Favorite Things part 5

The Willow Tree nativity set is a really popular set and has taken me a few years to collect. My mother in law started us out with the camel set - so for a year I had a camel and donkey, but no Mary and Joseph! But, really it was great because I love the camel and I have heard you can't get it anymore, so I'm glad that I have it as part of my collection. I would love to add the stable and star someday.

I had to take a couple pictures of the different parts of this set since it is so large.







Another thing I loved growing up was this advent calendar. My mom has the original, and one year she surprised all six of us with our own! I cannot believe that she made six of these, the hand stitching on some of the little pieces had to take so much time! Gage loves taking turns with Noah turning over a piece each day. (The sheep were a big hit to Noah.) I saved this to post about today because today we turned over one of my favorite pieces, the tiny little present from one of the Wise men!



I added this new advent calendar to our collection this year. It's a Nativity set/book that you read each day and then you pop out the corresponding piece. You can reuse it each year and Gage loves it!


Another fun thing I did this year was a Christmas swap hosted by Rosjuane. Maury had my name and I got my fun package yesterday in the mail. She is an awesome photographer and sent me a fun Christmas scrapbook set! I love it! Thanks Maury and thanks Rosjuane!

80's Christmas

We've had a busy weekend at the Christiansen household. Watched a few movies (Charlie Brown's Christmas, Eragon, Music and Lyrics), played with the kids, cleaned the house, tried to stay warm in this crazy cold weather, and attended the first annual best worst Christmas/80's sweater party....yes you read right.

About a month ago we were invited to this crazy party and we have been trying to prepare for it ever since. Unfortunately when I got to Goodwill they didn't have a huge selection of adult Christmas sweaters, so we just went for plain old ugly 80's fashions. I only spent $7 and we had some very funny selection! I think I went a little overboard with the blue eyeshadow and blush, but it was fun to see everyone and what they came up with. Some didn't play along, but it was a fun night with friends either way. Thanks Natalie and Amanda for hosting!

What do you think - I think it's a good choice for a Christmas card! My favorite is my poor boys in girls sweaters! No wonder they weren't happy that night. Here is the line up of those who dressed up. I think Karin got my vote, the stir-up pants were classic.

Wade and I both got new glasses this weekend too - I like my new frames, but I think that the crazy make up in the picture is really not helping!

Monday Moments

Yesterday for our sacrament meeting (worship service) we had a musical program. This wasn't your typical Christmas program, but something I really enjoyed. Anyone in the congregation could come forward and tell what their favorite song in the hymnal was and why and we would sing one verse from it. It was really interesting to see what people choose and the spirit was there through the music. Of course, we sang a lot of Christmas hymns, but we also sang Easter songs and other songs as well.

One of my favorite songs was requested by one of the youth. While it's not a Christmas hymn, it really points out what we really should be thankful for during this Christmas season. She requested the second verse. Below are the second and third.

Because I have Been Given Much

Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care,
I cannot see another's lack and I not share
My glowing fire, my loaf of bread, My roof's safe shelter over-head,
That he too may be comforted.

Because I have been blessed by thy great love, dear Lord,
I'll share my love again, according to thy word.
I shall give love to those in need; I'll show that love by word and deed:
Thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.


Below you will find a little joy for your Monday morning!

Favorite things part 4

Two more of my nativities. The second picture - the gold set, I made in high school. There was a fun place my mom liked to take us where you could clean you own pottery and paint or glaze it and then they would fire it for you. When I was in college this was the only lone set I had. One angel has a broken wing I have had to glue back on, but it still remains one of my favorites!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

wrapping paper, I save gift bags for birthdays or baby showers

2. Real tree or Artificial?

I have an artificial one, but I prefer real - if I had a house and a large room to put a 10 foot tree in!

3. When do you put up the tree?

Black friday - after shopping and I get out all my nativities to play with!

4. When do you take the tree down?

After Christmas sometime - usually when we return from trips

5. Do you like eggnog?

No

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

I got a cool play dough set once, and my dad always picked out each girl a new sweater (there were four girls in our family)

7. Do you have a nativity scene?

Yes, currently ten

8. Hardest person to buy for?

Parents

9. Easiest person to buy for?

Gage - trains are the way to his heart

10. Mail or E-Mail Christmas Cards?

mail

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

? maybe a white elephant gift?

12.. Favorite Christmas Movie?

A Christmas Story and it's not a Christmas movie, but The Sound of Music is good for any holiday!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

anytime of the year, now that I have kids, I buy stuff starting in the summer when it goes on sale.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

unless it was a white elephant party, no

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

chocolate, chocolate, fun appetizers and dips

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?

clear

17. Favorite Christmas song?

Oh Holy Night

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

we live away from family, and it's hard being away from them, but I really do prefer staying at home and doing our own little small Christmas

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?

yes - not going to on this post though!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?

a bow right now, but I want a star on a real tree when we have one

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

Christmas morning, we always got to open our stockings and santa presents, then we ate breakfast and then we opened the rest

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?

crowds and grumpy people

23. Favorite ornament theme or Color?

red and gold

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?

ham and homemade rolls!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?

