We had a good day today. We started off the day doing my favorite thing and had the kids work hard for 3 hours cleaning the house (you know, so Santa will believe that they've been good) and then we were off for fun and games. We first went to Lehi to play games with my side of the family- some great minute to win-it games and running around an open gym. Then we went for more food and fun with Corey's family.
Of course, after we got home, with it being Christmas Eve and all, the kids were much too excited to go to bed. Even Owen had the giggles, and he always gives us the giggles when he's got the giggles. Our cheeks were hurting! Owen's got cheeks of steel, or a good poker face, I don't know how he smiles so big without cracking!
(He is the cutest!)
So, back home, it's late now, but we weren't quite ready for bed. We were ready for the kids to go to bed, but they were still up with demands. First was feeding Owen and getting him to bed. I was upstairs rocking him and watching tv when A Dickens' Chrsitmas by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir came on. I went downstairs and turned off the Mission Impossible flick that was on and told the kids to gather for family scriptures after this Christmas message. Good program, it made me think of the spirit of Christmas and how I can have it. Too late for this year, but I'm taking notes for 2016. It made me realize I have a lot to work on, cause I still am of the opinion that money really could fix a lot/most of my problems and help me with my wants (am I deceiving myself?) Like, I really could donate a lot to Sub for Santa and the refugees if I had more loot.Wondering if my thinking is off. Anyway, after it was done, I turned off all the lights (to stupefy the toddlers to sleep) and turned on a candle. We read scriptures by the candle light. It worked to calm them down. Soon, they were off "to bed." Corey and I waited a bit, and then we went out to play Santa.
The stockings were hung by the fireplace mantle, white tree aglow, presents under the white tree. The kids were under the green tree. It's a tradition that they started themselves in 2007 or so - they asked if they could sleep under the tree, we said sure, and now they have to every year. "It's tradition!" I'm glad it's a simple one, and one they own, one that has magic in it all created by the kids, I was never involved. So, Corey and I went to bed around 2 a.m. Joseph slept in his room, Owen and Natalie were up in our room. Christmas jammies everywhere!
Good night little boy
The rest of them in the front room: Soph crashed during scriptures and was on the couch in her Christmas jammies.
Abi on the left on the couch, Wes huddled close to the heat vent.
Lily and Mel
Ethan on the other couch, Hyrum under the desk~
Looks like we're all ready. One last pic of the tree from the top of the stairs where we said good night to ourselves.
One last thing, Abi wanted to leave Santa milk and cookies. Ethan helped her and they came up with the best they had, Ritz crackers and orange juice.
Corey drank the oj, and then put the crackers back in the box, except for one that he smashed up and made crumbs out of.
(The next morning when Hyrum saw the plate, he joked "Woah, Santa is a messy eater..." That made me laugh to imagine a Santa eating Ritz crackers like he's cookie monster or something~ funny!)
On Saturday morning a neighbor called to see if we were home. She also asked me if I knew anyone who makes fresh gingerbread. "No,,," I replied, a little puzzled by her question. Then she asked if she could come by. I guess I should have/could have put two and two together, but I didn't, cause a few minutes later she came by and totally surprised us by giving us a big candy house! What a treat! She said she just likes the idea of there being a candy house in a home with lots of children, (and her question about making gingerbread was just to test if this was something I already did) so lucky for us! It was made with fresh gingerbread she made herself! (nice smile Natalie)
She said they had a family tradition of waiting until Christmas day before letting the kids eat it, but... after teaching them patience for a few days with the forbidden candy in their sight, I decided to let them have some Christmas early today. :) I took off the cellophane wrapping, and you could smell the gingerbread ~ "Hey kids!!! You can come have some of the candy house!"
Well, first I let Natalie have the cookies. ...and then I ate the row of kit kat bits. And then we called for the kids come.
So nice, thank you to our wonderful neighbor Kim B! Thank you very much for such a thoughtful gift to us.
I was in tears a few times yesterday at church. As we sang Silent Night, and I looked in Owen's face, I imagined the feelings that must have been in Mary's heart. "Holy infant, so tender and mild..." Oh my little Owen is so tender and mild, just like I imagine the Christ child would have been. "Radiance beams from thy holy face~ with the song of redeeming grace!" There is just something that makes me feel a little closer to heaven when I have a baby to hold at Christmas time.
The previous Sunday, Dec 13th, I had a few quiet moments to study. I held Owen, the snow was piling up outside. It felt like Christmas time and I felt at peace.
I have been feeling pretty tender all month. I was holding Owen as I read this beautiful message in the Ensign magazine by Elder Christofferson, one of the Lord's apostles in these last days.
Another quote from his article: "I hope you will take time this Christmas season to sit for a few quiet moments and let the Savior’s Spirit warm you and reassure you of the worthiness of your service, your offering, and your life."
