New Years Packets

I saw this idea on Dating Divas and thought that I would make my own version for my family.

I have packets for each hour on the hour that contains an activity of some sort.  One packet has a new Wii game that Aunt Kristy said we "HAD" to get.  Another has fortune cookies to signal its time for our Chinese food dinner.  One has a sheet for each family member to write down one goal and list one accomplishment from 2010.  Another packet has a timer game. 

Then one has two pictures of two places that we went this year.  I'm having each family member write down or tell something they remember about that day.  A friend shared this journaling idea with me.  She tries to do a couple of these a year to get the different journaling perspectives of her family.  Once she had a picture from a parade.  She said that one daughter recalled a cute boy whereas another daughter remembered the cotton candy from the day.  It's true that we each have such different memories from the same event.  I'm excited to see what the kids remember from the two pictures I have.  I'm excited to have them reminisce a little from 2010.

(So we just got invited over to a friends house for a New Years party ... I think I will change the times and have the kids do some of these packets in the afternoon.)

Christmas Vacation Pics and Activities

Christmas socks for the girls to go roller skating in...
Making little Bead Elves....
Playdates...(I'm grateful for all the moms that were on the ball and set up playdates - Thank You!!!)

Making Reindeer food, thanks to the Mason's...


Acting out the Nativity at our Christmas party.  My Mary....
 
Snuggling Grandpa...
 
The Thompson tradition of chimes with the Mumma's on Christmas Eve...

Painting the inside of glass ornaments....



Doing our holiday puzzle.  (I'm mad that I don't have a picture of mom and the kids working on it.)
Playing LOTS of games.  We gave each of the kids a new board or card game.  This HEADBANDZ game was a hit....You can see the link here- Hedbanz Game
 

AND I think that gets me all caught up and ready to move into a new year....

Presents

I always enjoy seeing which presents are the greatest hits.  I thought I would highlight just a couple of the kids favorite presents.  Nathan was in shock to get his ipod touch and kept saying, "I can't believe this is really mine..."

Rebecca loved her new DS.  She also kept layering on her make-up and making sure her little sisters had some on...

Jerrica got her Snow White shirt that she has been begging for.  She was even asking for it in her PRAYERS!!!

Nathan and ALL the other kids have LOVED this remote control helicopter.  It is amazing how Nathan can control it. 

He can take off from the main level that is vaulted and fly it up to the loft to land it.

Jacob finally got his own cell phone. We were dumbfounded at how many texts he had that first day.  Another present was his animation software to start creating his own cartoons.

  Kaylee's big gift was an ipod nano.  Dad loaded it up and she was sweet to sit and share her tunes with her little sis.

One of Ashley's favorite presents is actually Jerrica's.  It was a box of 30 Disney figurines, BUT the fun part is that they included the villains like Scar and Ursula.  Ash was in heaven the minute she saw them.  So I have Jerrica playing with the princesses in her soft, sweet, little voice and Ashley playing the villain role in full force.

Another one of her favorites was her new play dough ice cream machine AND the play dough that her BROTHERS MADE (and yes I MADE Jacob and Nathan make it for their two little sisters )

My present highlight was a new camera!!!!

My Sunbeam

My baby is now a Sunbeam at church and is not in Nursery anymore.  Her teacher gave her a "Sunny Sunbeam" drink to congratulate her going on to Primary.  Jerrica thought she was totally BIG toting around her drink and telling us that she is now a Sunbeam.

I thought that I was going to cry seeing my baby get bigger...I can't believe I don't have one in Nursery...we have ALWAYS had one in Nursery....

Date Basket

My mom made the cutest thing for us.  She gathered all of the kids around and told them that it wasn't fair for them to not have treats when Stephen and I go out on dates.  So she decided to make a basket of goodies for them that is ONLY to be used when we are gone.  Jacob usually babysits for us and the kids get to watch a movie while we are out.  NOW they have a special basket filled with treats to make their night fun.

  

She had popcorn, mini candy bars, and these jars filled with different drink mixes.  She also stuck in a couple of movies that she knows they have never seen.  Now the kids will be just as excited as I am when I have a date night with Stephen.

Thank You MOM!!!  That was a fun idea!!!

Speaking of dates, this year Stephen was in NEED of a new wallet.  So I grabbed one for him as a Christmas gift and then decided to fill it with gift cards.  I guess you could say that it was kinda a gift for me too since I will probably be the one helping him use the gift cards....

The girls and I also made Grandpa a money tree topped off with a gift card to take Grandma out.  We folded and pinned the bills to a Styrofoam tree.

Christmas

So much to post, so that I can finish off my blog book for the year, but had to share a cute Christmas Eve picture of the kids in their new Christmas PJ's.

I sure LOVE each of these personalities!!!

Christmas Treats

It's so fun to get and make treats this time of year.  We have a lot of favorites that we make, like Aunt Kathy's toffee...

