Christmas in the City.

Our next Christmas celebration was with Matt's family.  The weekend before Christmas we were able to head to the Twin Cities to celebrate with the Kleins and Crowsons.  Because of every one's schedules we went a bit early.  We picked up Nathan one-hour early from school on Thursday, and he skipped his party day on Friday.  Because we were going to go see Grammy and cousin Logan, Nathan was okay with this-otherwise he likely would have been upset about missing the party.  He even said "I'm missing a fun day, but I'm having a fun day."

We got there in time to eat some Chinese leftovers, put on jammies, and watch a movie.

I think here I'm telling Evelyn not to touch the pretty little Swedish girls. 

 

They watched the VeggieTales' St. Nicholas.  It was good for snuggling.

Friday was our "Christmas".  As soon as Grammy arrived the girls were ready for some Christmas festivities.  All the children must have asked, "Is it time for presents?" 1000 times!

Instead of Christmas cookies, the kids and Grammy made cut-out Rice Krispie bars.  There were no sprinkles, so they decorated them with fruit snacks.

By the time I arrived on scene, I think the boys had lost interest.   Here's our niece Julia diligently placing the fruit snack in just the right spot...who knew.  Perhaps Rice Krispie treats and fruit snacks will be a new Christmas tradition.

And here is where the camera got hijacked...

I believe it was that sweet little niece Julia.  She took the above photo of Grammy and about 25 others.

I'm guessing her and Ella were doing a little photo shoot.  I'll give you a couple, but spare you from the entire session!

Alright, back to treats!  When Adeline and Evelyn heard there were Rice Krispie treats and fruit snacks they knew they had to be involved.

Adult supervision was required.  These two have zero self-control when it comes to sweets.  Thankfully Grandpa Joe was there.

The plan was to eat Christmas dinner at 1:00 p.m., then clean-up, then open presents. We were very clear about this, however, the present-opening question didn't cease.   So, when you tire of waiting you play Hungry Hungry Hippos.

 

Finally, time to get dolled-up so Christmas feasting can commence!

Here's all the cousins:

Adeline (5), Ella (6), Julia (6), Nathan (8), Logan (8), and Evelyn (2)

I noticed the above photo is the first I have of Nathan and Logan.  There were doing a lot of Nerf fighting and Lego building.  They are generally too quick for my photographic skills.  I also love Nathan's face.  He wasn't mad, he just loves to ruin photos.  I'm hoping this is an obnoxious 8-year-old phase and not a way of life.  (Though note Logan's sweet face.  When Addie was the baby he loved her, now he's in love with Evelyn.)

The girls (minus Evs).

The boys.  

Notice how they got dressed up for Christmas?  They are both lovers of sweat pants. I told Nathan to put on his great sweater for the photo...he put on his grey hooded sweatshirt.  Matt told me it wasn't a big deal and he could wear whatever, so we went with it.

 If little girls have a dress on, they must twirl.  

It too was too fast for my photographic skills.

And at last, time for presents!

Evs is such a gamer...she loves the boys and the attention they give her, even if it involves Nerf darts on your face.

During kitchen clean-up time we told the boys to occupy themselves by making up a Nativity scene using Legos.  This is what they came up with.  It honestly started a little more innocent, and then weaponry got involved.  Good thing the angels brought good tiding of great joy and peace good will toward men.

Logan then read the Christmas story.  This one is from his children's Bible.

Addie is obviously amazed...

As always, everyone received too much.  Matt got several new shirts, the kids got games and books (and a book light...woot!), and toys.  I got a couple of scarves, one of which I affectionately call my blarf (it's a blanket, it's a scarf, it's a blarf...I may have to dedicate a post to this amazing accessory).

The next day was spent playing with gifts and a trip to downtown Minneapolis.

Evelyn was so excited to get to color with markers, something she has been banned from back home.

Downtown we went to SantaLand on the 8th floor of Macy's.  They no longer change it every year, so it was the same as last year.  But, there's enough details that it's still interesting for the kids.

See how much fun they're having!?

