52 Blessings Project - Week Four

The 52 Blessings Project

Once a week post a photo of something you are most grateful for. This gives us a chance to reflect on the good things we have learned from or that have made us better in our everyday lives or things we just enjoy! I think everyone needs to be more grateful for what they have now instead of always thinking about what we want! This is one of the things we can do to be more gracious people. It will be like a photo gratitude journal.

Week Four

I am a late on posting my 52 blessings for this week, and am trying to catch up on everything. This past weekend was crazy, but full of a lot of fun. So scroll down to see what else we were up to last weekend. I had a couple of things in mind when I was thinking about what to be “grateful” for this week. Then when Sunday came and we heard the news about President Hinckley, I knew what I wanted to post about.
President Hinckley was a remarkable man. What he represented is what I am grateful for. I am so thankful to belong to a church that is lead by a person who gets direct revelation from our Heavenly Father. It is amazing to know that we are lucky enough to have a prophet. To know that even though our beloved Gordon B. Hinckley is now gone, that there will be someone else appointed to continue the work of the Lord.

I am so thankful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It brings so much joy, and peace into my life. It gives me the direction, and guidance that I need in order to be the best that I can be. I know that I belong there, and my life would not be the same without it.

On a different note...I am still working on the questions you asked. I might have to go on to some of the others before I post about how Shawn and I met. I haven't written down our whole story, and want to give it the justice that it deserves.

Weekend Madness

My Friday was kinda crazy. Shawn had been gone all week on a business trip to Florida. I really missed having him around, but we did okay. My house was a disaster, and I had plans to get it a lot cleaner so that Shawn wouldn’t have to come home to a mess. Instead the bunk bed that I had ordered ended up being delivered that afternoon (It looks just like this one pictured, except has a twin on the bottom). I wanted to surprise Shawn and get it set up before he came home. So instead of cleaning (like I should have done)…I assembled the bunk bed all by myself (I know...crazy!). I was excited to have it done, and so was Caden…but it would have been a lot easier if I would have just waited for Shawn to help me. I am really happy with it, and Caden loves the fact that he gets to climb a ladder to get into bed.

Putting the bed together also set me back timewise. We had bought tickets to the Princess Wishes – Disney on Ice Show for our nieces for Christmas. I planned on picking them up around 5:30 pm so we could grab a bite to eat before the show. Instead I ended up at their house around 6:15 pm. It ended up okay though…we grabbed some Chinese from a shop around the corner from the arena, gobbled our food down, and still got to the show on time.

The girls and I had a great time. Honestly, I don’t think you can ever go wrong when it comes to Disney. They really know how to put on a show. I have yet to be disappointed in anything they have ever done. It was nice to be able to spend some time with Caroline, and Abby without the distraction of my own children. These girls really are such sweethearts, and I am thankful to be their Aunt.

I hope they had as good of a time as I did.

Saturday was “jam” packed as well. My mom’s birthday was on the 21st so everyone got together for a lunch at Olive Garden. I love spending time with my family. Not everyone was able to make it, but a lot of us were there. My mom turned 65 this year! I can't believe it! She is really a wonderful person, and I am glad that we were able to spend sometime with her. We ate, laughed, and celebrated. Then we had to jet out of there because Shawn and Caden had tickets to the Monster Truck Jam.

Shawn, Caden, Robbie, and Mason all went together. He was really tired, and needed a better nap. They had tickets to go to a Pit Party, but they should have just passed on that, and gone to the actual show that started later in the evening. Instead they were at an overcrowded "Pit" and then had to wait a couple of hours for the actual show to begin. Caden still had a fun time even though most of it was sitting in Shawn's lap trying to fall asleep. It was nice for him and Shawn to be able to spend some one on one time with eachother.

You asked...Part Two

If you missed the answers to the last question and answer you can find it here.

Becky from Tiffany & Co asked

What is inside the envelope?

