Sunday Photo: 47

I used my Christmas money this year to get the kids some (desperately needed) new church clothes.  I admit I am horrible at remembering to buy the boys (particularly) new church clothes and the ones they were wearing we bought in Washington...when we lived there, not on our last visit!  See....I am bad!  Everyone was happy with their new clothes this morning.  The boys looked so handsome and grown up.  We can all pretend this picture got taken before Christmas since it looks so festive.

This is my last Sunday Photo of 2013!  My kids all cheered when they heard that...then Wade reminded them there will just be more Sundays in 2014 and they groaned.

We are ready to be done with 2013.  I am positive 2014 will be a much better, happier year for us!

Bring it on!

Christmas 2013

We were blessed to have a wonderful Christmas this year.  We have had a lot of fun, have been staying up way too late, eating too much and making lots of memories.

Christmas Eve we went to our traditional Christiansen Christmas Eve Party.  We had ham, potatoes, rolls, cheese and chocolate fountains and so much food it was ridiculous.  We played a lot of games and everyone had such a great time.  Of course, we stayed out way too late and it was 11:15 before we even pulled in the driveway...and we still had to get the kids (some still awake) in bed before Santa would arrive.

Grandpa Christiansen gave all the grandkids new pajamas!  They were a huge hit.  

Of course, since we were out super late and everyone was super excited - hardly anyone slept well Christmas Eve.  Once we got to bed around midnight, Avery woke up and was up from 1-3.  Eli was up a few times with a cough and then Noah woke up for good at 4am.  He kept telling me he just knew it was light outside and we needed to get up.  We watched some cartoons for what seemed like forever.  Finally around 6:30 the other boys woke up and then at 7 I decided we could wake up dad and the girls.

Next year I am giving an extra gift to whoever sleeps through the night or the longest!

Despite the bad crazy night, Santa did make it to our house!

Lucy got a shape sorter! She giggles and claps when the shapes drop in.

Eli got some monster trucks.

And this spiderman mask!

(that Wade likes to wear)

Avery got some bears, clothes and a paper doll set.

And of course there were Legos.

A secret Santa left two huge bags full of presents for the kids on the porch last week and the boys were so excited to open their presents, because they were positive they were Lego sets...and they were right!  Huge Lego Castles - Chima for Gage and Monsters for Noah!

(I mentioned it before, but we received a couple different sets of gifts on our doorstep!  we were so touched this year and are so grateful.  really, I am so grateful for whoever the secret santa was...we've been blessed to play secret santas to other in years past, but this year we were on the opposite end.  how grateful we were.  everyone was so happy about all their presents and so spoiled!  we have some ideas of who it was, but that's not important.  if they read this blog, please know we are grateful  and touched.  and hopefully next year we can pay it forward!)

We spent the whole day in our jammies, building, playing, watching movies and of course...taking naps.

 Some of my favorite memories of the kids this year are:

Gage:

This year Gage was old enough to play all the games at the Christmas Eve party without getting too upset about skipped turns or not getting a win ever time.  We have the youngest kids there and they don't always understand that not everyone wins....which never makes it much fun for us.  Gage had such a fun time Christmas Eve.  He took Harry Potter jelly beans for the candy bar game and the candy bar game and a jar of pigs feet for the white elephant gifts!  He thought these were so funny.  He put together all his Lego sets himself and even did Noah's big one!

Noah:

I don't think I'll forget soon how excited Noah was over Santa - because I was the one who sat up all night with him!  He was able to put together his smaller Lego sets all himself this year.  

Avery:  

Avery ran around all morning long saying
"This is the best Christmas EVER!"

you can't beat that!

Eli: 

Showed all the visitors Christmas day his new underwear he got (luckily it was still in the package, not on his bum!!). He was pretty excited about it.  He unwrapped one presents that had some clothes and decided right then and there to put them on...he stopped unwrapping, took off his jammies and put his new clothes on.

Lucy:  

Loved unwrapping and playing with everyone's stuff!  She got lots of pretty soft animals but preferred to drive her brothers hot wheels over them while saying vroom vroom!  She loves to lay on her new soft blankie and pillow and giggle.

