Visitors

While Doug was away his sister Kaytie had her baby blessed.  For the occasion Granny, Roy and his family came up.  We were lucky they had time to stop by and visit.

Camping Mommy Style

Doug has taken a work trip to New Zealand and Germany.  The kids wanted to go camping.  This was my compromise.  Even though our house is tiny and cramped, they can all put their tents up in it.

Sibling Play

Daddy caught Evan, Peter and Lexie playing in her room.

Pride

They say pride goes before the fall.  Maybe it should be pride goes before the car breaks down.  My van has been having issues and not nice easy fix ones.  I'm talking about going to the shop fixes and being without a car for days or more.  I wondered why this was happening to us.  We were trying to save money to move and these bills were not helping.  Then after listening to my children's remarks I figured it all out.  My children needed to be humbled.  We haven't lived the life of luxury but we've been comfortable and our children have never really wanted for anything.  Growing up my family wasn't so blessed and I've had to wear second hand clothes or ride in cars that weren't so nice or new.  Needless to say using my parent's extra car wasn't hard on me, but my children were forced into humility.  And since they didn't get it the first time we had a second bout of it.

The "rental"

As you can see it isn't pretty, but it got us around and I was grateful to borrow it instead of paying for a rental.  My children had different ideas.

Children's remarks:

"Did they have this when you were growing up?" - Nope

"What's that brown stuff on the window?" - I told them deer parts only to find out it was a patch.

"It smells funny."

"I can't buckle up.  The seat belt is broken." - It was missing some pieces but still worked.

"I'm glad I have to ride the bus to school and you aren't picking me up." - Said by the 5yo

Fires and Outside

Ben and Chris have been asking begging for a long time to build a fire.  "No" has been the constant answer until today.  A little snow was on the ground and if it got them out of the house okay.

Ben and Chris sitting around their fire

Evan, Peter and Chris playing in the snow

Christmas 2013

Christmas has come and gone.  I for one am happy that the year is wrapping up.  Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas.  I love the decorations.  I love the lights.  I love the feeling in the air.  I love the food and that is why I am glad that the Christmas party season is coming to an end.  I am so ready to eat healthy again and purge my house of the sugar temptations.  That being said Christmas was good in our house.  Santa was very generous as you can see by the stocking haul spread out on the couches.

Chris with his and Lexie's stocking haul

Evan and Peter's stocking haul

At our house the children must wait to be released to get their stockings.  We employ tables or baby gates to block this small opening and when we, the parents, are ready then we release them.  Here they are ready for the go mark.

Then, I added to the torture and made them sit in front of the tree for a picture before they could see their stockings.  At least they smiled through their agony.

Santa got us all Santa hats this year.

Santa children

Santa family.  Yes, I look a little crazy and maybe that is my normal look, however, I blame it on the new camera.  We just got a new one and had never used the self timer before.  This was attempt number more that it should have taken and since our eyes were open and smiles were there it was a wrap.

Here's to the new year!

Chris the Ham

Chris is in select choir again this year at school and he just had his Christmas concert.  He sure hammed it up for some of the songs.  Have you ever seen White Christmas?  In it Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye team up as a singing duo.  Let's just say Chris was no Bing, if you get my meaning.  I wish I had know he was going to act it up and then I would have gotten more video because it would be so fun to watch, but the pictures will have to do.