Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Mom you can stand in line


So the day after Christmas Annie and John are playing tetherball in the back yard. Annie comes in and asks me to play. I get my shoes on and come out and she looks at me and says "mom the line is there, you need to stand in it to wait for your turn!"

Uhmmm, I am going to get right on that one!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas just seems magical with little kids!

Charlie and Annie woke up at 6! Were amazed they slept that late!!!


]
(Waiting)

At about 6:30 we let them wake up Audrey!




Emily didn't wake up until about 7:00!



We had a great morning opening all the presents!!! Each kid got a camera and lots of toys! Annie this year was just as excited about clothes almost (she is growing up way to fast!!!) For their big present Emily got a push car, Audrey a little moped type scooter, Annie a tether ball pole, and Charlie a punching bag! Oh and Daddy surprised everyone (that includes Mom) with a bunny!



We had our traditional Christmas breakfast of Monkey Bread and Eggs & ham. I love these little things! The kids were so good and excited all day! My parents, Aunt Caitlin & Aunt Courtney came over for dinner. By bed time everyone fell into bed and was asleep in minutes!!!




12 Day of Christmas


I love Christmas Eve!!!


For the last few years we have been creating our own family traditions for Christmas eve! We always make homemade pizza for dinner. The kids love to help with it all and it is a fun dinner (that we eat on paper so no big mess for mom!). We also each open a present. The kids can't wait - they start asking early in the morning. Everyone also gets a pair of Christmas PJ's. Then we put out a plate for Santa and then usually watch a Christmas story. Well this year about 8:30 Charlie told Annie and Audrey that they should all go up to bed so Santa can come! It was amazing - by 9:15 they were all asleep!!! John and I were in bed and done with all our stuff by 12!!! That is a record for us - Santa was able to come to the Garrison house early this year!!

11th day of Christmas

Mom Forgot what we did!!! Oh no does that make me a bad mom!!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Christmas Break

The kids have been on Christmas break this week and so far it has been a pretty good week for them I would say! Monday was a lazy day, Tuesday we got up and ran errands then came home and all the kids had play dates. Annie had a sleep over and since the moment everyone has been awake today it has been a revolving door here. At one point there where 10 children running around playing. Tonight Charlie is having a sleepover and then we will have a quiet rest of the week while mom gets ready for Christmas.

As for mom this has been a long 2 days. One reason we love our home is we live in an amazing community. We have made great friends, people we have truly come to care about and who are part of daily our lives. Our children are in each others homes, we celebrate things all together, we help each other out and are each other friends. It also means when things happen it often is close to home.

On Monday night a good friend of mine, a mother of a friend of Charlie's, was in a horrible head on collision right by the equestrian center outside the gates. She is going to make it but it is going to be long road for her as she has pretty much crushed one side of her body. How my heart goes out to her and her family. But being the community we live in meals are planned, kids are taken care of and the we will help her and her family through this as they need us.

Well as if that wasn't enough, I awoke this morning to a message that Cito, one of Audrey's favorite friends from church and preschool who had open heart surgery last week on an existing heart condition and is still at Lucille Packard was being taken back into surgery for a blood clot in his aorta. While waiting to hear how surgery went I get a call from my good friend Tessa asking me if I had talked to our friend Kerri yet this morning and I said no what's up. It turns out that Seth, her 6 yr old and a friend of Annie's was at the movies on Monday in the bay area with his family and he fell down while walking, his leg had given out on him, over the course of the day he kept crying that his leg hurt and finally started screaming in pain so his mom took him to the emergency room to learn he has a mass in his leg and a broken bone.

So today has been a day of praying and waiting! Its not often that this many friends are going through things this drastic all at once. All day I have just felt so grateful that my children are healthy and happy but scared for our friends. Luckily, Cito made it through surgery and they were able to remove the clot. His recovery starts all over and hopefully he will get to come home soon. Seth's pathology report also came back that it was not cancer but a cyst that bore a hole through the bone. With time the bone will heal and he should be fine.

