Homemade Christmas

This year we decide that it would be fun to have the kids make their gifts for each other. They really were excited about it. Cambrie made a book for Tatum and Jake with a story called "Our House". After you draw the pictures and write the story, you send it off and it's typed and bound into an actual book. It turned out great. Jake had a little help with his gift. Dad helped him make a shooting target for the girls to use. It was perfect because Cambrie got a pink BB gun for Christmas and Tatum got a nerf gun. The target has hanging animals and is backed with a bullet-proof panel. We've had it in our backyard and Cambrie continues to showcase her amazing shooting skills.

Tatum made plates for Tatum and Jake. Here is Jake opening his plate.

Here is Tatum opening up one of her gifts. Of course not everything was homemade. We had a wonderful Christmas and loved that the kids really seemed to learn the spirit of giving through making their own gifts.

Christmas Craftiness

On Christmas Eve the kids made ornaments and decorated sugar cookies.
This year I bought a storage container for each of them to put their own ornaments in as we packed up our decorations. They thought that was the best thing ever. Then next year, they can each put their own ornaments on the tree without confusion. I'm planning on putting their name and year on these to add to their collection.

We took the glass craft ornaments and put a little acrylic paint, in a few different colors in, then swirl it around. Each of them turned out completely unique.

Getting ready to start decorating the cookies. We had nearly 6 dozen and every one of them was eaten. Yikes!

Jake just couldn't get enough sprinkles on his cookies.

The Box. . .

It's decided~I'm telling Santa no need for anything but boxes this year. We received a package today. After I took the items out, I set the box and the packing in the kitchen. The kids have played with it all day. They started out just dragging each other around in it, then decided to make a fort out of it by cutting a door and skylights. Of course it needed to be decorated too.

Then of course only Tatum would figure out that she could use the packaging too~so this is how she was running around the house. That crazy girl.

Pumpkin Carving

The kids kept asking and asking when we were going to carve pumpkins, so to say they were excited would be quite an understatement. Jason cut off the lids, let them clean them out, then they drew the face and we carved whatever they drew. They turned out great and they loved having them lit up on the porch.

Jake deep in thought. This is his new favorite hat.
Tater loved the mess. Surprise, surprise.
Still fishing for pumpkin guts.

Jake's finished pumpkin.

Tatum's finished pumpkin.

Cambrie's Jack-o-lantern.

Anti-Cancer Party ~ Woo hoo!

Jason's Mom got the good news that she was in total remission so when she said she was coming to visit for the weekend, we decided to have an Anti-Cancer Party. The kids made decorations. I didn't get pictures with the decorations, but Cambrie drew one that was so cute. It was a picture of a Hospital and Grandma walking away saying, "Bye, bye! I'm all better!"

That night after Grandma arrived we headed to O'Rourkes for a celebration dinner.

Cambrie got a brownie sundae for dessert and wasn't sharing with anyone.
Tatum and Jake digging into their sundae.

Grandma and the kiddos.

Me and Jason.

Getting ready for the chicks!

Jason's been working hard building a coop for the chicks we are soon getting, so we thought we would pitch in by decorating the inside.

Easter Eggs . . .

Oh, the excitement of coloring eggs! What an adventure. I was glad to see that I actually was able to get some use out of my lab coats from hygiene school.

Jake just loved everything about coloring eggs, but mostly dropping them in the cups. The 'cracked' design was by far the most popular for him.

The finished products. Too bad none of us really eat hard boiled eggs!

Enjoying the Little Things . . .

I've had a hard time keeping the blog updated, but the last several weeks have been great. We're making a huge effort to find joy and happiness in the little things this year. There are so many amazing things right around us each day, but all too often we get caught up in the craziness of life. At any rate, we've really been enjoying the winter and each other. We've given ourselves a challenge to come up with activities for the family that can cost very little, or better yet, nothing at all. Most of our adventures weren't caught on film, but here are a few:

Homemade Valentine's ~ A huge mess, but sooo much fun! This was made by Cambrie {all on her own} for a boy in her class. Needless to say, Jason is now having him investigated. Tatum & her friend Sophia ~Tatum would eat snow all day long if I let her. She got a snow cone machine for her birthday in June, but the new thing is to run out back and fill a cup with super fine snow and drench it with snow cone syrup. Jason pulling Cambrie and Tater ~The girls love the tube rides and Hershey loves to chase after them.

Snowshoeing & X Country Skiing ~ Jason retrofitted my bike trailer with skis so that we could take the kids with. An ingenius idea, but so much more of a workout than we bargained for.

Jake ~ Enough said. He's at that oh so fun age and everything that comes out of his mouth is just hilarious. For some reason, this is the only hat he will wear. I fear he'll be 12 and still insisting on wearing this same hat. He just makes my days so unpredictable. You gotta love it. I spared you the picture of him dancing buck in Cambrie's shoes. Amazingly beautiful days & views! ~ By the way, that's our teeter totter barely sticking out of the snow.

Cross Country Skiing

Soakin' up the sun on the back deck!

Movie & Popcorn night! ~ We used the air popper for the first time and the kids were so enthralled! Tatum tells everyone that comes over about our "magic popcorn maker."

Jake Working Out ~ As I've worked hard to get back in shape before our upcoming trip, it's nice to know that I have support from my family.

My favorite ~ Jake is obsessed with glasses and is always putting on whatever spectacles he can find. He wore these for dinner the other night. Like I said, unpredictable.

So many fun moments.

Joy is not in things; it is in us.

~Richard Wagner