Nice Day

Yesterday was fantastic!  It was 60 degrees out and so we got to play outside!  Hurray!  Because it was cloudy too, it was perfect for taking pictures, so I did some photos of my kiddos (especially Cecilia, since her first birthday is next week)!  I LOVE them (the kids and the pictures)!

Foreman Christmas

On Christmas Eve, before my parents fed the Missionaries, we opened presents.  That way we don't have the craziness of opening presents on Sunday and the kids had time to play with their presents before bed!  So, here are some pictures from that wild unwrapping fest!

Westhoff Christmas

Today we got to head over to Jenn's house for a little Westhoff gathering.  I desperately tried to finish the DVD copies for the family!  I worked on it straight for four days (as soon as I got them on Monday)!  Everyone seemed to like them, so I was thrilled!  I love, Love, LOVE giving presents!  (No, seriously, I do!)  But, sometimes when I give presents that I have worked super hard on, I never know if they like them or not, because either the gift isn't acknowledged or it is and then I never see it being used.  I know it's silly of me, but it's how it is.  So, I was super worried about how they would take it.  I was glad that they like the home video DVDs (I also made an ABC book of my husband's dad-who passed away almost seven years ago-so all of our kids got a chance to get to know him)!  Maybe it will make next year less nerve-wracking!  We got to let our kids run around together which was interesting to see.  Cecilia kept going to hang out with Chase and Hailey (the other babies) and Kira bossed the girls around (since she's so much bigger).  The other boys kept playing together and would occasionally play with Ben, but Ben had no idea how to take that, so it didn't turn out well!  He's way older than the boys (five years or so)!  Either way, we had good food, good talks, made a fun craft together and had a sweet Nativity!  Then the presents were opened!  We all love our games from Mom.  She gave us all a church game, so now we have lots of fun games to play on Sundays!  And other times!  Hurray!

 During lunch

 The three babies

 Some of the Nativity characters

 Admiring the baby

 Working on the Family Trees

 Reading together

 Present madness

Adults with a few stray kiddos

Tenth Anniversary

The 22nd was our 10th Anniversary! I decided to make it a Service Anniversary, because the kids were still in school!  So, I got to help with popcorn at the kids' school.  They were watching Aladdin.  I even got to sit with Kira for a little while!  Then I had to go home, so I could pack!  As soon as we got the kids and finished packing, we headed North!  We hung out for a little bit (and unpacked the car), so Scott and I could go out!  My parents are so great for watching our kiddos!  Apparently Cecilia was sad, so she got an early birthday present (a doll stroller)!  Meanwhile, Scott and I went to Jason's Deli to eat.  Yummy food, but I was very disappointed that they didn't have the yummy barbecue potato!  Then we went to Petsmart, always fun!  Then we went to Hyvee to pick up some groceries (I LOVE Hyvee), but they didn't have the baby cups we needed for a reasonable price, so we went to CVS.  It wasn't much better!  I'm not sure why sippy cups are so expensive, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't have to do with how much it costs to make them!  So, that was our Anniversary Date!  I was excited to get out with Scott, since our babysitters haven't been able to come in about a month!  Anywhere is fun with Scott! 

OOhhhhh...A challenge!

I was reading my friend Danyelle's blog and saw that she is participating in a challenge to read over 100 books next year.  I can do that easy!  Especially with access to Danyelle's bookshelves occassionally!  That helps considerably!  I love, love, love to read!  It's a great way for me to unwind and gives me something to do while I'm feeding a baby!  I'm super excited to take this challenge!  I think the hardest part will be taking the time to review each book I read, because I do read a lot!  We'll see how it goes!  Bring on the good books (I think I'm getting some for Christmas that I might have to wait to read until the new year (which would be a HUGE bummer)!
Anyway, I'm enjoying all of the fun with family!  I've got to talk to my sisters and some of my sisters-in-law!  We hung out with Scott's family yesterday to celebrate Christmas together and we're celebrating with my family today!  My kids are absolutely geting a ton!  They're going to be oh-so-excited!  Seriously, my family's Christmas tree is way smaller than the pile of presents!  Of course, there's kids, grandkids and parents' presents, so there are a ridiculous amount of presents!  Luckily, we're drawing names for next year, so there won't be near as many!  Phew!  It gets expensive! 
Either way, I love giving presents, so I'm excited!  Hurray for giving gifts!  I'm so glad that Heavenly father was willing to send His son to the Earth and let him die for us, so that we can celebrate his birth and Resurrection!  I know I appreciate second (and third and fourth and fifth...) chances!  Happy "Birthday" Jesus!

