Staying busy...

There just isn't enough time in the day this time of year!

I got up this morning and picked up a few more things at the store, along with food for Christmas dinner...YUM!

At home we worked on some gifts for friends, and continued to make messes.

After dinner tonight, Brent took the girls out to do some Mom Christmas shopping done and they must have had a really good time cause they were pretty wired when they got home.

We finished opening and hanging up the Christmas cards we got in the mail today, and now we are starting a Christmas movie.

Still lots to do, but at least we are having fun doing the things we are getting done!

Sunday

We had a nice morning...all the kids slept really well, and slept in.

I actually got 9 hours of sleep!!!

NINE!!!

Except Port sleeping later than usual meant that he wasn't gonna get a nap in before church....which isn't a good thing.

We had a nice relaxing morning, and got ready for church.

I should have taken a picture of the girls.

I think they looked so cute.

Again...I did some dorky things in order to make them match.

I found a really cute dress for Elsie at my FAV kids thrift store.

It is cream and brown.

I found two other dresses that were to big girls sizes with cute bottom parts, but the tops were made of that dumb velvet stuff...I DO NOT like that stuff!

Plus, it was a black top.

That wasn't gonna work.

So I bought some brown fabric, cut the tops off, and made them into a cute skirt with a big fat waistband and a big bow in back.

I paired it with their cream sweater from last year...I want to find a nice cardigan for them...but I could not find one ANYWHERE!!!

So they all matched beautifully.

And then there was Porter.

I found some really cool corduroy pants that fit him good, but they were black.

Sooo, I dyed them...

See...dorky.

But they look so nice paired with his brown checkered shirt, (that was also dyed)....and his cream sweater.

So they all have matching outfits, with the total being under $20...so maybe $5 a piece...not bad for a Christmas outfit.

I will take pictures when I find the cardigans I want.

ANYWAY.....

Later tonight we went with Cassi to her Baptism preview.

Her baptism is still a year a away, but it was fun for her to see what is to come.

And here is a shot of Elsie's new haircut.

It ended up a bit shorter than I wanted, but it is cute anyway.

I still can't believe she let her cut her hair!

Elsie had another rough day...you can just see her eyes and how red they are.

She must not have slept well last night...and she was really tight this morning.

We all went to church, but Brent ended up taking Elsie and Porter home cause they were both is pretty bad shape!

So we made it through another day...

Everyone is tucked nicely in their bed...dreaming of Christmas...and I still have a lot to do...

And I am still not stressing.

But maybe getting close to it.

LAST Saturday before CHRISTMAS!!!!

The day started out with some newly fallen snow...

So as soon as Dad got home this morning, the boys went out to do their job.

Porter can actually be quite helpful sometimes...it just doesn't last very long!

Then we set out to deliver all our bread and jam to our VT/HT...I made little loaves of bread with a note that said "Have a GRAPE Christmas" along with a jar of Grape jelly that I made this last summer...so cheesy, but it was fun.

Then we all did a lot of laundry...washing, sorting, folding and putting away.

I am thinking I might like the idea of having the kids fold their own clothes...

Then us girls went and got hair cuts, or is it hair's cut, Drew?.

Cassi and I just got trims...Cassi really wants short hair, and I am sure it would be darling, but I just love her hair long...she might be able to talk me into another time...we will see!

Madi's needed some major leveling out.

She wants to grow it out...but still had the a-line cut...so it looked kinda funny.

So that got cleaned up, and is looking nice and healthy now.

But the biggest change of all was with Elsie.

I wasn't sure if she would let her cut her hair.

But she was so good, and so excited!

I don't have a picture...but I will take one tomorrow for sure!

It is a cute little bob/a-line cut.

And she loves it...(and can't wait to show Sister Roll at primary tomorrow!)

When we came home we got more cleaning done...

And tonight Brent and I had a DATE NIGHT!

Finally!

It has been a long time, it seems, since we have gone out!

We went out with the Young's, and their neighbors.

We went to Tepanyaki, which was really yummy, then went bowling.

We don;t need to talk about how bowling went.

So it was a great day...too bad I am nowhere near being ready for Christmas!

Oh well, I am not stressing.

And the parties continue!

Man...a whole day of party-ing can really wear a person out!

It all started with Madi's party at 9:05...with the cue idea to give them donuts and Hot chocolate to start the day.

Elsie was so excited to go see Madi at school, and she even had a bonus of seeing one of her (Elsie's) teachers, Miss Meredith!

So that was great!

Port stayed in the stroller most of the time...he was a pretty good boy.

Things didn't go as well at Cassi's party.

Hers was later in the day, I got there at 2:15 for set-up.

Porter was good, sitting in his stroller eating a candy cane.

Elsie stayed along side Cassi while they decorated Snowman cupcakes.

Then we had a fun little craft where we made button snowflakes...they turned out really cute.

The bad part came when Porter bit the nose of another little boy.

I don;t know what happened...Porter was buckled up in his stroller, so he couldn't have been bugging anyone...

But this little boy, probably about one, must have gotten too close to Porter.

Porter kept pulling on his own shirt, saying that the boy pulled on him...but I can't believe he bit his nose!

Poor little guy had big old tooth marks on his nose and it took forever to stop bleeding!

What do you do when that happens????

The Mom understood, we have all been there, right?

I still feel SO BAD!!!

The only solace that I have was that Porter was buckled in, I was doing what I could to keep him out of trouble.