So tonight while I do feel the Christmas spirit in the sense that I know there is a greater reason for the holiday and that prayers are truly answered, it is just the stress of the rest of Christmas at this point that has me a little blue!

8th - 10th day of Christmas

On the 8th day of Christmas the kids got left at home with dad and got to watch home alone & have cookies!

On the 9th day of Christmas we had hot chocolate and read a story

On the 10th of Christmas there were santa chocolates and the movie the Sorcerers stone!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

7th day of Christmas





Finally we are back on track!

On the 7th day of Christmas we get to make Gingerbread house and then Dance for a while!

The kids had the best time making little gingerbread houses and then John had gotten the kids a new Wii game called Dance Off (I think). It was so fun and we all spent a few hours after dinner dancing against each other!

After that we went for a drive looking at Christmas lights! 3 of the 4 kiddos fell asleep in the car - it has been a long fun day and they all need the rest!!! Till tomorrow.

6th day of Christmas

I know today I was going to make up for yesterday but it kind of turned into one of those days! Today was John's birthday, the kids and I spent a few hours watching Christmas videos early in the morning. We watched one I had never seen called Yes, Virgina (it is a new one that came out in 2008). If you haven't watched it it is a must see - I think my favorite Christmas Show ever now!!! My kids loved it and I cried. John opened his presents and had we had a lazy day at home.

Emily has been sick all week and today seemed to be the day she needed mommy to sit and hold her. (She has had an ear infection that today turned in to stomach bug symptoms - so mom also spent the day be thrown up on!)

We had birthday late in the afternoon so John could go play ball and then had pizza after - his favorite! So while we didn't do any special day 6 stuff we had a great day!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

5th Day of Christmas

Wasn't very exciting - the kids had a sitter and when I got home to do the basket 2 of the 4 kids were asleep so we will do 2 on the 6th day which is also John's birthday so it is very fitting!!!

This morning was Annie's 1st grade Christmas performance! The kids sang songs and had breakfast. She was so cute! I love the picture of her laughing with her friends when she didn't know we were watching!


The 4th Day of Christmas

We watched Prep & Landing (thanks Uncle Justin who worked on it! It is awesome) & we had peppermint ice cream with chocolate Sauce!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

3rd Day of Christmas

On the 3rd day of Christmas we get to watch Charlie rock under the giant Christmas Tree after a tasty dinner at Leatherby's!

*** Charlie's band concert was tonight and he was awesome!!! He is playing the electric bass and he was so great!!!!!!




2nd day of Christmas

On the 2nd day of Christmas we get to watch a Charlie Brown Christmas and mom made you some tasty treats!

(Thanks Walkers!!!)

Monday, December 13, 2010

1st Day of Christmas

This year at our house we are doing the 12 days of Christmas to count down to the big day!

Today's card read:

On the first day of Christmas we will have some hot chocolate and a Christmas story!

so sad...

I know, I haven't updated my blog in forever but I am going to come back and do it soon - but till then I am going to start with today!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Where's Audrey

Tonight when I went to bed I went to check on the kids like I always do and to move Emily from my bed (where she fell asleep) to her bed. Well I could not find Audrey. For just a moment I was ready to panic and scream to John that Audrey was gone even though we had been downstairs all evening. Then I turned around from her bed and this is what I found in the crib!

for some reason after we put her to bed and before she fell asleep she climbed into Em's crib!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Straight A's



Charlie got straight A's in school this Trimester!!! We couldn't be more proud of him and how hard he has worked!!! (3rd grade at his school is when they start the honor roll!!)

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

My Baby turns 1!






My littlest is well on her way to becoming a toddler. Emily turned 1 today! She may be the happiest, smiliest baby in the entire world! She really, truly always seems to have a smile on her face and brings joy to everyone she meets. She will cuddle up to anyone and is a huge flirt. She has gone with the flow since day one. I could not imagine our family with out her!!!