Christmas

was fantastic.  Surprisingly, we had to wake our kids up and after all their boasting and plotting and scheming last night.  Both Santa and Mom and Dad hit the mark on the nose.  They each had their obvious favorites (iPods for Lyndsi and McKay and American Girl dolls for Sophie and Chloe).  I asked them what their next favorite gifts were.  They each (independent of each other) named everything they got except maybe the clothes. ;)  It was so fun to watch them play so well the rest of the day- building Legos, dressing dolls, figuring out ipods.

I enjoyed a lengthy nap (which is why I'm now blogging at 1:24 a.m.) and puttering around the house as Jeff would say.  McKay had his dad's full attention engaging him in Skylanders, iPod help, electronic/sciency stuff, movies etc.  Jeff loves it.

My parents joined us for the morning, watching the kids open gifts and sharing a yummy breakfast afterwards.

After a full, fun day I found myself wide awake and restless at midnight, a Christmessy house weighing on my mind.  My neck was stiff anyway, so I threw off my covers and marched my now grumpy self downstairs for a heating pad and midnight cleaning session.  I am not that girl.  I prefer to do these things in the morning when I can enlist my minions  children's help. Perhaps if it were any other time of year I would have read a book or watched TV while the rice pad worked it's heated magic.  But I know the kids will want to play tomorrow.  Bonus, my house is clean the way I want it clean.  :)

Merry Christmas!

So, so happy.  Watch out instagram!!  

His reactions kill me.  He's so excited for everything, you'd think we'd be used to it.  This was the genuine thing, though. Love these moments.

These two cuties have already been shopping and to Cami's house with their mommy.  (Hmmm...maybe play does really imitate life) The boy is Mickey and after a little debate (meaning mom refused the name Minnie), the girl is Charlie.  They are already well loved.  Chloe will be a cute mom to her new babies. 

Meet Kali.  Did you know Sophie had a twin? She and her new AG doll look uncannily alike, even before the matching outfits.  I think Sophie has hardly let go of her since taking her out of the box.  

Early Christmas

I posted this on Instagram last night as my favorite Christmas gift this year. My father in law made these signs for each family. He used the wood from an old walnut tree that grew in the backyard of the house Grandma and Grandpa Maynes lived in for years in Manti. It is beautiful on it's own, but priceless now with sentiment. I am excited to go home home and find the perfect place to hang it. 

Christmas Projects

All my projects (well- almost) are centered around dolls. I'm really excited about the things I've done for my girlies. These simple slipper/moccasins are no exception! (I'll post a link to the pattern I used as a soon as I can find that particular blog again.)

From Experience

I'm so glad people don't care if I have pictures on here!

So.  After a late night last night, I got thinking about the exhaustion that always comes the next day.  With Christmas right around the corner, we'll all be having our share of late nights getting everything ready.  I'd thought I'd share my get-thru-the-exhaustion tips.  They work.  Promise.

1.  Eat healthy and include protein throughout the day.

2.  Drink lots and lots of water.  With ice.  Without ice.  Add some flavor if it helps you get it down.  (I don't love water, so I usually have to add something at least once in the day.)  Side note: Use a large water bottle to help get all your ounces in.

3.  Exercise.  Not a full on workout, but 25 jumping jacks here, 10 pushes up there, little things to get the blood going.  Also good to help warm up on a cold day.

A little Christmas season advice from me to you.  Stay healthy, girls!

The Lazy Blogger

(What a great name for a blog!  Someone should get on that.)

Not a lazy person, but when it comes to blogging I have become lazy.  I want to blog.  I still love reading other peoples blogs.  But when it comes to my own blog, meh.  I blame it on using my phone camera as my primary camera.  The pictures never seem to make it to my computer. Apparently I am also a lazy photographer. ;)  If we're all ok being mostly picture-less, blogging may pick up. Or maybe not.  We'll see.  Haha.

Love you all.  Hope you're Thanksgiving was great. We had a lovely small celebration with just my little brood plus parents and brother.  While we were small in numbers, we had enough food to feed an army.  And it was good.  It still is good and will hopefully stay good for a few more days.  I like not having to cook.

Black Friday was awesome.  No major deals other than movies, which let's face it, is the only reason I went.  Mom and I started at 6 a.m. on Friday.  Best, least crowded black Friday shopping ever.  Got everything we wanted.  No crowds.  No lines.  No crazy-eyed tiredness.

The kids all have clean rooms.  At the same time.  I know.  I'm shocked, too. The real surprise here is McKay's room.  It is for probably the first time ever (at least since he has been in charge of tidiness) clean to mom's standards. Everyone pick up their jaws.  It really is a miracle.  I've walked in his room several times today to make sure I wasn't dreaming.  Wanna know my secret?  I followed him in his room, climbed on his bed and basically bossed him around while I played on my phone.  I think I'll write a parenting book called Everything I Need to Know as a Mom I learned from being the oldest child. It has potential.

Christmas is coming.  I am off the wall excited.  I haven't been this excited since I was a kid.  I've worked hard this year to have everything bought by about Thanksgiving.  Kids, Jeff, parents, siblings, cousins, friends, etc. While it's not ALL done, Christmas could be tomorrow and I would be satisfied with what IS done.  That is huge.  There are still lots of little projects to finish up, most important helping the kids finish their name gifts for each other.  I'm hoping these next few weeks will be filled with fun memory making moments instead of stress and tears and sickness brought on my stress and tears.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend/start of your week.  I have big plans to enjoy mine which I'm sure the kids will foil as quickly as possible with ideas of their own. :)  Happy December 1st!

Oh Boy!

She's got joy!

A sweet friend of mine invited Chloe and I to be part of the joy school group she was starting up.  I was a little hesitant because she is a little young.  Having done the program twice before, I decided it might be a good thing.  The baby of the family learning to share and be kind in a social setting? Yeah.  Good idea. :)

She's been doing it for 3 weeks now and absolutely loves it.  She loves her new friends and teachers.  She sings all the songs randomly and then makes whoever is closest to her (usually me) sing them.

For me this has been the best Joy School experience.  No pregnancy.  No brand new baby.  And no toddler to entertain in the background.  I know what's expected of me. What's worked for me in the past and what hasn't. I'm happy to be doing something fun and positive with my baby girl.

Joy School 2013-14

It's No Secret

If you know me well, you already know this about me, and will probably roll your eyes.  I listen to Christmas music in the summer.  I can't help it.  It calls my name.  It's nostalgic.  It's happy.  It's peaceful.  Who couldn't use a little of that at the end of summer?

I am getting better.  This year I made it to the middle of August before listening to a Christmas album.  And in my defense, it's never the Jingle Bell variety.  Today's choice is Alex Boye's "My Christmas Wish."  Lovely.

It's the only Christmas album I have on my phone. Randomly a song will pop up and I usually switch it to the next song, but today I was elbow deep in bread dough and couldn't change it.  Then it was so lovely, I didn't want to change it.  It dug up wonderful memories of my beautiful grandmother.  Whenever I think of the peaceful side of Christmas, it is always her living room that comes to mind. Quiet, dark, with a fire built too hot.  The distant sound of aunts, uncles and cousins making merry in the basement.  The white lights on her flocked tree twinkling.  It's the stuff people dream of.  So pardon me while I jump ahead to December (or back a few Decembers).  I'll be all summery again when the album has played through.