Twas the night before Christmas

Normally on Christmas Eve we get the house all ready and then towards the evening we get together again with the James' but we did things a little different this year. We decided to have a nice quite night at home. We had the best Christmas Eve ever! I made a nice big dinner and had the table all set with our china and goblets with salads on a salad plate when I called everyone up to dinner. They all tried to turn the lights on when they came into the room until Steve pointed out that we were going to have dinner by candle light. I'm thinking we should do this every night!!!! The kids were so well behaved and used their best manners, ate all their food, didn't complain and were complementing me on the dinner and telling me how much they loved me the whole time. It really was so nice. I can honestly say that there was an amazing spirit in our home and I want to find ways to have it there more often.

We served them their dinner after their salad but held off on desert until later since everyone was full. We quickly but quietly (no none wanted to disturb the spirit in our home) cleaned up dinner and then Steve came walking over with a gift for me that he and the boys had gone to pick out earlier. At that point Damen hollered out in a deep, loud, low voice, "The First Gift of Christmas" (just like in the Polar Express). It was a camera!!! The kids broke mine on Monday. So I was very excited! It took a minute to calm everyone down again and then we read the Christmas story. After they each opened up some new jammies. While I ran to the store to get a new memory card they all ran downstairs to watch some old Christmas movies we have made for the James and Bailey and Hoopes families as well as one for just us. They loved it! I think it's time to make some more movies. After treats and calming the kids down and checking the Santa Tracker a few more times we were finally ready to hit the sack. It took no time for the kids to drift off to dream land. It was a wonderful night and we look forward to this new tradition for years to come!

Kenna all ready to help me with dinner

Eating our yummy treats

Kenna licking her plate (just like her dad)

The kids reading what they wrote to Santa

Tickle match on the floor

Their Christmas notes to Santa

Dad reading How the Grinch stole Christmas

One last look at Santa tracker. At this point he was already past Brazil and moving up into the New York area. Another tradition the boys have is sleeping in the office on the blowup bed (normally grandma and Grandpa are in their bed) so they had to do it again this year. Earlier in December Seth was writing a paper about traditions and wrote this down but wouldn't tell everyone the reason (so they can track Santa) because he says most everyone doesn't believe in Santa in his class. How sad! I can say that ALL our family believes in Santa! Oh I love the magic of the season!!!!!

James Christmas Party

We had the James family party the other day. It was a lot of fun! We decided last year that we were not going to give presents to all the kids but instead we were going to go and do something fun and put our money towards a memory instead of a dollar store present. Lets just say I think we all enjoyed that a whole lot more. My kids are still talking about the party.

Susan planed for all of us to go to Classic Skating in Orem. The kids loved it. My kids had been a couple of times thanks to the ward party up at Classic in Salt Lake but this time they didn't spend the whole night on their buts but were on their feet most of the time. Even Railey did great thanks to the skates she got for Christmas last year and all the practicing she did the days leading up to the party (once she found out we were going skating she wore her skates non stop). Even Steve was able to join us for an hour before he had to slip off to the temple (he's at the recommend desk for the next 6 months and couldn't get away)

Most of the time I was pushing Kenna around on her scooter but when I would let go and she would do it herself this is what would happen.

I did manage to finally get a good picture of her sitting up on the scooter (6 shots later)

Railey couldn't wipe the grin off her face the whole time we were there (well until we left and then she was screaming because she didn't want to go)

Damen tried out the roller blades and thought that was more fun than just normal skates

once again Kenna tipping over

After skating we headed over to the church for a yummy dinner and to play ball and make ginger bread houses. I don't know if the game of speed was a bigger hit than the gingerbread houses or not maybe it was a toss up but that game went on the whole time we were there. I think all had fun with both

Kenna mostly contributed by eating the candy and speeding the decorating process up a bit (less candy to put on the house!) It was funny we were just wanting to get the house done so once it was assembled we started putting candy on. Well several kids came up and got after us because we were already decorating and hadn't waited the 15 minutes their parents told them they had to wait. Oh well in the end we probably all finished about the same time.

After the houses were built we exchanged gifts amongst the siblings and then Grandma handed out her candy bar to the kids -- youngest to oldest. I didn't get a picture of the girls but I thought the ones of the boys were cute. She's telling them how much she loves them (I think).

We had a great time and look forward to it again next year. Thanks Susan for all the work you put into it. The kids really did love all of it.

First Real Snow

Last night for FHE, Steve was being a little late getting home so while we waited for him we decorated some gingerbread cookies. I have never really made them for the kids, because I was unsure they would like them. But they gobbled them up and wanted more. I'm glad--because I love them, soft and chewy!


Today we actually woke up to a little snow on the ground. This was the first real snow of the year or at least the first to actually accumulate anything. So it was all we could do to keep the girls inside until about 9:30. But then Steve took them out to build a snowman which was a welcome blessing for me since I needed to work on a few Christmas things for Railey. So here are the pics of them having fun in the snow.

