Anakin...

Living Nativity (in the pouring rain)...

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year Indeed...

Yesterday we got to celebrate Christmas with the St. H crew and it was absolutely wonderful!  My dear mother-in-law should really give lessons in hosting, she's that good at it.  The food, as always, was to die for and could have probably fed the whole Seahawks team.  And she made it all herself!  She also wrote a really sweet Christmas story that Grandpa read to the kids (picture below).  It felt so good to get to spend the day enjoying family, delicious goodies, a cozy home, and Jesus' birth.  We are well on our way to a very merry Christmas and hope you are, too!

Shepherd...

Last night, Owen's school put on their annual Christmas program and let me just say, it gets better every year.  I have yet to attend one without crying!  This year, Owen had a fairly substantial speaking role.  When he brought his lines home to practice I got a little nervous.  But don't worry, he had them memorized that night.  And although I was quite nervous for him, he didn't show one bit of stage fright when it came time for the big performance.  I was so proud of him!  :)  He just got right up there and said his lines without flinching.  I am so thankful he gets to go to a school where Christ is the center of Christmas.  It is so precious to see these kids learning more and more about Jesus' love for them, and to witness them sharing that message with others is what it's all about.  Way to go, Owen.  We are so proud of you and are incredibly thankful we get to celebrate Jesus' birth!

Ezra Stands...

I really should stop taking so many pictures with my phone and get my real camera out more often.  The phone is just so convenient.

This Kid...

If only I could adequately portray with words the creative world this kid lives in.  He insists that he doesn't play.  He just works.  And he's pretty much right.  To Silas, working is playing.  He is forever working on some sort of project outdoors, regardless of the weather.  Building forts.  Planting crops.  Digging ditches.  Burying pipes.  Making compost.  His daily uniform includes snow pants, one of two favorite soft T-shirts, dirty socks, and his puffy coat.  He is often outside before it is even fully light in the mornings.  Today, we read a few chapters of Farmer Boy that described the extensive work Almanzo and his family put into harvesting their crops.  Silas then immediately headed outside with the intent of collecting all the weeds on our property.  That task would realistically require a tractor, but he doesn't know that.  Or care, for that matter.  He just loves to pretend work.  And if you ask me, the creative, make believe world he lives in is pretty hard to beat.  This is, in my opinion, childhood at its best.  Currently, he is up on the kitchen counter making "poison for the bad guys."  His poison includes dish soap, flour, salt, and I'm not even sure what else.  Oh, how he makes me smile!

A Christmas Tradition (that almost didn't happen)...

Tonight was the annual lighted Christmas parade in town. Every year since Owen was born, we have made it a tradition to go get Santa pictures, pick out the boys' Christmas ornaments, and then head to the parade. However, this year we just weren't really feeling it. Maybe it's because the boys no longer want pictures with Santa, or the fact that there is no longer a Hallmark in the mall, or that Ezra is still sick and I'm not feeling so hot myself. Whatever the case, we almost broke this tradition. But as we were headed into the kitchen after the Hawks game to make dinner, the boys started saying things like, "What? We're not going to the parade?? But we always go! Can't we please?!?!" So at 4:56 we discovered that the parade actually started at 5:30, not 5:00 like we thought. So, we threw the boys, a few blankets, and some coats in the car and hustled into town. And let me just say, I am SO thankful the boys talked us into it! How could I have even been tempted not to go? I love this tradition! We definitely would have been missing out on some Christmas joy if these boys hadn't begged. Might be the only time children begging is actually a good thing! Anyway, the parade was great, as usual... aside from a near disaster with an obviously unplanned train barreling through the middle of it.

"Ezra, can you clap clap?"

Movie Night...

C.J. had to make a business trip to Idaho for a couple days this week.  When he's gone I usually let the boys take turns sleeping with me.  We typically start out these special nights with a movie in my bed.  Tonight, the boys were watching a Christmas special when I plopped Ezra in between them for a few minutes.  He absolutely loved it!  He kicked and clapped and squealed endlessly!  I'm pretty sure he somehow knew he was getting a special big boy privilege.  I snapped this super grainy photo with my phone (it's the best I could do in the pitch black).  I do love the memory, though!

Forklift...

Silas came up to me this morning and told me he needed a forklift.  I told him I was sorry that we don't have anything of the sort.  A little while later I saw him walk by with this.  Problem solved!

Deck the Halls...

The boys decorated their tree all by themselves.  The only help we gave them was putting the star on top and the big red ball.  The rest was all them.  I am quite impressed with how thoroughly they covered the tree!
 

Christmas Tree Day...

Silas comes down the stairs into our bedroom at 5:30 this morning and excitedly announces, "It's Christmas Tree Day!!"  So we start the day off right with cocoa in Santa mugs complete with a candy cane.  Next comes Charlie Brown Christmas.  And finally, tree decorating.  The boys are upstairs decorating their tree and they ask me to come look.  I go upstairs and take in the joy that is my boys working together to cover their tree in sentimental ornaments.  I then say, "Ezra is going to love this when he wakes up.  He's never seen a Christmas tree before!"  Silas replies, "That makes me cry.  It's just SO exciting!!!"

Happy Thanksgiving...

Project Thankful...

Work...

3:00 AM.  Wake up to nurse baby.  5:00 AM.  Get up for the day.  Drink coffee and do quiet time.  Start a load of laundry.  Go for 2 mile run.  Make breakfast burritos.  Pack Owen's lunch for school.  Take shower and get ready for day.  Start another load of laundry.  Eat breakfast.  Nurse baby.  Sweep floors.  Get Owen off to school.  Feed baby breakfast.  Spot mop floors.  Dust.  Fold laundry.  Vacuum upstairs.  Put baby down for nap.  Scrub upstairs bathroom.  Scrub main floor bathroom.  Fold laundry.  Get snack for children.  Scrub master bathroom.  Take out trash.  Scrub basement bathroom.  Wipe kitchen table. Sweep up snack crumbs.  Finish folding laundry.  Put laundry away.  10:00 AM.  Who's ready for nap time?  And that's just the morning.

Yes, there are days when I get to snuggle up on a friend's couch and visit over a cup of coffee while the children play.  But in response to anyone out there who asks if I work or for the sake of any other mothers out there:  Boy, do we ever!

For the Record...

At eight months, our sweet boy is officially crawling everywhere and has six teeth (correction: make that seven)!  Do you see those four whoppers on top?  They all came in at the same time a few weeks ago.  That was fun.  I sure do love this baby, though!  And in light of Project Thankful, I want to say that I am incredibly thankful for a baby that is developing on schedule.  I definitely praise God for three healthy children!

Project Thankful...

And I quote from Allison: "Project thankful: text conversations with sisters that make you laugh so hard your stomach aches and your mascara is smeared everywhere..."

Ditto.

Project Thankful...