~~

It was a magical Christmas.  

We are blessed.

Merry Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas,

Love,

The Christiansens

Wade, Debbi, Gage, Noah, Avery, Eli and Lucy May

Christmas Card

We went for a digital card approach this year.  We have loved receiving Christmas cards in the mail.  I love hanging them up and looking at them every day.  This is our first time in 10+ years I haven't send out a real card, but the sentiment is still there.  Please feel free to print these out and add them to your collection!

~~

2013 has been a faith building year full of ups and downs for our family, but through it all we have smiled and found blessings each day.  

"No matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish.  There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it."  -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

May you see the blessings this holiday season.

Merry Christmas,

Love,  

The Christiansens

Wade, Debbi, Gage, Noah, Avery, Eli and Lucy

Mentos and Diet Coke

Noah came up with this fantastic idea and decided it was all he wanted to do for Christmas....all he wanted was to see his cousins put mentos in their mouth and then take a drink of diet coke and see how long they could hold it!

He just kept talking about it, and honestly, I couldn't argue, because it wasn't like he was talking about material things...this was just a funny game.

Last night at the Bullard Birthday/Christmas party he got his wish!  

It was pretty funny!

First attempt:  two mentos each

Wade decided they should try it with a few more mentos to make things a little bit more challenging.

Four mentos each:

Ben won both times!

Charlotte tied with Ben to win the second round too!

And Noah...he got lots of laughs.

Merry Christmas Noah!

December 2013

We've had a busy month full of Christmas activities.

Sunday, December 1 when we got home from Washington we set up the tree.  Everyone has spent a lot of time looking at the lights and hiding Lego men in it.

~~

We saw Santa at our ward Christmas party.

Eli said he wanted a monster truck.

Avery said she wanted a teddy bear.

Noah said he wanted some legos.

And then Gage acted silly and said he was 5 years old and wanted baby toys for Christmas.  Santa said he could arrange that!

Lucy looked happy for just a second!

(and Santa looked tired and overwhelmed!)

~~

We braved the very cold temperatures and went to Temple Square to see the lights with our friends.  Nine (almost 10) kids were very well behaved...maybe we froze them into good behavior.

Avery walked around with her little arm around her friend Kyle the entire time.  She was such a little mommy.  She  says she can't decide who she wants to marry, Linkin or Kyle.  She gets pretty funny when you ask her about it she says they are both cute and very nice, and then cries she doesn't know what to do!

~~

Santa Bear (our version of Elf on a Shelf) has pulled a few pranks. The favorite one he pulls every year is when he decorates the tree with their underwear!

~~

Gage and Noah sang in their first Christmas Sing at school!  Our school in Washington didn't do this and we were on break last year during Christmas thanks to year round school.

Gage (back row in the corner)

Noah center, mohawk, green shirt

~~

My parents have been in town this week.  We used our pass and took them and the little three to Thanksgiving Point.

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Friday night we decorated gingerbread houses!  Grandma spoiled us and bought us kits this year.

~~

Friday night I thought I would try a new tradition and let the kids sleep under the tree the Friday they get out for Christmas break.  It took them a while to calm down and go to sleep, but they finally did! 

They've had lots of time lounging around in their pj's playing their games since being out of school!

And we have had lots and lots of snow this month!  I think it's pretty.  But every morning Eli wakes up and says it is time to open his presents because there is snow so that means it's Christmas!

We have been blessed to have such wonderful family, neighbors and friends.  Little Secret Santas have dropped gifts off for our kids on more than one occasion.  It's humbling and brings tears to my eyes to see the generosity of others.

We have been blessed through our trials this year.  It may be tempting at times to sit and make a list of all the bad things and reasons we should just give up, but we have seen blessings each and every day.  This Christmas we might not have a lot of material things to give, but we have a warm house, food on our table, families that love and support us and and are so thankful for this wonderful time of year.  Those are the blessings that matter.

Lucy's Heart

This last week, Lucy had her 6 month follow up appointment for her heart.

