Christmas

 We've been busy the last couple of weeks. Lots of Christmas things going on. 

Saturday, we went shopping as a family, getting each other last minute gifts. The kids bought gifts for each other. And we stopped at university mall to do the light the world giving machine. Each of us picked something to buy for someone else, and we had to explain to our kids what we were doing. Jack was not pleased. He thought the 3 chickens he wanted to buy were for us. He was very mad (still is) about the whole thing. It's hard when you're 4 to understand that it's better to give. 

We had our Ugly Sweater Christmas Murder Mystery Dinner that same night. We'd invited all our family, and some of them wanted to come. It was office ugly sweater party themed. We put up a few tacky decorations, ordered in Mo' Bettahs for dinner, set up a drink bar, and did a little clean up before everyone started coming.

It was fun! The game is designed to be used over and over, and the murderer is chosen at random, so it was hard for most of us to figure out who it was. We loved having our family come do it with us. They were all so into it and fun in their characters. Brian, Stephanie, and Emily in particular did such a good job.

The kids and I did the last of our Christmas activities this last week: making and decorating cookies, Christmas movie night, acting out the nativity, make snowflakes and cover the window with them. Daniel took the girls skiing on Tuesday, and they mostly had a good time. Daniel said they were really frustrated at the beginning when they weren't getting it, and they fell a lot. Bowman joined up with them later in the day, and he took some time to teach the girls some skiing skills. I took the kids to the Dino museum with my friend Sarah and her kids. Then we traded kids, and they played together for the rest of the day. On Thursday, Camille had a birthday party, and Swayze came to play with Brooke, which they both loved so so much.

We spent Christmas Eve dinner with Daniel's family, which was wonderful. And Daniel and I stayed up late, watching It's a Wonderful Life and me working on Sawyer's baby book (which is all done! Hallelujah! I put it under the tree for him, but we didn't really touch it on Christmas day).

Our Christmas was so good. Grampa Holbrook came to spend Christmas morning with us. Brooke woke up around 5 or 530 in the morning! And then she came in to wake us up almost 2 hours later. The kids went through their stockings and opened a couple of presents, and then we paused for a good Christmas breakfast: bacon and eggs, berry oatmeal bake with whipped cream, and berry salad. Then we went back to opening presents. Jack was so into his lego set that we gave him, that he was completely uninterested in opening his other presents. The kids mostly loved the things they received from each other, which Daniel and I both found adorable. Daniel bought everyone in the family a matching BYU t-shirt for Christmas. 

Daniel and I snuggled on the couch and dozed off for an hour after we finished opening presents. Divvy sent us a beautiful fuzzy, weighted blanket, and we cuddled under it and it was heavenly. Daniel said it was possibly his favorite part of his Christmas Day. ❤❤❤ We watched a Christmas movie after Sawyer went down, Klaus. It was cute! But the girls and I were really the only ones that watched it. We chatted with my parents in the afternoon, started making Christmas dinner, and then Brian, Sammy and Scott and Melanie came over to spend time with us. We hung out, sang Christmas songs around the piano and had dinner together. It was a wonderful Christmas day. And it completely wiped me out! I was exhausted after putting the kids to bed. 

Camille fashioned a Christmas dress out of the garlands we decorated with for the party. 😂

A couple of things to remember from this month:

• Camille has started singing at the top of her lungs every time she goes to the bathroom. Even if it's at night when her siblings are trying to sleep.
• For our candy cane hunt, I let Jack and Sawyer go first for a minute before letting the girls join. Jack ended up getting WAY more candy canes than anyone else. (Next year, we won't be staggering their go time!) And Sawyer just walked around enjoying what the siblings were doing. He didn't understand what was going on, but he loved it anyway.
• I've been enjoying playing the guitar more this month. I picked it up sometime at the end of November and have been practicing a little bit this month, building up my calluses and remembering how to play. I'm hoping to do more next year. 
• We spent some time being sick this month. Daniel got a cold, then the kids and I got it. We missed out on some fun things because of it. And then Daniel got sick again last week. And now Camille's throwing up today. It's sick season.
  
