Monday, April 1, 2013

December… ugh

I know it’s April, but I really want some of these thought and memeories up on the blog! Last night I was working on Beka’s baby book. I’m making her a book full of pictures of her from her first year. She’s been asking for one for over a year now, the older kids each have one and she feels left out. I was so thankful for what I had on the blog and the many pictures I had. I finished the stupid thing last nigh! Yeah me!

Anyway, back to December. Once again, we were sick… We had THREE weeks of pink eye! SO GROSS!  Thankfully, by Christmas we were finally all better.

Some noteworthy things:

1. Ward Christmas Party.

I was asked to take formal pictures. This was an interesting challenge. How to get people their pictures without having to print them or gather emails. I opened up a free account with a picture sharing site and shared it that way! It worked great.

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I also had to come up with a backdrop idea. This is Allen and the girls being my models to get the lighting right. ward christmas party 064Riley wanted his picture taken too… he had been running around with the other kids (something that drives me CRAZY! I hate when kids are running around the chapel at ward functions with no adult supervision! Something always get broken)

Santa also made an appearance:

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As you may have guessed, the older kids got to pick their outfits. But, I still have a little control with the little ones!

2. Christmas Advent Activities

We had fun doing our activities. It was a little stressful to get set up, but it worked out really well. The kids have been asking to do more since then.

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M&M wreath. Basically you fill a pattern with the correct M&M color

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Ripped paper art:

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Paper Plate standups

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Personal favorite: ice cream cone Christmas trees

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Bow painting: using gift bows as paint brushes. Beka really was having a blast, she was just very focused. It was very interesting to see how each kid approached this activity so differently. Beka used one or two colors and made a pattern. Riley made pictures that looked pretty realistic, and Emma basically covered her paper with color.

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Cotton ball lambs.

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Peppermint plates

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Cotton ball snowmen.

There were 24 activities. We did many of them. The kids’ favorite was cotton ball find. This was super fun while we were on quarantine.

3. Christmas Day Eve: 

We got our new pjs for Christmas. Riley got also got a robe. He was so excited, he had been asking for one like the boy on Polar Express. After we got the kids to bed, we started getting out the gifts. We realized that we didn’t have anything for Beka. UGH! Off to Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve night/Christmas Day. It was a crazy place!

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4. Christmas Day:

It was bright and early when the kids got us up. We made them sit on the stairs and wait. KILLER!

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Riley has become a HUDGE Harry Potter fan. So for Christmas we got him a snowy owl, and a fun Potter popup book.

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Beka with the afro mention midnight run to Walmart gift. We got her a little people doll house.

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5. Visiting the Dam bridge:

This is the only pictures of Ephram:

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My dad is such a big kid! It was a neat trip. Long drive home.

6. Ephram’s Christmas pictures:

Not overly pleased with how they turned out. But he’s still cute!

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I did like this one: I love you SOOOOOO much! Ephram's christmas pictures 008

So, there is December in a nutshell! I feel so much better now. It’s kind of crazy to see how much the kids have grown in the last couple of months! Just you wait till you see the Easter pictures!

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