It turns out that Julie of Truly Delightful in Everyway wants to know the same thing, and along the same lines…Carey of care{y}t-tops and Sandy of The Smith Family want to know if I am having a boy or a girl. And Little Momma of It’s a Wonderful Life asked if I would prefer one or the other with this next one.

Those of you who have been reading for the last couple of months know exactly what envelope Becky is talking about. If not you can read about it here. Yes, that is right…back in October we went and got our ultrasound. Instead of finding out the sex, we had the tech print out the ‘evidence’. She sealed and stapled it and gave it to me…and to this day it remains unopened.

Before I ever got pregnant with this third baby, I thought it would be fun to ‘not find out’. Back in the day when my mother was having children they didn’t even have a choice. One of the funnest things I remember about my younger brother being born was the anticipation of finding out what my mom was having. Since I have a boy and a girl already, I thought this would be the perfect time to keep it a mystery. I would be happy with either one so I think that is why I am so content with not knowing.

There have been times during these past few months where I thought it would be nice to know, but the anticipation of waiting keeps me from looking. I have found it somewhat amusing at how much it gets to people that I haven’t opened the envelope yet. I know it is driving a lot of you crazy, but I am really excited. Now we are at the point where it would be silly to look. I am due on March 7th so it means that I only have about 7 weeks left…and that is if I go into labor on time. With Caden I was 3 days late, and with Sydney I was 9 days early. So it could go either way. I figure that I have waited this long…I can wait just a little more.

So the only thing that I know for sure is inside that envelope is a piece of paper that has a picture of the certain anatomy of a baby. I think we may have to have a contest in the near future, and you all can guess what you think we are having, when the baby will be born and all the other fun stats (weight & height)

April of The Bethea Bunch asked

Do you have any pets, and if so, what kind?

Why in the world would I need any pets…I have one already…hee hee. The real answer is No. This post pretty much sums it up for us. I have nothing against pets themselves, I just prefer them not to be in our house. To me it is just another thing that I would have to take care of. The only problem is that a pet will never grow up or become more independent. We may eventually get a pet, but that will be when the kids are old enough to take care of it, and most likely it will be an outdoor pet. So I am sorry to all you pet lovers out there. For me, it just isn’t in the cards.

I had a couple of people ask about Shawn & me (how we met, how long we have been together, and how I knew he was the one etc…) so the next post will be dedicated to our little story. Also if you think of anything else you would like to know, don't hesitate to ask!

You asked...

I thought that I would just start answering the questions in the order that they were asked. In order to not have a mega long post. I will only answer a few at a time. So here we go…

Wendy of An Iowa Mom asks 4 questions…

What is my ONE favorite movie, song, book, and thing…and why?

As I contemplated all the different movies that I have seen in my lifetime it was a little difficult to actually pick just one. My parents owned 3 video stores when I was young, and I think my love in movies has been instilled in me from birth. I seriously can watch movies all day long! As strange as it may seem to some who have seen this movie, one of my favorites is Brokedown Palace. It is about 2 girls who go change their plans of taking a Senior trip to Hawaii and go to Thailand instead. They end up getting framed for drug trafficking, and are placed in a prison that people have nicknamed the Brokedown Palace. There is something about the movie where I can’t help but put myself in their place each time. I wonder how I would react if put in the same situation. Without fail, each time I watch it, I am brought to tears by the ending. I always wonder if I would be strong enough to make such a sacrifice for another.

As for songs…I again have many favorites. I decided to take the classical route with this one. The one song that without fail always gets me going is Atonin Dvorak’s New World Symphony. When I was a junior in High School I made regional Orchestra and this was one of the songs that we played. I don’t know what it is, but this song just fills me with so much energy. I think it was brilliantly written, and always brings me back to the time when I played it myself. Here is a playlist with the song. I also included the other song that we played in regionals that year. I love them both.

My favorite book would have to be The Last Valentine by James Michael Pratt. I read this book a good ten years ago, but can read it over and over again. It has such a great message of love, and enduring love. It is a fictional story, but can give you a deeper understanding of what it really means to love another not only romantically, but in every day relationships.