• Jack draws a picture on the dry erase board every school day while he girls do school, and it's my favorite thing ever. It's so hard for me to erase them.
• I ended school early on the Thursday before Christmas week. We did science, and I told the girls, "okay, one you are done with your science worksheets, you're done and you can go play." They were so confused. "You mean, we're not going to do the rest of school? But how can we do that?" "Well, I'm the boss, so I get to decide these things. And I decided, we're ending school until after Christmas." The day after that, on Friday, we busted out our kiwi Co boxes (which I bought on sale a 3 month subscription for school), and the kids loved working on their little projects. Brooke put together a spinning art box, Camille made yarn puff ball animals, and Jack had a number of cute little rainbow themed art projects. They keep asking when he next kiwi Co is coming. 

We did a science project demonstrating the ocean and tides and tide pools. Sawyer got into it and loved playing in it and making a mess with it. We might have to bust out some sensory bins for this baby. 

Jack's picture of delivering presents. 😍

• Sawyer has been so cute, learning all kinds of words. He doesn't say the exact words yet, but he makes little sounds for things. He does say cheese really well all of a sudden, which I find random and hilarious. He also will pat his diaper in the front whenever we talk about his diaper or changing his diaper. And the other day he made the "chee" sound when I asked if he needed me to change his diaper. Everything he does is basically adorable. 
• Also, starting earlier this week, like on Sunday or something, he's started needing privacy when he's pooping. The first time we noticed, he went and hid around the side of the Christmas tree. Then a couple days ago, we were downstairs reading together for school, and he climbed into the truck basket and covered his face with his hands while he was doing his business. It was so funny. The kids and I really get a kick out of him. 
• I was laying on the floor in the basement while the kids were playing around me. I said, "Sawyer, come give me a baby squeeze before I go upstairs to make dinner." He toddled over and laid down on me and gave me a little squeeze. It was so sweet. He melts my heart daily. 
• I love how much he loves his bedtime stuff. He's become really attached to all his blankets and stuffed animals, and I'll catch him snuggling them at random times throughout the day. ❤❤❤

These boys love playing in the bath together these days. 

 Sawyer was so cute just now when I was finishing up my workout. I had a couple of 3 pound weights on the couch to use for my workout, and he tried picking them up, but could only manage one of them with both tiny hands. Then he started mimicking my squats with the weight and moving around with them, trying to do a workout with me. It was absolutely adorable; I wish I'd gotten a picture or video of him. 

The kids often come down to the basement to play while I'm working out, especially if it's later in the morning like today (I stayed up way too late last night hosting bunco. It was so fun and I laughed so hard, but now I'm a bit of a zombie today, and I slept later than usual, missing my temple appointment and my alone time before kids wake up). Sometimes, they get in the way and I get annoyed, being interrupted in the middle of my workout. But usually I like that they gather around me all the time and that they just play together and wander around me while I'm doing my thing. ❤ Sweet little people. 

Bunco ladies. Lindsey Holman, Laura Miller, Gina Smith, Brittani Jacobs, Elise Pearson, Alexis, Annette Perkins, Sarah Frei, me, Kimberly Davis, Charlee Ruben. We were missing a few regulars, but added a couple of our subs. ❤ We also didn't play bunco, but did left-right-center with cash. It was very fun. 

 Today, Jack added a birdhouse and a bird, grass and a playhouse to the Thanksgiving tree before we took it down. Look how cute: 

The bird is the "king bird" and has a crown on his head. 😍 Also, my favorite leaf this year, I think Brooke's: 

 We went to the farms this afternoon spontaneously, and it was so fun. The girls got to milk a cow and Sawyer rode a pony for the first time. He loved it! I put him on the saddle, and he grabbed the saddle horn right away and held onto it. He was so stable up there, I don't even think he needed me to walk by him and keep my hand on his leg, but I did anyway, to help him feel more secure. He did so well, and he loved it. He kept leaning forward to pet the pony. It was adorable. 

