Christmas 2012

We tried really hard to have a more Christ centered Christmas this year.  I wanted the kids to really think more about giving than receiving.  We each gave gifts to Christ.  The gifts that we gave were things that we are going to work on this next year.  Elise: she is going to be nicer to her brothers.  Jayden:  He is going to be nicer to his sister Sophie  Dallin:  He is going to pray each day to find those that he can serve.  

 We had our Christmas pageant.  Elise was Mary, Daddy was the donkey and Jayden was Joseph.  Dallin was one of the 3 wise men.

 Justin dressed up as Santa Claus and we took presents to some kids in our ward of families that have lost their jobs this year.  This was a secret Santa.

 The kids had a lot of fun opening up their presents from eachother.

 Here is our little Christmas baby Sophie.

 I made these felt hearts last year and wanted to start a tradition that each time the kids did service they could hang a heart on the tree.  I told the kids Santa would come and see if the tree was full of hearts before he left a present for them.  It was interesting that this was the first thing the kids asked for this year when we were setting up our Christmas decorations.  They said, "remember those hearts from last year, where are they."  It made me happy that this was a tradition that they remembered.

This was Jayden's favorite present.  He was so excited for a racing track for his cars.  It is so fun to watch the kids get so excited when they open a special present for them.

December Service Activities

We tried to do service for eachother and others during the month of December.  Here are some things that we did.  I wish I would have gotten more pictures.

 Elise and Jayden helped me make white chocolate , peppermint popcorn for our neighbors.  It was pretty yummy.

Dallin and Daddy worked very hard on this wooden bunkbed for Elise's dolls.  I thought it turned out really cute.  This was supposed to be Dallin's Scout project, it turned out to be Daddy's scout project.

 Elise made lego carrying case for Dallin and a carrying case for Jayden's cars.  It was so fun to make presents for eachother this year.  I want to do this every year.

 We painted ornaments.

 Sophie started smiling this month.  She is such a smiley baby.

 Jayden helped me make cookie nut balls for Nany, who was in the hospital having a knee surgery.

 Jayden went with his Joy School to sing Christmas songs for the Senior Living Center.  They were really cute.

November 2012

So, it has been a loooooong time since I have posted, but I don't want to forget about what we have done in the past months.  

During the month of November we were off track.  Needless to say it was a little crazy at our house with a newborn baby.  Sophie is a pretty good baby, but I don't do well with very little sleep.  So here goes a list of some things that we did while we were off track.

Sophie in her car seat at 1 month

 The kids had a lot of fun playing legos with the Tolman's.  Dallin and Nikki were very proud of this dragon that they created out of legos.  They asked me to publish this in the lego magazine.  I guess I better do this soon.  (Dallin keeps on looking in the lego magazine to see if his picture is there.  I haven't told him that I haven't done this yet.)

 I found a jar on pinterest of something to do each day in November with something that we are thankful for. One day they chose they were thankful for their Mom and they cleaned the house for me as well as made me cookies.  What nice kids.

 One day they chose they were thankful for their Dad.  They wrote him these thank you cards and made him chocolate chip cookies.  Needless to say they got very good at making cookies.

 Jayden spends a lot of time on his head.  He has gotten a little crazier with a new baby.  Hopefully this is just a phase.

 Dallin  and Sophie.  Dallin is so good at taking care of his baby sister.  I think he is a baby whisperer, he knows exactly what to do.  I don't think I could do this without him.

 Elise and Jayden love their baby sister, sometimes too much.

 We went to Utah to spend Thanksgiving with our cousins, Nany and Papa.  It was such a fun time.  The kids had fun making gingerbread houses.

Jayden and Hayden

Elise was very proud of her gingerbread house

 One day we chose that we were thankful for temples.  For Family Home Evening we made temples out of sugar cubes.  This was pretty fun, but not very sturdy.  I don't know how to glue sugar cubes together very well.

 Jayden made a lion face at Joy School.  He gets so lonely at home being all alone.  I'm glad that he has preschool for now.

 Elise and Jayden have so much fun on the trampoline that they broke down the net.  Crazy kids!!