Holidaze

Christmas is over, and though we made wonderful memories celebrating Christ's birth, I'm not too sorry to see it go this year!
Here's a recap with some random notes thrown in:
- There's a lot of pressure on moms during the holidays! It feels like the sole responsibility of the mother to ensure the children have all the special Christmasy experiences that they're "supposed to", like baking cookies and making hand print reindeer and keeping up with every cherished tradition...it's too much! I reminded myself that having a not-psycho mom is definitely more beneficial for my kids than trying to do too much.
- Along those lines, I don't remember Christmas being so insane when I was a kid! When did Christmas explode??? ?It must have been between my childhood and having kids of my own- Elf on a Shelf?? Seriously??? As if moms don't have enough to do! I always thought I would love having tons of Christmas traditions with my kids, but we're intentionally limiting ours so that we don't feel enslaved to them! What works one year may not the next. Maybe next year we'll have matching jammies, maybe we'll cut down our own tree, maybe load up the kids and drive around and look at lights after bedtime, but I don't want to feel like I've failed my family if we don't. Two things are for sure, though: We'll do advent in December and bring out our growing collection of Christ-centered Christmas books and there will NEVER be an elf on any shelf in our house. Highlights from this year included cheeseburgers at a favorite restaurant with Blake's parents, an evening spent looking at the awesome lights in Williams, a game night with friends, the firefighters coming by in the truck bringing candy canes, making birthday cards for Jesus, having a Christmas carnival/scavenger hunt Christmas afternoon with some friends, special Christmas breakfast, making some homemade gifts (remind me not to do this next year!), loving the kids' enthusiasm for advent each night, and spending lots of low key time just our own little family.

Our backyard is lovely in the snow!

Boots!

Doing advent!

Fun new trampoline!

Her papa paints fingernails :)

Waiting for Papa to get up on Christmas morning!

Sunshine Baby's first Christmas!

The gift I made Blake, which cemented how much I dislike making things.

It was so exciting when the fire truck came by!!

The gift the kids made for Blake

Pin the star over the stable at our carnival

A "sinata", representing Jesus being born to destroy our sins, so good stuff will come out of us instead!

Sick and Stuff

Once again our family has been sick, for a week now- one of those colds that completely takes you out. So, it's been way too many movies, an overwhelmingly dirty house, and homemade chicken broth that I'm so glad I stuck in the freezer a couple months ago.
We're on the mend now and I'm hoping we'll stay healthy for a while! Lots to do for holiday preparationsand catching up on housework and laundry (not to mention Blake's final exams).

Here are some funny Rory sayings from late:
We were talking about Heaven and Rory asked if Adam and Eve were going to be there. I said that I supposed so, and she excitedly asked if they'd be holding fruit! At first I was confused, then realized that probably in every picture she's seen of them they have fruit in their hands, haha.

Rory and Bash scattered a gazillion clear plastic ponytail holders all over the bathroom while I drank my coffee and hoped that the quiet was not a bad thing. When I went to check on them Rory first looked very guilty, then got a calculating look on her face. I asked what they were doing and she replied, "Well, Mama, we were having fun until YOU came in!"  Sorry, baby girl- I am NOT the bad guy here!

She also told me" "I love you, Mama, but really I just want something."

The End of Autumn

I know fall isn't technically over. But Thanksgiving is, and Christmas is only a few weeks away- yikes!!

Sweater vest!

We call Raddie a stereotypical baby, 'cause he does baby things like playing with his feet. Our other kiddos never did that!

Sweet Rory girl was SOOOO excited to get to help Rad eat his first solid food! Her joy is written all over her face :)

Such a sweet big sissie!

Firetruck jammies, good books, and a comfy chair!

Sunshine Baby :)

Trucks and tractors, such a boy

Bearizona Christmas party- the bears got fruit by the foots and bagels.

Classic: Bashy is horrified, Rory is nervously wondering if she'll get the chance to tell Santa what she wants for Christmas (band-aids, incidentally), and Rad is gazing at the lights.

Preparing for the holiday lights parade in Williams.

Doin' the small town thing.

Much of the parade consisted of EMS vehicles, much to Bashy's delight.

Our precious girl is getting so grown up!