Buddy the elf - day 3 ...

our elf came up with a neat idea! 

a special tin, just perfect to put fun stuff in!

he still loves this nativity toy!

... and I love seeing him play with it!

Buddy the Elf - day 2 ...

 so Buddy decided to help me out with decorating!!!

he took care of the kitchen - cupboards and all!

I thought it was a special touch that he did a cupboard for each kid -

with their very own hand made decorations!!!

good thinking there, Buddy!!!

and here's some of the decorating I've been working on - after we completed the tree!!!  it's a little sparse on those shelves - it's just so darn hard to find items that fit on those!!!  I guess I need to come up with some ideas and make some things for those spots, in the meantime - 

we're happy with what we have!!!

it's beginning ...

to look a lot like Christmas!!! 

 I do believe I've signed myself up for a bit of unnecessary stress - lol!!!

... but, I decided to go ahead and join this elf fun!

the good part is it can be as simple as I want need it to be!!
our elf arrived today!!!

this afternoon we worked on the tree! 

we started with the very special "1st Christmas" ornaments!

the boys were happy and excited to hang theirs ...

unfortunately, Annicka was in a sour mood and refused to hang hers - so

I did!  and, so far I haven't found Zoey's ... but I did buy her one,

so it's just a matter of remembering where I may have put it!

(and I have no idea why mine has 1979 on it ... I know I asked my mom once, but

I can't remember what she told me - lol!  it should be 1978!!)

 

the boys had lots of fun helping me with the ornaments! I decided to go all out ... we put just about every ornament we own on there!!! ok, not every ornament - but all the cool ones that haven't been out for a while - as well as many the kids have made over the years! (you may remember last year we just did homemade ones - I have those set aside for something)

putting up these ornaments really did flood my memory!
there are several Winnie the Pooh ornaments - from Annicka's young days when I just loved Pooh,
there are the dancing girls that Nana has given Annicka, 
there's the Mickey Mouse ornament I got the year we went to Disneyland,
my leg lamp - cause my all time favorite Christmas movie is "A Christmas Story",
there are ornaments that hung on the trees of my childhood - passed down to me,
there's a happy new year ball - from 2000!,
there's the ornament given to us -by a friend- our first Christmas as a married couple,
there's one I got from a "boss" when I worked at a mothers day out program,
there's ones I've bought the kids as a memory of what they were into that year,
there's our super cool countdown Santa ornament,
there are ornaments to remind us of the true reason for the season,
and -very special- there are several hand/home made ornaments - from my mom, kids, grandma,
and even some I bought at a bazaar before I was even married!!!

after dinner, we all brainstormed names for our elf! 

it was interesting ... and Liam stormed off and got very upset when "Pickle" got crossed out!

we kept voting and narrowing it down ...

I ended up being the deciding vote - so I asked Zoey: "Giligan or Buddy" ...

she quickly answered "Bubby" and started pointing to Jericho!

(a little odd, since "bubby" is actually her name for Liam - but anyway)

she may have been a little confused, but I put her down as voting for "Buddy" -

which didn't help me at all in the end, because I really wanted to vote for Giligan ...

but that would have left us with a tie!

so, to just get it done and keep the peace - I voted for "Buddy" and there he is!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

 I've been gathering up the art projects as they come home from school!

they make excellent "decorations"!!

from left to right: Zoey's chicken, Liam's painted turkey, Liam's colored turkey, Zoey's hand print turkey,

 Zoey's corn wreath, Zoey's circle turkey, Liam's colored turkey, & Zoey's finger painting!

 yesterday we got started with cheese balls (pics & recipe coming) and pumpkin pie!

here's Liam and I - he was my helper for the pumpkin pies!!!

can you believe I didn't take a single pic of the Thanksgiving food?

well, I didn't!

instead, I enjoyed it ... and I enjoyed all of us sitting around the table eating together!

we had ham, mash tators & gravy, dressing, green bean casserole, corn casserole, sweet potatoes,

rolls, & pumpkin pie!!  we also had cheese balls for snack while watching the parade!!

I was so surprised how into the parade Zoey would get!

we haven't even watched the last half hour ... because I know there's stuff Liam will really like - 

and he was too absorbed in a game to want to watch the parade (I called him in for the

teenage mutant ninja turtles ... but coming up are minions, which he'll LOVE!)

but of the two and a half hours we watched, I'd say Zoey actually watched about 45 minutes

of it!  it was adorable!  she danced and sat there mesmerized!

she also played candy thrower, since Annicka & Jericho couldn't get the concept

of a parade without candy - lol!  (but Jericho ended up being very into it, too)

so, that was thanksgiving ... we had fun, we were lazy, we ate!

hope yours was great, too!!!

thankful, day 27 ...

I am thankful for answered prayers! 

I know that can be a long topic ... but I guess I mean that I am thankful for

prayers that are answered in the way I expect - for instance,

praying you'll find something you've misplaced, then finding it!

(which is exactly what happened to me - I needed to locate an important document and couldn't remember where it might be since the move and everything!!)

and, especially, I am thankful for those prayers that are answered before you

"officially" pray for them ... God knows!!!

thankful, day 26 ...

I am thankful to be a stay at home mom!!!

I really could write and write and write on this subject, but I'll try to keep it short & sweet!

I am thankful that I have never had to face adversity, negative comments, or harsh attitudes regarding this choice ... I always hate hearing what some moms have gone through, it's so wrong!

I am thankful that I get to be here for my kids!

If they're sick and need to stay home from school, I'm here.

I get to witness the milestones!

I get to kiss the boo-boos!

I get to be school teacher to my oldest!

sure, I miss things that happen at school (for my younger three) ...

but I'm here for them when they get home!!

I am thankful that I have a hubby who supports this decision and appreciates it!

sure, more money would be nice - really nice!! - but realistically I'd be lucky to find something

that would even pay me enough to pay for daycare ... and I've never wanted

my children to grow up in daycare, anyway!  I'm so glad that my hubby respects that!

He works so hard to provide for us, he's such a good guy!

I am also thankful for the many family members who support me and see the benefits!!

and, of course, I am so thankful for my four beautiful, amazing,

you-make-me-wanna-rip-out-my-own-hair-and-then-do-something-so-adorable-that-I-melt kids!!!

thankful, day 25 ...

I am thankful for change. this past move was my hardest - it was the first time I really felt like I didn't want to move ... I wasn't ready.

 I was so attached to my zumba classes (don't laugh) and I hated the idea of leaving my awesome friend - one of the best friends I've EVER had (that's Jill and I miss her like mad).

 we've been here a little over two months now, though, and I am ready to say I am thankful for change. change is good. we can resist it and we can resist accepting it, but - as in my case - I believe God has a way of showing us all the positives! 

 so, thank you Lord - for showing me! I am thankful for this change and will 

remember to be thankful in the future ... I hope!!!