It really is a fun tradition.  We went just the six of last year.  It's also a tour that should conclude with a giant cookie.

Here Matt is telling his mom to not get them each their own cookie because it's too much (too much sweet, too much $).

Perusing the options...which come in large or extra-large!

The only thing I don't get about it, is that there's no area to actually eat your cookie.  So, you hope there's a bench open.  Here are the kids enjoying their treats.  As you can see they each got their own. :)

We then ate a quick lunch while waiting for the Hollidazzle village downtown to open.

The Hollidazzle village was a couple of blocks and replaced the Hollidazzle parade.

Here we got there for the end of a performance of the Velveteen Rabbit.

Then we check out Santa's reindeer.

They also had an area for ice skating.  The kids all enjoyed it, though it wasn't real ice and apparently much more difficult to skate on.

From here it was the road for us.  We drove back Saturday night to make it back for church on Sunday.

We're so thankful for our Twin Cities family!  It was a quick, but blessed weekend.

Small group Christmas.

Our first chance to celebrate Christmas with others was with our small group from church.  I don't have a lot of photos from this event, but I thought this would give me a chance to express how much I love these people.

Our leader's family hosted and provided the pizza.  The rest of us brought side items (we brought dessert).  I believe there are 6 families in our small group (5 of whom were present at the party)...a total of 12 adults and 18 children!

 

The night was casual with plenty to eat, followed by a white elephant gift exchange.  (The kids spent a lot of the night playing in the basement).

We're so thankful to have such good friends, not only for us but for our children as well.  When we started going to our church, these are the people that invited us into our homes.  Everyone in our age group is busy with their small children and work schedules, but somehow these are the people who noticed we were new and took time to befriend us.  These are the kids our kids play with.  These are the people I call when I need help with childcare during the day.  These are the people who see me cry the most.  These are the people I ask for prayer.  These are the people who challenge my faith  (with their strong witness I cannot remain "warm and comfortable").  These are the people who came to my mom's visitation though they never met her, and then gave us  meals big enough to not just feed my family but my sister's family as well.  I could go on and one...I love these people.  

 (There are other awesome people in our church...but they can't all be in our small group.)

This night was about Christ, fellowship, and fun!  

It's funny how "white elephant" was a challenge for our group.  We had to discuss it privately, as to what does it mean.  No one wanted to bring a gift that wasn't "nice", but then go home with a nice gift.  So, gifts

ranged from disposable storage containers to "poo-pourri" to cereal.  One member of our group, Kaya, had extra yarn around and so decided to crochet it together for a blanket as her white elephant gift.  I could not just whip this up. If I ever completed it, it would likely have to be a cherished family heirloom of something mom made.  

 We didn't get to bring it home, but Matt had to try it out.

We did however get to bring home the Ulu knife.  Matt was very pleased with this, and if he needs to cut something in the kitchen this is now his go-to knife.  I cannot say the same however.

So, thanks awesome church family! 

When we moved to Sioux Falls, I prayed for some good friends (since it felt like we were starting over in the friendship department).  I'm so thankful for how God has answered those prayers.

Noel.

Merry Christmas!

As most others, I feel I've been constantly busy this month.  We try to stay fairly unscheduled, but December is always a highly scheduled month.  I don't mind it for the most part because it's primarily fun busy, but there's that one day when you realize you probably won't be sleeping because you'll be baking, doing laundry, and wrapping presents.  

We've been blessed so far to celebrate Christmas with Matt's mom and sister's family, my extended family, my immediate family, and we snuck in a celebration with just us as well.  I'm hoping I'll have a chance to write about each event...we do really feel blessed to have so much family nearby.

 It doesn't happen every year, but the Thompsons did make a Christmas card.  

Here is the first card I made:

 Nice huh? Shutterfly seemed to think so.  I couldn't use my coupon with this card, so it was back to the drawing board...

Here's take two (and the card we actually sent out):

I pray that you too have had a blessed time celebrating the coming of our Lord Jesus, who stepped down from His throne to humble Himself and die for you...even while you were still a sinner! 

Christ has come as a babe and is returning as King!  