My favorite thing in the world? Hmmm…that really is a loaded question of which I could come up with plenty of answers. I will settle on my answer being CHOCOLATE, or more importantly Chocolate with Peanut Butter. I truly think the combination is the most heavenly thing in the world! Mmmmm

There are plenty of more questions that I will be working on so stay tuned!

BTW--I can't get the player to work right, but if you click on the part that says "Launch Standalone Player" it will bring the songs up for you. Enjoy listening. :)

52 Blessings Project - Week Three

The 52 Blessings Project

Once a week post a photo of something you are most grateful for. This gives us a chance to reflect on the good things we have learned from or that have made us better in our everyday lives or things we just enjoy! I think everyone needs to be more grateful for what they have now instead of always thinking about what we want! This is one of the things we can do to be more gracious people. It will be like a photo gratitude journal.

Week Three

This week I wanted to focus my gratitude on my sweet little Caden. I guess that I shouldn't say little because he has been anything but that. He made his entrance to the world at a whopping 9 lbs 7 oz. and never ever looked back. I figure that he was trying to make up for lost time. I wanted him a year and a half earlier than I got him, and instead he is the size of a child that would be that age. As much as it pained my heart month after month of not conceiving...it was that very struggle that has helped me to appreciate this beautiful child that was entrusted into my care even more. There are times when he gives me a run for my sanity, but at the end of the day my heart is brimming with love for this sweet boy. Here are some things that I love about him.

• He is very determined. I don't think I have encountered a boy who is so sure of what he wants. Sometimes it can be hard to deal with, but I know if I can help guide him on the right path that his determination can be a good thing. I hope that he can be a great leader someday.


• He says some of the silliest things. One day Shawn was trying to do something with him, and he wasn't having anything to do with it. He turned to Shawn and said..."Go away Dad, your freakin me out!" I have no idea where he learned that one, but we couldn't help but laugh.


• He can be very loving. I say 'can be' because he does have a very rough side to him. He definitely is 'all boy'...but out of the blue he will do some of the sweetest things. I love his spontaneous words of love and gratitude. "I love you, Mom...We have the best family in the world don't we?" or "Thanks so much for washing my underwear, Mom." or "Mmm Mom, you make the best food."


• His need for order. Sometimes I wonder if he is OCD. He is very particular about how things should be. The other day he got upset because someone had moved some of the stuff in Sydney's dollhouse into different places..."Mom, these are not in the right order, Mom! We need to fix them!" He makes me laugh at some of the things that just "have to be fixed!"


• He loves to 'help' in the kitchen. He has always enjoyed 'helping' me cook. I hope that he continues to have interest because I think that a man knowing how to cook is a great asset! He has made us laugh at times when he has decided to 'cook' on his own. They weren't the greatest successes, but left for some great memories.

Each day is a new adventure with this one. He keeps me on my toes. I am just so thankful that I have been blessed to have him in my life.

If you would like to see other peoples "blessings" just head over to Gardenview Cottage...she has a list of participators in her side bar.

Also, I am working on answering your questions. If you still would like to submit a question...go ahead! If you don't have a question, leave a comment anyway! Part of the purpose of that post was to get a 'roll call' of those who 'pop in' from time to time!

Come on...you know you are dying to ask

You may have been able to tell that I am kinda in a blog funk right now. I haven't been posting near as much as I have in the past. It isn't that there isn't things going on here...I just can't get my mind out of a funk. So...some of you may or may not know, but sometime in the last week or two it was National De-Lurk Week. That means that you were supposed to have "come out of hiding, and commented on blogs that you read, but never comment on." I know there are people out there that read my blog, but never comment....So I am now calling you all out.

In order to get me out of my funk, and give me something to blog about...I want you to ask me anything you would like to know about me, or just any question that you have at all! I may or may not have an interesting answer, but this way you can get to know me a little better...and I can see who is actually peeking into my little life with my family.

So ASK AWAY! Leave a comment, or if you can't figure that out...then email me at crissybug(at)gmail(dot)com with your question. Please don't be afraid to ask...I don't want to be dissapointed because only one person asks a question!

