logan - Evelyn Hayes Nelson Roberts, 97, of Logan, died Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013 in Logan.
She was born Oct. 24, 1916 in Georgetown, Idaho a daughter of John Riley and Harriet Emmaline Dunn Hayes. She married Cecil Nelson on Sept. 11, 1935 in Logan, Utah. 
She graduated from Georgetown High School in Idaho. Evelyn was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where she held many callings. She served as a temple worker and also served an LDS Mission in St. George, Utah.
She is survived by two sons and two daughters, Jeanette Hogan, Kirksville, Mo.; Marcia and Thomas Todd, South Jordan, Utah; Bryce Cecil and Marsha Nelson, Cedar Hills, Utah; Stephen Hayes and Judy Nelson, Hyrum, Utah; 23 grandchildren, numerous great grandchildren, several great great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Cecil Nelson, a granddaughter, Janalyn Hogan and a son-in-law, Jack Hogan.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, Dec. 28. at 11 a.m. in the Allen-Hall Mortuary in Logan. A viewing will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Interment will be in the Providence Cemetery.

 My grandma and her siblings. Back Row: Bryce Nelson, Stephen Nelson, wife of Larry, Larry (Great Grandma Roberts sister Erma's son) Front Row: Granny Jan (Jeanette Nelson Hogan), Marsha Nelson Todd, Tom Todd

 My mom and her siblings: David Hogan, Brad Hogan, Tamilynn Hogan Lemmon Sparks, Shauna Hogan Schoffield, Nanette Hogan Davis

Granny Jan and all her kids. Tami, Brad, Dave, Shauna, Nan, and Gran.

My Great Grandma Roberts's funeral was today. She was 97 and had been in a home since before Lincoln was born. So it was really more of a blessing than anything else. We'll miss her though. She was the first person to ever make me a hamburger that I liked. She made it in a frying pan and didn't use any BBQ sauce, only seasoning. It was perfect. I also remember going to stay the night with her and Gran when she lived with Gran in Washington Terrace, and staying up late talking and laughing. Good times. 

4th Annual End of Year Book Survey

My friend posted the link to this on our Books and Brunch Facebook page, and it looked like too much fun not to complete. So here are my answers to the End of Year Book Survey for 2013.

1. Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic – Divergent by Veronica Roth (although I was very disappointed by #2 and #3 in the series), The Road by Cormic McCarthy, Legend by Mary Lu
Young Adult - The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Historical Fiction – Gone With the Wind by Margret Mitchell, The Aviator's Wife, The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Mystery — The Bee Keeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Science Fiction — The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fjorde (Not one of my all time favorite books, but the only Science Fiction book I read this year :) ha!)
Fantasy — A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
Family Read Alouds - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, Fablehaven Brandon Mull, The Witches by Roald Dahl
Non-Fiction - How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown
Play - The Importance of Being Ernest
Classics - Jane Eyre

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

The Last Runaway by Tracey Chevelier, Champion by Mary Lu, Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013? 

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?

The Book Thief, Gone With the Wind, Divergent

5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

The Mary Russel series by Laurie R King

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

Marcus Zuzak, Laurie R. King, Brandon Sanderson

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

The Selection by Kiara Cass (not my typical genre) The Road by Cormic McCarthy (I've been afraid to read it because of the reviews, and because it's pretty deep)

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

Divergent, The Book Thief, Gone With the Wind, A Memory of Light, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Legend by Mary Lu, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, Life of Pi by Yann Martel

9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

The Book Thief

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

The Book Thief

Life of Pi

11. Most memorable character in 2013?

 Liesel Meminger from The Book Thief, Scarlet O'Hara from Gone With the Wind, Louis Zamperini from Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, Anne Morrow Lindbourgh from The Aviator's Wife

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

Without question, The Book Thief

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?

Gone With the Wind, The Book Thief, The Road, Life of Pi

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read? 

The Little House series, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (it's been on my list since 2008!), A Memory of Light

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?