Alleluia, Merry Christmas!

We Need a Little Christmas (back home).

I have felt a little out of it this season.  Many regular traditions haven't seemed to happen as usual.  For example, we didn't get our tree Thanksgiving weekend, and we didn't participate in Operation Christmas Child at all this year (gasp, I know).  I also just started shopping, which sadly is a usual thing for me, but adds to my feelings of not-with-it-ness.  

Since moving back four years ago, we have also gone to my parent's farm to decorate for Christmas over Thanksgiving weekend.  That didn't happen this year either, (and my Dad even made a comment to a friend that he was "on his own" to decorate this year), but thankfully we were able to go the next weekend and help him out.

This is becoming a special tradition for us.  Our first two Christmases back my mom was doing chemo therapy and often tired.  This Christmas and last it has just been my dad.  I wish this tradition started under much different circumstances.  The time home is sweet though and hopefully can bring some joy for Dad during the month and the whole family on Christmas Eve.

We went after Matt got off of work on Friday.  It was after 7:00 p.m. when we got there, so we ate some pizza quick and got to decorating the tree right away.  My dad had already brought it up stairs and assembled it, so we just got to do the fun stuff!

My sister Brenda and her family came to help as well.

 (I debated whether my sister would want a picture of her in her pjs posted...then decided that at least they were cute jammies and it would be fine. :)

The girls were especially active in helping to decorate.  I think Nathan was playing with my dad's latest purchase and shooting some bear with a ball gun.  Evelyn was helping, but most often either trying to sneak a treat or snuggling on Papa's lap.

Poor Matt, I shouldn't do this to him.  But, it's all for the sake of archiving, right?

Yes, Matt slept on the couch while we decorated the tree.  In his defense, he usually wakes between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. on work days! 

Sweet Adeline was a big helper.  Though I would most often peg her as the "spirited" or challenging child, she is also the one most likely to dig in and start helping.  She loves to serve, and I'm thankful that God has gifted her in this way!  I look forward to seeing how this will continue and develop in her as she grows.

 

Once the tree was decorated it was time for bed.  We made plans to decorate the rest of the house and get some Christmas baking done on Saturday.

I'm not sure why I didn't take any photos of the rest of the decorations.  My mom used to go all out for Christmas.  We usually had to take all the regular stuff off the walls and shelves and put it in storage for the month of December.  Everything was Christmas.  We've definitely stream-lined and simplified since then, but it's also much more decorated than my own home!

We had the decorating finished by noon, then lunch break and on to baking!

But, first this:

She has no name, but Evelyn and I loved her.  She's the tamest of my dad's cats (most are just wild barn cats).  My dad had put leftover pancakes and syrup out for the kitties to eat that morning, so I think she was in a bit of a sugar coma and even a little extra tame when we had her.

It was super tolerant of Evelyn and very sweet.  She probably should have come home in our van with us.  Matt however was not convinced.

My second sister Lynette also joined us Saturday to help out with the baking.  As a team we made: peanut butter blossoms, reindeer cookies, peanut butter cup cookies, sugar cookies, peanut butter balls (we like pb and chocolate if you haven't noticed), Rolo pretzel delights, and almond bark pretzels.  

Yummm!

 Here's Addie and Auntie Nette dipping the pb balls.  

Addie again was the big helper, she loves to be in the kitchen.

Our nephew Kendon also headed up making Nutter Butter reindeer cookies (different than the reindeer cookies listed above...we also apparently like cookies that look like deer).

It requires no baking, just assembly.  It's a great project for little hands that want to help.

My sister put the frosting on each Nutter Butter and the kids placed on the M&M eyes and nose and the pretzel antlers.

 

Cute, right?  

My sister was enforcing rules about allowable M&M color choices.  I'm guessing those green eyes really bugged her...

We finished up in time for dinner, went out to eat with my dad, and drove back home Saturday night.  It was a quick weekend, but definitely a fun and productive one.  

It occurred to me on our way home that we just put all the cookies into the freezer and none of us sisters took any home.  

