Family Pictures Dec. 2011

This was right after my trip to see Becky and remember Trevan was sick?  He was still pale when I got home, it was so sad!

I needed a hair cut!  My bangs were weird!

Jonah was a mess!

Our Christmas card that year

Christmas 2010 - A Christmas to Remember (I mean forget...)

(This post was started back in December of 2010 - anything I just added presently is in italics)

Picture this:

It was Christmas Eve. Our table was set with my pretty, red Christmas dishes, the majority of the food was on the table, and we were starting to gather at the table to begin our meal…

And then Mallary started puking…

And, that, my friends, was the final nail in my Christmas spirit’s coffin – the icing on my fruitcake!

And I do not like fruitcake.

Had we not had friends over, I would have retired to my bedroom and hibernated until at least 2011.

This Christmas season was… different? I barely listened to Christmas music, which I usually have to force myself not to listen to until after Thanksgiving. I don’t think I even watched one full Christmas special. What?!?!? (I know. That makes me sad just typing it.) We delivered no goodies (I started to make some many times…), sent no Christmas cards, and I wrapped the presents the week of Christmas (very odd for me, usually have them wrapped as soon as I buy them). I also knew I wouldn’t be getting anything off of my Christmas list, which included, but was not limited to: a new mattress for our bed, patio furniture, a larger patio to put the furniture on, a fence for our backyard, a new light for the bathroom, more kitchen cabinets built, a new computer, and I’ll just stop there…

When I finally accepted the fact that I wasn’t getting any of those things for Christmas (okay, so I knew that before I made the list…), I decided that all I really wanted for Christmas was a little peace. Some for me, some for you, some for anyone in the world that wanted it. I know, I know… Christmas lists are not for beauty pageant answers, but really, was world peace too much to ask for? Or, for everyone to have peace in their homes, or in their hearts? I know, it’s a big ticket item. I’m not sure if Santa could have even made that in his workshop…

I jest. But, really.

No.

Really.

It seems like lately I know of too many people struggling with tough issues, too many friends with hurting hearts, too much sadness going on all around me… Lately, just watching the evening news breaks my heart a little bit. I’m not sure when I became so sensitive… I know everyone has their own set of struggles; I have my own, and I know you have your own. I think there are a lot of people who would like a little peace.

I think there are different kids of peace…

I mean, sometimes, all I want is an hour or two of peace and quiet in my life. Time where I can just BE, and not do. Peace from not having to give time outs, or raise my voice… Peace where I can read something that touches my spirit, and enjoy that moment without it being interrupted by my child yelling for something at me… That kind of peace.

Then, there’s the kind of peace that settles in your heart and heals. A lot of hearts need that kind of peace too.

If there was some way Santa could have wrapped up a little peace, topped it with a bow, and slipped it in my stocking (and yours)…. that would have been the best stocking stuffer ever.

So, I narrowed down my Christmas list, and told Santa that all I wanted was Peace on earth.

And, if that wasn’t doable, I asked for a clean house.

So, that’s how I felt leading up to Christmas Eve. For me, it had been a Christmas season filled with issue after issue, topped off with so many of my friends hurting with their own issues, and it just wasn’t feeling Christmas-y enough to me. There were a few Christmas spirit highs like my Christmas Road Rally Party, and getting Christmas cards, gifts, and my friends candy cane fudge in the mail.

So, I had really wanted Christmas Eve to be perfect. I was looking forward to spending a whole day devoted to Christmas. I was cooking dinner, we were going to eat with friends, we were going to make sugar cookies and decorate them, we were going to watch a fun Christmas movie, and read the Christmas story, and hang stockings, and set cookies out for Santa, and then snuggle up on the couch with my husband in a dark living room with only the Christmas tree lights on, and watch a Christmas special…

Cue Mallary puking…

Our poor friends!!! We tried to somewhat carry on with the evening… At first, we didn’t know if Mallary was really sick, or if she made herself throw up by coughing and gagging herself – we soon figured out she was sick. Let’s just say John gave her three or four baths before our friends even left that night. It was really sad.

I tried to carry on with the evening, though inside I really just wanted to fall apart. Then, as I went to make the icing for the sugar cookies, my hand mixer broke! I was like, REALLY????? Could this night get any better??? Our friends left a little later, and then Trevan opened his pajamas, and Mallary had fallen asleep in our floor. I told Trevan to come down stairs and we would hang the stockings, and put some cookies out for Santa. Well, he loved his new pajamas so much, he climbed in his bed before I knew it and went to sleep before even coming downstairs!

I couldn’t even set out cookies for Santa with my kids???

That night kept getting better for me…

I was just so disappointed. As a parent you look forward to holidays with your kids, like to see them so happy on those events makes up for the bad stuff on other days. You really want it to be so magical for them.

And in case you didn’t know, barfing does not equal magical.

Needless to say, Christmas Eve didn’t turn out at all as I had envisioned it… and to top it off, I fell asleep on the couch, sitting up, alone, not even watching a Christmas special.

And, the next day?

My stocking was pretty empty… AND my house wasn’t clean!