“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

“I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race-that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.”
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

“Here is your flaw, Shaitan, Lord of the Dark, Lord of Envy, Lord of Nothing, here is why you fail. It was not about me. It’s never been about me.”
It was about a woman, torn and beaten down, cast from her throne and made a puppet. A woman who had crawled when she had to. That woman still fought.
It was about a man that love repeatedly forsook. A man who found relevance in a world that others would have let pass them by. A man who remembered stories and who took fool boys under his wing when the smarter move would have been to keep on walking. That man still fought.
It was about a woman with a secret, a hope for the future. A woman who had hunted the truth before others could. A woman who had given her live, then had it returned. That woman still fought.
It was about a man whose family was taken from him, but who stood tall in his sorrow and protected those he could.
It was about a woman who refused to believe that she could not help, could not heal those who had been harmed.
It was about a hero who insisted with every breath that he was anything but a hero.
It was about a woman who would not bend her back while she was beaten, and who shown with a light for all who watched, including Rand.
It was about them all.
~Rand al Thor”
― Robert Jordan, A Memory of Light

“Loial, son of Arent, son of Halen, had secretly always wanted to be hasty.”
― Robert Jordan, A Memory of Light

“No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.”
― Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind

“These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their anger at themselves. For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart.”
― Yann Martel, Life of Pi

“If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the Cross, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' then surely we are also permitted doubt. But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.”
― Yann Martel, Life of Pi

“All my life I thought that the story was over when the hero and heroine were safely engaged -- after all, what's good enough for Jane Austen ought to be good enough for anyone. But it's a lie. The story is about to begin, and every day will be a new piece of the plot. ”
― Mary Ann Shaffer, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“You cannot help being a female, and I should be something of a fool were I to discount your talents merely because of their housing.”
― Laurie R. King, The Beekeeper's Apprentice

“I still can't stop marveling that this same boy chose me; and I'm glad that I can't, for we should rejoice in being seen, needed. Loved.”
― Melanie Benjamin, The Aviator's Wife

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Shortest:  The Importance of Being Ernest, 76 pgs
Longest: Gone With the Wind, 1,037 pgs

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

A Memory of Light, Allegiant by Veronica Roth

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

The Father/Daughter relationship between Liesel Meminger and Herr Hubermann in The Book Thief, and the father/daughter/partner relationship between Mary Russel and Sherlock Holmes in The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I also really liked the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker, though I'm not sure how you would label it. :)

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

It felt so good to finally finish this series after over a decade's worth of reading it!

20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Divergent by Veronica Roth

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

Historical Fiction, no surprises there. :) Favorite genre.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

Ummmmm...??? I don't really have fictional crushes, I guess...maybe I'm weird?

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

The Aviator's Wife. Also, right now I'm reading Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gieman to the kids, I think it's new this year, and we are loving it.

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

The Book Thief, Gone With the Wind

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

The Beekeeper's Apprentice, The Importance of Being Ernest

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

A Memory of Light, The Book Thief

27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?

I have no idea, really, but I keep being surprised by how few people have heard of The Selection by Kiara Cass.

Christmas Day 2013

Our kids have always been really good about not getting up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning. And I will keep it that was as long as I can. They were up at the usual 7:30am, and waited anxiously on the top of the stairs for me to take a few pictures and make sure everything was ready for them downstairs. This year Aaron and I decided that we would let them each open one present and then their stockings. Then we would make the traditional tapioca pudding, before opening the rest of the presents.

The main reason we decided to do this is because Lincoln found the bike he was getting out in the shed before Christmas. And even though we wrapped it in a sheet and put in under the tree, we knew he'd know what it was right away. Even though we told him that we were just holding the bike for another family until Christmas. So Lincoln opened his bike, Ivan opened his Trio castle, and Adelia opened her Duplo Cinderella castle. And then they all had something to do while I made Tapioca pudding.

Ivan was super excited about the chocolate gold coins he got in his stocking. 

Once the pudding was made, I slipped an almond into one of the bowls, and then Aaron passed out the bowls for everyone to eat. He ended up getting the almond, so he is the one who got to pass out the presents this year.

Ollie woke up a little later and got to open up (with help from his siblings, he's till not really into the wrapping paper thing) his new car seat! Yay!

Christmas was such wonderful, relaxing and take-it-slow day. We just hung out together as a family, building castles, putting together puzzles, and putting together and trying out all the new presents. The big main present the kids got was a trampoline for the backyard! Yay! Except it came in two boxes, and they gave us two 1 of 2 boxes, instead of the 2 of 2 box. So we had two trampoline nets, and no trampoline. We'll have to get that all sorted out later this week. Bummer. But the kids had plenty to occupy themselves, so maybe it will turn out for the best.

