Christmas Card

To our family and friends
It’s been quite a year
And now it’s time again
To send out some good cheer

The year has flown by
We’re not really sure how
But it all went so fast
And it’s Christmas time now

Leonard works really hard
To provide for us all
He fished in Alaska
And enjoyed hunting this fall

He wants to finish our basement
His new tools are quite tough
So you can come visit us
And have room for your stuff

Brooke mostly stays home
With the kids and the house
But every so often
She gets to go out.

She loves her job as a nurse
It’s become a bit of a hobby
She works when it fits in
With the kids, who are busy.

Kaydra became a teenager
She’s beautiful and tall
She still plays piano and violin
And enjoyed playing volleyball

She is smart, helpful, and fun
Occasionally silly, it’s true
But often she’s quiet
Thinking about what she might do.

Kanyon played baseball this spring
And basketball this fall
He can’t decide which he likes best
But we know he’ll be tall

He was thrilled that he
Could start hunting this year
He shot a big buck
With a grin, ear to ear

Miranda started 1st grade
So you know what that means
She’s missing so many teeth
Looking under her pillow for green

She’s starting to read
She loves to make books
And if I give her a chance
She loves to help cook

Our little Timberlyn Ann
Turned three in July
She knows what she wants
Not afraid to say why

She loves to eat snacks
Always saying “I’m hungry”
She also loves to pretend
Thinks her siblings are funny

Baby Shylee turned one
Finally starting to walk
She prefers her knees
Always takes off her socks

She laughs and she giggles
Loves all of us too
Loves playing with family
Especially peek-a-boo

With all of these kids
It makes my poetry long
We strive for working together
Trying to make our family strong

We are so very blessed
It’s one thing we know
We love our Savior
Born so long ago

That small little baby
Born that first Christmas night
Blessed all of our lives
What a beautiful sight

We hope you all know
That we love each of you
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year too!

Christmas Day

What a beautiful time of year.  We had a lovely Christmas celebration this year.  We have been blessed.  I didn’t take many pictures because Christmas morning with 5 kids is total chaos.  It’s awesome.  I love to hear their little voices as they sneak down in the morning.  I hear them saying “oooo, look at that!”  “That has your name!”  “I can’t believe it!”  It is my favorite part every single year.  I think it always will be.  Children are special.  I love to spoil them on such a special day. 

This year Kaydra and Kanyon got a snowboard with tickets and promises to have lessons.  I can’t wait to take them and I hope they love it as much as we do!  They also each got books and clothes and piles of candy.

Miranda got a dollhouse – to share with Timber and Shylee.  It is big with three stories and several rooms.  She and Timber both got dolls and clothes to play with it.  They will love it.  So fun to have so many girls!!

Timber got a Kindle Fire.  I know it sounds crazy but I was tired of sharing mine with her and so was Miranda.  I got a great deal and it already has tons of games because they can all share the games.  It’s awesome. 

Shylee got a baby doll that she carried around all day.  She also got a new blanket and a few small toys.  She figured out pretty quickly how to open presents and didn’t need much help. 

Leonard got some new waders and a trail camera.  His love of the outdoors always shines through at Christmas time!!  He also got some new tools to use to finish the basement.  Those are probably for me too!! I can’t wait until he uses them

I got a new point-and-shoot camera and an awesome picture of Christ to hang on our wall.  We have been talking about how we need a visual reminder of how we want our home to be Christ centered.  It’s awesome. 

We have been truly blessed.   Sometimes I wonder why we are so blessed, then I simply thank my Heavenly Father.  I know He loves and watches out for us.  We are doing our best to live the life He wants us to live.  We are not perfect and He definitely knows this, yet He loves us anyway.  For that, I am grateful.

Christmas Eve

We have a tradition that I believe was started when I was little at my house growing up.  Every year, on Christmas Eve, you get to open one present.  It’s exciting, fun, and always the same thing!!  Pajamas!!  Miranda is priceless in these photos because she was hoping and praying that just once, it might be something else!  No such luck darling!  Pajamas it is!!  Love, Mom

Although this year, their dolls got matching jammies.  That was pretty cool!!

Sweet dreams, sugar plums!!

Kanyon’s Christmas Sock

I have wanted to cross stitch all my family a Christmas sock with their names on it.  I finished one for Kaydra, Me, and Leonard and I have been working on Kanyon’s for the past 8 years.  Yup.  EIGHT YEARS!!  I am proud to say that I finally finished his sock and he can officially use it this year! Hopefully the rest of them don’t take that long – or their likely to be moved out of the house before they are finished!!  HE was thrilled that he now has a sock that everyone knows is his.

Our stockings are hung!!!   Merry Christmas!! 

Haircuts all around–Shylee’s 1st

Shylee’s hair is growing weird.  All my kids go through a stage like this and I don’t know if I should cut it or just let it go.  This time I decided to “trim” it a bit, which resulted in her first haircut.  She was developing wings, and they needed to go!

Timber was the photographer, and let me tell you….it is NOT easy to cut a one-year-old’s hair!!

All done!!

Miranda has wanted a hair cut for awhile too.  I took her in because it is obvious that hair cutting was not on my list of possible professions.  Her cut turned out really well and I was very pleased with it.  She likes it too!

All the pretty layers!

That night, while I was reading the paper at the table, Timberlyn came up to me and said quietly, “Mom, you forgot these upstairs.” as she placed the scissors I had used on Shylee next to me at the table.  I looked up and said, “Oh Timberlyn!!” and she started to cry. She had done what every kid I have ever birthed has done at her age and cut her own hair.  She kept saying, “But you just left them in the bathroom!!”  She cut off most of her bangs as short as they go.  It was apparently too tempting for a three-year-old to just see the scissors laying there on the counter.  I should know better.  As Leonard says, “Well, only one more kid to go until we don’t have to deal with that again!”  We’ll be waiting Shylee!