 So, bottom line is we have A LOT of cookies to eat on Christmas Eve!

Honoring Mom.

Yesterday was my mom's birthday.  She would have been 65 had she not passed away a year and half ago.  I miss her every. single. day.  It comes in different forms.  There are days when we'll be busy, and as I fall asleep I'll think about her (and how I hadn't thought about her or felt sad that day); there are times when I instinctively think about giving her a phone call, with a quick realization that it's not an option any more; each holiday, birthday, or milestone event my heart aches for my mother to be there.  Evelyn is at such a fun age and has such a quirky, loving personality that I'm sad my mom didn't get to experience her more, and likewise I'm sad that Evelyn will only know her Nana by pictures. 

I wish we could have gone shopping and out for lunch for her birthday...perhaps shared a bottle of white Zinfandel.  There is so much I would tell her if I had the chance.   The simple things seem so lovely now.  This is a lesson I hope I learn from, as there are so many still on this earth that I love dearly.

 My mom was very strong, never one to complain about physical pain (cashiers, yes; pain, no).  She lived her life the way she chose and would never let a word like 'cancer' define her or how she would live.  It's only fitting that even in her death, a piece of her continued on through donation.

Tuesday, December 9 (the day before her birthday), the local hospital where my mom received her care and where she passed away, had a dedication ceremony for a new display in their lobby.  It honors 60+ "heroes" from the previous year who gave through organ donation.  The lobby was filled with grieving loved ones who came to remember and honor those who have passed away.
The display was touching.  I'm glad that others can see her picture and see a little bit of her legacy and how important she was to so many.

It was humbling to see the other photos as well and read a little bit about some of the people, many of whoms death meant that someone got a change to live.  There were many younger than my mom, including small children.  Many came to the dedication with grief I could tell was fresher than my own.  Like I said, it was humbling. 

We were given a sheet with the names of all the donors in order that their photo appeared.  Nathan held the sheet and would announce, "Nana's coming in 3 more photos Nana's up in 2 photos...", and so on.  At the right time the kids kneeled down to get a good look at Nana.  I overheard Ella say, "I'm smiling at Nana because her smile makes me smile."  Then Nathan added, "I can't look at Nana without smiling."  It was a sweet moment.

I'm thankful for this display and the efforts of those who put it together.  I know the kids would like to go see it again, and we likely will.  It will be running for several months, it's only a couple of miles from our home, and I love moments to talk about my mom with the kids.  

Matt also shared with me last night that at Bible study the group was asked the discussion question, "If you could spend Christmas with anyone, who would you spend it with?".  Both Nathan and Ella answered "Nana"!  

Her memory is strong, and we love will always love her dearly!

Christmas & Advent traditions 2014:: Part 1

I was blessed last night by a ladies' outreach event at our church featuring beautiful decorations, music, and most importantly a beautiful message.  The speaker was Noel Piper, a woman who has influenced me though we've never met.  We used to attend her husband's church (John Piper) in Minneapolis, and because of this I was introduced to her book, Treasuring God in our Traditions.  It's honestly a book you could read over and over as she talks about the importance of tradition in different seasons.  I set my copy out last night so I could reread the Christmas chapter.  I haven't done so yet, and I honestly haven't looked at the book in about three years, but seeing her did remind me of the importance of traditions and recording those of our family.

I should also add a quick disclaimer that I have not mastered this.   This is by no means a post stating the way things should be done.  It's simply a way for me to remember and remain accountable to myself.

One fun tradition we do, as do most Americans, is a Christmas tree.  We have happy memories from the Twin Cities of cutting down our own tree at a tree farm or choosing a tree from a local nursery where Matt's aunt worked.  However, we have not made the efforts to do this in Sioux Falls.  I think tree farms are around, but expensive and not hugely popular.  So, since moving our trees have come from Lewis, Menards, and now Costco.  Not super fun.  However, what we do is Matt goes out and picks the tree by himself.  We try to make it a surprise.  This year the kids were all upstairs and he came in singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" while carrying in the tree.  The kids ran down the steps and were super excited to see him with the tree.  It admittedly wasn't a huge surprise this year (I set up the tree stand before he got home), but there was still squealing and laughter nonetheless.

