I can't believe another Christmas will be here in 15 days! The end of another year is approaching too...when you get older the years just seem to come and go...I remember when I was young, time had no meaning, really...and now 2009 is just around the corner! My friend Adrienne had a post entitled Random Musings and I thought it was fun to read, so I've decided to it here. Since, I have a bunch of random things to blog about.
- We put up our Christmas tree the other day. It was a lot of fun because the kids helped me...they had so much fun putting it up and I had just as much fun watching them carefully put the ornaments and try to be helpful. Scott's family has this tradition of giving each child an ornament every Christmas, so we have a bunch of his ornaments dating back to 1982! We have incorporated the same tradition in our family now...I love this tradition because it makes our Christmas tree more meaningful. We have a few other traditions, like opening a present on Christmas Eve and drinking homemade hot chocolate and panetón (panetón is this amazing Italian sweet bread) Scott is not fond of it, but I grew up eating it and I'm quite fond of it. I'm interested in finding out what are some of your traditions? What do you do in your family that makes it Christmas? I love traditions and I think it's fun to hear what other people do during this time besides giving and getting presents...:)
- Some of my favorite ornaments:
Scott's Aunt Penny gave us this ornament our very first Christmas together!
This was Brielle's first ornament and I gave this other one to Scott last year.
Braden's first ornament.
This beautiful little angel was given to us by Lenell (Scott's older brother's wife) I love it!
- Scott and I got engaged around this time 5 years ago...I can't remember the exact day in December but it was sometime in December before Christmas!!! I can't believe it was 5 years ago!
Back in the day...2003...seems like forever ago...
- Yesterday was 50 degrees here in Virginia and when we woke up this morning it was 60 degrees and at this very moment as I'm typing this post it says that it is 63 degrees!!!!! Is it really the second week of December? I guess I lived in Idaho way too long...I'm used to lots of snow and very, very cold weather around this time...and no I'm by NO means complaining! It has been gloomy though, but warm. The kids and I went on a walk yesterday and also to the playground! It was so nice for them to play outside!
I much rather this:
This is the golf course right by our house. People were golfing there yesterday!
Than this:
Rexburg last year on December 10th.
- My visiting teachers came today and I honestly have to say that the visiting teaching program is inspired and it ROCKS! I love it when they come! The two sisters that visit teach me are such amazing women! They are both young moms, one has two and the other one has three children, so they know how chaotic it gets when you have more than one child! I mean, it already gets crazy with one, but you add more and it is madness sometimes!!! They just made me feel like what I go through with my kids is normal...kids fight, they talk back, they kick you, they don't do what you ask them to do, they have MAJOR selective hearing, they run around like monkeys, etc, etc, etc...and it is ALL NORMAL!!!!!! I'm so glad that they can relate to me and I to them...because there are days when I honestly feel like such a failure as a mom...like an inept woman who got into motherhood and then realized that I HAVE NO CLUE how to raise children!!!! So many times, I feel like my children's behavior is a reflection of my parenting...and to tell you the truth it is quite traumatizing and humiliating. My visiting teachers made me feel like I'm not the only one going through what I go through with my two children!!! They uplifted me today and I'm very grateful for them!
- The sister missionaries stopped by last night to say their goodbyes. I knew that one of them, Sister Yano was going home, but then sister Bertucci announced that they are closing our ward for sister missionaries. So Sister Bertucci is leaving too. I was so incredibly sad!!! I guess not enough sisters are coming out to the field, is not that they are not busy, they are teaching like 20 different investigators. They are doing better than the Elders!!!:) These sisters were amazing teachers, I've seen them in action teaching investigators and they are awesome! I'm going to miss going out with them! :( And I'm definitely going to miss their random visits bringing us treats and randomly doing my dishes! Both Brielle and Braden loved them and always got so happy when they came to our house.
Denisse, Sister Bertucci, Braden & Sister Yano.
This is how much fun they have when the sisters come!
This picture...I chuckle every time I look at it! Braden is busy looking at the print on Sister Yano's blazer...
Super cheesy smiles!
Braden giving Sister Bertucci a high 5! We are sure going to miss them!!!
- Brielle and Braden are going through a "not so much fun" stage right now. Braden figured out how to climb out of his crib and bonked his head quite a few times until he mastered the skill. (I wish I would have filmed him climbing out, quite ingenious...) but I keep telling Scott that something is seriously going to be wrong with Braden because he falls on his head ALL the time! Anyway, I turned his crib into a toddler bed because of his climbing out everyday and I being worried that I'm going to find him dead on the floor one of these days because he keeps bonking his head....but boy did we start torture!!! He and Brielle have been staying up playing and laughing until almost 11pm. But that's not all...Brielle has figured out how to open their bedroom door...those darn child-proof door knobie things are dumber than I can say...my child is definitely smarter than its design...I guess it worked for 3 months...but after 3 months she has it figured out. So now, Brielle opens her door and they both sneak out of their bedroom and go to abuelita's bedroom...my mom just moved in with us for a few months...which I'm soooo happy about! The kids are quite excited about it too but they want to go play with her and not go to bed!!!
They look so innocent in this picture...may be I need to blow this one up HUGE and I mean HUGE and hang it on a wall...so I can see it when I'm about to give them away to the nuns in the orphanages in Ecuador because they are being naughty!!!:)
16 comments:
Our favorite tradition is caroling! My family bakes cookies, makes a list, and carols every Christmas Eve. People have cornered me at church to make sure we stop by their house! It is so fun to do together. AJ's family makes a special breakfast casserole and sticky buns every Christmas morning. It's not Christmas for him without it!
