Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Ringing in the New Year!

We started our celebrations early about 1:00pm.  We went to Amazing Jakes with some of our friends (Thanks Tina and Happy Ramalamadingdong!)and our new pastor and his wife even joined us for ahwile.  The kids love this place and had a great time riding rides, playing games and eating lots of food!  We didn't leave until about 7:00 and then came home and got out the party hats and made noise makers to get ready to ring in the New Year.  Part of our friends family joined us...the other half was not feeling well. Jay and I were really tired by this time and he got a great idea.....Find a channel that was showing the ball drop East coast time!  So we celebrated at 10:00pm here.   No one was the wiser (except Anastasia of course)


Tina and I the New Year's Queens


Can she make it to the top?


This is one of the kids favorite rides.


Even the big kids had fun! Pastor Don and Daylene


Princess Emily


Alexa loves the teacups!


Enjoying icecream before we go.


The boys are ready!!


This is how Tasha rang in the New Year!


10...9...8


Not to sure about the sparkling apple cider!


 



From our family to yours Happy 2009 everyone!!!!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Bartholomew's Passage

Bartholomew's Passage: A Family Story for Advent


This was our Advent Story for this year.  I love these books!  There are 3 in the series and they are written by Arnold Ytreeide.  We have Jotham's Journey and Bartholomew's Passage and this summer I am wanting to get Tabitha's Travels to read next Christmas.  The books have been out of print and very hard to get but Tabitha's Travels is being reprinted this summer.  The other two are already back in print I think.  You can rotate every year between them.  The books are each intertwined but also stand on their own. 


They are very exciting stories and each chapter leaves you "hanging".  I however would caution they can be pretty intense for younger listeners.  They are set in the time of Jesus's birth and there are Bible characters intermixed with fictional characters.  Each section ends with a breif devotion and Scripture.


Jay reads these aloud each year and we try to stay on track and read one part each night with finishing on Christmas Day.  This year however we finished a couple of days after Christmas.


These are a great addtion to to anyones Christmas book library.

Christmas Celebrations


I thought I would just post some slide shows of pictures to share from our Christmas Celebrations.  We get together with my side of the family on Christmas Eve and then went over to Jay's dad's on Christmas day.


For Christmas Eve my family (my parents, sister and her family) came over we had a ham dinner and our traditional Oyster Stew (yummy!)  Then the kids were so excited to open gifts from one another.  After everyone left we got ready for Santa by putting out cookies and reindeer food.  Then the kids all slept together in Savannah and Alexa's Room.  I read "The Night Before Christmas" and then they all pretty much went to sleep.



 


Anastasia was the first to wake up Christmas morning.  Actually if truth be told I was and I patiently  impatiently waited for them to wake up.  As soon as they were all up daddy led the way (video taping) downstairs.  They were so excited.  I was so excited having 5 kids Christmas morning is awesome.  We were a party all by ourselves!!  Santa had placed their stocking by their gifts and they each took turns opening their gifts. A funny gift Santa left each of them in their stockings was  a can of olives.  He must have known how much my kids love olives.  They have to put one on each finger anytime we eat them.  Daddy thought it was pretty silly and then he saw how excited they were and he couldn't belive it!  LOL  Oh the best story though is with Joshua.  In the middle of opening Santa gifts he said "Mom, I guess Santa doesn't really care who is naughty or nice"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I couldn't belive it, Jay and I just about died laughing and yes it is on video tape for years to come.  So next year I do believe that the magical Elf on the shelf will be coming to visit. (Thanks for the idea Kymberly and Tina)


After Santa gifts the kids opened gifts from one another.  They drew names and then we went to the dollar section at Michaels (which was great by the way with pencils and glue sticks and little toys) and they each picked out 3 gifts for whose ever name they drew.  Anastasia was also very excited.  Her My little Ponies have been packed away in the garage and she wrapped them for her sisters and they loved it.


Then lastly they opened Daddy and Mommy's gift to them which was a Wii and they went crazy they were so excited!  Of course though this was not caught on video as we had set up the video on the tripod and didn't realize the tape had run out!



 


Christmas afternoon we went over to Papa and Grandma's house.  Uncle Danny, Aunt Nicole and Uncle Ben joined us and thanks to great technology Aunt Jutem and Uncle Brian & kids were able to be a part of the fun via skype.  We opened gifts and then had a delicious prime rib dinner!  Then we all had to share a talent (Grandma told us a few weeks in advance so everyone had a chance to practice.)  It wa so much fun and silliness.  I got a few pictures but not many I was too busy laughing and watching.  But we did get it all on video--- Here is everyone's talent: Natasha-crawling, Alexa-singing Jesus loves me, Savannah-front flip, Joshua-singing Five Fat Turkey's are we and breakdancing, Anastasia-ball rolling/balancing on hand that she learned from the rennisance fair, Jay-singing Mary did you know, Me- multitaksing, nursing a baby, talking on the phone, teaching reading to Josh, answering Anastasia's math questions all while the other two run in circles around me!  Nicole- Playing jingle bells on the piano, Ben-yo yo tricks (then he gave each of the kids a yo yo so they could try it was hilarious especially to watch Alexa) Danny- read a book report in different character voices, Grandma ate a cherry including the stem and then we watched the computer and Aunt Jutem ended up with the stem in mouth and tied it in a knot with her tongue!  Papa made music with his mouth! 


