Right now I'm focusing on finishing each week as simply as I can and then I will go back through and add embellishments after I'm done.
This is my question - if anyone still reads my blog. Wade lost our camera in May. I used my mother in law's camera for a while and then when we got back here I found our old camera in storage and was able to continue taking a picture a day, but still - I have a lot of holes.
It's the same brand as last years - I love it so much I had to post another picture of it!
I also got the stars to finish off my Willow Tree set. I love them, and although I've packed away all my nativities, I kept the stars out. They are great.
Some of our plans this week got pushed aside so we could go visit my mom. I had planned on doing gingerbread houses as a family, but didn't get to it. Then my neighbor dropped off a house as their neighbor gift -it came with the decorations and everything! We just had to make the frosting. It was perfect! I left the boys to do it on their own while I went and nursed Avery, they were giggling up a storm and quickly found out why - they had dumped the entire bottle of sprinkles on the house. So nice!
Christmas Eve I had a party planned, but or course, plans change. My parents were going to come up, our neighbor, her kids and some friends that are at a different residency in the area. Well, we spent the day at my parents house cleaning and doing laundry for my dad. Wade was at work. I was really REALLY feeling sick from the mastitis. We decided to forgo the party and save it for New Years. I was able to get this prepared before collapsing on the couch..cheese fondue was on the menu as well, but it just didn't happen. The cake was the favorite part. 
Happy Birthday Jesus! Gage did the candles and was very worried about getting the right number on the cake. I told him just to use the whole box. It looked great!
Our Santa cookies and letters that we had wrote earlier this month. I don't know why Noah wanted a sticky thing for the wall, or what that even is but it's what he asked me to write down.
After our 'party' we did a scavenger hunt for the boys to find their Christmas Eve Jammie presents. They had to model them.
The Sunday before Christmas we were talking about Christmas in Sunday School (duh) and I was inspired by a story that a couple told. He said that one year they told all of their children on Christmas Eve that they were supposed to pretend all of the presents had been taken away, all of the money was gone and they had to use things in the house to create presents for each other. One person made a pie, another a simple toy, things like that. He says it was so much fun helping each child create something. I really thought it would be something fun we could try. So without buying anything and within one day, each kid had to make something for another kid.
Christmas morning we found our Santa gifts! A big box of Legos!
Wade had such a hard time finding TIME to buy presents this year. I usually buy our presents on sale throughout the year. The kids don't get a ton, and what they get doesn't cost us much that way. I know they will get older and start asking for more expensive items. Right now little things get them so excited, I love it. However, sometimes it leaves Wade out of the fun, so Christmas Eve he was in the stores buying them extra presents. He bought Gage a Bionicle.
Wade also got Noah some Star War men.
The skateboard was such a hit. They rolled around on it all day, and still do. They ride it on their feet, their tummies and their bums. The wheels go all the way around so it's really funny to ride.
Avery was up all night Christmas Eve, but she slept in Christmas morning. Despite the picture, she was excited about her presents. Maybe the surprise was a little disappointing to her since she had already played with them all night when she was up screaming.
Tough-Man Gage with his new skateboard.
Last but not least, they got the coolest marble run from Grandma and Grandpa Christiansen. It took a while for us to find the perfect one but this one is cool. They can build all kinds of different runs and they love it!
The boys were blessed and we all had an enjoyable morning and day.
My friend Anne-Marie is in one word, AWESOME. I don't know how she does it all but I always get little packages of fun things that she has had time to craft and make. I'm jealous of her paper craft abilities. Saturday I was having a little bit of a rough day, I checked the mail that afternoon and found out I have a package from Anne-Marie. Inside I found a box full of nine of these little beauties. Each one is different and I love them. The picture doesn't do them justice.(You know, I'm such a talented photographer and all!) She found them on this great website - full of fun paper craft ideas. I might just have to try my own hand at these later this week...and keep them in mind for next year!
I say it every month, but Avery is such a joy. She is a really happy baby and loves to smile and giggle. She crawls around and loves to chase her brothers, particularly, Gage. Avery loves to eat anything she can get her hands on, but baby food. She really loves squash and yams. She loves to do it all herself and if you attempt to feed her with a spoon she will try and grab it from you so she can do it herself. She still nurses every few hours, but can totally go without it if I'm not around. She went about 30 hours when we left her with my parents this past month for our retreat. She thinks she is really cool when she drinks from her sippy cup. 
She loves the Christmas tree and has pulled it down on herself three times...our tree is only 3 feet tall and has nothing breakable on it, so when this happens she just laughs and smiles at herself. Each time I stand it back up again and try to find the tree an even higher home. She loves to play peek-a-boo. She loves her two blankets. She loves crawling through leg tunnels. She loves pulling herself up to furniture and pushing around our bar stools. She can wave, clap and say mama and dadda. She babbles a few other words, baba, nana, etc. 
The kids were really good in the car, 14 1/2 hours in one day isn't an easy task but maybe it's a little like going into labor, not fun while you are doing it, but once you get there and it's only been one long day, it's worth it. We turned Avery around so she could watch movies on the DVD player. That helped a lot - although we all have the Baby Einstein movies memorized now.
Thanksgiving Day at the Christiansen's was a blast. We haven't been there in 7 years and we have really been missing out. There were so many people and the kids had so much fun, we ate ourselves silly. Gage, Noah and Avery had so much fun playing with their cousins.
Random picture of cute Avery Ann.
Of course a trip to Grandma's wouldn't be complete without some fun gifts. I got my girls night out presents - I am so excited about my new nativity this year, I just can't post pictures of it until everyone else gets theirs, I don't want to spoil the fun!
Last, but not least, Wade was pretty happy when we found out we would be in Utah for the BYU/Utah game. He watched it with his brother and Dad. I felt horrible because I didn't get the laundry done in time and he had to wear a RED shirt that day instead of BLUE. At least it was just a Farmall shirt, not one of his Utah shirts. He was really happy with the outcome of the game. I had a good time being the opposition in the room and cheering for the Utes. Someone has to stick behind the school we both went too!