Of course there are the sugar cookies, candy cane cookies, and any other little treat that's quick and easy.  Like these M&M treats-  You line a cookie sheet with square pretzels.  Top with a chocolate Kiss and then Bake at 170 degrees for 7 minutes.  Last but not least you top with a Christmas M&M.  Cheap -  Easy - Divine!

I took four pictures of my little candy makers as I was heading out the door for Nathan's indoor game.  AND I LOVE all four of them with their series of events....

 

It was all fun and games and lots of giggles until a few slid off the plate and on to the floor...

One of my favorite Christmas treats is a Red Velvet Christmas Cake with a pecan cream cheese frosting.  I LOVE it, Stephen doesn't and so I end up eating WAYYY to much of it.  Mom and Dad will be here tomorrow, SO maybe I can make it and have them help me eat it.

I also want to try a taffy recipe tomorrow.  Do YOU have any favorite treats that you like to make?

Christmas Lights

We drove around looking at the best Christmas lights in the Springs and I had to tell "the story" to my kids of Uncle Keith's lights.

My brother, Keith is VERY creative and goes all out for the holidays.  Well one year he had a two story gingerbread man that he had constructed.  It was all lit up with big lights for the eyes and buttons.  It reminded me of the Shrek gingerbread man.  His house looked like a gingerbread house.  He had a pulley rigged with Santa and reindeer that was lit up and would move toward the house.  He had a ton of little trees with lights out front.  It really was an amazing display and everyone in the small town would comment and drive by to see it.

Well, there was prize money, $100 for the house with the best lights.  The winner would be announced at the school operetta.  Keith didn't win.  In fact, he didn't even get one of the runner up prizes.  It was a surprise to see the ones that DID win.  They gave some excuse why Keith's house couldn't be considered for the prize and told him maybe next year.

SOOO Aunt Kristy immediately had a $100 bill in the mail with a cute note of how he was robbed.  Can I just say how much I LOVE siblings and how much they support each other.  When something bad happens, family is always there to jump in and help make things all better.  I am grateful for my brother and sisters.  My hope is that my kids will always be good to each other.  I told them to remember this story and always try to think what you can do to help your brother or sister when they are having a hard time.

 

Snowboarding

Stephen LOVES to snowboard!  When he was at college he took a ski class for a semester.  Then he bought a cheap snowboard and would go night boarding every weekend.  After doing that sooo many times on ice and a cheap board, he got REALLY good.  Now snowboarding in fluffy powder with a nice, waxed board - he is AMAZING. 

He is also determined to teach all of our kids to snowboard.  So we took a little trip to Copper Mountain, which is HUGE!!!  It was Kaylee's first time snowboarding and she was awesome.  She is such a Tom boy and just doesn't have any fear.  Stephen does his "own" school with the kids.  He took her up to literally the top of the mountain and had her board down on her very first time.  That meant taking three lifts to get to the top. 

He does this cute little thing that he calls "the dance".  I wish I would have gotten a picture of them.  She holds his hands and with their boards together and facing each other they go down on certain trails.  This means Stephen going backwards and yes this means some pretty big crashes at times, but she learned.  AND I think Stephen was quite happy seeing how much the boys have progressed and seeing his little Kaylee going strong.

The boys are fun to watch.  I enjoy listening to their conversations.

The day was perfect.  No wind AND fresh falling snow.  It meant some serious powder.  I liked how the flakes would stick in Kaylee's eyelashes.  They were like little tufts of cotton.  Some of the flakes you could even see the pretty designs in.

SOOO, girlfriend had her game on there at Copper Mountain.  Move over Shawn White - there is a NEW tomato in town!!!!

 

Thanks for the fun day Stephen!  You are such an amazing teacher, maybe you need to take on a second job as a snowboard instructor!

"Busy-ness"

I'm dying to share some of the gifts that I have been working on for Christmas, BUT I have eyes that look at this blog and it will spoil their surprises.  We did finish our little tree ornaments.  I think they would be cute done in white felt with various colored ribbons.

Besides finishing up projects we have been so busy with concerts, activities and parties this week.  Here are my concert singers, and of course Kaylee is giggling - she can't hold a smile to save her life!

Stephen and I were able to go to some couple parties.  After each one, I would turn to him commenting on how we need to have a couple's party.  Well, we ended up having a progressive dinner start over here with 50 women on Thursday.  After all of the deep cleaning of light fixures, cupboards, and fussing over everything - I decided that's why I DON'T do that many parties.  They are sooo much work!

Jerrica is LOVING all of these parties and candies.  She is such a sweet tooth.

I have also been busy with a few photo shoots.  I so enjoy doing them and meeting new people.  I'm working on uploading pictures from shoots to my own photography website.  I can't believe how this little business has taken off!  I'm grateful for the extra money for all my kids' extra activities.

This time of year IS BUSY, but I LOVE it!  I'm excited to have my kids home and have my parents coming.