A Small Snapshot Of Our Christmas

First Christmas to be big enough to get in on the decorating action = delight!

Mom finally learning that she can just leave it the way the children decorate it = growth (or acceptance that it will all be rearranged tomorrow anyway so I may as well just leave it).
Little boy playing with new tractor Christmas morning = perfection
Want to know what elicited such an expression of delight?
Candy?
Toys?
Jewelry?

Did you guess it yet?


Cleaning Supplies!

Yes, I got each of my children their own squirt bottle and cloths for their stockings and the past few days have seen them cleaning for hours. I don't think the lower three feet of my walls, windows and cabinets have ever been so clean.
"What could this be?"
"Hmm..."
"Help me out here, sis, it might be scary"
"Oh, it's a car, awesome!"
"Now we will all sit on the couch and wonder why Heidi looks like a horse."
I had great fun making a few new items for the dress-up box this year and the girls agreed that shared presents are sometimes the best.
We also had quite a bit of acting going on around here this year.
We continued our tradition (started last year) of a daily advent for the month of December and this year our readings took us though the lineage of Christ. Starting with Him as a part of the triune God and continuing with Adam and Eve, key people such as Abraham, Isaac, Rahab, Ruth, and David, and on to Joseph and Mary.
Heidi also played the part of a shepherd in our church's Christmas program and in the few practices seemed to memorize every line. (I'm glad it was almost entirely scripture).
Between these two things, she had a pretty good grasp of the how it came about that Christ came to earth, took on flesh and dwelt among us.
How thrilling to see both my girls rejoicing that our Savior loved us and came to die in our place.
How exciting to see them realize that the true joy in Christmas comes through knowing that we can have eternal life through Him who rose from the dead!
Thank you Lord for the gift of a Babe. The gift of Yourself!

Celebrating Levi and Hannah

In between Levi and Hannah's birthdays we had a joint party for them with Karl's family. My family was invited too, of course, but those two thousand miles between us got in the way again.
Hannah was SO proud to be having a birthday and be sung to, I thought she was going to pop!
Levi, as per family tradition got his first taste of Momma endorsed sugar (it will likely be awhile before he gets more).
He was a little unsure at first...
but soon decided he liked it.
And dug right in once he realized it was for him.






Afterward ,Daddy seemed to think he needed a bath, then it was on to the joys of wrapping paper.

Thus ends the birthday season of 2011, A whirlwind with all five family members crammed in a month and a half, but such fun while it lasts!

Hannah's Butterfly Birthday

Hannah requested a butterfly birthday this year so the girls and I spent the past week or so crafting butterflies. They had so much fun with the project that I had plenty to fill the house with by Sunday's party.
When I asked Hannah what she wanted to eat at her party I always got the same answer:
"Melon. Melon and little butterfly cakes".
I wasn't so sure the daddies in attendance would be satisfied with a lunch of watermelon and cupcakes, so I pressed, "Isn't there anything else you want?"
"No, jus' melon and butterfly cake".
"Well, others might want something else".
"Oh, that otay, Momma, ofer people can have somfing else. I want melon."
Let me tell you, this was one little girl who thoroughly enjoyed her watermelon and butterfly cupcakes. She also loved being sung to.
For everyone else I made pizza with pepperoni I had cut into butterfly shapes with a cookie cutter.

We did some fun, easy crafts and I really enjoyed how laid back the day seemed.
The kids decided they wanted a canoe ride and Karl happily obliged...
with half a canoe.

For the pinata I merely painted a paper towel tube, filled it with candy, taped the ends shut and taped on wings. Easy to make, HARD to break open!

One of the favorite crafts was the butterfly masks.
I enjoyed watching all the children fluttering about afterward.
What a fun three year old birthday idea Hannah!

"I 'ree 'ear old now!"

So said my darling Hannah all day today.
And she's right,
she really is three years old.
How did this happen?
I think I just finally got used to the idea of Heidi being that age.
Happy Birthday my adorable three year old!

Heidi's Pioneer Party

Having read the entire little house series, some of the Betsy-Tacy books, and thinking about reading Caddie Woodlawn, we determined an old fashioned pioneer party was in order for this years celebration of Heidi's birth. We made invitations from the same Holly Hobbie tracing kit I used for birthday invitations as a child.
We set up our screen tent with plenty of freshly picked wild flowers as decorations. Originally,I had pictured using only what the pioneers would have had access to for our table, but Heidi was insistent that birthdays meant balloon napkins and party hats, NOT bonnets!
She was delighted, however, to wear a pioneer dress.
Even little cousin dressed up for the party!
We started the party by making bread and strawberry jam and shaking cream into butter. As you can imagine, it was a little bit busy during that time frame, thus there are no pictures to document the cute little loaves of bread and jars of jam we made to send home with the guests.
I did manage to snap one before the party, however, of the little muslin dolls I made for the girls to take home (the boys made rafts, but I hadn't prepared very well, so they didn't turn out so well).
Heidi had requested that the girls all sew dresses by hand for the party. Since I wasn't prepared to help each girl make a full sized dress for herself, I suggested the dolls and sewing dresses for them seemed to go over just fine.
Heidi was a bit disappointed by the hair color for her doll. "I'm more strawberry blond Mom." I, however, was thrilled to have found a yarn color in the thrift store which represented something more akin to an actual hair color than the shock red I've had to make do with in the past.
We also slaughtered a chicken.
The insides of which were of great interest to the children.
Then, we snacked on bread, butter, jam, watermelon, and...
chocolate, chocolate, chocolate ice cream cake.

Heidi enjoyed her delightful gifts.

But the crowning event of the party, that which Heidi had anticipated with great longing, was washing clothes.
We brought out an old two basin laundry tub, a scrub board and a clothes line and let the kids enjoy.

It might seem like a bit much, but I'm afraid I overly enjoy planning parties around a theme. I had to work hard at holding myself back from making soap and candles and... well, you get the idea.
And, I love to make wonderful memories with these children that I love.
Happy fifth birthday Heidi!