It's a New Year!

I can redeem myself, can't I? I cannot believe I haven't updated this blog since APRIL last year!!! That's almost a year ago! Wow! I guess adding child #3 really threw my life out of whack. I can't believe how much I have let slide, how much dumber I feel, how I have no focus, and I feel like I am constantly going in circles and have nothing to show for it. Well, I am determined to change those things this year. And updating/catching up with my blog will be one of those things. I need to document my life. I need to document my kid's lives. There are so many things lately that I have felt so passionate about, and haven't written them down anywhere. I need to start doing that here. I figure my best bet for journaling will be this blog, so I better get with it.

I will start with Christmas, and then backtrack from there!

We stayed home this year for Christmas, which has kind of been our thing anyway. We don't mind travelling for Thanksgiving, but Christmas we stay put. It is always crazy and hectic leading up to Christmas, and this year was no exception! Avery's preschool class had a little Christmas program, and Avery got to be Mary.She really loves to be in the spotlight!


Our ward Christmas party at the church included the annual visit from Santa and Mrs. Clause. Tony had camera duty, and Avery was the only one he got with Santa. Levi wouldn't get close to him, and I guess Logan didn't think he needed to tell Santa what he wanted, since he already did at Bass Pro Shop.



Levi cracked everyone up by being a super duper helper. When it came time to clean up, he wanted in on the action! He helped push all the big carts with the tables and chairs back under the stage. He also had to help sweep. He is such a good helper!



Grandma Karen sent all the grandkids Christmas dresses and suits, so the kids had some good looking duds to wear for Christmas Sunday! Logan was needing a new suit, and he looks so handsome in his! And of course, Avery just loves anything girly and pretty, so she was having a grand time flitting about in her sparkly new dress.





Christmas Eve, we strayed slightly from our usual Christmas Eve festivities, and snuck in the Christmas Eve service at our friend's church. It was a new experience for us, and added a different element to our evening.We had our usual Christmas eve candlelight dinner of potato cheese soup, homemade rolls, and sparkling cider. Then we hurried fast to go to the Christmas Eve service with our friend's. After we got home we had our traditional reading of the Christmas Story from Luke, and then we opened our Christmas jammies! I used to try to have them matching, but with the kids at different ages, it is hard to find things that match now! So, I did what I could and the girls ended up with purple, and the boys blue.




We also welcomed a new addition to our home in December.

The kids named him Happy Sparkle, and boy was it exciting to find where he was hiding every day! This picture was Christmas Eve, his last night with us until next year. Every morning, Levi would look for Happy Sparkle, and then throughout the day we would ask him "Where's Happy Sparkle?" And he would immediately run and point to him! It was so cute!

Christmas morning was nice and relaxing, even with a temporary break to attend Sacrament Meeting. We all changed right back into our pj's when we got home so we could enjoy our cozy, lazy Christmas.


Here are the kids seeing Santa at Bass Pro Shop. Levi wasn't too happy about that! I love this picture for that very reason!

I will blog again soon!