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Seriously, the kids must think this is what I really look like sometimes... lol
The other fun news from this week is that Faith has started singing in the praise band at church. She is really good at it too. I am really looking forward to seeing what some training does for her voice! Matt has started learning to play guitar too, and is going to praise band practice as well as his lesson each week. One of the girls in the band who plays guitar is going to college this summer, and he might be taking her place if he can get lessons in during all of his sports.
The break from sports is over. Baseball practice has begun, so Matt has been there each afternoon. Kyle will be playing baseball again this year too, but we are going to skip softball and t-ball. LOL... Faith hated softball, and while T-ball was funny to watch the kids get bored so quickly, and trying to get 5 kids to 3 different games in different towns was a bit too much last year!
Matt is turning 16 tomorrow. Can you believe it? I can't. I am just not ready for it. Sigh. He is having his party this weekend. Sniff. Sniff sniff.
I mentioned the tornado-ish weather, and it is still going on. In fact, there have been a couple in Missouri already tonight. We are under a tornado watch right now, but we really don't have the weather and worries that other areas do. The temperature has been really nice the last couple of days, though. In fact, Beth wanted me to let her fill her pool with water (from the hose that is iced over... lol) and let her swim yesterday.... lol.. I told her no.
Chet was an angel, and I really have no idea why they all looked so unhappy, but it didn't surprise me one bit to see him up there surrounded by girls. He gets letters every single day asking him to be somebody's boyfriend. He is even being asked out on dates. No!!!! I am going to start spraying him down with girl-B-gone each morning before school starts... lol. His counts came up another 10,000 to 63,000 this month, and we are all hoping and praying he just keeps on bringing them up 10,000 at a time!
The little kids were part of the Children's program on Sunday, and I forgot to upload the photo, but Matt was also part of lighting the Advent candles. It was a really fun program. We went to the candlelight service Sunday night, and that was simply beautiful. Between the candlelit chapel, the calm silence, and then the soothing sound of "Oh Holy Night", Todd fell fast asleep in his pew.
I also didn't get any of our normal baking done for Christmas this year, but that isn't all bad. Since I didn't have any appetite to eat all the fattening goodies that are so abundantly available at Christmastime, I managed to get through the season without regaining any weight I have been working so hard to take off. However, Santa just can't come visit and not have some treats offered, so the kids and Jack and I made some rice krispie treats and Russian teacake cookies yesterday.
Tipsy found the entire process incredibly fascinating and kept popping her head up over the edge of the table to see what we were up to.
Yesterday was Jack's 40th birthday. I had plans to throw him a surprise party, but between his work schedule and whatever bug has been attacking me it just didn't happen. But happy birthday, Jack... I love you!
My mom sent the traditional Christmas Eve jammies for everyone, so we let the kids open those up last night and then had them get changed into them.
Here are all the fellas... what a cute group of guys!
And she sent the girls and I penguin jammies....I love penguins!! This was not my finest photo moment... lol. My head was hurting, I was coughing up a lung, and my face has been terribly swollen... but here we are in our penguin glory!
Of course, that is when Santa's job begins, and this year we were up until 3 am trying to figure out this silly doll house. It has a working elevator which I thought was really cool, but Jack wasn't so impressed when it came time to put it together.. lol.
And at last the presents were done and around the tree. We kept Christmas small this year, but it always amazes me how much it all still ends up looking like when we have the boxes around the tree!
So we went to bed at 3, and those monsters were wide awake by 5:30 and clamoring to open those presents and see what Santa had brought them. Aaagghhh! We dragged ourselves out of bed and got ready to open the presents. I love Christmas. I love seeing their expressions when they see their presents. And even though we were sleep-deprived this year, I just loved being up early in the morning to share this with the kids. I love Christmas!
I have made a very dear friend, Roberta, through work who has essentially adopted the kids as her honorary grandkids. A couple of months ago I told her about a bowl I was keeping an eye out for at yardsales and estate sales. I had found a couple at antique stores, but didn't want to pay their asking price. However, these yellow bowls look like the one my gramma had and taught my mom to bake in, and I wanted one. (Bowls are really the only thing I sort of collect... I like pretty ones and keep an eye out for them at yardsales.) My dear sweet friend found me the yellow bowl, and bought it for me for Christmas. Jack has to hurry and build my bowl shelves now, and this one gets its very own special spot on those shelves!
Even the dogs enjoyed playing in the falling snow with the kids. Sammy got right up on the car and sat in the snow that Faith was trying to gather up!
There was one who wasn't that interested in playing in the snow. Chet realized I was making fudge for a cookie sale at church today, and while his siblings bundled up to brave the cold, he got caught scraping the extra fudge out of the pan!
Here are pics from the parade last weekend. The kids' float won first place in the church sponsored category!