52 Blessings Project - Week Two

The 52 Blessings Project

Once a week post a photo of something you are most grateful for. This gives us a chance to reflect on the good things we have learned from or that have made us better in our everyday lives or things we just enjoy! I think everyone needs to be more grateful for what they have now instead of always thinking about what we want! This is one of the things we can do to be more gracious people. It will be like a photo gratitude journal.

Week Two

As life went on throughout this week, I contemplated alot of all the blessings that I have in my life. I really am blessed in so many ways. This week I am grateful for my car...or should I say van. I never thought that I would be an owner of a mini van. I always pictured myself being the mom in the "burb." Yet we we started shopping for a larger vehicle the van was just more practical. I love the storage space, and the ability to open and close the doors with the push of a button. It really is the vehicle for me.

More than the features it provides, I am grateful for modern transportation. As I have been driving around this week, I really thought about how blessed we are. Having a car opens so many different things in life. Imagine having to walk, ride a bike, driving a horse drawn carriage, or covered wagon everywhere you went! I guess if I lived in the past then I just wouldn't spend as much, but I also don't think that I would be able to accomplish as much as I do. How would I ever make it home from Costco!? The automobile is such an amazing invention. I am so grateful to have one.

Partners in Crime

The other day Julie came over with her kids before Mason had a dentist appointment. Sydney has recently learned how to open the refrigerator all by herself. She is quite proud of her accomplishment, and continues to get into the fridge, and pilfer it of it contents. She continued to bring me those yummy clementine oranges for me to peel for her and Gemma. After about the 3rd or 4th one, I told her she couldn't have any more. She was upset, but went back to playing. A little bit later, Julie and I went to check on the girls, and this is what we found. They had somehow figured out how to peel the oranges all by themselves! They were "hiding" under the table I have in our entry way eating the fruits of their labor!

Primary Elections

Is anyone as intrigued with the outcome of the primaries as I am. I have to say that this is going to be one interesting year as we watch the campaigns of the different candidates. I just want to challenge all of you to get yourself informed. I am not here to blow any particular candidates horn. My political beliefs are my own, but do you know what yours are? Have you learned about the candidates and what they have to offer. We are blessed to live in a country where we actually have the right to vote for who we want in office! Please don't take it for granted!

The 52 Blessings Project

While doing some blog hopping I came across Gardenview Cottage. She had come across this idea that I think is totally awesome. I am really excited to participate on this through out the year, and maybe you will want to join in too! Here is the details of the project. I think that it has been decided to do the post on each Sunday, but I will let you know if it changes. They are working on getting a Mr. Linky so people can link up and visit each others blogs to see each others blessings! (Okay...so I added my own Mr. Linky here at the bottom of this post...if you decide to participate...just add a link to your individual blessing post so I can come visit you!) How wonderful is that!?

The 52 Blessings Project

Once a week post a photo of something you are most grateful for. This gives us a chance to reflect on the good things we have learned from or that have made us better in our everyday lives or things we just enjoy! I think everyone needs to be more grateful for what they have now instead of always thinking about what we want! This is one of the things we can do to be more gracious people. It will be like a photo gratitude journal.

Week One

I have actually been wanting to write this post for a couple of months now, but time just got away from me. Now that I have this new "project," I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. One thing that I haven't really talked about on my blog is some of the things that are going on in my extended family. Back in July, my brother in law decided that he wanted a different life instead of the one with my sister Nancy. It has broken my heart to watch the pain that she has had to go through. The other thing is that my 2 brothers (Jonny & Jimmy) that are 2 and 4 years older than me have recently announced that their girlfriends are pregnant. Not exactly the way my parents would have liked to add grandchildren, but they are happy just the same. It's not really a bad thing, but I know that they are already struggling financially and adding another baby to the mix is going to make it harder. What does all this have to do with something that I am grateful for you may ask? Watching my family going through these different trials in their relationships has really made me reflect on my own relationship with Shawn...and that is what I am truly grateful for.

