'Tis the Season...

...to be jolly and busy! As soon as Thanksgiving was over the busy, festive season began. I love Christmas time and hate how fast it goes by. This is my birthday month (I will be 33 on the 16th) I have actually gotten to the point where sometimes I don't remember how old I am! I lost track after I hit 30. I also started getting gray hairs after 30 :{ We had an early birthday party this weekend for me because the boys will gone on my actual birthday. They will be heading up to Whistler with Jeremy's parents on Tuesday. Jeremy, Jordan and I will drive up on Thursday. The Baker's have a time share there which we haven't used in years. The boys will be getting their first ski lessonss which will be fun to watch! Jeremy will snowboard a little and Jordan and I will take in the sites. The great part about this trip is Uncle Brad will be with us. He flew over from Washington D.C. for Christmas. We don't see him much so its always a treat for everyone when he is here. Just like when my little sister comes to visit from Montana.

Right when the Christmas festivities were to begin I came down with strep throat. I had never had such swollen, tender lymph nodes. I got some antibiotics and kept going because we had the Polar Express to ride and a Christmas tree to get that weekend. Luckily no one else got it.

Jeremy has been home since Thanksgiving which the boys and I love. It will be hard to have him leave again when work gets busy after the new year. Its one extreme or the other. He is so helpful around the house its awesome.

Jordan is walking 100% of the time now! I could just watch him walk around the house all day. He is so cute! He loves his big brothers and their toys. I decided to continue nursing him through the cold and flu season to help keep him healthier. We have started his Gymboree class and he loves it. They have a great teacher and program, its worth the 25 min. drive to get there.

Ashton has been taking a sports class with his Mimi Janet. He loves it and its fun for him to spend time with his Mimi. He also had his preschool Christmas concert last week. He would sing his songs at home but the boys would never actually sing when they got on stage. At least they looked cute all dress up :)

Kevin is learning how to read and can read simple stories now! He loves to learn which is awesome. He got his first report card and got all great scores. In his Kindergarten class they had a sticker chart, for those kids that were good all day in class, they would get a sticker. Kevin and one girl in his class were the only two kids to get all ten stickers! (there are 22 students total).

Jeremy and I hosted the first (and hopefully) annual neighborhood Christmas party on Friday. We sent the big boys to Mimi & Papa's and enjoyed the company of all the adults in the neighborhood without the kids. Everyone we invited came and we had a great time eating, drinking and exchanging white elephant gifts. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful neighbors!

This year we decided to adopt a family from Open House Ministries for Christmas. I have wanted to do this for a long time. My family actually benefited once when I was a child from a family adopting us. Every year it always comes down to "we can't afford it" I decided that if we can pay our bills every month, then that's a lot more then these homeless families can do. Yes we are in debt, but we can pay our bills and that was enough for me to say, in the words of John Bishop "We can't do everything. We have to do something." I have complete faith that God will provide for us. “If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?” 1 John 3:17. This family consists of a single mother my age with a 17 yr. old daughter and a 3 yr. old son. The boys have helped me pick out things for the son. I really want them to be aware of how blessed they are and not take that for granted.

Here are some pictures from our recent adventures on the Polar Express train, getting our Christmas tree and decorating the house and Ashton all dressed up for his concert. Hope you all are having a fun season as well. Now I'm off to start wrapping presents!

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"Why to the North Pole of course!"

Waiting to board the Polar Express train. Hood River to the North Pole in an hour and a half!

You've got to have the matching Christmas jammies of course :) One of the fun things about having multiple children of the same sex is you can dress them the same.

Looking at the lights at the "North Pole"

The conductor punched their tickets just like in the movie so that all the little pieces would fall on the boys like snow.

Santa came on the train and greeted every child. They each sat on his lap and told him what they wanted for Christmas. Kevin: Transformer "Scorpinok." Ashton: cars and trains.

Jordan was distracted at first by Santa's cool ring but soon wanted to know who the heck this guy holding him was!

Jordan singing Christmas carols

High Fives from Santa. Merry Christmas Santa, see you next year!

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When I downloaded these pictures I did it backwards (by accident), so you get to see the tree cutting and transformation in reverse :) I love decorating the tree. I would love having a sparkly tree up all year long!

Silly Jordan.

Jordan loved "helping" decorate the tree. He would get a silver ball out of the box and set it on the tree then come back for more.

Admiring his handiwork.

Ashton and Kevin put on their "First Christmas" ornaments and some Star Wars ornaments. I tried not to cringe when they put Darth Mal right next to my pretty snowflakes :{

Jordan checking out the tree after we got it into the house.

So hungry after getting the tree he got a hold of the baguette.

Ashton carried the saw...

and Kevin helped carry the tree.

Here Dad had just cut down the tree and Kevin was trying to save Ashton from getting clobbered by the tree.

Watching Dad cut down the tree.

Our perfect tree for this year.

Some of our other Christmas decor...

I will leave you with my handsome Ashton, ready for his preschool concert. 3 1/2 years old.

p.s.
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