Santa had not put any peace in my stocking OR cleaned my house! Can you believe that guy?

I started this post well before Christmas, and it just kept evolving. Then when Christmas Eve came, and Christmas came and went, I tried to write more and couldn’t. I think I had to process it all before coming back to it.

Before Christmas, I found some pictures of past Christmases, and my mom was in them maybe making me a little sentimental…

This year, my whole family got together the day after Christmas, and had a Christmas dinner. Before I even finished eating, people were cleaning up and getting ready to open presents. What?? I hadn’t finished my food or gone back for seconds yet!

"The kids want to open up the presents," someone said. "Who cares?" I said, "When we were kids at Grandma's house we had to wait patiently until everyone was done eating and cleaning up!!!"

Honestly, I was a little upset (my family won’t be surprised to read that, don’t worry - but by now they will have forgotten it). I was eating and talking to my sister in law, and they already had tables taken down… I’ve thought about why that really bothered me other than the obvious reasons, and I came to the conclusion that I think if my mom had been there, she wouldn’t have been done eating either. She would have been sitting there with us talking and eating.

For me, it was another Christmas let down. You picture yourself enjoying your Christmas dinner with family you love, only it felt like it lasted ten minutes.

I know. I’m pathetic. I am. But, there are just times in your life when you feel down, and then stuff keeps happening that keeps you down, or makes you want to stay down.

And that’s where that post ended… See? I was totally depressed and did not even know it. I remember crying while watching the news in early December of that year… Oh my.

It makes me so so so so sad that somehow all the pictures on my camera from this Christmas were deleted. Like very sad.  Did I mention that I was sad that all the pictures were deleted? 

Anway, we had friends over, and these are the pictures she took on that Christmas Eve and was kind enough to share them with me. 

At the end of these pictures I'll just write down my memories of the pictures that I took.  I think we have on video the kids opening their presents... I'm crossing my fingers that we do. 

Trevan and his friend



Oh my goodness, is this right before she threw up????????  How she managed not to get puke on the table I will never know.  It completely covered underneath the table... It must have been the only Christmas miracle that year.  :)

Or this one???  It was a nightmare...

This must be while John was upstairs during one of Mallary's many baths that night. 

I was literally on the verge of falling apart.  Had our friends not been there, I totally would have. 

Jonah has always loved Jennifer

I love that they captured his silly smile in this picture!  This is how he smiled for so long!!

At least they had fun making cookies!! 

So, that night I took pictures of Trevan opening his Christmas jammies, and Mallary asleep on our floor.  Then later that night she woke up and  threw up some more, after another bath she opened her Christmas jammies and put them on too.

 

Christmas morning pictures - I had some of them on the stairs with Mallary still looking a little sick...  We let her open presents while sitting on some towels with a bowl to puke in nearby - though I don't think she ever needed it. 

 

Some favorite Christmas memories from that year:

• It snowed a little bit (I think...)
• Trevan opening up this Star Wars game that you plug into a TV and he exclaimed, "This is better than a DS!!!!!
• Trevan had wanted a frog pillow pet, but I couldn't find one in time and my sister had found this GIANT frog, and when he opened it up he totally wrestled with it and played with it, it was so cute! 
• I surprised John by hemming some Christmas jammies from the year before that had ripped and he wanted me to make them into capris.  (I know he's a weird man...)  When John stood up and held them up in front of him, Trevan looked at him and said, "Those pants would fit Santa Clause!"  I think I laughed about that for a year!  Okay, I'm still laughing about that!!
• When handing Mallary another present to open, she said "I don't want anymore.  I have enough presents already."  (We only give three presents + usually one big and one little thing from Santa)
• Trevan gave Mallary a little Hello Kitty backpack for Christmas and Mallary exclaimed, "A BACKPACK!  I can go to school now like Trevan!"
• Talking to my BFF, Becky on the phone



The naughty list??

I'm not going to lie.... I love having one more reason to give my kids about why they should be listening at Christmas time.

"Remember, you better be nice, so Santa will bring lots of presents..." 

We used that line just this morning at around 6:30 AM. 

My kids were wired this morning at six!!  You would think that it was Christmas morning every morning for the last week according to the times they have been waking up!  UGH!! 

I know lots of parents tell their kids that Santa isn't real, but I love it!  Not just for the reason listed above, but it's just magical.  I can remember the excitement as a little kid, and trying to figure out how Santa works.  I love that my kids are experiencing the magic of Christmas too!

Though Mallary, the other night at bed time, told John, "I don't want Santa to watch me."

I mean, really, it's kind of creepy thinking of this old man watching us all the time and he will bring us presents accordingly.  But, I think from Mallary's perspective it was purely, she had been a stinker that day and didn't want it to affect her Christmas loot!  Rather than change her behavior, she was thinking maybe Santa could just not watch her... 

Love it!

Hope you're on the nice list!!

I love Christmas

I am loving Christmas this year!  Some day I'll blog about last Christmas, and you'll see  that it wouldn't take much to improve upon it! 

