Family Time and Winter Break

GRRR!!!! I'M VERY FRUSTRATED WITH BLOGGER RIGHT NOW!  THE NEW EDITING PROGRAM IS JUST NOT MAKING ME HAPPY!  So hopefully this isn't too random and I finally got everything in order.  Enjoy our Christmas!

Melissa, Ben and Braden came down on Christmas day. We had lots of fun as always opening presents together. The little ones especially liked helping grandpa pass out the gifts. My brothers and father do not want their pictures on my "dumb blog" so I will spare them and all you blog readers and not post any of their Christmas morning pictures....but here are the cute boys :)

Present from Santa - big car rug and hot wheels cars. I'm hoping that in our new house he'll put this in the middle of his bedroom floor and play quietly for hours :)

Present from Grandma and Grandpa (in case my child needs more injuries in his first three years of life)

Later that afternoon we got together with my mom's family. About 50 people! That's 2 grandparents, 14 siblings or in-laws and 29 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren (there are more grand and great-grand, they just weren't in attendance) Keaton was a little camera happy. Sorry peeps if this is not your best pic but it's not to bad for a 3 year old boy

Papa getting a little white elephant advice.

Hugh, Jamie and Cassie Levi

Lindsay Levi

Christina Levi

Our family really does not enjoy having their pictures taken too much but it makes my mom happy to have us all together. So here is the family pic...unedited, not photo shopped, just they way we all really looked one night without much notice.

Yikes! Well at least we're all together!

A few other winter break activities. Keaton and I watched some large dogs (or maybe small horses) for a weekend. He loved it, though he did get a bit scared when they were excited.

Nothing like looking a dog it the eye!

We also took a trip to the zoo. That membership has now officially more than paid for itself. Braden had never been to a big zoo just an aviary and Keaton always loves the animals. It was fun to have grandma and grandpa along too. What a nice morning!

It's been a bit of a crazy year.  Welcome 2010!

Tis the Season

What a busy time of year...here's what's been keeping me up til all hours of the night :)

Weekend 1-

It started on the 4th with a lovely work party. Yummy Someburros and other treats and a nice time with friends.

Then came the ward party on the 5th. A hayride where on the way we pass wise men and shepherds and Mary and Joseph and end out in a stable. Very nice (we had done the same last year with just the relief society but with the combining wards and the rest of the family it was still new and beautiful).

Weekend 2 -

On the 12th we started the morning with a Pancake Breakfast at school. I was there by 6:45 to set up and start cooking. Keaton came later but didn't want to eat and cried for Santa. ( I think he was feeling sick)

Sorry for the bad pics girls, I'm blaming the cafeteria lighting!

Later that night,I went to a co-workers house for a boat parade. They live on a lake and most people decorated the back of their house and they also decorated their boats. It was a nice ride around the lake and fun to see all the festivities. Wish I had remembered my camera, or not been too lazy to go get it out of my car. It was so beautiful.

Weekend 3 -

This was the last week of school. So finishing projects, buying gifts for co-workers, planning for the class party etc was a bit crazy. Then came a busy weekend again. I was invited to two parties my friend Liz from softball was having a girls night white elephant party. It was nice and relaxing I won a small prize for being able to write the names of Santa's reindeer the fastest. Then during the white elephant I a round brush, nail polish, a headband, and a few other small cosmetic things. I had to leave that party early to head to the next. My next party was forever far (Crismon and McKellips) at my friend Vicki's house from work. Met a lot of nice people and enjoyed being out by the fire. While there I got the call about Keaton's latest accident...Josh wasn't too worried about it so I didn't rush home but I did pick Keaton up just to check on him and made the executive decision to go to urgent care. I call it "Stitches 3.2" (3 years old, 2nd set of stitches).

A late night at urgent care was followed by my ward Christmas program on Sunday. I am the choir director and our normal chorister was gone so I also led all the other hymns...standing up in front of people 6 times is not my idea of fun. But the program turned out well thanks to help from all my choir member, a friend who played the viola and the people who red the narration so wonderfully. Boy am I glad that is in the past.

Well that leads me to this week. Hooray for time off. A trip to the zoo (Keaton and 12 girls..3 not pictured)

Gingerbread houses which he stops being interested in 5 minutes and I have to finish.