Railey came into the office a few minutes ago (a few hours after building the snowman--he was melting at a good pace) and told me that I needed to go turn the air up because her snowman was melting. I just kind of laughed and didn't think much of it, except that it was funny, until she said sorry my I broke it, referring to the thermostat cover that had just come off. I asked why she had taken it off and she said she was just trying to turn the air up. I quickly had to explain that that only controlled the air in the house and that if she wanted to change the temperature outside she needed to go and tell Heavenly Father to turn the air up. I didn't check but it wouldn't surprise me if she went right then and said a little prayer for him to turn the air up. She is so worried about her first frosty melting!!!

Tradition continues

Friday we continued our tradition of going up to Gardner Village and seeing the elves. This time though we decided to have dinner up there too. Oh their fried avocados and tomatoes are amazing! But the place truly is beautiful during the holidays. Everything is lit up and magical. The kids run from one place to the next trying to see all the elves and laughing at the little displays. This year Steve took the girls into a doll shop and I was going to take the boys to the candy shop but ended up trading Steve since I didn't have my wallet. Railey and Kenna did love the dolls but when they heard that everyone else was at the candy shop they were more interested in that. Steve was good enough to get them each a large all day sucker which they were done sucking on before we got home but I will say this there wasn't as much contention on the drive home (can't be with a mouth full of sucker).

It was a fun night. Steve volunteered to just take me and leave the kids home but I just couldn't do it. There is something about just wanting to be with my kids during the holidays and spend as much time together as a family as we can making and keeping traditions!


The kids had to take a picture under the mistletoe and Dad volunteered to be the recipient of all their kisses!

All the kids with their suckers.

Yes we most likely will go back again next year and the year after that and the year after that.....

Decorating for Christmas

This year, like every year, we pulled out the decorations first thing Friday morning (Black Friday). This year though I really didn't have to do anything. Sure there were some putting things away and a little dusting to do but the boys know were everything goes and they just took care of everything! I don't know if that's nice or if I miss being in charge in a way. I was able to get quite a bit done though. I did set the tree up and fluffed it up from being in the box, and then put on the star and the berries and then the kids took over again. Steve and I sat there and watched as our boys led the girls and taught them the art of decorating the tree. We have each child in charge of one type of ornament and they are to make sure that they are dispersed evenly around the tree and then they can move to another style of ornament. In years past I would pretty much redecorate the tree, redistributing everything so that our tree would look just perfect. This year I all but started crying as I watched the magic that was taking place in our living room as I watched my four kids decorating the tree. I don't know what it is but there is seriously something magical about it. Steve and I just kept exchanging glances, trying to keep each other from shedding a few tears. Lets just say that this year the tree was not redecorated. It is perfect just as it is and has the character of my older boys and my little girls, and is full of their perfect finishing touches. Everyday they adjust a few things to make it just perfect for that day. One thing I really love though, about our tree, is that it is filled with photos of when the boys were younger and Railey was a baby (that tells the last time I updated and added pictures) but they love looking at them and reminiscing about the time the picture was taken. It is my goal this coming year to get Kenna on the tree and more pictures of, well, everyone up there. I did get one photo before by camera was dead. Don't worry more will be taken later, I hope.

Thanksgiving 2011

We had a great Thanksgiving this year. We had it at our house and had all of the Baileys, plus Grandma James, Jenny, Amber and Aunt Helen. So there were about 30 of us in all. That might seem like a lot but when we are all in the living room it was a bit crowded. But nice and cozy. All the guys and kids came a bit early to go and play some football and eat all the appetizers that everyone brought. After dinner while Mom and I cleaned up and took down the tables everyone else ran down to the new park we have by the fire station. It's a fun little park and different from all others around. Everyone came back and ate pie only to clean up and leave to head up to Aunt Carolyns and Uncle Blaines for pie night with all the Baileys (or at least two of the other families.) It really was a wonderful day. I think I spent a lot more time this year thinking about all the many, many things we have been blessed with. It's quite amazing to me how much our Heavenly Father loves us and looks out for us and blesses us. I wonder so often if we truly do deserve all that we have. I am especially grateful for all of our families. We do love them so much especially our own little brood.

I took a few photos but then gave up and went and ate and forgot to pull the camera back out or to take any of all the food and fun and pies. So here's what I got. All 2!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Fall Leaves

We don't have too many trees at our house that require the raking of leaves every fall. All our trees are out on the park strip in the back of our yard and on the other side of the fence so they just blow away every year. So our kids have been terribly deprived of the opportunity to rake leaves. They have heard about how fun it is to rake up a pile of leaves and then jump in the pile. I know they have longed for the day to finally be able to do that but sadly they knew they would be old teenagers before they would get to experience it and then they would have to say they were too old to do such childish things, but they might just do it to show their younger sisters how to do it. Anyway this year we promised a friend that we would come and rake her leaves since she let us have all of her grapes and apples. We thought it was the least we could do. She has a couple of big sycamore trees as well as several others so we knew there would be plenty of leaves to play in. The weekend we were planning on doing it a storm rolled through so we didn't make it till Monday after school only to find out that her brother had come and raked up a bunch over the weekend so there weren't as many as there could be but we still raked up about 10 bags worth. Lets just say the kids had a blast. We told them there would be no jumping and playing until the last pile needed to be picked up. They went to town. That's not to say that there weren't a few leave throwing wars going on but we were done in no time flat and then I pulled out the camera and started snapping away.

I think this will have to become a tradition and with how much fun the kids had I don't think they will have problems jumping in them even as teenagers!