But, seriously, I was driving home yesterday morning from dropping Trevan off at school, and I was thinking of how great Christmas feels this year!!  I honestly feels like my heart is dancing to 'Rockin Around the Christmas Tree' during McCauley Caulkins "party" he had to trick the robbers in Home Alone! 

I am so excited for Christmas and for my kids to open their presents!  Honestly, I think Christmas is like a perk for parents, it is so fun to be a parent on Christmas morning.   I absolutely love it!!! 

The thing is, I've been crazy busy.  Craaaazy...  like started a hundered new projects in December for some reason...but, I still love it!  I even had all my shopping done before December, but still found a bazillion things I "needed" to do!!!  I haven't been able to get up all of my decorations, and I don't even care!!!!  We usually put up three fake trees in addition to our real one, and we haven't put them up this year either... but who cares?!!  Honestly, it would be nice if I could get them up, but I can't so, who cares!  We have our family one, and that's really the only important one anyway! 

I am in primary (kids ages 3-11)  at church, and the last few Sundays I have taught, and I have loved it.  Feeling the spirit of Christmas (the spirit of Christ) in my lessons has just added to this great season for me!  I hope they felt it too! 

I hope your Christmas season is going well.  That it's full of joy, love, and that there is peace in your heart. 

Christmas wouldn't be complete on my blog without posting some of my favorites....



Here are a few of my favorite things this Christmas...

1.  These printable tags - How funny are they???!!

found HERE

2.  This awesome bread pan - I never have enough bread pans when I make my 14 loaves of bread at a time! No embellishment there, for real. This is a super long pan, normal sandwhich bread size, I coveted for a while, and then gave it to myself for Christmas... Perfect for the bread maker on your list...

found HERE

3.  All these awesome things on my Must Have Pinterest Board - See HERE

4.  This Christmas CD by the Lower Lights - Another Christmas gift to myself.  Love!  Enjoy!



#5.  Michal Buble's new Christmas CD.  After seeing him on Saturday Night Live last week, we (I) decided we needed it...  (Even though John did add that he sings so effortless-ly) 

#6.  FLEECE SHEETS!  We just put ours on our bed last week!  Christmas doesn't seem complete without my fleece sheets!  Love them!!!!  I absolutely love getting in my bed and snuggle in my fleece sheets!!!  I ithink you need some...

Hoping your Christmas season is Merry and Bright!!

Already?

Really?

It's 20 ELEVEN?

Cahrahzy!

So, it's a new year, and I haven't even recorded last year! I mean, I expected to be blogging about my summer in November, but not January... Oh well, what's two months?

I had so much to blog around Christmas time, and now not only do I have to finish those posts, but now I have to update you on my Christmas holiday, including, but not limited to: The Christmas Curse, A white Christmas, The infirmary, and pants that would fit Santa.

Have I got a lot to share...

And, I may get around to it...

In June.

Christmas with the Hamiltons

We spent the rest of Christmas day at John's parents house. We were able to spend time with five of John's siblings during Christmas.

More presents for everyone!

John's brother, Andy, his dad, and John

John sporting a new gift. John didn't shave during his vacation (incase you were wondering what looked different...)

John and his brother Mark.

It's fun to watch John and his brothers together.

Their laughing is usually contagious.

Lots of games with the Hamiltons. Looks like a little controversary during the game, Agricola.

I made some yummy rolls for dinner.

Watching a little bit of White Christmas. Can you believe I didn't get to watch my favorite Christmas movie all the way through once this season??!!

Holding Mallary and one of my nephews. Oh my belly...

More games!

And even more games!

My nephew would walk around with his shirt off, and so Trevan took his off too. John took these pictures. We just heard the pillow fight downstairs.

Trevan had so much fun with his cousins, he did not want to leave. It seemed like such a short trip. It was a fun Christmas trip.

Christmas morning

Seeing what Santa put in the stockings.

Mallary: "Bo Bobs." Santa knew she loves Sponge Bob Squarepants fruit snacks.

Trevan: "How did Santa know I wanted Bendaroos????" Santa is smart! Trevan sees the infomercials on TV all the time, and says, "Mom, they are only 19.99 or they are free!"

Trevan: "Oh. My. Gosh." He was excited about his transformers.

Eating his cereal from the North Pole.

Trevan and Mallary with some of their cousins. Mallary's hair looks really great because she got a little brush in her stocking, and tried to brush her hair with a pony tail holder still in her hair. So funny.

Trevan was excited to get his Bumblebee Transformer.

Mallary got a doll that goes potty.

She is going to love me for this picture one day... Have you seen that commercial where two men are going through their trashcans on Christmas day? One guy says he is looking for a small rapunzel hair brush. Well, I threw away the plate and spoon and food packet that goes with the doll... I'm good.

Trevan got a joke book from my dad. Trevan loves telling jokes.

Mallary got her own little purse I made out of vintage quilt squares. She tries to carry mine all the time and says, "heby." It is heavy.


Trevan watching Mallary open the gift he got her.

She gave him a hug to say thank you for her doggie.

Every year Santa surprises me with more things in my kids stockings than I thought they would have... Santa (or was it Frosty?) bought Trevan a spiderman shaving kit.

Mallary looks a little drunk on Christmas.