We stopped to see Brooke's favorite horses, the percheron draft horses, and Sawyer loved going up to them to pet them. I had to keep my eye on him and those huge horses, to make sure they didn't bite his fingers off on accident. 

Brooke asked one of the workers what the horses names were. Previously, she had named them herself: Smoky and Creamy, for the white and gray horses; Coco and Brownie, for the brown horses. But we learned their name are actually Dock and Daisy (white horses), and Captain and King (brown horses). We left shortly after, it being a very successful visit. 😊

 Our Thanksgiving tree this year: 

Me (helping Jack read the scriptures by whispering the words to him for him to repeat): "... for the space of three years

Jack:... for the species of three years...

Camille, reprimanding herself for something: ugh, I forgot the 'T'! Cammiiii-llle!

We wrote letters to Santa last night for family home evening, and Jack just drew all the trucks he wants for Christmas. It may be the most adorable letter to Santa I think I've ever seen! 

 It's been a busy couple of weeks. We were in the midst of November and Thanksgiving and fall and I was loving it.

This Thanksgiving week, I only did one day of school with the kids, on Monday. We took an extra day because we can! And also we didn't have as long of a fall break as public school, so I felt fully justified. It was nice to have most of the week off of school. The last couple of full weeks of school I've kind of struggled a little. Sawyer makes it really difficult because he's so needy when I have to do school. But I was also less patient with the girls. Brooke has taken to staying up late at night again (she was doing a lot better for several weeks, going to bed on time), and she fell apart every single day during school, saying it was too hard and crying and turning her brain off. And I had a hard time being a) sympathetic, and b) patient, because it seemed a problem of her own making. And Camille was constantly taking what I said out of context and yelling at me and getting upset for the littlest things... 

Anyway, I didn't really want to dwell on that. I'll just say the break from school was very nice and gave us all a needed refresher. We start back again on Monday for a few measly weeks before we break again for Christmas. 

I finished my Christmas shopping this week!!! I'm so happy about it. We had stuff in our gift box of things that I had bought for kids for past Christmas or birthday gifts that we didn't use. So I planned to use up a bunch of those, and then I ordered a few things to be sent, and then a went along a few times to get all the rest and I'm DONE! Even with parent gifts and gift exchange gift. Now I can relax and enjoy the season with my friends and family and go to all our parties and not be stressed and have to worry about Christmas shopping. 

Earlier this month, I was racking my brain trying to think of things to tell Daniel he could get me for Christmas. I did think of a few things. But I feel like I have everything I need and want, and I really want to do something generous this year for Christmas and spend some money on other people. Daniel makes pretty darn good money, I feel so blessed and so fortunate, and also something of guilt for having so much when SO many people have so little. I'm trying to think of what we could do and how we can be generous this year. 🤔 

I've been going to the temple every week this month. I felt inspired at stake conference, so I scheduled appointments to go every Friday this month (well, I missed that first Friday because that was the weekend of conference). It's been so nice. I'd like to try to keep doing it for December as well. My thought was that this was my gift to the Savior this year. ❤ It's also a gift to myself, though, because I love the peace I feel in the temple and I believe I have felt the spirit more this month because of my time in the temple. My hope is that the sacrifice of time and the being in the temple will invite the spirit into my life and the lives of my little family, and that we'll have God's power working in our lives. 

Thanksgiving was fun. Brooke had planned a Fall Festival for our family for that day, just like the one she did last year sometime in November. We colored leaves, bobbed for apples, and created hands turkeys. There were a couple other activities that some of us didn't get to (creating your own comic strip), but it was very fun and such a nice way to spend time together on Thanksgiving. She also made us chocolate cupcakes for a treat. I love that she wants to plan a little party for us every fall, it is the cutest thing ever. (Daniel won the apple bobbing this year, by the way. But even Jacky Boy bobbed for an apple and got one!)

