Some service

On our snowy Christmas Eve, we were able to do some service at a facillity for the handicap and help the residents open their Christmas presents. It was a really great experience for us and I hope for Jimmy. When we got there, each family was assigned their own special person to help. Our family got Jimmy. He had such a great smile and loved the Twillight series, the Bears and Carrie Underwood. It warmed our hearts to get to know this sweet guy, who could only communicate by smiling. And like almost always with service, we got way more out of it than Jimmy did.

Christmas morning was filled with presents, homemade cinnamon rolls and p.j.'s the entire day. It was a relaxing day that we all loved.

Today, Rick got ordained a high priest. He was called to the bishopric a few weeks ago and was set apart today. Rick and I both feel really good about it. So it looks like he will be doing a lot of service and I will need to beef up my church bag.

Some things that happened in December...

Ben ended his basketball season with the game winning shot. A great way to end the season. This is him with his trophy.

This year instead of cookies, I decided to make homemade fudge for the neighbors. I gave them with a pint of vanilla ice cream. I wanted to find peppermint ice cream in pint size but never found it. Hot fudge is good on anything right?

Rick gave me any early Christmas present this year...recessed lighting!! Since it gets dark around 4, it gets very very dark in the kitchen. We only have the pendants and under cabinet lighting which didn't give off very much light. Thankfully our friend (who has the same floor plan of house and had put in recessed lighting at his house) came and helped Rick install it. Thanks Jeff!! As you can see he still has some holes to patch but I'm a happy camper. Will figured out that he can roll underneath the Christmas tree and grab presents and ornaments. How does a child just instinctively know that a Christmas tree and presents are awesome? Tis the season for bundling up the kids for school, unfortunately. I took this picture one day before school while Ben was waiting for the school bus. He decided to play his DS all bundled up in his snow clothes. This picture just cracks me up!

Olivia had her annual Christmas P.J. breakfast. We had a great time (how could you not, when you can legitimately go out in public in your jammies) and she had even made Rick and I a present, this cute Christmas tree.

I was in charge of Ben's holiday party at school which thankfully went great. The kids had fun and I think the parents and teacher did too. I made these little cuties for the party. Although delicious and cute, they were super time consuming, and I will only be making them by specific request from my kids. The things we do for our little ones.

The Nutcracker

Olivia has been hard at work since, September, practicing her part in the Nutcracker this year. As you can see she is a flower, and a pretty cute flower at that. These costumes are just too cute!

Practicing After the show, she got her flowers, which she was very excited about. She did such a fabulous job! Ben (who was less than excited about going to a 2 hour ballet) even thought she did great!

After 2 days of trying to post the video of her dancing, I'm giving up. But believe me, it's really cute!

Christmas Decorations

I don't know about you, but if there was a fire in my house, and of course after family, the plastic tub where I keep the Christmas ornaments might be what I grab first. Over the last 12 years, Rick and I have collected ornaments from vacations we have been on, places we have lived and things we have done or accomplished during that year. Every Christmas I love opening the ornament box and reliving those memories from the previous years. We always talk about it as we decorate the tree. I love this tradition. All of the ornaments are irreplaceable and priceless!

Olivia's 1st Christmas

Gulf Shores, Beach trip

Italy trip Ben's 1st Christmas
Rick getting his MBA (Go Dawgs!)
England trip We have a hand carved Santa collection that we have been adding to each year since we have been married too. Rick's sweet Grandpa would send us a Santa or two a year that he would have carved for us. They all look completely different and they are all so cute. Grandpa passed away about a week before Will was born this year, so this year we won't be receiving any beautifully carved Santa's. I know Rick and I always think of sweet Grandpa every time we look at them.
A tradition that has continued now without really meaning to is the wreath on our front door. The first year Rick and I were married we bought a fresh green wreath from Costco. It smelled good, was pretty and cheap! It was perfect. So every year since then we have had a Costco wreath hanging on our front door. Now each year I see all of these cute Christmas wreaths and think maybe I should change it up a bit, but I can't. I just can't break the tradition now. Heavens knows what will happen if for some reason Costco decides to not carry them anymore. On a side note, I love Costco, like really really love Costco. It's a little unhealthy.

