The Felstead's Christmas 2009

What a Christmas season this has been!  We have been out of our minds crazy and I was a little worried that 2 days before Christmas I hadn't even bought a single gift!!  Somehow I managed to get it all done and we had a wonderful Christmas Day.  So let's start with Christmas Eve.

Berkley looked absolutely adorable in her hot pink Santa onesie, white and black polka dot leg warmers and hot pink tutu I made her.

 (yep, I'm a tutu addict!!)

Big Jake, Brody, Ledger, Cole, Case and Connor

We headed over to Pam and Ron's for dinner and gifts.  The boys love hanging out with their cousins since out of the 8 total grand kids, 6 of them are boys.  Actually there will now be 10 grand kids because my sister in law Missy got engaged and she is marrying a man who has 2 older boys himself.  It was a fun evening for the boys!  Enough said!!

New Christmas Jammies, so warm and soft!!

When we got home from Pam and Ron's, Jeremy and I stayed up till about 1:00 am getting things picked up and put together (wink wink).  We were exhausted and ready for bed by time it was over.  One thing I don't like about doing Christmas Eve at the in laws is that we get home really late.  The kids are beyond exhausted and all they want to do is bathe and go to bed.  Because of this, we forgot to leave cookies and milk along with reindeer food out for Santa.  We were actually surprised he came to our house!!  Poor Santa!!  Hopefully next year we can convince Pam to do Christmas Eve on the 23rd instead of the 24th!  That would help so much!!

Santa definitely stopped at our house!

And their off! 

 Since Brody was the first one up, he was more then ready to see what Santa brought!!

On Christmas morning Brody was the first to wake up.  At 7:15 he came into our room asking if he could open presents.  Like the mean parents we are, we made him crawl in bed with us and wait for the others to wake up.  At 8:00 Case came stumbling in and about that time I went and got Ledger out of bed.  We made all 3 boys hang out in our room until we turned on the Christmas tree lights and made sure Santa came.  The boys came barreling down the hall and tore into their presents.  

They all got what they wanted which was a good thing!!  Sugar Claus arrived at about 8:30 with more gifts and Skidder Cars.  Boy was it fun for to ride them around the house. G.G. and G-Pa came for breakfast and craziness around 9:00.  After breakfast, Santa had one more surprise in store for the kids, a TRAMPOLINE! They were super excited and spent the rest of the morning jumping.  We all layed down for a nap in the afternoon which felt awesome! Sugar came over for dinner along with grandma and grandpa which worked out great cause we didn't have to leave our house.  It was a perfect Christmas for us all! 

Case loved all the Legos Santa brought!

Ledger zoomed around the house on his new skidder car.

The boys with the Legos Santa brought them for Christmas.

The trampoline was a hit!  Santa is the best!!

Arriving December 26th...

...My Christmas cards!

It's never too late right?  I'm mailing mine tomorrow morning which means you won't get them until the day after Christmas.  Now that you already know what they look like, you won't need to rush to your mailbox to get them!! If I forgot to send you one I apologize.  If you want me to send you one next year, let me know.  Reminder to self... START THIS EARLIER NEXT YEAR!!  Good Night...I hope !! 

4 Hayrides, 3 Christmas Parties, 2 Days Left To Shop, And A Boy Home Sick With The Flu!

To say we've been a little busy is an understatement!  In the past week we have hosted the Relief Society Dinner, A Sears Family Party, A Felstead Family Party and A Sunbeam Hayride.  That doesn't include a YM/YW Hayride, class parties and LIFE!  Would you believe it if I told you that I haven't even started my Christmas shopping?  You heard me right folks, I haven't even bought a single gift.  Oh did I mention I haven't sent out my Christmas cards yet?  Let me rephrase that, I  haven't even received my Christmas cards in the mail yet!  I'm just a little behind wouldn't you say?  But don't worry people, I'm not giving up.  I'm gonna hit Toys R Us this afternoon and grab whatever is left.  I'm gonna stay up late to address my cards when they arrive, I'm gonna get my primary lesson ready for Sunday and pack all my kids and myself for the cabin. I'm gonna wrap my gifts for family, friends, and neighbors while feeding a little cutie every 3 hours.  Oh did I mention that Brody threw up all over his bed and down 2 hallways last night?  Good times I tell you, good times!!  I'm exhausted and ready for the big day to be over!  I'm ready to head up to the cabin and not do a dang thing!!  I'm ready to get back to the hum drum of regular life (is there such thing?) I'm ready to go to bed at a decent hour. Wish me luck as I fight the crowds tonight.  Wish me luck that no one else gets sick around here!  

Just WISH ME LUCK!!

Santa Claus is Coming To Town

Here we all are with Santa!

Brody asked Santa for Legos and A Batman DS Game.