We had Thanksgiving dinner at Gramma and Grampa Holbrook's house, which was just so fun. Everyone brought something to share (I made a massive batch of mashed potatoes and my artichoke pesto dip), and the food was delicious and it was so great to see everyone. Gramma had bought gingerbread house kits for all the grandkids, and after dinner they all got to work putting their houses together. I love this new tradition my mother in law started a couple of Thanksgivings ago! All the cousins get to do gingerbread houses together. 😍

The last couple of days have been chill and relaxing at home. We had planned to do a murder mystery dinner with some of our family the day after Thanksgiving. But Daniel woke up sick, and we decided to postpone it to later on in December. So we cleaned up the house, we decorated for Christmas while listening to Christmas music, and had a movie night with the kids instead. We watched the new animated Grinch, which Daniel and I thought mediocre, and had a picnic on the floor of takeout food. It was fun!  

Yesterday we just hung out at home, mostly. The girls and I did a tiny bit of shopping, and Daniel took them mountain biking in the afternoon. I spent a lot of time working on Sawyer's baby book and have made some good progress! I'd like to get it done in time to wrap it and put it under the Christmas tree. 

A couple of things to remember: 

• Every single school day, Jack comes upstairs to be with us, and draws the cutest, most detailed trucks on the white boards with dry erase markers. I love them so much. 

• Sawyer is starting to be quite the little trouble maker. He can push the stools around and climb up them onto the counter and get into things. The other day, he got chia seeds everywhere when he was putting the cashews in the chia jar. 🙄 Daniel put the stools in the basement for the time being, until he outgrows this mischievous phase. He's also very cute, though, walking and running around. He has the most adorable baby dance, and we just love to watch him. 

• Camille and Brooke have been spending soooo much time reading. Once we get done with school, they plop down on the couch with a pile of books each and read pretty much the whole afternoon. I think our weekly trips to the library are helping this -- there's no end to the new books they have to read. Sometimes, I tell them they have to go do something else. 😂😂 I'm all for reading and I love that they love to read so much, it's definitely what I want. But they need to do other things too! Play and run around and move their bodies. 

The other day, Jack and Camille were playing so well together, nearly the whole day. This is worth documentation, because they normally fight like cats and dogs. They made this huge elaborate fort, with the stools and pillows and blankets and a bunch of heavy stuff I had bought at Costco the night before. They made a huge mess of the family room, but I was just so happy they were playing so well together. Then I caught them reading together; Camille reading to Jack. ❤❤❤

Jack today: Mom, I'm taking my picture wall down because... because... because of covid. 😂😂😂

 Sawyer's been getting into all sorts of trouble lately. Just today, he dropped his lamb into Jack's bath this morning, dropped Camille's church shoes into the toilet, and tried to climb out of his crib when I put him down for a nap after church. He was kind of crying while he was supposed to be napping, but we just ignored him, thinking he'd calm down in a few minutes, which he did. But then we started hearing different noises: knocking on the door and little sounds from the busy board in his room. Daniel and I looked at each other and said, "did he climb out of his crib??"

Yes. Yes, he did. And gave himself a gnarly bloody nose in the process! He must have just tried to climb out, and ended up falling on his face. Poor little man! 

Hopefully this will serve as a lesson to him NOT to climb out of his crib again. 😬🤞🏼

 More things I don't want to forget:

• How Brooke has Raman noodles everyday for breakfast (when we have them), and makes them herself
• How Sawyer wants to eat my food all the time. He has a very sophisticated pallet. 😂🤩 He must wants to eat real food. He opens his mouth at me and says, "Aaaah!" (Translation: feed me some of that, mom.) He loves eating whatever I'm eating and he's so adorable about it, I can't resist sharing with him. 
• Today, as we were listening to religious music (it was the perfect Sunday evening. I was making breakfast burritos for dinner, Brooke was making an apple pie for dessert. The other three kids were sitting at the barstool watching Brooke and singing along to the music. And Daniel was in and out, doing random stuff and tidying up), Daniel told me to look over at Sawyer and he was moving his mouth like he was singing. And he was making little noise like he was singing. It was so cute. He is in such a fun stage!! 😍
• Brooke made her first pie today! An apple pie! It wasn't perfect -- the crust had several big cracks in it -- and I did help her a little bit and explain what to do, but she did it pretty much on her own, and it turned out so well! It was really yummy! 