Jay unfortunately wasn't feeling that well and before we headed over he took benadryl instead of sudafed and it practically knocked him out most of the afternoon! 


We eneded the evening with decorating ornaments.  Grandma bought clear glass ornaments and acrylic paint.  You take the top off the ornaments, squeeze in several colors of paint, put the top back on and roll the ornaments around.  These turned out so cool and all ages had fun making them.




 


Merry CHRISTmas Everyone!!!

Friday, December 26, 2008

12 Days of Christmas continued

Here are the rest of our things for the 12 days of Christmas


This has been so much for our whole family.  We can't wait to choose a family next year to share this with.


5 Golden Rings


 6 Geese a laying


 


 7 Swans a Swimming  (a book)




8 Maids a Milking


 


9 Ladies Dancing



10 Lords a Leaping  (a cd)



11 Pipers Piping


 12 Drummers Drumming


This was a such a cute and creative idea.  Thank you to who ever blessed us with this.

Natasha's First Christmas


I wanted to do a special entry just for Tasha for her first Christmas.  She is 6 mos. old and just started CRAWLING ALREADY!!!  (Mommy is not ready for this yet!)  She loved getting into all the Christmas "stuff" and I think that movtivated her to get to crawling faster.   Here are some pictures I wanted to share:


The kids each get special ornaments on Christmas and on their first Christmas they get one from grandparents and other family as well.  This pony one is from Grandm and Papa Pearce. 


This gift is from Papaw and Grandma Carson.  They got each grandkid a musical Christmas animal.  This one however is special for Natasha because Papaw has always said everytime he hears Natasha's name all he can think of is the old cartoon Bullwinkle with Borris and Natasha so they got her a Bullwinkle Moose.  Natasha loves the bell on top of his head.  She keeps trying to suck on it!  So we will need to put this up till next year.  No choking babies.


Rudolph and Grandma


Motivation for crawling!


Big sis and little sis


Nothing like a baby in your arms at Christmas!


Tasha trying to open her gifts


Santa brought her the yummy, extra messy gerber cookies


Natasha and Papa



Merry Christmas Everyone!


 


 


 

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Anastasia's Birthday


My Baby is 11 !!!


My "baby" is turning into a beautiful young lady right before my eyes.  I can't belive it.  Anastasia you are an amazing young woman with such a caring heart.  You are such a great help to your dad and I and to anyone else who needs it.  I thought I would share 11 things that I think are amazing, silly, serious, funny and neat about you: (No particular order)


1)  I think it is cool that you can wiggle your ears.


2) I love how you have a passion for animals and how they are treated.


3)  I love watching you play with your sisters and brother and watching how much they look up to you.


4)  I love your entrepreneurial spirit and how you are always coming up with new business ideas from things that you make. 


5) Your kindess and servant attitude towards others is endearing.


6) I think it is awesome that you were willing to cut your hair last year for locks of love.


7)  Watching you grow into a young woman who loves God and wants others to as well is incredible.


8) I enjoy playing "spit" and having quiet time with you.


9)  You are a collector but you come by it naturally. I wonder if I can name 11 things you have collected over the years: webkinz, littlest pet shops, pretty ponies, stuffed animals, strechy bracelets, earrings, Hannah Montanna stuff, horse collectibles, Christmas ornaments, jewelery boxes, and rocks!       I did it!


10)  You have a great knack for doing all sorts of crafts and pick up new skills quickly.  I am having to learn from you!


11)  I have been so blessed to share these 11 birthdays with you as my daughter and I just wanted to let you know I love you so very much!


 


Every birthday morning Anastasia has always come into our room to open her gifts as soon as she wakes up.


 


She got Apples to Apples Bible Edition from Aunt Teri and Uncle Brett. 


Her sisters and brothers got her a new webkins



 


She opened guitar picks from daddy and mommy and was excited because daddy is going to start teaching her guitar lessons.


But we had to ask her a couple of times why did she need her "own" guitar picks and then she finally realized because she would be getting her own guitar.  Her and daddy are going to go pick one out in a couple of weeks.


It is difficult sometimes having a birthday on Christmas Eve. But while all the family is over before we start "Christmas stuff" we take time to celebrate her birthday.  Anastasia wanted to make her own cake this year.  It is a brownie (from scratch) cake with ice cream spread in the middle.  It was delicious.


Her cousins got her a webkinz



Papa and Grandma got her a new digital camera!!



Anastasia was excited and good with gifts and we haven't even got to Christmas yet!  Eleven is a big year!