Fun with cousins

Shopping

Baking (I only made the peanut butter blossoms with refrigerated dough, the others my mom did)

and more.

I am excited for my sisters family to come into town on Christmas day and for the boys to play with each other. Despite all the craziness that sometimes comes with this season of the year, I am also in remembrance of the reason for the season and thankful to my Heavenly Father for the gift of his Son Jesus Christ my savior and redeemer. I am also very thankful for my family. The bond we share and the way we strive to help one another. I look forward to a wonderful Christmas day with them.

Oh Christmas Tree...

My mom loves the smell of a fresh tree. So every year it's a big ordeal to pick out just the right tree. My dad likes Noble Fir...kind of expensive for a tall one. Mom likes her trees to be really full so we usually end up with a Douglas Fir. They take lots of time unwrapping and shaking out trees, looking to make sure the trunks are straight, etc. They often go to 2 or 3 places just to find a nice one. This year Keaton had an opinion too. Of course he wanted a little one, just the same as him :) The process can be a little long, but it's all worth while when you come home with a lovely Christmas Tree.


First we tried our luck at a nursery.

Then we tried a tree lot.

Finally made it home with a nice tree

Finished product...scarce on ornaments for some reason this year.

Thanksgiving Preparation

Lots of things going on to get ready for Thanksgiving. At school we made little turkeys out of nuts, yes that is a walnut and a peanut cute huh? Keaton finger painted this cup turkey centerpiece for us.

One night last week we made food treats. First we made some apple turkeys. A yummy snack, though we made three and I'm not sure we even ate one.

Also we made this Harvest Blessing Mix we gave it to his teachers (6) at school and my V.T. people. This is the mix pre-label. I made a little label to fold over the top of the bags. Here is the basics of the mix, though I worded it better on the tag.


The Bugels represent a cornucopia-horn of plenty
Pretzels-arms folded in prayers of thanks
Dried Fruits - The fruits of the harvest.
Sunflower seeds - the promise of a bountiful harvest next year,
Candy corn - reminder of faith of pilgrims, when they each had 5 kernels per day to eat.

Last Sunday I subbed in singing time at church. I made this turkey and hid the feathers with songs for junior primary and had senior think of a blessing and a song to go with it to write on their feathers. Keaton wanted to have the big turkey so we turned it into FHE the next day. These are some of the many things our family is grateful for.

Keaton wanted to write too, so I told him the letters and he wrote them. Not bad for a kid who's not even 3 and a half yet! In case you can't tell it says trees and clothes. The "s" looks like a 3, we'll have to work on that. And in clothes the 'H' is on top of the 'T' so it's hard to see all the letters but what do you expect from those little hands especially using a big marker and not sitting at the table.

I am thankful to have so much fun with my little boy although sometimes it's more fun for me and forced fun for him! I am also very thankful for his health and how smart the little stinker is :)

Veteran's Day

Nice to have a day off in the middle of the week. To spend time being silly together. Also, we went to Rainforest Cafe for lunch.

Thanks to all those who have served and continue to serve our coutries and who fight for the freedoms I enjoy every day.

Stitches Updated

Stitches were in about 8 days. Keaton did pretty good. Started to use his hand a bit more after the 4th day. Even went to some birthday parties. Swung a bat at pinatas and dug in the sand. When they came out it looked pretty nasty and the top skin all dried up and peeled off but now it's just a big pink spot and I'm sure years down the road a scar on his palm will be no big deal :)



Waiting for the nurse.

Right before they were removed

Right after they were removed.

Birthday Day

Last weekend ago we had a whole day of partying. Keaton loved to play of course. Matthew's party was at Carraige Lane park. It was a construciton theme they each got the Home Depot aprons with the hat to decorate and the hammer also crayons to work on the castle. Keaton loved every minute of it especially playing in the sand.

Earlier that morning we had been at Kamryn's party. This was a princess tea party. The girls made fancy princess hats and the boys made crowns. She had some dress up clothes for the kids, Keaton had a tie on at one point. Then the wind and the rain came. We quickly packed up the cars and headed back to their house. We finished up with some games and cake.