I am blessed in so many ways when it comes to Shawn...

• I am blessed to have a man that is good with money. In the beginning of our relationship I really struggled with how "frugal" Shawn was. Over the years, he has let up a bit...but one thing I know... We will never be in debt, and will always be provided for.
• I am blessed to be able to stay home with my children. There are so many mothers out there that have to work in order to sustain their family. I am so thankful that Shawn got the education he needed, and has always had a job that pays enough to support us without me having to work.
• I am blessed to have a man that holds the priesthood. It is one of the most comforting things to know that if something is wrong, if someone is sick, or for any reason at all...that my husband is able to administer a blessing from our Heavenly Father. I am thankful that he lives his life worthily.
• I am blessed to have a man who adores me. This has been something that I sometimes take for granted, but after watching my sister...I have come to realize how lucky I am. He loves me with all of his heart, and I am thankful to share that love with him.

I really could go on and on, but I am sure that you get the idea. I just want him to know that I am grateful to have him in my life. I may not always be the best at showing it, but that is something that I am working on. Shawn, you are my love, my best friend, and everything I could have ever hoped for. I am so thankful to have been able to have you in my life for the past 8 years. I look forward to sharing many, many more memories with you as we grow old together. Thanks for making me laugh, comforting me when I cry, and loving me for who I am.

Aspirations for 2008

When I think of the word "resolution" it seems so definite. In fact, I looked it up in the dictionary and it said "firm or unwavering adherence to one's purpose." It is just me, or is that why I think that so many resolutions fall short? My life changes daily. The things that I experience each day, change my thinking of things, and through out the year I need to re-evaluate how things are progressing. Resolutions are hard to keep because life it self involves so much change - how can you be firm or unwavering!? That is why I would like to use the word "Aspiration" instead. Webster defines it as "something that one hopes or intends to accomplish"...or in other words...a goal. I may not achieve every one, but at least I can work on trying to become a better person.

Many people choose a word that they live by through out the year. After I wrote down many of the things that I want to accomplish the word that came to me was
I think so many reasons why many of my goals fall short is because I have not planned properly. It is amazing how smoothly things go when I have planned ahead and prepared things before I actually want to accomplish them. So this year I hope to be a better planner in order to execute the desires of my heart.

With that in mind, I still want to post some specific things that I would like to accomplish throughout this year. They may end up changing, but at least this is a start!

• Create a more structured environment for my kids. Plan activities ahead, and spend more quality time with them. I feel like so many times I just let the day happen. I want to be a better mother to my children. I think that by developing better routines it will give them the safety and security they need to flourish.
• Have FHE (Family Home Evening) each week, and also daily scripture study, and prayer. I really have to admit that we have slacked alot in this area. We do pretty good with prayer, but lack in the other areas. I want to do better at planning meaningful evenings where we can teach our children spiritual things, but also have fun as a family unit.
• Be a more positive and encouraging wife. Sometimes I think that I can be negative about alot of things when it comes to Shawn. I really love him with everything I have, but sometimes I don't think that I show it the best that I can. I want to be more proactive about planning date nights, and things that can help strengthen our relationship. Lets face it...kids take alot out of me...but my husband needs me too.
• Work on building a better year supply. Our church recommends storing a year supply of food. We have the storage capacity to do it, but I have never really looked into how much we really need to sustain our family. This year I want to work on getting the things that we need to be prepared.
• Purge! I tend to be a pack rat. I plan this year to try to purge alot of the stuff laying around our house. The great thing about moving is that it forces you to purge. We have lived in our house for almost 5 years now, and have no plans on moving. We have accumulated alot of things that I really should just get rid of.
• Work on the storage room 15 minutes a day. For those of you that have been reading my blog for awhile, you may remember when I tried to defeat this task. I failed miserably! That room is very overwhelming, but it needs to get under control. If I can just spend 15 minutes in there everyday... I should be able to get it to the organized room that I dream it to be.