So from now on, I think I will leave him behind...(with a sitter of course!)

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In between parties, I made the cutest little Baby doll bassinet for Elsie's Christmas.

It was so easy, and so cute...

Here is the link, http://twelvecraftstillchristmas.blogspot.com/2010/08/doll-bassinet-tutorial-part-1.html (there are two parts)

And I decided to not put the bonnet part on.

I thought it would be easier for Elsie to get the doll in and out without it...(plus it was easier to make without it)

I also made some doll diapers and made a doll quilt top...

I am pretty excited for Christmas!

Christmas party season!

Today Elsie had her Christmas party at school.

She is always so excited for us to show up at school.

We played Candy land and decorated gingerbread houses...

I am not sure why every time I think to myself, 'I am sure Porter will be good.'

Ha!

No, he wasn't bad...but he is hard to hold onto in a room full of great toys just waiting for him to pull out!

He had fun eating frosting and candy, then washing his hands, then eating more frosting and candy and washing his hands again...

He keeps me busy, we will just keep it at that.

I just LOVE Elsie's preschool and everyone who is involved with making her life the best it can be.

I need to document more on her progress.

Elsie has come a long way with her speech.

She is getting easier and easier to understand, and I am pretty sure it is because she is speaking more clearly, and not just that I am learning what sounds like what.

If that makes sense.

She continues to brighten every ones day....and we sure love her for that!

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And some other fun news today....

My brother is getting married!!!

He proposed to Katie late last night and I am so excited for the two of them!

They make a great couple!

(I can't wait to take their pictures!)

Elsie LOVES her Emmy!

The kids got a fun surprise in the mail today...a big Christmas card from Emmy...

Not just one for all, they each got their very own beautiful Christmas card.

They were so excited!

Em included a few little goodies inside...and in Elsie's, she found this....

She was so excited...

Emily called me later today and she told me that it was in a Spiderman silly band pack, his hands out to cast a web...

But how perfect is that...a little I LOVE YOU sign...just for Elsie!

Love it!

See, I told you she loved it...

But I know she loves it the most because it is from Emmy!

She LOVES her Emmy!

(The lighting was really bugging me with these pictures...so I changed it to something totally different!)

Light are UP!

I wasn't sure if we would do lights this year...

But I think driving around last night, seeing the excitement on Elsie's face...I think that is what made Brent want to put them up...

Oh, and Elsie sure loves them.

Port wasn't totally sure about being on the roof...but he loved being up there as long as Dad was close by.
And Cassi, Cassi loves it up there...not sure if that is good or not.
She is good and careful...but still NO FEAR!
************
I have been working with a restoration company, where I take before photos for them, of the fire wreckage, and then I take after photos once they have restored it.
Well, I got to go out today and do pictures of the fire Brent was on the other night...
That was pretty fun for him to go back and check things out.
He had fun telling me what they did, where, and how it all went down.
Pretty fun.

Our little helpers.

After dinner we had a few chores to do before we had FHE for the night.

And that is when I noticed my big kids helping my little ones, at the same time.

Madi was folding dish towel s and I asked Elsie to help her...for fun...and Elsie was so gung-ho happy to do it...and Madi helped her out with the folding.

It was so very sweet!

(And don't you think Madi looks so pretty?)

And Cassi was unloading the dishwasher and she asked Porter to help her out...

He would take the silverware out of the dishwasher and hand it to Cassi to put it away.

Then she would lift him up to grab the stacks of dishes to be put away.

I loved it.

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We had a fun Family Home Evening.

We decided to do a 12 days for a family that lives by us.

Total secret...so that is all I am saying!

But the kids are really excited about it!

After we dropped it off, we decided to go look at lights in the neighborhood, and we found an AWESOME one!!!

If you know where the Locsha Falls neighborhood is, it is the corner of Cedar Grove and Moose Creek....there were 6 houses, SIX, synchronized to music on a radio station!

It was so much fun!

What a great idea!

Can you imagine what an entire neighborhood would look like all synchronized???

Anyway, if you live in these parts, it is worth checking out!

Good times...

I'm really starting to feel it now!

tired.

We had a nice day.

Nice day at church...nice dinner after church.

We went to the Stake Christmas music program and that was beautiful.

But I am just so tired.

Brent is too...maybe we can get to bed early....maybe!

And because I hate to post without a picture...here are my sweet kiddos.

I took this the day I took Ports birthday pictures. (It was for a special secret...for a special someone!)

Lights and sugar!

Wow...it has been a pretty busy day!

The big girls got to go to Aubree's birthday party at Bounce...and they seemed to have SO MUCH FUN!!!!

The Young's had them for the bulk of the day!

Thanks guys...they had a blast!!!

Then the girls played some more with the Terry girls when they got home.

Then Jenni and I (the husband-less) decided to take the kids out and look at Christmas lights...and get some doughnuts.

It was a pretty fun time...we found a fun house with oodles of lights set to music...we stopped by on our way to Krispy Kreme and we stopped again on the way home.

The kiddos were happy with the night.

Here are some fun picts form the poorly lit Krispy Kreme.

This is my favorite...have you ever seen a more excited little girl???

Elsie also loved the lights.

You didn't hear a peep from her all night and her eyes were as wide as saucers!

Getting herself a tan in the orange light.


Sweet Madi, loving' life.

(Don't mind any of their hair-do's...like I said...it was a busy day, and they had a lot of fun!)