It was nice to hold Owen and ponder on that thought and message, and let the Savior's spirit warm and reassure me.
I really loved that message, cause I was in need of a little reassurance... I felt a little discouraged as I sat in a chair and fed Owen as I watched BYUtv (something the two of us do a lot!).... I was feeling a bit sad as I watched a recent Turning Point episode for the Free Wheelchair Mission. I teared up as usual from watching it (gosh, almost every one of those shows makes me cry! Eagle Eyes probably has the most - the first little girl they show in the very opening clip, Elizabeth, has big brown eyes that look so much like Sophi... yep, can always make me cry) but this time instead of feeling inspired to go to work, I felt a little sad, feeling like I can't get out there and try to make a difference in the world. I am happy to be at home with my kids, but every now and then I feel like I'm just selfishly living a my normal life with my family and not really making a difference for others. I guess that happens when I'm tempted to feel like all the things I do as a mother in my own family don't count, or my children don't count as my fellow man for some reason? So it was good to have this reminder by Elder Christofferson, that I am doing what I can, it's the offering I've been called to give, one only I can give, and it is worthy service to give to my Lord and Savior. I know one day I will look back and marvel at how quickly it passed... I know I will miss it so much. Trying to savor these too few quiet moments with my babies.
I also love this quote by Elder Holland - "When the Savior comes, I so want to be caught living the gospel. I want to be surprised right in the act of spreading the faith and doing something good." I was thinking of that recently as I sat in the front room just holding Owen with Sophi and Natalie playing on the floor in front of me. I looked out the window at the Salt Lake Valley, imagining seeing the Lord coming in the sky. Somehow he comes right to us in our home, into the room where the four of us are, and I know he would be happy and pleased to see me being a mother to the beautiful children he's entrusted to my care. Of such is the kingdom of heaven!
I'm so blessed to have so much of the kingdom of heaven in my home.
Last Saturday we were at the church for one of the Wride cousins' baptism. Natalie was starting to be a little sinker. The "you need to be quiet" time was just about up, so I just needed one more distraction to by us a few more minute. I took a picture of Natalie and then showed her the picture.
Then we started going through the usual faces that our smiley faces make. Silly...
HAPPY!
Angry!
That's the best "angry" you got Natalie? I don't know cute kid, you don't look too threatening to me.
Surprised!
Another Angry...
Very pleased and content.
And then the program was over and we were safe to be noisy again. Good job Natalie, and thanks for the distraction, camera!
Natalie runs around without her clothes on a lot. She takes baths A LOT too. That probably contributes to it (just such a hassel to get dressed after a bath when you're just gonna hop in the tub again in another hour). She also just doesn't seem to care for clothes. I do make her get dressed when we leave the house (but she will NOT wear a coat or jacket, even when there is snow!) When we come home from errands, like most of our children, Natalie leaves a trail of socks and shoes from the garage door to the stairs, but she takes it up a notch and throws off not only her socks and shoes, but shirts and pants as well. I come over to the stairs to find a little pile of clothes on the floor and its like she just vanished in the rapture or something.
Anyway, as she ran around in her preferred lack of attire, I was changing Owen's clothes and remembered - I need to get a picture!
My two kids in diapers! I've got to get another picture for my matching game that I'm going to make someday! Look at Owen, he's such a happy boy now.
I've good streak going with getting pictures of my diapered kids the past few years. Here we have Abi and Lily ~
Lily and Sophi ~
And I couldn't find my Sophi toddler Natalie baby picture, I shall keep looking...) And now Natalie and Owen!
Well, it has officially snowed. Over a foot yesterday and more on the way today. It would have been fun for Rafael and Natalia to see a Utah winter in it's full glory, but alas, they just missed it. We're glad that they got to see it falling from the sky though. Natalia had asked me what it looks like when it falls down. So they got to see that but they didn't get to see the shoveling or driving in snow. I snow blowed the driveway once yesterday morning, then Corey did it two more times during the day, cause it just never stopped coming. Here's a picture our neighbor took of her husband and Corey both out there blowing it.
Yep, lots of snow. Yesterday most of the kids at school didn't show up. Unfortunately for my kids, our carpool neighbor has a monster truck with four wheel drive, so they all got to school. Then Ethan texted me the rest of the day begging me to come get him so he could come home. Sorry buddy, your father forbade me to leave the house in this weather. So yesterday, eventhough we all heard snow was coming, it hit most people unprepared. Today the schools were ready and sent messages out that it would be a late start day. The Jr. high and high school were an hour later, the elementary 2 hours. I left at the normal time to take Joseph to band and we got there okay - about 23 minutes instead of the usual 15 to get there, so not too bad. There were no accidents, people were just driving slow and cautious. The elementary kids spent their two extra hours this morning making snow angels, that's a great way to start the day.
