Our Family Project

I decided since I haven't posted about anything that we've done in the last few months, that I'd go back to Christmas time, at least for a little bit.  Eliza's and Kate's singing group, Shine Your Light Singers, sang at a church's Christmas Party in December.  Outside of the church, they had a small set up of a manger scene, with actors, and a small "petting zoo."  There were donkeys, and sheep, chicks, and bunnies. Poor, Adam stood by the pen for the bunnies waiting and waiting for his turn with a particular bunny.  Finally, when he was given the bunny, he was scratched and it startled him enough that the bunny needed to be put back down.  After that point, he waited and waited patiently for another turn, which he never got.  I was surprised by his persistence.  He stood there for easily 15 minutes waiting for another turn.  While, Andrew held a bunny for probably 8-10 minutes alone.  He sure got attached to that cute furry thing. Eli...

Our Christmas was so much fun.  In the past I've been ready well before Christmas, with present wrapped at the end of October.  Not so for this year.  I was shopping for presents the Saturday before Christmas.  And, after going out there in the masses ... I will not do that again next year!  Traditionally, our children have stocking stuffers and presents from us.  We don't do the Santa thing.  Just haven't ever wanted to.  Also traditionally, all of our children get similar items.  Most of the time it's because they all want what each other wants.  But, sometimes it's not the case.  This year, they all got lapdesks to use for school when we do our science or history in the living room.  (Of course, they each got their assigned color as well.) Traditionally, we all get toothbrushes in our stockings.  This year I got them all battery-powered toothbrushes.  I've never seen so many children get excited over a toothbru...

The other day, I was perusing one of my favorite crafting blogs, and was hit with a brick.  I'd been trying to come up with an idea for something for the children to give to their teachers for Valentine's Day, when I saw this craft blogger post about Valentine gift pouches .  The thought had never occurred to me, until then, to make my reusable sandwich bags for their teachers and fill them with treats. So, I did.  And, I think they are so cute.  The children picked out the fabric, and then wrote their names (the girls did a little doodling).  Then, I sewed them together.  I was going to guide Eliza and Kate through the sewing process, but then got carried away and just ended up sewing theirs.  Oh well, they can help me fill an order for Andrew's teacher (who, along with another teacher, wants me to make her some - photos coming soon).

We ate Thanksgiving dinner with Jon's sister and her family, and his sister flew down from Utah to spend Thanksgiving with us all as well.  It was such a great time, filled with the Turkey Bowl (I actually got to play this year!), lots of cooking, lots of food, lots of eating, and lots of relaxing.  They'd put four folding tables together to make this huge Thanksgiving Dinner table.  I loved it!  We all got to sit together and all of the food was on the table ... it was perfect.  I've never seen so much food for Thanksgiving dinner either!  My sister-in-law's family has a tradition of making everyone's favorite dish ... so there were the traditional foods (mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, rolls, corn, etc.), and there was also potato salad, zucchini, sweet potatoes (not prepared the traditional way with marshmallows), and ham (not traditional for us).  I'm sure there is something I forgot because there was so much food! These two little stinkers...

For Halloween this year, we went to two different trunk-or-treats.  Instead of trick-or-treating on Sunday, our church combined with another congregation to put on a trunk-or-treat on Friday, the 29th.  Basically, everyone who wanted to give out candy backed their car into a parking space and opened their decorated-for-Halloween trunks, then handed out candy to the children who were dressed up.  Oh, and it was also a kind of pseudo-carnival, and an announced but nothing was ever really judged chili cook-off. Then, on Saturday, we went up to Prescott Valley to visit our good friends.  Their church also organized a trunk-or-treat with some other congregations, so we got to go to another one!  Halloween is always better when you get to dress up twice!  Our children had a blast playing with their friends (and they still play/hang out well together after months of being apart), and LOVED decorating their truck and our van.  They did way b...

Today, being the last day before Halloween, some of my children got to wear a costume to school.  Eliza's class has been studying pirates all week, culminating in a class-dress-up day as pirates today.  Believe it or not, she got two homemade costumes this year!  All she has to do is swap out the bottoms!  She plans on being a gypsy tonight for the trunk-or-treat, but for today she is a pirate.  (And, of course, her costume is labeled all over the place!)  However, Poor Andrew!  He has a store-bought costume.  I HATE store-bought costumes!  No offense to anyone who buys their costumes.  My issue stems from the fact that my children actually like to play dress-up.  They will wear their costumes everyday leading up to Halloween if I'd let them.  Unfortunately, this does not bode well for the store-bought costume.  In my experience, they are very cheaply made (I'm talking HUGE stitches that pull apart at the seams, and nyl...