Christmas Has Come and Gone!

We had a really great Christmas! We enjoyed spending time with family and lots of great food. Too much good food! We recieved really nice gifts. The kids got way too much, of course. But they seemed to be very greatful and have been content playing with their new toys and their Nintendo DS that Santa brought them. I think they are starting to get bored and are ready to go back to school. I am ready too.

I have really enjoyed the holidays, but now I'm ready for things to get back to normal. The kids are out of school this week too and Travis is off of work all week. I may be ready to pull my hair out by the end of the week. I'm going to try to stay positive and enjoy this time with my wonderful husband and my precious children! Hope you all had a great Christmas and enjoy this last week of 2009!!!

Merry Christmas

I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I'm About To Lose My Mind!

I really am a homebody at heart. I love being at home and I love being here with my kids. But I have not been anywhere since Thursday. Usually I would be fine with that, except I have five kids here today. Only two of which are my own. I get a few kids off the bus everyday and I have them on days when school is closed too. So they we're here Friday, Monday and today and will be here again tomorrow and all next week.

I'm about to go crazy. They are so loud and all boys except poor little Emma. She is so left out. They all brought their snow clothes and boots to play outside all day. They were out for about 20 minutes and came inside because it was too cold. What big babies. They just wanted to come inside and drive me up the wall. Please wish me luck on keeping my sanity for the next few days and being able to feed them. I don't know how people with lots of kids do it. These kids eat more than grown men. I just wonder what I get myself into sometimes!!! They really are good kids though, I just have to remember they are kids and boys will be boys!!!!

More Snow Pics!!

I couldn't upload all the pictures that I wanted too in one post. Here are a few more random things!

I caught Cody and Chi-Chi sitting in the middle of the road this morning. I guess it was the only place that was packed down.

My hubby was "working" hard to shovel the driveway. Am I the only one that likes a man in coveralls:)

This is our snow covered grill!!

This is how the floor beside the front door looks after a day of snowy fun!!!! By the way its still there. I have no energy to tackle it tonight!!

Snow, Snow, and More Snow!!!!

We are part of the huge snow storm that slammed the East. We were expected to get up to 24 inches by tonight. I think the total we got here was around 19 inches. Thats a lot of snow. People were stranded all over the interstate for hours. Travis left work at midnight last night and made it home at four a.m. It took him four hours to drive home it normally only takes one hour. But he made it home safe and sound and didn't attempt to go today. Hopefully he will be able to make it okay tomorrow.

The chickens aren't fans of snow. I don't think they like cold feet!

Colton was tired from walking up the hill three times to sled. He had to take a break.

My little snow angel!!!


I think someone has been eating snow!!



The snowman building didn't work too good so she just jumped on it!

We didn't get to do much sledding, because it was so deep and it was hard to walk up the big hill. Our two four wheelers wouldn't go, even in four wheel drive they just spun. My parents were going to come down to ride tubes behind the four wheelers but it was just too deep for that. The kids still had fun running and jumping in the snow.

I had fun taking pictures with my new camera. It was my early Christmas present from my in-laws and I love it. It's a Nikon Coolpix S230. It's the kind that Ashton Kutcher advertises with the touch screen on the back. It's really cool and the selling point for me, its my favorite color, purple!!! Thanks Lloyd and Becky I love it.

Have We Forgotten The True Meaning Of Christmas?

It has took me a long time to get into the Christmas spirit this year. It seems like just yesterday the kids were just returning to school and now in just over a week its going to be Christmas.

We have never been ones to buy for our kids all the time. Of course they have so much and have never been without anything, but it seems the older they get the more expensive the gifts get. In the past we have only spent $100 a piece on them for Christmas and $50 for birthdays. This has always seemed like a reasonable amount. Sometimes we might spend just a little more on one than the other but they always have the same amount of gifts to open.

This year we went way over. We ended up spending around $225 a piece. I have felt so bad because they aren't going to have many presents to open and I wish we could buy them more. Then after reading different blogs tonight on handmade gifts or only spending $20 for each kid. It really made me think. Why do I stress so much about trying to get them the newest gadget that all of their friends have. I want them to know the true meaning of Christmas.

They know about the birth of Jesus. But do they truly understand the sacrifice that God made for us. He sent this baby to Earth for us. He knew that this child was perfect and only through him could we go to heaven. This child was going to go through a terrible death for you and me.

Do my kids really get it? Do I really get it?

I was so disappointed in Emma when she made out her Christmas list for "Santa". She wanted a real pony (ha, ha), a nintendo ds with girl games, a computer, an ipod, new shoes, new snow boots and gold earrings. She is only six years old. Of course I know every little girl wants a pony and I would love her to have one. But come on a computer and ipod. What made me so upset about this letter was she wrote on the bottom I want all of these things for Christmas. When I told her she couldn't get all these things for Christmas she said well Santa will bring me everything that I want. I think its time to have the "Santa" talk.

I don't want them to think that Santa will bring everything to them. I don't want them to expect everything even when they get older. I want them to be grateful for what they do have and to remember those kids that don't have anything this year. I want them to remember the kids that have a parent fighting in the war or kids that don't have any family at all. Remember all the people that have lost their homes in this bad economy. The kids that don't know where their next meal will come from or the ones that dream of a warm bed to sleep in at night.

We need to stress the true meaning of Christmas to our children. I don't want spoiled brats that expect everything. I want them to be kind, caring and giving kids that grow up to be kind, caring, giving adults. I no longer feel bad for them only having a few presents to open, I now feel ashamed for spending too much money just to keep up with everyone else.

I think next year we should have a $50 limit for Christmas and let the kids buy gifts to donate for charity, or do something for others to give back. I want them to know the true meaning of Christmas!!!!

P.S. Don't get me wrong I have great kids that don't get new stuff a lot and don't ask a lot. I do love buying for them, but I just think we all need to take a step back and remember the real reason for the season!!!!

Finally Put The Tree Up!

Emma and I finally put the Christmas tree up today! Now I don't feel like such a scrooge. I have all of the kids Christmas presents pretty much taken care of and only a few more people to buy for. So I'm getting a little more of the Christmas spirit.

My little helper. She was really into decorating the Christmas tree this year!

This is my most special ornament. It was my dad's mothers and its really old and very fragile. I always put it close to the top of my tree and guard it with my life all Christmas. The kids aren't allowed anywhere near it. Emma thinks its really special and I told her when she gets married I will give it to her for her first tree. She said she hopes it doesn't get broke. Me too!

My beautiful Charlie Brown tree!!

The angel on the top was made by husbands grandmother!

I have no theme when it comes to decorating my tree. I just put all of the ornaments that I have on there. Most of them have been given to us since we got married and alot of them are ones that the kids have made or that have been given to them. Its so fun unwrapping ornaments and finding ones that I have forgotten about. Emma loved helping this year and you can tell she puts alot of ornaments in one area. I don't care about it being perfect anyway!