We've had some house guests for the past almost two week. Rafael and his wife Natalia are our friends from Brazil - when we were there in Campinas they kept us well fed with BBQs a their house or bringing by some delicious home cooking, on another two times Natalia taught Mel how to cook some Brazil pudding, and lasagna (Brazilian lasagna is made with ham and has a special cheese I can't remember but it is super delicious!) They also helped take us to the ER, and lastly they helped us get out of the house and to the airport. They just did all that stuff that great friends do. Rafael works with Corey and came up to get to know in person some employees that he works with online. Corey loved showing them some of the church sites here.
We went and saw the church play "Savior of the World" with them at the Conference Center Theater.
(I don't remember crying so much last time I saw it)
She spent her first week shopping for herself and friends and family - she's like the real life Santa Clause and is going to return to Brazil from the north with lots of goodies in her luggage for all the good girls and boys. I went shopping with her a few times, then she went shopping some more at the stores by Corey and Rafael's office, and then she went some more with Rafael. They got so much stuff they kept making jokes when they'd leave to run out for another errant. "Yeah, we aren't sure we have enough stuff yet, so..." They went to Las Vegas for two days - Hard Rock Cafe and the Bellagio water show - then they went skiing on Saturday before heading out on Sunday. Corey took them up to Alta. He took Lily and Sophi too and they all just hung out on the bunny hill for a few hours.
It was so great to have them visit, and we're already talking about the kids taking a one month internship down to Brazil to stay with them. Joseph had a good experience in Chile, I think it's a great thing for the kids to do before they head off to college or on their missions. Mel, next summer? You're up!
Joseph was making us laugh today. He was telling us how a few years ago he was so curious about the "Cali For Nia" shirts that he saw so many people wearing at school. He thought Cali was a girl and she was "for" Nia, whatever Nia was? (an endangered bear?) He didn't really understand it. Until one day, when said to himself as he jokingly felt left out "I want a Cali for Nia shirt..." and then he realized it sounded like California. And it indeed was California. He was glad that no one else knew he was clueless as to what the shirt was about. Cause sometimes when you feel dumb you're glad people don't know about it.
He's been embarrassed in front of a group of people before, that's a little humiliating. He reminded us of a time we were all playing pictionary, and Joseph got the word "leopard" as in the animal. He looked at it and quickly passed on to the next card shaking his head as he said "I don't even KNOW what a Le-o-pard is!" (like leotard). We all laughed and said "Do you mean leopard?"
He got embarrassed in front of all of us again recently, this time it was regarding Abraham Lincoln. Joseph was taking a Quizlet quiz for school. He had a question about our 16th president and when he put "Lincon" as the answer it said he got it wrong. That's not wrong, I know that was "Lincon"! When he looked at the correct answer, it was Lincoln, yes, but how very curious... they spelled it with an extra L in it. "Hm, spelled wrong on Quizlet. That's weird." Shortly thereafter, at school, his history teacher wrote Lincoln on the board and it was once again incorrectly spelled with an L. Joseph didn't want to embarrass him by pointing it out in front of everyone, so he just thought "Ah, I'll let him find out on his own..." And then again a day or so after that he noticed on a map that there in Nebraska... weird - there was a city called "Lincoln" "Hmm, they spelled it with an L too, weird!" And he googled it at school to check. Google has it with an L. He asked the girl next to him in the library... "Don't you think it's weird that they spelled Lincoln with an L?" And she looked at him confused by his question. "Is that how they spell it?" "Yes." What? He remained calm in front of the girl but then asked his bff Talmage "Did you know Lincoln was spelled with an L?" Um, yeah? "What?! When did you learn that?!?" Uh, 3rd grade? WHAT? Joseph's world was shattering. Joseph was amazed that everytime he'd ever seen the name Lincoln, he hadn't noticed the L. He wondered ~ What DO I know?!? What do I NOT know?!?! He went up to Ethan... "Ethan, spell Lincoln" Ethan got it correct, and Joseph continued his fall. "Hey Mel, spell Lincoln?" Correct. "Hyrum, spell Lincoln" "L-i-n-c-o-L-n." WHAT?!?! Hyrum knew it, cause he was Lincoln. Wes got it wrong, but "He's in 5th grade, I'm in 10th!!" It was pretty funny.
These were on Monday as I worked on finishing up the visiting teaching reports while Natalie was making a pattern with the square pretzels on the floor. And Owen was nice and just chilled.
Thank you for being accommodating to me trying to get something done!
Then yesterday after school, everyone's favorite - Nap time. I loved how Owen had his arm over his head and his feet propped up on Mel's leg like a foot rest.