Grades!

I probably checked ten times to see if the grades were up yet, and while Kira was entertaining the Elders, it was finally up!  I got As in everything, but Basic Drawing.  I got a B+ in that.  I thought I did pretty awesome!  I am always thrilled at the end of the Semester, because here I am with five kids and I'm still getting good grades!  Phew!  I'm also thrilled, because I'm that much closer to being finished with my Bachelor's!  Only a year and a half more!  I also love the long break, because it gives me a chance to catch up on cleaning, deep clean, declutter, potty train, play more and read more with my kiddos!  I love them and want to make sure they remember all of this fun, quality time when the quantity is low during the semester.  I'm so glad I'm working toward a job where I do have the opportunity to be home on weekends, holidays and evenings!  I may be doing other things (lesson plans and grading), but I can be home while I work on it!  Hurray for teaching and Hip hip Hurray for Great Teachers!  (You know who you are!)

Phew! Finals week is over!

We made it through last week!  Hurray!  I only had three classes to go to (and two had tests).  But Scott needed lots of help to get everything done and it must have worked, because HE GRADUATED YESTERDAY!  There is absolutely no way I can convey in words what this means to me!  He has been in college off and on since '97!  And now he finally has a Degree!  I am so incredibly proud of him!  We've got some applications in and are really hoping for the Bilingual Teacher Aide job!  He is fantastic at speaking Spanish and will tell anyone that asks that it is the Celestial Language!  Either way, it is fantastic!  I am so excited for him!

My girls have loved having me home!  We have been able to get a ton of cleaning done!  The basement is now my craft zone and storage!  I have a whole shelf for Photo props and accessories!  Bring on the babies!  I was even able to make a new t-shirt design! 

I still need to make more for my other girls!  I got to make food from scratch and even some cookies!  The cookies were devoured within a day!  We got to make some fun stuff!

I got to hang out with a friend, which was great fun!  I'm so glad she's a night owl like me, since we hung out after my husband got home from Teamups!  And then on Saturday I got to take a ton of pictures at Church for the Christmas Party (which I was thrilled about)!  I even edited them and got them online before Sunday!  Woohoo!

Today we managed to get to church during the opening song!  And then I had the Nursery kids all by myself, but it went just fine!  We only had one crier at the end and her dad heard her and picked her up.  She was just exhausted!  Poor kiddo!  I was very impressed with my kiddos!  I think I'll miss them in a couple of weeks when half of them move up to Primary!
Now, on to this week!  I am so excited!  I get to take a newborn baby girl's pictures (she'll be born tomorrow)!  Scott and I are celebrating our TENTH wedding anniversary!  We get to go up to Olathe and give presents (I LOVE giving presents)!  The kids are still in school until Thursday, but I get to help with my son's class party and the big school event of watching a movie!  I get to pop popcorn!  And I get to do some deep cleaning!  It has been desperately needed!  It will be a fantastic week!

How could it not be with cute kids like I have?

Christmas is coming!

With all of the tests I had to pass in order to start Block I next semester, I was crazy busy until Friday (I passed all of them!)!  So, we finally got our Living Room situated for the Christmas tree, had some little photo sessions and put the tree up!  Hurray! The kids love it!  And Cecilia hasn't tried to take it down!  Fantastic!  Here's some pictures!

 In a Paige Lauren outfit (that I was reviewing and get to keep!)

 Being all cute in between outfits!

 In her Christmas dress from The Polka Dot Alligator!  She does great work!

 Playing in her dress!

 Leah had to wear the pink bow, even if it didn't match!

 She did a pretty good job smiling so well and keeping her thumb out of her mouth!

 My pretty Emma!  She did so well, but I couldn't get her to put her head like I wanted!

 It still worked out though!

 She kept blinking with the flash, so this is without it!

 Kira is such a pretty girl!

 Ooohhhh, my Ben!  You can see his love for drawing, since he didn't want to leave his pen and paper!

 And this shirt was not a white shirt like I asked, but this was not a battle I chose to fight!

 All together!

Almost everyone working on the Christmas tree!