Merry Christmas!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! That's what the boys keep saying at least. We have gotten a lot of snow over the last few days and it has been great. The boys have been outside building snowmen and forts and now I don't feel as homesick for Alaska. This weekend was a bit blah. We got rear-ended on Friday and Claire and I had a bit of the stomach flu. But we seem to be doing good now. I love this time of year when you go into stores and see gobs of men shopping. It cracks me up. Today we made an early morning trip to Walmart (suicide, I know) and the only people I saw were men. 'Tis the Season!
Merry Christmas to all! Look for our cards it the mail. Yes, I waited too long again this year to get them out. We have loved hearing from all of you and will be thinking of you tomorrow!

Scrooged

Allow me to rant for just a minute. (sigh) I am very sad as I write this. For the first year EVER my kids will not be having any sort of Christmas party or play or recital or program of any sort. We have lived in many places and my boys have gone to a number of schools. Some schools where Christmas was considered a "winter celebration" and the boys even had fellow students who did not celebrate Christmas. This is not the case this year. We live in a VERY stereotypical Utah neighborhood. I have caught teachers at the school reminding the kids to "Choose the Right". Still we are not going to acknowledge Christmas? I asked someone about it today and the response I got was: "We have never had Christmas parties." What?!
The thing that really gets me is that Halloween was practically and all week party in one of my boy's classroom. Halloween! (My least favorite holiday.)
Ok, I am done now. Forgive me. I just couldn't help myself.

It's All About Birthdays...

What is it about little ones and birthdays? At church on Sunday every time we sang a hymn, Claire broke out in; "Happy Birthday to you...." her own dialect of course. It was hilarious except during the Sacrament. Now she has taken to randomly breaking out in song and it is always the birthday song. I tried to get her to sing with a Jared in there since his birthday in coming up in January. But she insists that it is always "Seff eee." (meaning Stephanie) It is too funny!

Christmas Ideas

So, my friend Liz does this really great tradition. She counts down to Christmas with books. Every year she wraps 25 books and places them under the tree. Everyday they read a book and with some there is an activity that goes with it. I love this idea! I have seen versions of it around the net. The Crafty Crow does one. I like this because it is about doing something together vs. getting something. I am compiling my own list and going to start tonight. The library has been a great resource for this.
Also, we are trying something new this year. Jared taught a FHE lesson on Monday about serving others. Everyday we are drawing names and providing secret acts of service to family members. For each act we get to put a piece of hay in the manger to fill it up for Christmas Eve. The boys are having a great time with this and it is cute to see what things they sneakily come up with. I saw this idea on someone's blog, but can't remember where, so I can give them proper credit if you see it let me know or if I find it I will put the link here.

Wedding Weekend

We have had a full weekend around here. Jed's brother Josh got married and we had fun visiting with family all weekend long. It was the first time all the siblings have been together since last Thanksgiving. The kids are still recovering from the late nights and constant fun!

The Season is Upon Us- Tagged!

I was tagged to do this holiday quiz so here goes:
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper for the kids, bags for the rest
2. Real tree or Artificial? artificial, still trying to talk Jed into the real deal
3. When do you put up the tree? it varies each year
4. When do you take the tree down? 30th or 31st of Dec
5. Do you like eggnog? blech!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Santa once put a block of Tillamook cheese in my stocking
7. Hardest person to buy for? Jed and My Mom
8. Easiest person to buy for? Claire
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yep, I like ones that the kids can touch
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? can't think of one....
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? This one is hard but it isn't Christmas until we have watched the claymation flicks w/ Burl Ives
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Depends on who I am shopping for...
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? no!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? fudge and Russian tea cakes
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home but then over to Parent's House
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? yes, and I once saw Santa's sleigh when I was five
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? PJ's on Christmas Eve the rest on Christmas morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? all the commercial crap
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I like the ones the kids have made or those that have survived from our first Christmas
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Fondue or Rachlette
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A White Christmas(cheesy, I know.)
I tag: Candi, Jenn S., Charity

Creative Inspiration

This is an advent calendar Asia made from a muffin tin- this is a great idea for using stuff you already have around the house!

Creative Hiatus (ie: The Candy Cane Sweat Shop)

Well, about the most creative thing we did this week was decorating the Christmas Tree on Sunday. If you look at the tree you can see that it truly was a creative effort by all the kids as Jed and I handed out the ornaments and the kids went crazy. Claire has been having a lot of fun un-decorating the tree ever since.I am planning on not doing as many projects this season and just enjoy doing our usual family traditions around Christmas. For the most part "Creative Tuesdays" will be withheld until the new year. You can still submit ideas, inspiration and your projects and I will post them, as I receive them.
Last night we did have the cloth candy cane sweatshop working overtime, as Isaac's economics project was due today. They didn't turn out too bad and I think he enjoyed doing it. We will see how the fair goes on Thursday.