Anniversary and Christmas

It was a crazy week, and things are just now calming down!  We had school on Monday and Tuesday last week!  Monday night was an awesome party where the kids acted out the first Christmas and we all ate cookies.  We had a great time!  Tuesday was our 14th Anniversary!  Scott put up my tile mirror shelf and the coat hangers!  Woohoo!  I love service gifts!  He got his Aquaponics set up for a 10-gallon tank!  I had a doctor's appointment and all is well.  Scott and I went to my work's White Elephant Gift Exchange.  I got a coin counter (for him) and he got some little toys and some alcoholic beverages that we gave to someone else.  Happy Anniversary to us!
Wednesday began the sewing!  I wanted to make something for all of my siblings, kids and nieces/nephews on my side to help them remember my Dad by.  I had been given my Dad's blues (his Air Force everyday uniform), because I'm sentimental (true story).  So, I decided to go stuffy.  I was going to do bears, but I had three days and 23 to make, so I made my own pattern for an owl and spent the next three days working on them!  Wednesday was making the pattern and cutting out of all the pieces.  Thursday was pinning all the small pieces and sewing on the button eyes (Kira helped).  After they went to bed, I finished up their owls, so I was able to put out presents at about 3 in the morning.  We celebrated Christmas and I took a nap, while Scott made Christmas lunch (he cooked the ham and mashed potatoes)!  After we ate, I got back to work.  I sewed all of the fronts, then I sewed the fronts to the backs and turned them right side out.  I managed to finish five more by four that morning!  Saturday I slept in a bit, and then Kira and I went out with the Missionaries.  I bought some pillows at the thrift store for their fluff (we ran out).  The kids had fluffed all the owls they could with what we had (Emma donated two pillows to the cause).  We got packed up and headed out.  I finished the fluffing and sewing up that last part on the way up.  Then I wrapped, but had to stay in the car fifteen minutes to finish up!
Almost everyone loved their owls!  Our kids loved their presents!  We have an awesome family!
We went to church together on Sunday!  The winter weather came in and our kids had a blast out in the snow having snowball fights and making snow angels!  Samuel has loved having us all to himself at the hotel!  I'm super excited about my brother coming on Saturday, but I can't wait to go home and get things done in the meantime!  I'm going to try and hang out with friends today, before we head home tomorrow!

 We made snowman doormats using our kids' feet!

 The start of my owl

Although I completely love this one too!  So, I gave it to my mom!  :)

Good news rules!

Super busy week!  Full of youtube videos!  Monday was the Elementary school concerts: with four of my kiddos performing.
Cecilia and Josh perform


Leah and Emma at the Concert


 Emma's part, although it's cut off due to running out of room.
That night I read my mom's blog saying that my dad wasn't doing well, so we made plans to go there the next day.  I was a mess in the morning, but was glad to have my fears assuaged when we saw my parents that night!  We were exhausted the next day, but it was totally worth it!  My mom is amazing and helped us out a ton!  Emma and Leah went with the rest of our Elementary School to Body Venture and then to the movie theater to watch Santa Clause that day, so it was a very full day!

 Selfie with my dad

On Wednesday night was the Middle/High School Concert.  

Kira playing her flute, this is only her second year and she's doing awesome!

I just picked one of Ben and Kira's songs, but there are three more on the page!

Thursday was Kira's Basketball game and her team won!
Friday was Kira's Pep Band performance at the High School Basketball game.

Yesterday we went back up to visit family!  My mom and Uncle took Ben, Kira, and Emma to the new Star Wars movie!  They had fun!  I made bows and helped my sister while hanging out with my Dad!  Great times!

Time is flying!

I can't believe there's less than two weeks until Christmas and since I'm going mostly homemade, that doesn't bode well for me sleeping!  My poor sewing machine will never know what hit it!
We did lots this past couple of weeks!  December is just crazy busy, so I'm really looking forward to the break!

 Basketball Game

 We walked down to the Parade and saw Santa!

 Our snow globe bulletin board

 My class door, sadly, I started everyone else decorating their door, which wasn't normal before.  Oops.

 Spending time with family

 The boys loved the hotel that my mom puts us up in, so we can spend more time with them!

 Building holiday stacking blocks.

 Silly girls

 My Dad and Samuel sleeping

 My boys and Dad

 We got a free basketball hoop!  It has stuff that needs to be worked on, but we managed to get it home and put it up.  We have pallets sitting on top of it to weigh it down!  It needs a net too.  Maybe for her birthday...

 We got our Christmas tree up!

 My class as Peanuts characters!

 I love the beautiful Kansas sunrises!

 Coconut snowballs!

Cecilia showing her eyebrow up!

The past two weeks

So, it's been a busy couple of weeks, the evidence is in the pictures!

 My mamaw is visiting!

 Leah with her tiny tumbleweed that reminded her of Liberal!

 He's such a cute little copycat!

 Kira in blue at her basketball game.

 Being a goofball

 Cousins!

 Josh being a boy.

 Kira in white at her basketball game.

Cecilia with two of her preschool friends.  They made short work of her popcorn!

 Samuel stole my toothbrush at the hotel!

 My cute little niece!

 My mom holding my curly head baby.

 Ben's birthday cupcake after a full Thanksgiving day!

 Even my Dad sang to Ben!

 My mom holding my newer niece!

 After his haircut

And his haircut

My three sisters!

 Ben with his books he got with Grammie's Christmas money.

 Skyping with my Idaho brother and his family!

 Kira hanging out with friends!

 Cecilia with her Grammie Christmas money Build-a-Bear.

 Emma got a minion!

 Silly boys!

Kira and her far away bestie!  I'm glad they were able to spend time together!

Now to fill in the blanks!  Kira's team won all of the basketball games!  Woot woot!  Kira's getting better, and she's working hard!  We only had two days of school this week and Scott had surgery on Monday.  His mom came down and helped with the kids and even helped clean up and got groceries!  She rocks!  Scott's recovering very well!  My 7 month check up went well!  I've lost a pound this last month, still measuring good, and got the Tdap.  Good times.  Then we headed up to my family and my mom and dad put us up in a hotel.  Our kids spread out over my sisters' houses and at my parents and with us.  Samuel stayed with us the whole time, and Josh was with us two of the days!  It was fantastic spending time with family for three whole days!  I was glad we were able to skype with my one far away sibling!  We love his family!  Our kids loved playing with their cousins!  Now we have the countdown to Christmas, when we can be together again!