Birthday Time!

 Wow another birthday!  I'm grateful I'm still around to be with my family and see my kids grow up.  It's weird heading further into my 40s, but glad I have the chance to have this life experience. 

Before we jump in, some after Christmas photos.  Elden's been having fun with his bow and arrow. 

Shanna got in on it too, and Cal's been out there with his bow and arrow as well. 

Haley makes some delicious hot cocoa.  Which we've enjoyed many times.  Thanks Haley!

Elden has also been having fun with his drone and is getting better at flying it around.  

Deborah got us these cute signs for a hot chocolate area.  So cute!  I had fun putting them out Christmas day.  We bought some marshmallows the day after Christmas to complete the "look". 

Not a charcuterie board, but yumminess either way. 

My favorite Elden!  Life is great with him around.  He's such a joy. 

Haley is quite creative and made this homemade candle on a whim one night.  So cool! 

The Christmas ghost down the street....

On Monday after Christmas we all went to Hilendale Park to get a COVID test.  Fun that we all got tested for COVID in 2020!  A memory for the journal!  We wanted to travel to Pennsylvania for New Year's but couldn't go there with out a negative test result...cue finding a free COVID testing site for the whole family.  Thankfully we found one.  And we all tested negative.  YAY!

Haley has made crepes a couple of times and did them all by herself!  She's getting great in the kitchen. Elden helped her out one morning.  Something we like to put in our sweet crepes is pudding. 

Cal got out his telescope he recieved for Christmas.  He'll have to pull it out more often.  Maybe when it's warmer out? 

Such a pretty up-close veiw of the moon!

Haley strikes again...a fun Christmas tree picture she painted.  I need to have her paint two big paintings to hang in the family room during Christmas. 

Okay, my birthday did actually happen!  We were at home that day which was nice.  Normally we are celebrating with family and with my brother Darrell, whose birthday is the day before mine.  But I chatted with him on his birthday and he called me on mine which was really fun.  And then we saw him the next day for New Year's.  It's a big long party over the holidays!  And my dad's birthday is Christmas Eve!

Shanna did a cute set up of some little gifts for me and some homemade chocolate covered coconut balls.  YUM. 

Just a quick throw-in, Haley painted a box with a Magic theme. 

My sister Lena sent me some flowers!  I was not expecting this and it was such a fun surprise!  She also called me as well! My parents and Lee's parents sent cards and money which is always very fun and my parents called, along with my brother Darrell. I called him the day before on his birthday and then he called me the very next day on mine, which was very thoughtful.  One of my sisters also called me and left a message which I appreciated!  I was disappointed and upset that my other sisters didn't call.  They texted me happy birthday.  I had made a big effort for their recent birthdays.  I think birthdays are so fun and I like to get people little gifts and what not.  One sister I drove to her house to be with her on her birthday and brought her a gift. My other sister I did a day trip, fed everyone lunch and gave a gift.  Not that I need repayment...it's just hard putting forth effort in a relationship even with my sisters and it's not really reciprocated. A little something more than a text would have been much appreciated. 

The beautiful flowers from Lena!

Lee got me some fun flowers as well, which I also was not expecting!

Shanna making more coconut balls because they're just so tasty. 

Clark did some work on his drone that day.  He is still having some issues with it but got some things resolved which was good!

I went on a jog that morning and watched Elden fly his drone for a little bit.  

The snowpile keeps living on!  Though at the time of writing it is now completely melted. Though the one at Lee's office is actually still there!

I picked up some Chinese takeout for my birthday dinner!

Time for the party which happened in two parts.  Elden refused to be in the picture. 

Shanna made this cute card.  

Amy got me a yummy Dove candy bar!  I love Dove dark chocolate.  So good. 

Lee gave me some earrings and a blue light for gel nailpolish.  I'm not sure what it's called!

We had an intermission with a Doctor Who movie and then had double chocolate cheesecake!  Lee did a great job baking it.  He put my candles in a piece of bread on top of my cheesecake. 

Amazing stuff. 

It was a nice day on my birthday. A handful of people contacted me through messages or texting that I wasn't expecting which was so thoughtful. I really enjoyed having just our family at home on Lee's birthday and wanted the same for my birthday.  It worked out great this year.  I think we'll do the same again next year.  And more partying to come!  We get to head to PA for New Years!  YAY!   

Christmas Day!