It's so funny that I almost teared up when I saw the picture of the snow-covered rexburg apts. I thought I couldn't leave there fast enough but I really miss it!
Your kids are so beautiful and so are you!
I am so glad you liked the angel ornament. I was worried that you would have enough of them already. =) My family has the traditions of eating our large, fancy meal on Christmas Eve (who's hungry on Christmas after all the candy anyways). We always made lots of pies so we could eat pie for breakfast on Christmas (also what we do on Thanksgiving). =D I am so glad you all are enjoying your time in VA! It will go by fast.
I love all of your ornaments!! what a fun tradition. It really does make the tree more meaningful.
Your kids are too smart for their own good! And they are even cuter than they are smart! :) I have been putting off the toddler bed idea out of fear that Jack will just come out of his room. Let me know if you discover any tactics that work.... and good luck! :)
One of my favorite traditions is reading the Christmas story out of the scriptures on Christmas Eve and having the little kids act it out. We used to do it at my grandma's house and use bath robes and towels for the costumes. And I loved getting into all my grandma's old jewelry to dress up the wisemen!
That picture of your kids is great! It is amazing how fast they can learn things and how smart they are. It sounds like you have a lot of fun Christmas traditions. Ours are really similar to yours. We also do a chinese food dinner the night before. It was Trav's idea, so I make egg rolls and whatever else I can think of.
And since it was so warm for you yesterday, it snowed here! I couldn't believe it but it snowed for a few hours! I'm nervous to go out driving today since none of these Southerners have ever ever driven on frozen roads.
Good luck with getting them to stay in their room! Chloe had the same problem so we actually lock her in her room. I know it sounds terrible but she would NOT stay in her room. So we flipped the knob and lock it until she is asleep and unlock it. Some people think we are crazy, and a lot of actually done it to. So if you get desperate there is always that option.
hey!
I think our biggest tradition is going to one of our families houses. We've never spent Christmas with just us before. But maybe sometime soon since we're now 2000 miles apart. (just not this year!)
We're so excited if Scott's brother ends up out here! Tell them to think "Staten Island" not Manhatten-huge $$ difference. besides our ward loves dental students!
I love your ornaments and that picture of your kids is ADORABLE!
One tradition that we have, is that we have a "Jesus stocking" that we hang up on Christmas Eve along with our stockings. Everyone writes down what their birthday gift to Jesus is going to be that year. (Giving up a bad habit, recommitting to daily scripture study, or whatever.) Each of us then puts our "gift" in an envelope with our name on. (to keep it private and personal) We keep it sealed until the next year, when we read it and see how well we did.
Oh Denise, I love your blog. I love reading that your children are crazy, because mine are INSANE. Seriously! I was cracking up at the talking back, kicking thing you wrote. What is up with these children! I always wonder what I'm doing wrong...
Anyway, a couple of our traditions are, we make gingerbread houses together and make/decorate Christmas shaped sugar cookies. The gingerbread houses we just do out of graham crackers and frosting, the have sprinkles and candy to decorate. They get eaten during the process...but it's still fun! We also go out one night and look for Christmas lights. We go to the temple of course, b/c the Mesa temple has a lights display, but we also drive around looking at the lights. It's fun!
Oh, one more, I made sure to get a play nativity set for the kids to play with during Christmas. We have the Little People set.) Then I tell them the story with it when I bring it out, and they get to play with it all during December. That way they remember why we have Christmas!
I can't believe 5 years ago you were just engaged to Scott! Seems like just last month!!! Sad how fast time flies! I miss you guys like crazy, I wish so bad you were in SNOWY Rexburg (although this year is much nicer than last years horrible winter!) We love you!
OK, I LOVE this post. Thank you, thank you for making me feel a little better about my mothering as well. You mean it is normal for kids to throw fits?! :) Sometimes being a mother is so hard, but how can it also be so wonderful at the same time!? Thanks for your insight. It really lifted me today
That ornament-giving Christmas tradition is SUCH a great idea! I would love to do something like that with my children as well.
Thanks for sharing your random musings, it's nice to hear these snippets of what's going on in your life! :)
Hey, did you guys get hit with that terrible ice storm! I've been thinking about you since I've heard about it. I hope you're ok!!
Did you know it really didn't start snowing here until the 2ND WEEK OF DECEMBER! Crazy for Rexburg!!!!
(However, it has snowed ever since :) )
I love your Christmas tradition as well! The one you got for Scott is so dang cute, where do you find such individual ornaments?
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Yes, Jeremy and I would love to take a trip down there and see you guys. We'll be planning more vacations in the next couple of months so I'll let you know :)
I remember looking at those pictures that you and Scott took . . .it doesn't seem that long ago. Hope you have a Merry Christmas!
Denisse... I need your address to send you a Christmas card. Please email me at: sarahisateacher@gmail.com. I hope that everything is going well for you. Merry Christmas! :)
Yes, Saturday is the big day! Thank you for keeping him in your prayers!! We will let you know how it goes!
You know Denisse, Scott jumped out of the car and cracked his head open when he was little. While it may be debateable I think he did eventually turn out ok. Hopefully, Braden turns out the same.
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