Case asked Santa for a Lego Airplane.

Since Ledger speaks his own language half the time, we're not sure what he asked Santa for.  He kept repeating the same thing over and over like we knew what he was talking about!

Berkley looked too cute in her Christmas outfit that Libby let me borrow!

Yesterday we went to the annual Santa Cookie Party at the John and Sheena Rang's house.  Santa stopped by and guess what...No one cried this year!  You heard me right.  Everyone of my kids sat on Santa's lap without crying and told him what they wanted.  It was great!  There were wonderful cookies and candy everywhere so needless to say, my boys took full advantage!!  It was a fun morning for these kids!

Hey look!  A picture of me with my baby girl!  

Cousins!  Case, Brody, Berkley, Ledger and Presley

Sugar and Miss B

Christmas Card Photo Shoot

Does anyone out there HATE getting family pictures taken?  I do!  Let me tell you all the reasons.  First off, what to wear?  It's hard enough picking out my own outfit, but to try and dress the other 5, it makes me CRAZY!!  Oh and Yes I said 5 because the husband counts in all of this!!  Second, where to have the pictures taken?  If I dare try and attempt going someplace beautiful and wonderful I run the risk of some chump getting a grass stain, torn shirt, spit up (that one would be ME!)  or some other ugly thing all over their freshly pressed outfit.  Not only that, but I guarantee you that one member of this household would show up to the picture taking destination without shoes on!!  It's just way safer to do the pictures at my house.  Third, why is it that on the day you have scheduled to have your yearly family photo taken, someone gets some type of weird growth, bruise, or cut ON THEIR FACE?  Seriously...every time!!  Fourth, why is it so difficult to get 6 people to look at the camera and smile...at the same time?  I don't get it!!  Not one picture has everyone looking at the camera EVER!!  It's frustrating and annoying!  JUST LOOK AT THE CAMERA!  There is nothing else to look at...we are at our own house for heavens sake!!  Finally, why do I wait till the last minute each December to take on this task?  I'll tell you why.  Because for some weird reason I feel that if I take the picture any earlier then December, my kids won't look the same come Christmas time.  It's dumb and ridiculous, I know but I do it every year!  So here they are, some of the funny pictures sweet Miss Ashley took last week.  When you get my Christmas card this year just remember this little post and be ever so happy I even sent one out!  

I actually LOVE this pictures of these 3 monkeys.  Even though they are not looking at the camera, I love the way they are looking at each other and laughing!!

Poor Case, he practiced his smile all day long but when it came time for the photo session, he couldn't remember which smile it was that I liked!

Seriously boys!  Like I really want a picture of you wrestling each other!  Actually this would be the perfect family photo because this is our life.  Wrestling, scratching places we shouldn't, chewing with our mouths open.  Good times, Good times!!

Is this the best we can do family?  Stay tuned to see which picture we actually chose.

It's raining, it's pouring..."

I WISH I was snoring!! 

 But I'm not.  I have tons of laundry to do and tons more Christmas decorations to put up.  I'm getting a tad bit stressed about the first party for 75 I'm hosting Thursday night!  This weather is making me want to curl up under a blanket and sleep!!  

Oh a girl can dream right?

At least one person in this house is snoring.  Lucky girl!!

"Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree!"

Ledger the astronaut/cowboy thought decorating his tree was fun. 

 He loved all the pretty ornaments.  

As expected, Brody was totally into decorating his tree.  He loved looking at all the ornaments he's made in the past.  His tree looks awesome.  

 

Don't judge me but I'm that Mom who doesn't let her kids decorate the Christmas tree.  I feel terrible about this but I just can't help it.  You see, every Christmas we host parties...quite a few parties.  This year, we are the hosts to 3 parties at our house.  That may not seem like a lot, but YOU try keeping your house perfectly picked up for 3 parties.  I promise, it's not easy!!  Because of this, I have a need to have a Christmas tree that is, well...not kid decorated.  Don't get me wrong.  I love, love, love the cute ornaments my kids make me every year in school.  I treasure them as a matter of fact.  I just don't hang them on MY tree for all our guests to see.  Is that bad? It is huh!! Well to solve this issue, Jeremy and I bought each of the boys their OWN Christmas tree to decorate.  We help them each string lights on their trees and then let them decorate it how ever they want.  We help them and do it together, as a family (does that help?).  We love pulling out the old ornaments and especially the ones they have made. We let them sleep with their lights on at night which is festive and pretty (right?) I'm feeling super guilty as I write this...can you tell?! Anyhow...their trees look wonderful (as does mine!) and we had a great time decorating all the trees today.  Now if I could only find my snowmen and trees to decorate my nitch! 

p.s.  Not sure why I don't have a picture of the Case Man but I will get one tomorrow and post it later!