Merry Christmas 2022

Merry Chrismtas!

It has been so fun to have the boys home. One day in particular was my favorite -- we decorated cookies while watching the Muppet Christmas Carol and I had this overwhelming feeling of how wonderful it is to have four kiddos who are still kiddos. Still fully into the magic of Christmas, still up for anything, still so fun to do these little things with. I just loved it.

We all started getting sick again, which was a bummer. Asher first, then Camden, then I started coming down with it -- felt like the exact same thing that I had over Thanksgiving and I have to say I did not love being so sick while making both Thanksgiving and Christmas meals this year. I really hope this round doesn't last as long as last round. 

Santa brought some fun! Michael is ready for camping with a new cast iron dutch oven and some accessories for that, plus a new basketball. I have a nice new bundt pan that was very needed, and some other odds and ends I've been wanting. Westin loved getting a microscope from Grandma and Grandpa Daetwyler, and Bennett loved his ant farm from them, too. Camden was asking for a school bus for weeks leading up to Christmas and was stoked to find one on the tree. Bennett and Westin got some zip up bedding that I am more excited about than they are and that is just fine :) Plus I gave them some stars for their ceiling that glow, so they'll have some cozy nights ahead. I grew up with the same stars on my ceiling and I really, really loved them.

Church on Christmas Sunday is so wonderful. I really love when the calendar works out like that.

We had such a great Christmas together. A puppy is.... a lot. A lot a lot. But this is just a special stage even with all the chaos.

Luna + the snow is so funny.

Haha Benny boy. 

Christmas cookies while we watched the Muppet Christmas Carol!
This was one of my favorite moments all Christmas season.
Even when sprinkles were spilled all over the floor. I was in Christmas zen mode.
I wish I could keep that mode more often haha.

Our Christmas counter.
It's getting out of control.

These advents. They just love them.

His cousins gave him some cute Christmas pajamas!

Rudolph breakfast for Christmas Eve.

The eyes were just cracking me up. Like, this is exactly how moms feel Christmas morning, I think.

Christmas Eve bowling & awkward poses.

Decided to make them even more awkward haha.
Our kids were embarrassed of us. They really weren't though.

Fun to get out of the house on Christmas Eve!

Plates of food are rarely attractive but I like remembering our holiday meals.
We did salmon and shrimp on Christmas Eve and Tri-tip for Christmas dinner.

Tried a new Christmas breakfast, a cranberry orange Christmas star. This is pre-second raise.

Santa really nailed my stocking this year.

Santa came before 10pm this year which was my favorite Christmas miracle.

Pre-Santa...

Post-Santa.

Luna was the main thing under the tree this year, so had to get one with her.

Not the prettiest bake but this was fun! It looked better after powdered sugar.

To Puppy, from Bear (the Cannon's dog). So cute :)

This is at 9:28 and we got to church by 10:02, be impressed.

Christmas on Sunday is one of my absolute favorite things.

When Santa brings #4 a repeat toy and it's verrrrrry needed.
I so relate to this lawn mower.

Teaching Westin a favorite childhood game.

Westin's Not Throwing Away His Shot

 

The cuteness here. I just love it.

She's a sweetheart. She's also crazy.

Shelley sent Michael a plant for Christmas that doesn't need to be watered.
I sent her this thank you picture and told her it will be the easiest thing to keep alive in this picture.

Did we get our puppy a puppy? Yes.
Is that kind of ridiculous? Maybe. 
But it has a heartbeat and supposedly helps them sleep on their own, and if four kids have taught me anything it's that potential sleep is worth throwing money at.

This cute kid is getting more comfortable around her every day. 

Beading some Christmas candy canes and wreaths.

They love crafts. My friend Erik Wilson married a darling girl who sells holiday boxes full of ready-to-go crafts and it is so worth it for me to get those for Halloween and Christmas, and fun to support an awesome business run by a mom.

This face. I won't post this many pictures of her every week. It's just her first full week around here, so I have to.

We went to the Spring Creek Gardens light display,
and I had this feeling while walking behind my boys that this Christmas is just full on magical.
They are all at the stage of loving the magic, and it's just a special time. I love them.

Camden asked for a school bus.
Westin asked for football cards.
Asher smiled.
And Bennett couldn't think of anything.
When I asked him later if he'd had any ideas come to mind he said,
"I just kept thinking of a puppy... but I got one!"

We grabbed neighbor gifts at Trader Joe's this year instead of doing toffee.
I feel like Covid has made people stop enjoying other people's kitchens...
But I gotta make a pan of toffee for us at least. On the to do list.
Camden got stickers at the checkout there and he said, "I'm going to save these for daddy!"

I now get three babies down for a nap instead of two,
and that's.... a lot.
It's just a season :)

Teresa always does gingerbread houses for the boys with her granddaughters and it's so sweet.
They are moving in February and I cry if I think about it too much.

I found a new favorite roll recipe. I made them for Thanksgiving and our Christmas ward party and they turn out really well!
(It's this recipe + an egg wash)

I've had bread struggles in the past so I just never take these successes for granted :)

Sweet Benny boy being a shepherd at the ward party.

This activity was really funny.
Trying to draw a Christmas scene with step by step directions without looking.

Taking Luna for a spin.

For Christmas this year my mom has been sending activities each week for the boys to do and they've really loved it. This build-a-truck thing was really fun, even after they took it all apart because I did the very first step wrong :) These activities are meant for Michael.

This was such a sweet moment.
Westin is the smallest kiddo on his basketball team of 2nd and 3rd graders. The hoops are not lowered for them and he's worked hard this season. Four of the boys on his team, including him, hadn't scored yet this season and Saturday was their last game.
Their coach has a goal to get everyone to score this season so they really focused on each boy at a time who needed to score. Each time one of them did everyone was so excited for them. It came down to the last 3 minutes of the game and Westin being the last boy who hadn't scored a basket. My heart was kind of dying at the pressure I knew he was feeling, and they worked to get the ball to him but lost it in the process a few times. Then he got open under the basket and the coach's son, who is such a little baller, got the ball to him. Westin took a shot and missed and my heart was seriously stressed for him. Then Hank got the rebound and got it straight back to Westin, who took another shot, and sunk it. The whole team was so excited for him and for all of them together and it just made my heart so happy. It was a great season.

This game also marked our first experience with an insane parent. A dad on the other team (of an 8-year-old basketball game...) was going crazy the whole game, getting mad at the refs, so mad at how well our coach's son was playing and the fact that our coach never took him out of this game (first time he's done that). The coach had him in there the whole time because he was so intent on getting those last 4 boys to make a shot, and his son took that to heart. He was doing all he could to get those boys the ball the whole time. It was really sweet to watch, and I couldn't believe it afterwards when this guy went up and yelled at our coach in front of all our excited boys who'd just crushed a goal together. Our coach handled it so well and waved him off but the guy then proceeded to go find this coach's WIFE and yell at her in front of her 3-year-old. Just beyond ridiculous. Michael went between them and told him to back off and told him off for being so inappropriate. Later he told me, "I was holding Asher, so... figured he wouldn't hit me. Hopefully." Haha I was passing out gatorades and cheez-its and missed that half of the excitement, but I am just so sad some kids have parents who have never become grown-ups. Vicious cycle. I didn't plan on writing all that... but it was just a memorable moment because so many feelings happened in such a short amount of time. Westin had never really seen an adult act like that and had to ask me questions about it so many times that day. I just can't believe that is already starting at 2nd grade rec league games... so ridiculous. But I keep watching this video of Westin scoring and feeling so happy for him and his cute team! They ended the season undefeated and had a great time playing together.