• I simultaneously love and hate watching my kids grow up. It's both fun and sad. There are proud moments and moments of regret. It's such a strange thing, this juxtaposition and concurrence of opposites.

 Yesterday I had a glorious hour with just Sawyer. The other kids were at Sarah Frei's house. And he and I played and chased each other in the basement, and had snacks, and tickled, and it was so fun. Then, when I had to cook dinner, I put him on one of the tall stools, and played some fun music, and we both danced and he pretended to lip sync (because he saw me doing that) and we laughed. Man! It was a good time! He's a fun and delightful little squirt. 

He also kept putting Jack's Mickey Mouse hat on his head, and then trying to put it on my head. He was so adorable, and I had a lot of fun paying all the attention to him. 

 Things I don't want to forget: 

• How Jack calls the library "li-berry"
• The kids taught Sawyer how to raise his hand and say "me!" And it's the cutest thing ever. 
• Brooke zoning out of a conversation Camille and I were having, and then saying, "Wait, I missed that. What's going on?"
• Brooke and Camille spent almost the whole day reading books today. We went to the library yesterday, brought home a big haul of books, and now I have to tell them to stop reading and go do something else. 
• The kids love to do these conversation cards at dinner. Tonight I learned that Brooke, Camille and Jack all want to learn the guitar. 

Thoughts on a Sunday

 Stake Conference Notes:

President Bullpit:

•  Invitation to read and study all of President Nelson's talks since he became prophet and President of the church. 

Temple President: 

• Putting God first in our lives - every other aspect of our lives will be blessed. 
• God be most important influence in my life 
• It is because of and through Jesus Christ that we can have joy. He is the source of joy. 

Sister Singer: message to the youth

• The Lord has promised that he will raise up friends for us, if we need to leave the association of friends, he will not leave us alone
• As we move towards the temple, the Lord will refine and purify us. Go to the temple grounds and be close up the temple (with the kids, so they have a chance to be at the temple) 
• As we go to the temple, the Lord will be our teacher.

Other thoughts: 

• We started our Thanksgiving tree this week. Welllll... actually, I haven't gotten the actual tree up yet (I'm hoping to put it up today). But we've been adding leaves to our wall already. It's one of my very favorite traditions! I love seeing what we're all thankful for.
• I couldn't handle the Sawyer cuteness today at stake conference. The plaid shirt, yellow corduroy pants and missing one shoe, with striped socks showing. It was adorable. 

• Every time Brooke sees Daniel and I kissing, she goes, "awwwwww!" It's the cutest thing ever, and such a change from when I used to go "ewwwww" when my parents kissed.
• I'm loving fall! I love November fall. The air is crisp, but not too cold; the leaves are changing and beautiful and falling now; the mountains are capped with snow; and that sweet Christmas time feeling is starting to set in. ❤💚❤💚 No, I'm not decorating for Christmas yet. Or listening to Christmas music. I still have a lot of Thanksgiving yet to live this month. 😉 But I like the feeling that Christmas is right around the corner. Stores are decorated and playing Christmas music, and some of our neighbors already have their lights up. I won't do it myself. I'll just enjoy other people doing it. 😂
• We had daylight savings end today, so bring on a week of difficult sleeping for us all. 🙄

"Family naptime"

Edgar Allan Poe Murder Mystery Dinner

 Last night, Daniel and I hosted a murder mystery dinner with our friends. I worked quite a lot on it this last week. We were busy. But it turned out so good! Emily lent us her dark Halloween decorations so we could decorate. 

We had the Christensens, Freis, McCulloughs, and Perkins over for it. Emily came too. She was so good at staying in character. It was Edgar Allan Poe themed, and Daniel played Eddie Poe and had to wear a raven on his shoulder all night. We ordered crust club in for dinner, and most couples brought an appetizer to share. We had great company, great food, and it was a great time. 

It wasn't the best murder mystery night we've done. The storyline wasn't the best; it was confusing and there were weird twists. And there was so much going on. Anyway, it was still fun.