CC Christmas Party

We had a Christmas party last week with our homeschooling friends. The kids played games, listened to a story, and did an ornament craft from some wood Levi cut for all the kids. It was a pretty big turn out and the kids all had a great time. 

I am amazed at how many dads have been involved in our community this year - seems so many are working remote now. 

Clairana's pure joy face was timed perfectly.

Bella with Nephi and Jeremy. Bella is growing up so fast these days.  

Merry Christmas!

Pajama Card

Just seemed perfect after this year.

 

Askeroth - Gingerbread Making

On Sunday, the Askeroth family invited us over to make and decorate gingerbread cookies. Everyone had such a great time and it was so fun to be hosted. They started homeschooling this past year and have kids the same ages as ours. We also go to church with them - Jacob is in nursery with Cecily and Kelli is a leader for all of the children 12 and under at church. 

Nephi, Clairana, Liam, & Henry

Kelli with Maylee, Coraline, & Cabella (Jacob and Jane in the mirror)

Her family has a tradition of making gingerbread houses all together each year - the recipe has been past down for generations. This year they stayed in Indiana so we got to join in on the tradition. 

Cecily!

This is pretty much what Nephi looked like for half the night. Sugar Rush. Happiness. Silly Faces. 

 

Around the House.

Our little front porch with lights! 

Christmas Movie Night!

 These two are the best of buds lately - they like to match and have their picture taken squeezing each other. 

Drawings from Coraline!

We went to go see lights and the live nativity which is all drive through so we wore pjs and church coats - hahaha. 

This year we cut a tree down off our property - we planted several trees a couple years ago when we were first starting the venue process and well after this year I don't think we will ever have the nerve again. So we chopped one down for our Christmas tree. It actually ended up being bigger inside than we thought. 

Elfie is still among us every morning....

My reads for the month. 

Light Christmas Stories. 

 

Nephi is NINE!

Busy Fun Day! With some adjustments due to this time but we celebrated! 

Levi got an invitation from Greyhouse coffee to come to the soft opening and it was in the wee hours of Nephi's birthday so we went and had hot chocolate and donuts. 

Then we headed to see Croods at the movie theater (it was the only kids show out) We picked our seats beforehand online and because of our family size we were the only ones in the theater. 

We actually ended up being the only people in the whole building besides two workers. It was special and fun but Levi and I underneath our breath also said how strange and sad it was and will the movie theaters even survive this year. 

Then we headed home for a break because the weather was amazing and we played outside for hours. 

Kelly and Reni (Levi's parents) stopped by with presents for Cecily and Nephi we have not seen them in months so this was a special treat for the kids. Nephi was given an erector set that has been in the family for years and Cecily got a scooter for her birthday in October. 

We had a fire and ice cream cake with them and Cecily nicely put her hand on the writing before I made it back with the knife and lighter. 

This happened before Nephi's birthday Aunt Woody got him a guinea pig!! He named him Buddy and she nicely bought all the extras to go along with him.....

Then Nephi got money from my dad in the mail so he went and got the other male guinea pig so he could have a friend. He named the next one Benji. So far he has been so good at tending them all by himself. 

Presents from afar! Books, PJs, and Tools from the Bell family and Levi's mom and stepdad out West. 

We ended the night with my mom and Randy stopping by after my mom's therapy appointment. They got Nephi binoculars. 

The next morning Nephi and I put together Cecily's scooter. 

And Aunt Rene came over to give Nephi presents and get loves! 

It was a great day and although we didn't end up doing all the things he wanted due to the virus we will hopefully go eat at a buffet again someday soon. 

I love having a boy in our lots of girls family and I am thankful that I get to enjoy both because they are both so awesome in different ways. 

 

Cecily Stats.

 Weight 26lb (38th percentile)

Height 2'10.8" (77th percentile)

BMI 15.09 (16th percentile)

Birdseed Ornaments

 Last night we had a gator ride down to the creek to pick rocks for a painting project we are working on...

But our nightly craft was to make birdseed ornaments to freeze overnight and hang outside. 

Nephi helped Bella make a chain until Christmas. It was her own special craft and she loved it and having ownership over taking them off each day. 

Not as hardy as we had hoped for some of them next year maybe I will make it with thicker cookie cutters.