Merry CHRISTmas to all!

It is hard to believe that CHRISTmas is here (and almost gone). 2012 has been a year that has FLOWN by!  I felt so unprepared this year for CHRISTmas.  I had BIG plans of this to make and things I wanted to do with my girls.  Not much of the list got accomplished.  I just had to come to grips with the fact it wasn’t going to get done.

As a family 1st this year we went to cut down our CHRISTmas tree.  What a fun event that was. We LOVED it and are looking forward to making that a new tradition.

 We then decorated the tree and took pictures with the tree

This CHRISTmas as in ones past I wanted to focus on the TRUE meaning of CHRISTmas and the reason WHY we celebrate in the 1^st place.  It is important to our family that we give to others that NEED.  We were blessed to be able to give to a few people this year who were in need.  I made BLESSING BAGS with my girls to give out to those on the streets.  We made bags full of hygiene stuff for our full time missionaries in our ward, as well as our senior missionary couple.  We also made plates of yummy stuff to give to our friends.  It  was so fun to spend time in the kitchen with all 4 of my girls --- AND my hubby baking yummy goodies.  Everyone helped. Everyone made their favorite yummy treat (my hubby’s favorite part was TESTING the goodies J)

 This year as like last, we are REALLY missing our family.  I was hoping to be able to spend CHRISTmas with my parents and brother this year. BUT it didn’t work out that way. So again it was just our quiet little family.

CHRISTmas eve was spent baking more yummy goodies, delivering them to friends, spending TIME as a family and enjoying watching the SNOW fall!  As is tradition, the girls watched CHRISTmas movies ALL DAY and colored CHRISTmas pictures.  My hubby read the CHRISTmas story to us by the fireplace, we took traditional new pj pictures..... 

and then we had family prayer, then we put the girls to bed.  YES it was 10pm and that meant a REALLY long night for mama…. Since I hadn’t even wrapped a single present.

Luckily, my hubby stood watch at the stairs (to make sure the girls stayed in bed and didn’t PEEK) so I could wrap and prepare for “santa” to come.  Amazingly enough we were in bed by 1am. And our WONDERFUL girls stayed in bed til 7:45am.  That is sleeping in for us!

 The girls were so excited to see what SANTA had brought them.  Haylee (our oldest) got a guitar and lots of clothes. Sydney (#2) got a tablet, a nice church jacket, and an mp3 player. Kelsee (#3) got a new DSi and a BIG Merida doll, along with an mp3 player.  Delaney (our “baby”) got Little People PRINCESS figures, a baby doll and lots of books! The girls also got 2 PINK BB guns from daddy… which they have already put to the test down in the basement.

We had a great time opening presents and spending the day together. Playing with all the new toys and watching CHRISTmas movies. I felt like I spent the day in the kitchen preparing and cooking our CHRISTmas dinner.  We had ham, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls and homemade apple pies for dessert.  It makes me happy that my family LOVES my cookin’.  I guess I am doing something right.

Well that is our CHRISTmas in a nutshell.  I am so grateful for this time of year that we have to focus on the birth of our Savior.  I am so grateful for HIS sacrifice for each of us.  We have truly been blessed to live in such a time that we may worship as we please. May you all feel the LOVE that our SAVIOR has for you and feel the blessings that our Father in Heaven has given you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

I haven’t forgotten…. I promise!

I mean I haven’t forgotten about my poor blog.  Life has been SUPER crazy the last month…. Well really ALL summer!  With my girls going to girls camp. Then my oldest going to Youth Conference in Nauvoo, Illinois.  Then my hubby going to Scout Camp for a week. Not to mention ALL the craziness of keeping up with my 4 girls at home. TRYING my hardest to get them to do their CHORES and keep their rooms clean.  I think I just might go crazy- that is a NEVER ENDING BATTLE in itself!

I haven’t taken many pictures this summer. We haven’t done much of anything “fun and exciting” according to my girls.  I was hoping for a trip HOME (to CA) to see my parents and brother.  I am the ONLY child NOT going home this summer for a visit and I feel VERY left out!  I would do ANYTHING to go home for a little while before school starts.  Believe me if I had a credit card, I would CHARGE IT! But since paying off all the major credit cards we don’t have one anymore…..  Oh! And did I mention that my hubby GETS TO GO back to California in a week?  Oh ya, he is heading to Camp Pendleton for a course out there for a week. NOPE! He is NOT taking us with him. But yes he gets to go visit HIS family.  I tried to talk him into driving out there so we could go along…. That was a NO GO!  Oh well, it was worth a try.

I wish I could write about all adventures we’ve had this summer.  It is sad that California girls have only gone swimming twice this summer. We don’t look much like California girls. Our tans are, well NOT. It has been super HOT and HUMID here in Michigan this summer.  Everyone tells me that this is “not normal”. It has been so dry that the corn crop that was planted out here has basically DIED!  I am soooo glad we didn’t plant a garden this year. It would have all gone to waste!

I have been in a slump lately.  I am just missing “Home”.

In other news…. BIG changes are going to be happening in the  Young Women's organization at church.  Our Young Women's President is moving before the end of the month.  Her husband just got a job in Nebraska.  So that means CHANGES in the Presidency.  I have been teased non-stop about being the next YW Pres.  We will see. HOPEFULLY it won’t be too much longer before we find out. I have really enjoyed being in with my girls.  It has been a fabulous calling and I have LOVED working with the women in this presidency. I have made friendships that I know will last a lifetime.

Well, I think that’s about it. I would love to say I promise to be better but I think life is still going to be crazy for a little while.  But I WILL say that I am going to TRY to do better J

Thanks for listening to me babble.

Happy 4^th of July ya’ll~

Today didn’t start out great. My hubby was not in the best mood and got up way too early.  He didn’t have to work today and part of me wished he did. When he is in a bad mood…. It rubs off onto others, like me!!!

Anyways, for whatever reason my hubby decided he needed to fix the sprinklers today…. He went to menards bright and early, before anyone else got up. Bought what he was hoping would be the quick fix.  That didn’t work.  Then about 930this morning as I was folding laundry he walks in and says, hey you wanna change and take me to the hospital so I can get some stitches in my finger. I cut it pretty bad. So of course I jump up and go change. He came in asking for gauze and tape. I went and got it and then he says to me, it’s not so bad. I don’t think I need to go to the hospital.  

(Just like a marine…. A little tape and gauze and you are all good)

So instead of going to the hospital,  we spent a few hours back at menard’s getting more stuff for the sprinklers. Dang that stuff costs and arm **& a leg. We walked outta there spending way more money than I had hoped. And to top it all off, it didn’t fix it. My hubby told me we need to replace them all together! Oh the joys. All I hear is cha-ching. Cha-ching. Every time we turn around this house is costing us more money!

Well, we have spent the afternoon relaxing and watching tv, we bbq'd. oh and we took some pictures. (I made them do it)  

So here are my girls latest pictures, plus a few with daddy and mommy too  

 yummy watermelon

 getting ready to roast some marshmallows (although it didn't work out so well without a flame)

 so we microwaved them instead

 getting some love from my "twin" we both had the same shirts and wearing jean capris :) she loved it.

 

Sadly, this crazy place we live did fireworks last Friday night. so there will not be any fireworks to go to. No parade. No military honor band. (Life is so totally different not living on a military installation)  No bbq at the stake center or family time with gramma, papa and uncle david (like we have done the last few years) it is just our quiet little family at home.

We are so grateful for our independence and for those who have fought for our freedoms. This country is truly the greatest in the world.  I hope all of you had a fabulous day celebrating with family and friends.