Christmas 2012

As always, the month of December is a total blur with SO much going on that it is so hard to keep track - and to keep the blog up to date. (It doesn't help when our modem dies and the new one takes its time getting here, either...)
But it was a good month - with both good and bad things happening that make me realize how blessed I am to be a mother and to have happy, healthy kids to love and take care of. I didn't have a big project to work on this year like I usually do and it was so nice to work on little projects with the kids or do something totally random and spontaneous.
My favorite parts of the month were:
* Going to the bell choir concert with Bekah and my neighbor Kate. It was a beautiful concert - unlike any regular concert I've ever attended. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Carol of the Bells tied for favorite.
* Going to the same neighbor Kate and her husband Roger's annual musical Christmas party. All their friends and neighbors come and everyone sings along and/or plays instruments. There were two flutists (floutists?), a violinist, a celloist, two guitarists, and a hammer dulcimer-ist. And there were many other instruments to play and share from cymbals to bells.
* Teaching my kids about serving others anonymously. We did special things for another family and my kids really enjoyed being sneaky and keeping such a big secret. And it just so happened that as they helped another family every Saturday morning, our Saturday mornings (and all the jobs and cleaning that go with them), were so much happier and more peaceful.
* Working in the garage. Rus got it in his head to make me a little side table for Christmas. And then he thought, why not make three at the same time and give them away to siblings for gifts. Our family had his sister Carla for Christmas and my brother Jared, so they each received a beautiful curly maple side table.

I really enjoyed working with Rus; he has learned so much about the different tools we've acquired over the last year and how to sand and finish a piece to make it really stunning.
Look at this! It has a native New Mexico walnut for the top and the drawer front. I absolutely love the character of the wood.

I also was able to do some fun little projects with the kids. Bekah helped me to make a little motorcycle "puzzle" for Jacob and Beau. I designed it several years ago for a gift for a friend, but I had never made it for my own kids. I think it's super cool, but Beau gets really frustrated with putting it together. And Jacob can't seem to keep track of the pieces.

* Having my parents visit. It was SO fun to have my mom and dad come for Christmas. And especially to have them stick around for a few days after! My dad and I played in the garage, Rus and my dad went shooting, my Mom and I decorated my room, and the kids soaked up all the extra attention and love. If we didn't have a stomach bug visit at the same time, it would have been perfect.
* Christmas eve was really nice - we made a special dinner (which I only stressed a little about when my meat thermometer suddenly died and I had visions of seriously overcooking a really expensive piece of meat that my mom bought...maybe chicken is better...), and then later we all pitched in to act out the nativity. The wise man on the left was a little cooky, Mary has the same fondness for Bekah's beanie that Bekah has, and Beau made an excellent shepherd. My dad was Joseph, I narrated, and Rus was really happy to not be the donkey this year (we used the rocking horse instead). My dad read "The Night Before Christmas," and "The Great Walled City," which is a story we always read Christmas eve when I was a kid, so it was a great flashback. We put the kids in bed and then my dad and I played scrabble for a while to make sure the kids were really asleep before we set everything up. (I might have lost the game...but really we had to end early, so who's to know what would have happened in the last few turns. I could have made that 75 points back...)

Aren't we all cute in our Christmas jammies? (Even though it's a bad picture...)

Christmas morning was full of happiness...new books...(thank you Nana!)

...new friends...Marianne loved this big ol' bear. Have I mentioned that she loves to rock on the horse? Standing up? Holding on with one hand? Oh yes, she is a daredevil.

Beau made Bekah a special bag to hold her Lalaloopsy dolls. He picked out every piece of fabric and ironed it himself. He even drew me a picture of what it should look like. So cute...

The Bug and I holding Big Bear.

It was a really special time for the kids and for me. I am so grateful for the amazing life and sacrifice of my Savior, without which we would not celebrate his birth! I hope you all had a peaceful and merry Christmas!

I just realized I have many more pictures to share...another post!