? Scrapbook stuff and some fun movies and books. I want the Everwood first season on DVD, Everybody Loves Raymond DVD's, and so many books I can't even name them all - the HP series would be a nice gift set, since I only own 2 of them. It's lame, but I don't really care if I get anything, I love watching the boys open their presents.

Enchanted

Wade is going to make so much fun of me for this post, but I don't care!

I went out last night for a girls night - we had dinner at Chili's and then watched the movie Enchanted. It was really cute and I think any little girl would love it! I must say that Anne-Marie, Erica and I were more enchanted by Patrick Dempsey the whole time - not the crazy-rude teenagers behind us that kept burping When we came out of the theather we saw this poster and had to take a picture for the blog!

Good News Wednesday

Welcome Wednesday!

I'm late posting my good news today, because I have bad/embarrassing news as well. Read my good news to find out more.



1. My kids do not have pink eye. That is the good news. The bad news is, I do. I am laughing, and embarrassed, because what kind of 27 year old gets pink eye? I wash my hands all day long and last weekend when I got a cold I stayed home from church and inside from all the cold weather - this is how I get repaid?! Frustrating!

2. We went to our church Christmas party this past weekend and it was a blast! There was yummy food and a pie bar for dessert! The program was wonderful and Gage had a fun time doing an interpretive dance/break dance to a beautiful version of Oh Holy Night sung by Karin. I would have got out my camera (I had it) and taped him, but I was too embarrassed. Then came Santa - and now you get to read my embarrassing news. I gave the kids to Wade so he could help them stand in line and I could help clean up our table. When I found them after Santa, Wade said Gage kept cutting in line and getting in every one's pictures! This was the only picture Wade got of him with Santa. (Santa is played by a wonderful counselor in our bishopric, who has the real beard and is such a fun guy!)

3. Yesterday we were stuck inside all day and school was canceled for all the husbands! My neighbor Julie and Anne-Marie and kids came over for lunch and fun times! Wade has been saving his money for a while and purchased an X-Box 360 a few weeks ago and he had such a fun time letting the kids take turns racing cars. Anne-Marie and Julie went head to head for a couple races as well. I'm not really big into video games, but I was glad Wade finally bought something he wanted (he never does!) and we had a fun afternoon!

4. The ice is slowly but surly melting/chipping off my van! Wade spent 45 minutes chipping an inch of ice off my van yesterday so I could get out of the house, and I was so thankful!

5. Two short weeks from now we fly to Tennessee to see my family! We are having a family reunion and my parents and all 14 adults (parents, plus siblings and spouses) and 11 grandchildren will all be together - something that hasn't happened in 3 plus years!

What's your good news?

Mr. Bean Christmas

We woke today to rain - or at least what I thought was rain. It really was our second ice storm in 2 weeks. The snow is pretty, and in some ways the ice is pretty too, but not so pretty when it means I'm stuck inside all day. I guess it's time to break out some loud dancing Christmas music, make some forts and bake some homemade goodies..perhaps some bread and soup for tonight!



My sister in law Chandra sent this to me and I was laughing so hard that Wade had to leave the next room and go upstairs to study! I collect nativities and Wade jokes that I play with them too much. I can honestly say this has never happened at my house - but with two boys I'm sure that someday it will. It's about 5 minutes and gets better and better!

Books

I have to admit I have not been very good lately at updating My Reading Spot. I updated today and I thought I would post a short update on here as well. I love to read during the holidays, but I have so many other projects as well. Plus, Wade's schedule has allowed him to be home more - which should equal more reading time - but equals more family time, and you can't argue with that.





I just finished a fun novel, North by Northanger. It's my second Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mystery. They are so fun to read.



I have loved Shannon Hale. I've read AustenLand and Princess Academy. I am very excited because I started Goose Girl today! It's part of a series -all of which are out, so I can read right through them all!



One book I am the most excited about is coming out on the 26th of this month. The Sweet Far Thing, by Libba Bray is the 3rd book in The Great and Terrible Beauty series. I'll be gone to see my family when it comes out so I haven't decided to order it and have it waiting when I get home or buy it while I am in Tennessee. I am leaning towards buying it there, but I hope it doesn't make me want to ignore my family and just read! (At least I know my sister Kathy will probably be doing the same thing.) I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if you love Twilight then you will love this series. I am almost tempted to say I love it more - I think Libba Bray is one of the most witty authors ever!




I read this book last month and haven't posted a review on it - it's my site and I'm not sure I really want to post a review for every book I read. I liked this book, I have to admit I cheated and watched the movie as well.

This last book I found at the library and I was so excited. I have seen it at Costco and at book stores but wasn't going to spend money on it - but now that I've looked at it, it might really be worth it! I love the advice it gives boys about girls - and we have made many paper airplanes and cool crystals since we checked it out. Wade loves to read it and I think we will all be very sad when it's due back at the library.