So there they are. I hope to be a much better planner this year and not a procrastinator. I tend to do the latter. I hate it, but I am a major procrastinator. I look forward to this new year, and aspire to achieve great things. Happy New Year to all of you! 2008 is going to ROCK!

After Christmas Party

I have always been a little jealous of Shawn and his friends from high school. He has a wonderful group of friends and they are so good at keeping in touch. They always make the effort to get together at least once a year if not more. I had a great group of friends too, and the funny thing is that alot of them married each other, but for some reason we don't see each other (except for Julie and Robbie). I really enjoy the friendships that Shawn and I have with his group, and am thankful that we are able to continue to do things together. It has been fun to watch all of our families grow. We got together a few days after Christmas this year. We had a mexican potluck, and had fun catching up while our kids ran wild around our house. At one point we tried to get all the kids together to take a picture, but we couldn't get them all together at once. Instead we took pictures of each family as they left the party. It was such a fun time. I hope to try to reconnect with some of my friends this year. Hopefully we can make that happen.

We also decided at the last minute to get together for New Years Eve. We all made a drive out to Katie's house for some fun. We played games, talked, and even built a fire in their fire pit in the backyard. It was alot of fun even though that was when I was getting sick. I did manage to snap a photo of everyone (minus Candice and her husband - they left before we took the shot) before we headed back home. I was the one taking this picture...so that is why Shawn is all by himself.

Coming into the New Year I have alot of things that I would like to accomplish. I know alot of times resolutions fall short, but I like to just look at them as goals. They may change throughout the year, but for now I feel it is important to write them down. I might even surprise myself by actually achieving them! Looking back on 2007, I feel like we have been blessed in so many ways. It was such a good year for our family. I started this blog last year in hopes that I could use it as a journal to record things that we did as a family. I really have enjoyed blogging, and hope to continue it for a long time.

Traditions

I know that Christmas is over, but I wanted to share some of the things that I had found while trying to look for different ways to establish Christmas traditions for my little family. I really want to build meaningful memories for my children. I feel that the family is so important, and I want them to feel safe in our home. I think that traditions really help to establish the security that every child needs. Some of these traditions have already been established, and others are ones that we started this year or would like to incorporate in the year to come.

Gingerbread Houses & Temple Lights: This was something we started doing as a extended family last year. I have to say that it is so much fun. Tori and Tracy are wonderful enough to make all the gingerbread from scratch, and it really has provided the best memories. This year we went and saw the temple lights afterwards, and I think that it would be great to continue doing it this way. We had a friend get together a few days after Christmas, and the kids demolished it. Caden wasn't feeling too well that night and didn't discover the evidence until a few days later. He was a little upset, but next year we will get to do a new one. Here is the before and after. :)

A New Ornament: In the past we had always gotten the kids a new ornament each year that signified some sort of accomplishment or whatever they were infatuated with that particular year. This Christmas we started a new twist on the ornament. As I had stated previously, this year I was really not into getting toys for my kids. I felt like they had so much stuff already. So the new thing we did was this. Caden's gift from us was tickets to go to the Monster Truck Jam. The ornament that he got to unwrap was a Monster Truck that we converted into an ornament. Now in the future we will plan some sort of event or thing to go do with our kids, and the ornament they open will represent the activity that we will share. So not only will we be able to do something special with just them...they will have a new ornament with their name and year to remember what gift they received from us. Since Sydney is so young this year...we didn't exactly go the same route, but we did get her a Care Bear ornament. That girl is so in love with those things. She got one for her birthday this year that came with a DVD, and if I let her she would watch it all day long. I can only take so much of "We are Care Bears...La, La,La, la laaaaaa!" It is a music video that is on the DVD.

Reading a Christmas Story every night: Back in the day when I was in Young Women's (a youth group in my church for girls 12-18) my leaders had given us a book that had a scripture, a song, and a story to read every single night up until Christmas. I think it is a wonderful idea, but my kids didn't dig it so much. They really need something with pictures. So my plan is to collect enough children's Christmas books throughout the year so we have one to read each night before they go to bed. I will wrap them up and they will get to open a new one each night. If you have any suggestions of a favorite book...Please let me know!