Our stockings are the same stockings I had growing up as a kid. My mom made them and somehow I ended up with mine and a few others. I think my mom had asked if my brothers wanted theirs and being boys they all said no, so I got them all. Lucky me.! One of the only benefits to being the only girl.
holly-me, stocking-Will, present-Olivia, stars-Rick & tree-Ben

8 Months

We took some family pictures about a month ago and these are my favorites of Will.

8 months...how can it be??

Snow & Santa

Last Friday night we went to see Santa and Olivia sat on his lap for the first time without crying. It was a momentous event in our family. Ben & Olivia both told Santa what they wanted from him and Will promptly took Olivia's place as the crier. You can see in the following picture that he is terrified. Right after I took the picture he completely broke down.

Olivia with Santa. She is so proud of herself.
That night we got a ton of snow so the next morning we went sledding for the first time this season.

My little snow bunny

Daddy & Will

Ben & the hill

This was the first time Will had seen snow. He was so bundled up he couldn't bend to sit (Christmas Story style). Rick had to hold him up, he didn't seem to mind though.

Thanksgiving at our house

Hanging with most of the grandkids (we missed you Aiwyn)

Watching football Playing sixes

Watching 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'

Meeting our new niece and cousin Allie

Eating and coloring

Food

The table

Celebrating Will's and Allie's first Thanksgiving

More food

Mom is the best!

It was a really great Thanksgiving! Rick and I are so grateful that we were able to spend it with some of our favorite people. It was my first Thanksgiving to host, and I was pretty impressed with myself that everything went smoothly with no catastrophes. One of my favorite memories was after Thanksgiving dinner when people were sitting around talking, with full tummies and the kids were running around. Thanks everybody for driving all that way. We love you!

Random info from October and November

1. Another reason why I love Rick. Rick took Olivia to preschool one morning and it happened to be the day to sign-up for the Thanksgiving Feast. He signed me up for juice. Not the main dish, dessert or even a salad. He is such a sweet husband! I would have signed up for something way more complicated. The other bonus is that I have zero guilt about it because I brought the main dish and desserts for last years party and I wasn't the one to sign up for it.

2. Ben is loving playing 1st grade basketball. It is pretty fun watching him play. The games are all played with awesome sportsy music also. He says his favorite part is shooting and taking the ball down the court.

3. While at Hobby Lobby last week Ben was looking at a display of Santa statues. He then said 'Hey mommy, this is what Santa would look like with dark skin." and pointed to the black Santa. He then said ' but he doesn't have dark skin.' I promise we are not racist.


4. I have been feeling crafty lately. Ok that is an understatement, I have been craft crazy over the last few months. Of coarse I'm not as crafty as my mom but here are a few things I have made.

Cupcake wreath for Olivia's room

Burp cloths

Polka-dot pumpkin topiary & feather boa wreath

Flower bow

Ruffle Table Runner

Baby Lima Bean Wreath

Sweater Pumpkins

5. I was going through some pictures and I realized I never put pictures up from Labor day weekend. We had so much fun with the Gold family visiting us. Although we took lots of pictures, we were both enjoying having someone to take pictures with the entire family. I would take family pictures of them with their camera and vise versa, which means no pictures of the Gold's on our camera. :(

On the ferris wheel at Navy Pier

Ben & Rick on the swings

Gorgeous Chicago skyline

Rebels

On the boat

6. Olivia said that she was sad that my Papa (her great grandfather who she has never met and who passed away 10 years ago) wasn't coming to Thanksgiving. She then said that he would live again and come for Thanksgiving dinner.

7. Proud parenting moment of the month: After months of asking Ben if his shoes were feeling tight or uncomfortable (we hadn't bought him new tennis shoes in over a year) and him saying no. I saw a blister on his toe and decided to take him to get new ones anyway. When the nice man measured his foot, he was a size and 1/2 bigger than the shoes he was wearing. Nice! I felt like mother of the year that night.