What are you reading? Do you read more during the holidays or do you take a break?

Monday Moments

Let us remember the true meaning of Christmas this time of year and teach our children.

"Without Christ there would be no Christmas, and without Christ there can be no fullness of joy." -Ezra Taft Benson

I love all Christmas music, especially the spiritual kind (not Santa or reindeer) Below is one of my favorite children songs.

Gingerbread Date Night

Last night for date night we got together with some friends to make gingerbread houses. I know this is usually a kid activity, and we have plans to make one with Gage, but it was fun getting together with just the grown ups! We had some very different houses. It was such a fun night and Gage has already ate all the candy off Wade's gingerbread rocket ship!

Favorite things part 3

I love nativities that kids can play with. The coveted Little People Nativity is a big hit at my house. Noah loves to play with the sheep the most, he loves to say BAA and carry them around. Gage loves rearranging them and telling us stories about them. These are two more nativity sets I have that the boys can play with.

This one is my first kid friendly set. It's a Precious Moments collection and it's plastic. The shepard had a little walking stick that we have to leave in the box and we have to watch Noah because he likes to put the hay bail in his mouth, but other than that they love to play with it. We've lost baby Jesus before because he is pretty little, but I found him the other day in my purse during story time. Gage kept telling me that the baby was in my bag, but I guess I didn't believe him!
My mom made me this set, it's a bean bag one and they are pretty funny. I love that Gage can throw them around and I don't have to worry. I love the yarn hair.

There is a game we play with him where we quiz him on scripture stories that he is learning. The other day I was playing this game with him and quizzing him on the story of Christs birth. The conversation went a little like this:

Debbi: Who was Jesus' mommy?
Gage: Mary
Debbi: What did the angels tell the Shepard's?
Gage: there was a baby born
Debbi: Where was Jesus born?
Gage: Mexico.


I think he was just little bit off...I think we will keep working!

Christmas Train

It wouldn't be Christmas time if we didn't take a trip to the mall to ride the Christmas train. Since it's only a dollar to ride we usually end up going a lot each year. This morning we went with our friends, Anne-Marie, Brooklyn and Mason. Brooklyn and Gage rode twice and Noah and Mason loved watching. I plan on going back again with Wade so he,or I, can ride it with Noah, he looked so sad that he couldn't get on.

After their train rides Brooklyn and Gage decided they wanted to go sit on Santa's lap together. They were so funny holding hands. I love the mall Christmas displays here, they are always so creative. There is a place they can write a letter to Santa and a fake snow machine. We came out of the mall to find lots of real snow and will be spending the rest of the day drinking hot chocolate and staying warm.

Good News Wednesday

It's Wednesday - here is my good news!

1. We had a fun play date yesterday with our friend Hunter. His mom, Andrea, had a great idea for snowmen I think both boys had more fun eating the treats and playing trains together!

2. Noah is walking. He took his first steps on Saturday, November 24, and he is getting better every day. He still can crawl faster so it's been hard to get a good video. Here's one I took this morning.



3. We are off this morning to a Shake Rattle and Roll program at one of the libraries. The kids get to dance and play instruments. I already know Gage loves this program, we've been before, but I can't wait to see how excited Noah will be!

4. I almost did an entire post about this one - Gage is always amazing and cracking us up! I never knew it was possible to feel the spirit and laugh your head off so hard at the same time! We've been talking to Gage about how when he gets big he can go on a mission. Last night Gage's prayer went like this: (he speaks in 3rd person when he prays)

"Dear Heavenly Father, I am thankful for the day, bless Gage to be a missionary someday, bless Noah and bless Noah to be a good missionary someday. Bless Noah to be a go-ga. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen."

Yeah - Go ga. Wade and I couldn't stop laughing. We aren't sure what it is, but he calls everyone this. A few weeks ago he was calling everyone beans - kidney bean, pinto bean, lima bean. Now he has moved on to go-ga's. And if his prayers are answered his brother will be a very good one!

Happy Wednesday! What's your good news?

Favorite Things part 2

More favorite things - lights and nativities!

Two more nativity sets. I think the mouse one is so funny because it is so small. Some times I even have a hard time getting the figure to stand up they are so small. I love the little Mary.

I am not sure where my mother in law found this one, but I Love it! (I realize I say that about all of them, so just bare with me!) This one is so cute! It's not a huge set, but the figures are so chunky you can't resist them!

One of my favorite traditions of Christmas time is to drive around singing carols and looking at lights. We have been doing it almost every night since last week! Noah gets so excited when he sees cool light displays and Gage loves to find all the different colored houses. Last night for family night we took the boys to Water Works Park in Des Moines to see the light display they do every year. It's $9 a car load, and it all goes to the Make a Wish Foundation. You then drive through miles and miles of light displays. At the end they have a little house you can go in and visit with Santa. We took the boys out of their seats and let them sit up front with us and they were so excited! My pictures aren't that great, but we had a blast.