Christmas Eve Pajamas: This is something I have done since Caden was born. I love the Old Navy sleep sets and buy them a new one each year. I am sad because this is the last year that I can get the Old Navy ones for Caden...They don't sell the sleep sets in sizes bigger than 5T. Regardless, it is always the one gift that they get to open on Christmas Eve. I love how cute they always look in them.

Neighbor Gifts: I have always wanted to do this, but have never been organized enough to get something together. Julie aka Crazy Mama of 6, called attention to this fabulous lady who compiled a list of easy and fast ways to to put together something to give to the neighbors...Now I just have to pick which one we will want to do next year! I think this is something fun to get together, and helps the kids to get in the spirit of giving instead of receiving.

Birthday Party for Jesus: My friend Katie gave me this idea. We weren't able to do it this year, but I plan on incorporating next year. So many times children get caught up in the Santa aspect of the holiday. I want my children to recognize the importance of why we really celebrate Christmas. I think if we have a family night were we have a "birthday party" for Jesus with a cake and all...then it can help them to understand what an important role our Savior plays during this time of year.

Christmas Breakfast: Shawn's step mom established this tradition a few years ago. We always go over to Shawn's dads for a Christmas morning breakfast. It is great because I don't have to cook! It is always something that we look forward to and it is always great to spend time with Shawn's Dad. I might end up incorporating Staci's idea of waffles/ice cream/strawberries for a meal with just Shawn, me and the kids...since we go to Shawn's dad's on Christmas...maybe we will try doing this on Christmas Eve Morning.

Acting out the Nativity: Right now there aren't enough grand kids to participate in a live reenactment of the Nativity, but we did buy the Little People Nativity, Lil Shepherds, and Lil' Drummer Boy set for the kids this year. Maybe we can have the kids do it using all the toys. I think this is important for them to understand, and would be a fun way to use the set...and something that we can do with just our little unit instead of the extended family.

These are just a few that I really like, and there a ton more that I have to mull over and decide which ones to use. Here are also a few sites that give ideas of different traditions.

Cafe Traditions
The Sprague Lab - (thanks Abbie)
Garden View Cottage - this is a blog I stumbled upon where she shared 14 of her favorite traditions. One of the ones I liked was tradition #11 where she made pillowcases out of Christmas fabric...I might just do that...we will see.

Also if you have any others that you would like to tell me about...I would LOVE to hear them! I can't wait to gear up for next year! Christmas is such a great season, and I am so sad to see it go (so is Caden...because I have been sick, we have yet to get our decorations down. Caden gets upset every time I mention taking the tree down - He says he wants Christmas to last forever)! One thing that I hope to do this year is start my shopping early. Every year I say that I will, but end up scrambling in the end...Here is to hoping!

Christmas Blur

Does anyone ever feel like there is so much stuff going on during the Christmas season that when you look back it is just a blur? I really can't believe how the past few weeks seem to have gotten away from me. We had a great and memorable time with family and friends despite the fact that I had sick kids, and then by New Years I got their sickness. I still feel yucky or should I say sound yucky. I now officially have my "deep sexy voice." Hopefully it won't last too long.

Christmas eve was spent with Shawn's mom, and the rest of his family. In the morning we went to Shawn's Dad's for breakfast, made a short trip to Grandma & Grandpa G.'s, and then back to our house to host my side of the families Christmas gathering. It was a crazy couple of days, but we still had fun. The kids got all sorts of things, and Caden said this was the "Best Christmas ever!" I found that funny because he had a temp of 102.5 on Christmas eve and then by the end of the holidays he ended up getting a double ear infection. The poor kid looked terrible, but he kept smiling all the way through.

I have alot more to say, but right now my mind is not functioning quite like it should. I will post more soon...I promise. Here is a slide show of all the fun things the kids got, and the wonderful people that we were able to spend the holidays with!