After a wonderful morning and afternoon, we finished off a great day by going to dinner at Aaron's parents' house. His brother Kelly and their family were their too. Dinner was awesome. And for desert I made a Chocolate Peppermint Cake, and it turned out amazing, if I do say so myself. ;) I forgot to take a picture of it though. I'll post the recipe another day. But for now, Merry Christmas! Aaron and I are off to watch a movie on his new Roku. 

Christmas Eve 2013

I love our Christmas Eve tradition. I wouldn't change the way we do Christmas Eve for anything in the whole world. It's the best day of Christmas Break. We do a dinner that is similar to one Christ might have eaten in his time. We serve smoked salmon, homemade pocket bread, crackers, dried apricots, dates, cheeses, grapes, hummus, tabbouleh salad, pomegranates, olives, and grape juice. We also eat on wooden plates by candlelight.  It's so filling, but not heavy. And the candlelight changes the atmosphere. The meal just feels special.

After dinner we act out the Nativity story. This year's was so great. The kids were all excited about it, and had a least some idea of what they were doing. They helped with the costumes and the props, which made it even more fun. Adelia was in charge of getting some barnyard animals, so we ended up not only with cows and sheep, but some lizards, a bald eagle, a few bears, and a bunch of dinosaurs. Lincoln couldn't understand why I let her keep the dinosaurs. :) I told him, it was Adelia's job, and her way of doing her job the best way she knew how was to invite the dinosaurs to the birth of Jesus, and that was good enough for me. Aaron tipped our two-couch (that's what the kids call the love seat) over to make the stable. It was a lot easier and a lot more effective than the cardboard boxed we used last year.

Oh, come let us adore Him!

This year Adelia was Mary, Lincoln was Joseph and a Shepherd, Ollie was a Wise Man (wearing Adelia's purple princess crown and carrying a sack of chocolate gold coins, ADORABLE!), Aaron was the donkey. Ivan had been feeling sick all day (he'd thrown up a few times in the morning) and just wanted to watch this year, so I told him that was ok, but when we got to the part about the angel coming to visit the shepards, he jumped up and said, "I wan to be the angel!" So he stood on a stool and repeated the lines that the angel spoke. I was the director/photographer, Grandpa Swan was the narrator, and Grandma Swan was the audience. The Nativity was really cute.

Pocket Bread

1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp honey
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp oil
6 to 7 cups whole wheat flour

Dissolve yeast and honey in water in large bowl; let stand until bubbly. Add salt, oil, and 6 cups flour. Knead 5 to 10 minutes, adding additional flour if needed. Let rise 1 hour or until double in bulk. Punch down; divide into 20 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball; roll out into circles on floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Place on greased baking sheet; let rest for 30 to 45 minutes, then turn over. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, turning pans halfway through. Pitas should be puffed in the middle and only slightly browned. To keep them soft, place inside a brown paper bag to cool, or eat them warm. Recipe may be halved or doubled. May divide dough into 12 portions for larger pitas.

These freeze well and are great to have around for quick meals or bag lunches. Freeze wrapped in foil and thaw, still wrapped, at 350 for 15 minutes.

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced
2 bunches green onions, diced
2 carrots, grated
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature; fluff with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, carrots and parsley. Stir in cooled quinoa.

 

The Things I've Meant to Post But Haven't

There are a lot of them....so buckle up, you're in for a ride.

My silly baby. I love him. What a trouble maker. But a peaceful, good-natured one. He can make the sounds Mama and Dada, but I don't know if he associated them with Aaron and I yet. HE can smack his lips for kisses too, and often will crawl at me smacking his lips and then attack my face with his face. He likes to play peek-a-boo over the edge of the tub. It's adorable. He's almost 10 months!

I never got around to blogging about Aaron's birthday. We had a great time celebrating as usual. My mom and Kerry took us out to Brick Oven in Provo. We left the older kids home with a sitter, so it was just the 4 adults and Ollie. It was great. Aaron's parents took us out to breakfast at Kneaders. And on the evening of Aaron's bday, we met Kelly and Esther at Macaroni Grill in Salt Lake and had a fun double birthday date. (Since Kelly is Aaron's twin and all.) The waitress sang them an Italian opera birthday song. It was cool.  