I was a little hesitant how she would behave for the echo.  I didn't want her to be put to sleep, but was really unsure of how to get her to lay so still for so long awake..  Luckily we were totally blessed and she did fantastic!  The tech was fast and Lucy just laid so still watching what was going on.

Then on to the good stuff...crinkly tissue paper in the exam room!

Lucy got great news!  Her heart is doing just fine.  She still has a couple holes but her gradient level is low and our cardiologist said she shouldn't have any more problems.  She doesn't have to be seen again for a year!

~~

Sidenote:  Our cardiologist moved since our last appointment so we had to switch.  We switched to the one Gage used to see when he was a baby.  We remembered that he had 10 kids - which made such a big impression on us when we were overwhelmed with our one, Gage.  So we told him he had seen our older son before and asked how his 10 kids were doing....he replied that he has 17 kids now!  Just when we thought we were halfway caught up! hahahaha!  I can't imagine 17...or even 10! Holy smokes!

Sunday Photo: 46

Sadly, no pretty Christmas pictures were taken this morning before church.  I took this one of Avery a few Sundays ago.  It's all I've got.  I might get Lucy back in her Christmas dress, but I'll never get the boys back in their church clothes till next week when they have to wear them.

My parents have been in town for the past couple days.  They are leaving tomorrow and heading down to Albuquerque to visit with my sister Jenny for Christmas.  Tonight we had a birthday party for Dad.

Lucy fell asleep but we took a picture anyway.  Noah told me he hates Sunday photos.  Tough.  Poor Noah had such a bad day...first church clothes and then a Sunday  photo.

We played a couple games tonight.  Instead of our usual coke challenge we did a root beer challenge.  Six different types of root beer and you have to guess what was what kind.  It was so hard!  In the end Scott won and Eli got to drink six shots of random root beer.  He was a pretty happy boy.

I need to get busy and catch up the blog before Christmas!

We have been blessed beyond measure this holiday season.  I have been humbled and I am not even sure what to say or where to begin.  As cheesy as it sounds, there are angels around us.  I know it.

Happy Sunday and Merry Christmas.

Sunday Photo: 45

We got lots of snow this week.  The temperature have been bitter cold too.  Yesterday it finally warmed up (to the 20s!) and we let the kids go outside and play a bit.  It really makes it feel like Christmas.

Today we watched Polar Express and then I coraled everyone (like hearding cats) to the tree for a picture.  

After my Sunday Photo torture, we played Sardines for the next hour.  (FYI: sardines is hide and seek, but one person hides, when you find them you have to hide with them). Even Lucy was being carried around playing.  At one point 6 of us were on the top bunk bed trying (unsuccessfully) to hide under a blanket.  

I just kept was just secretly praying that the bed wouldn't break!  The kids giggled and giggled and we had such a good time.  You want a good family activity?  Try sardines.

After a snack dinner (our Sunday night tradition, since we eat a big meal at 3 after church) we headed to bed. Added extra blankets on everyone's bed and snuggled in.  Wade finished reading Percy Jackson with the kids.  It had not been their favorite and therefore has taken us forever to finish.  We want to read the new Brandon Mull book next.

We've read quite a few big books out loud this year to them.  The Hobbitt, the entire FableHaven series, The Candy Shop Wars, a few random others.  Noah wants us to reread FableHaven.  These kids love to listen to stories...and it kinda melts my heart to listen to Wade read and them ask questions and interact every night.

Earlier today I was having a hard time.  I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, for our little family.  This Christmas is going to be a little different without Grandma Christiansen this year.  Things are going to be a lot smaller for us this year too.  

But then I have nights like tonight: when  I sit back and hear Wade read to the kids, when we play sardines and act silly together, and I know we are blessed.  Who cares what is under the tree.  What matters is who is around it.  Everything is going to be just fine.

The Christmas Devotional was tonight.  We are looking forward to catching the replay of it later tonight on BYUTV. (Without kid interruptions!)  It should be good, it always is.

Happy Sunday and Merry Christmas!