T.J. News

T.J. got sick last night. He threw up multiple times and has done nothing but lay around all day. So Emmy made this for him. It says, "To T.J. From Emmy Please help feel better."

He has also been needing a new bed for a little while. He is definitely old enough to be out of a crib. Jamie decided he would just build him a new front for his crib and turn it into a toddler bed. This is the before picture.

And the after. I thought it turned out really good.

 And T.J. was definitely excited to have a bed he could get in and out of by himself.

Tee Ball

Jamie had some time off this week so we took the kids to the park yesterday. We ate lunch and then let T.J. and Emmy try out his new tee and bat. They both did great.

Christmas

We got the kids up around 6:30 to open presents. Here are their presents waiting for them. Emmy wanted a princess "computer," T.J. wanted a Thomas train, and Addy loves puppies so that's what Santa brought her.

All of my kids love Dr. Seuss, so they got books and stuffed animals to match in their stockings.

Santa brought me a Kindle which I was really excited about. I didn't get Jamie anything too exciting, a HAM radio handbook and router bits, but Wyatt and Dawn had our name and they came through for me so he didn't have a total bummer Christmas. They got him a 22 pistol which he was really excited about.

My mom made Emmy about 12 new outfits for her 18" doll, so she definitely has the best dressed doll in town. They got to go in my mom's room, get a shopping bag, and go "shop" for which outfits they wanted. So that was fun. And they got T.J. a new bat. All the presents from my parents to the grandkids were sitting in a pile wrapped and you could tell that one was a bat and T.J. said, "maybe that one's for me."  He said the bat was his favorite present of the day. He loves baseball.

We had a wonderful Christmas. We all got way more than we needed or deserved. We feel truly blessed and are so grateful that we have a Savior who loved us enough to come to this earth. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

We were in Taylor for Christmas eve. My whole family came over and we played games, read the story of the nativity from Luke 2, and ate way too much good food. The pictures are from a couple of the games the kids played. One of the games was you had to hold a ball between you and your partners head without touching it and walk the length of the floor and back. Emmy and Jessi were partners and did great and then Jamie played with T.J. I love that picture of them.

After everyone went home, we let the kids open one gift, which was new P.J.'s and then all loaded in Wyatt's minivan and went and looked at Christmas lights. 

Christmas with Nana and Poppy

We went to Taylor this year for Christmas so before we left, Jamie's parents came over and we exchanged gifts with them. The kids got spoiled as usual. Emmy got a new Emmy-lou-who doll (we haven't settled on a name yet) and all sorts of fun dress up stuff. T.J. got a fire station and truck which he loved, some musical instruments, and an UNO moo game which we played last night and the kids loved. Addy got dress up stuff with Emmy, a new teddy bear and new bib. Thanks Nana and Poppy for all the fun stuff!!!

Temple Lights

Jamie's parents watched the kids while we took our HAM test so afterwards we met them for dinner and looking at the temple lights. The weather was beautiful but the crowds were crazy. There were so many people there. I think next year we won't wait until the last Monday evening before Christmas. But we had a good time. The lights were beautiful. The kids especially loved the nativity and Mary on the donkey with Joseph.

Emmy was preturbed that I would ask her to stop looking at Mary and Joseph to take a picture.

HAMsters...

Jamie got his HAM radio license about a year ago, and since then has kind of gotten into it. He has been trying to talk me into getting my license. So last night I went and took the technician test, which is the lowest level and he took the extra test which is the highest level. We both passed which was nice. So now I just have to wait for my call sign and he can get a vanity call sign. Could we get any geekier???

For the First Time in A Long Time

Addy started nursery today. She isn't quite 18 months old yet, but Jamie has been subbing in there the last couple of weeks and she has been going in with him. She has been doing really good so they said she could start going by herself today. The nursery leader said she didn't let out a peep the whole time. So for the first time in almost 4 years we did not have a kid with us for all 3 hours of church. It was heavenly:) (And yes we do have 3 kids in nursery, but only for 2 more weeks.)

I See the Train A Comin...

When Jamie was about 10 he got a train for Christmas. It was his dad's when he was little. He had told the kids he would put it up around our Christmas tree this year and finally got around to it last night. They absolutely loved it.

When you gotta go....

Yes she got herself on there and yes she was wearing long pants and socks.

Zoolights

Jamie had promised the kids that for every 4 Articles of Faith they memorized he would take them to Organ Stop, and my parents came down yesterday to finish up some Christmas shopping. So we went to Organ Stop for dinner and then we took them to zoolights. The weather was absolutely beautiful. It was over 80 degrees yesterday and we each just had thin jackets on. The kids loved the lights.

 This was a huge centipede and rattlesnake. They were really cool.

They also had a mechanical giraffe that was as tall as a normal giraffe. It talked to the kids and called them by name. They were pretty intrigued by it.

 Jamie also let them ride on the carousel, which they always love.

It was a really fun night.

Ballet

Emmy had her last ballet class yesterday. They let the parents come in and watch. She is such a serious little girl. She was very focused on trying to do everything just as the teacher taught them. She did a great job and she absolutely loves it.

Santa Clause is Coming to Town

Every year the town has a day where you can take your kids to get their picture taken with Santa for like $2.00. It is so much more relaxed than most places. I wasn't sure how the kids would do. I think Emmy has cried every year I have taken her. I knew she wouldn't go first. So I asked T.J. if he wanted to go first or if he wanted Addy to and he just hopped right up there and told Santa he wanted a Thomas Choo Choo Train.

Addy went next and she definitely wasn't sure about it, but she only wimpered for a few seconds.

 

Emmy really wants a princess computer. And she has been psyching herself up that if she wanted one, she was going to have to tell Santa Clause. It was pretty hard for her, but she got her done. Afterwards she just kept saying, "I didn't even cry."