In order to teach the kids about giving gifts, I let them each pick out a $5 gift that they thought Aaron would like. One of those gifts was the game Sorry. And they all had a great time playing it with dad. And hey, I'm just thrilled that we have moved on from Cootie and Shoots and Ladders. :)

A while ago, I mentioned that the kids were making Thanksgiving books. They finished them, but I never posted them. Here are a few more of the pages. I think Ivan's Indians look like the Beatles. :)

At Science Club one week, I taught the kids about chickens, specifically, the life cycle of a chicken. I brought hard boiled eggs and let them peel them open to see the different layers of an egg. We made a diagram on the board and named all the different parts. We also talked about how the eggs shape makes it strong enough that the hen doesn't break it when she sits on it. I let the kids each try to squeeze a raw egg in their hands to see if they could break it, but they couldn't. Ivan wanted to try again when we got home, and just to make sure, he wanted Aaron to try too. Aaron couldn't break the egg by squeezing it in his palm either. 

At the beginning of December, Lincoln's theater class did a couple of shows. The first one was a Parent-Preview of the things they've learned so far this semester. The second show was his Christmas Performance. His class sang You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Linc was a little nervous to go on stage in front of so many people, but he did a great job, and said that he had a lot of fun. 

Our Art Class is taking the month of December off, but there are a few projects that I haven't posted about. I think the watercolor shape trains are my favorite project we've done so far. I think they turned out so cool. I also really like Lincoln's germ and Ivan's owl.

Then we hit December, and I kind of shut down. I always think, "This will be the year that I can do an awesome advent calendar for the kids, with activities and art projects and treats!" But every year I fail...miserably. About the only thing I can keep up with is a good ol' paper chain. And that's because all I have to do is help the kids make one, and then they keep track of it themselves for the rest of the month. This year the three older kids each wanted to make their own and hang it by their beds so they could rip one link off every night. It's going well. 

I did get my Christmas cards out this year by dang! If I were to only do one festive thing, sending Christmas cards would have to be it. I love it. I have fun putting ours together, but even better is receiving them from other people and hanging them on our door to look at. I usually leave them up until Spring. This year, Ivan helped me stuff  envelopes and stick on address labels. What a good kid.

I got to have some one on one time with my favorite 6 year old. I took him Christmas shopping with me one Saturday while Aaron stayed home with the sickies. We had a grand time. It's so much easier to be a nice, fun mom when you have your kid one on one. We got lunch and Chik-fil-a. 

Have I mentioned that we've been sick? Oh I have? Hmmm....well I'll mention it again. We've been sick. Not all of us all at the same time. We've been taking turns. We're nice like that. Poor Ivan, it's kind of wiped him out. And I also think he's growing too, because he's eating like a bottomless pit, and has taken a nap voluntarily every day for the last two weeks.

And it won't stop snowing. Blah. I'm tired of shoveling the driveway...but hey! At least Google has put these cool illustrations on some of the photos, so that one of Adelia actually looks like it's snowing. Pretty snazzy Google.

I have the best husband on the planet. Remember my Bah-Humbug post? Well, Aaron read it, and came to the rescue. He made brownies. And he found this cute little baby Jesus craft in the friend and did it with the kids the other night. They were thrilled of course. Daddy's crafts are WAYYYYYYY cooler than Mommy's. 

And there was Christmas Sunday. I'm obsessive and require my children to allow me to photograph them in their Christmas Sunday best. They hate it. They are stinkers about it. And this year all the pictures came out blurry (hence the black and white). But Google saved the day again and made my Christmas tree sparkly. I love it.

And today, yes the day before Christmas Eve, I finally got my act together. We (and by we I mean the kids, I made them help, I was mean like that) got the whole house cleaned! Yay! Now Christmas can come. And we even had some time left over to do a cute hand print reindeer craft and a Christmas themed writing assignment. Go us!

And somehow, in the midst of crazy life mode, I need to find the time to read this entire stack of books. Don't you love it when you're borrowing books from three different people and then all the sudden all your library holds come in at once. Slam! So far, I've read the first 3 chapter of Writer's Jungle, all of Champion, and most of The Aviator's Wife. Life is good when there are books to read. 

 

 Well that wasn't so bad, right? I think I'm all caught up. Just in time for Christmas. :)