One of the best days of the year arrived...Christmas!  There was a little contest going on with a couple of my sisters of who was most excited about Christmas.  I think Shanna won!  She's been squealing and jumping about it for days leading up to Christmas.  I love that my kids still love Christmas and I feel like it's still magical for them.  I think it helps too that we never do "Santa".  I like Santa and Santa stories for sure. But I've told my kids ever since they were little that Santa is not real. The idea of him is fun, but that's it.  He's a fake. It seems many people have to redirect thier kids on what the real meaning of Christmas is--about celebrating the birth of Christ.  So, why not start teaching that from the beginning?!  Why even get Santa involved?  Again I'm not anti-Santa but I've never led my kids to believe in him and outright say so...I want them to believe in Christ.  Not some mythical person.  Plus I was crushed when I found out Santa was not real.  I got a "note" from Santa when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade.  It was in my mom's handwriting.  I TOTALLY believed in him.  He and Jesus were pals. So yeah, I did not do that with my kids.  And guess what?  They LOVE Christmas still!

They have to wait till I'm "ready for the day" before we start anything.  They say it takes me FOREVER to get ready. I finally did get ready.  Clark had presents waiting for everyone at breakfast which was really sweet.  Pumpkin pie and eggnog!

Time for the line-up photo!  We let Clark go first since it's his last Christmas home before his mission.

This one was pretty good but I did get Shanna's head. 

Okay, official line-up!

Oh and Clark got this for me and Lee!!!  It was so fun and thoughtful of him! 

Time to see stockings!  We bring the kids in one by one.  It's mainly treats in the stockings.  I gave the kids Baby Yoda hand sanitzer, except Shanna. She's not a Star Wars fan.

I guess Haley was practically running away from Lee.

Break time. I guess it was time for song and dance.  More Shanna jumping too!

We opened presents from friends and extended family first.  My mom was on for a little bit which was fun.

Sheldon gets my kids Lego minifigures every year and they love it.  Elden got to open them this year.  He is pretty much the favorite uncle. 

The Peterson kids gave our kids presents as well.  Haley gave the Peterson kids all gifts all on her own and Shanna and Cal then did more gifts.  So cute.  

Our good friends the Frankes gave all of us fun presents which was super fun.  I don't know if I got pictures of that but I took a movie and sent it to them.  We then opened the gifts from the Bunkers. 

They were so fun and so many of them!

The kids also opened gifts from each other.  Though Elden didn't participate this year. But I did make him get each sibling a small gift. 

I don't tease very often, but I always tease my kids about their Christmas gifts and even birthday gifts. This year I kept saying I would get them an empty pickly jar.  Shanna bought Haley some pickles and gifted her that.  Then she pulled out the real gift.  It was funny she wanted to go with the the pickle teasing. 

And then we opened gifts to each other.  For now Lee and I decided not to exchange gifts with each other on Christmas.  We can save up and buy things we would like throughout the year.  And it's nice not having to worry about what to get each other!  It just makes it more simple all around.  We got the kids basically 4 gifts.  Elden: books, a mouse, bow & arrow and drone.

Shanna: video camera, film, weighted blanket, moccasins 

OH.....CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!  It snowed Christmas morning!  Some awesome, big flakes too!  It has NEVER snowed on Christmas since we've moved here in 2011.  We loved glancing out the window to keep looking at the snow. 

Cal: mp3, telescope, bow & arrow (which was returned and he got some Magic cards), and high school hoodie

Haley: Lego set, moccasins, sketch pad and markers, mp3 player.

Clark: books, high school hoodie, two drone parts and a "certificate" to replace his windshield and window trim on his car when it's up and running. 

The final gift for everyone...season passes to King's Dominion!  Each week we go around and say something good that happened to us, something we are looking forward too, and something we didn't like--rose, bud, thorn. Since this summer some of the kids keep saying their bud is "Kings Dominion". I looked online to get tickets to a theme park, even Kings Dominion.  But they are closed for the season and Hershey Park and Busch Gardens were only open on inconvenient days.  But I thought this would be fun. We also bought season passes for 2 friends so they can come whenever it will work. 

Time for building Legos!  My kids love building Legos Christmas morning but I didn't necessary want to get everyone Legos.  We have LOTS!  Cal gave a set to Shanna, we gave a set to Haley.  So for the boys we came up with this plan.  I asked my friend who works for the Haven House--a place kids can live if they are abused or traffiked--if they would take used Legos and she said yes.  Maybe this is weird but we bought three other sets for the boys to build.  In the new year we'll donate them to the Haven House. 

Deborah gifted these cute signs for a hot chocolate bar. 

And the earrings she gave me at Thanksgiving.

Ahh...can't believe he'll be on his mission in 8 months!

We did a couple of Zoom calls with family, hung out, played a game or two, watched "Christmas for a Dollar" and had bbq pork nachos for dinner.  We loved staying home all day in our pjs.  

We know Christmas is very different for everyone this year, but I hope each of you found joy this day celebrating the birth of our Savior.  Merry, merry Christmas!