We typically set it up the weekend after Thanksgiving, but this year we were too busy (or maybe just too tired) to make it work.  Since we are also busy every weekend in December, ('tis the season), Matt brought the tree home on a Tuesday night after a church meeting.  The kids and I decorated it Wednesday after school.

It's always fun to dig out old ornaments.  I do love fancy trees with a theme or uniform color.  However we have so many meaningful ornaments from Matt and I's childhood (and some from adulthood).  We even have a few ornaments of Matt's grandma's.  So our tree is more of a mix of nostalgia with red and silver balls.  

I'm glad that all the kids still get excited about decorating the tree each year.  It's not a big thing, but I'm sure Nathan will be "too cool" too soon.  This year however he made sure we waited until he got home from school.

This photo is the closest I've come to taking a selfie...though not intentionally.

 

Looking back at the photos our tree looks a little like it was decorated by children...but it was!

I'm also not good at taking photos in the dark.  I was trying to get the glow of the tree, but it's a little grainy.

So far the tree has just been a fun tradition.  I know of people who make even this a Christ-centered event.  I love the idea of putting names of God on ball ornaments and talking about them as you put them on the tree.  I haven't done any as such yet though.

   What have however made efforts to make sure this season is focused on Christ.  We talk a lot of Advent, what it meant before Christ was born and what it means now. 

The word advent derives from the Latin word for coming.  Before Christ humbled Himself and came to this earth as a Babe, people were waiting for their Savior to come.  They were in a season of advent if you will.  We are still in a season of advent...we are still waiting.  Christ has promised to come back.  Not as a helpless baby this time but as a mighty King.  We discuss each day how the people counted down the days (years) for Christ to come the first time, and we are still doing the same.

A simple way we've done is through this Advent countdown.  There are 25 envelopes, one for each day of December until Christmas.  Each one has a Bible verse, starting with Messianic prophesy and continuing through the birth of Christ.   

There are so many great Advent ideas out there, this one works for us for now.  The kids would probably improve it with some sort of chocolate.  I could change it out with bigger envelopes or burlap bags if wanted.  My friend has a great one with stockings her mom made (I think).  My complaint is that those little clothes pins break if you look at them funny.  This is our third year with the envelopes, and I need to run to Hobby Lobby because we've used all our extra pins.

We also have Advent candles on our dining table to celebrate and focus this season on Christ.

There are four white candles for each week of Advent as well as a glittery-gold candle in the middle for Christmas (or whatever day our family celebrates Christmas).

 This year I failed to locate my wreath hanger, so the wreath got put on centerpiece duty instead.  Each night we light the appropriate number of candles.  We use this to build up to Christmas.  We discuss the Light of the World, and the Light that shines, and overcomes, the darkness.  We also get a month of candle lit dinners.

Finally, one very simple activity to remind our children of the reason for Christmas is our Fischer Price Little People Nativity set.  We've had it since Ella's first Christmas, and I love it.  The kids love to play with the figures, sometimes in Christmas appropriate ways and sometimes not!  Evelyn didn't remember it, and it's most suited for her age, so she has enjoyed it the most this year.  However it has to be put away under the tree, and is put in storage eleven months of the year, so it's still kind of special to even Nathan.

Granted no one at the First Christmas had pale skin or chubby cheeks. :)  I also decided to not set it up, but just take the photo "as is".  It looks like there was a tornado outside, but all is well in the manger.

We also try to incorporate several traditions for giving and serving at Christmas...but that's for another post to come!

Potty Time!

For about the past two weeks Evs has been using the potty!  I can't fully say she is potty trained because whenever we leave the house I put a diaper on her (it really just makes both of our lives easier), but at home she's a champ!  It's amazing what a couple of M&Ms can accomplish!

 She is doing so well.  She has several times gone to the potty without me even prompting her.  In fact, many times when I go in the bathroom she tells me "Go away.  Shut the door!" (Doing so however may result in Evelyn washing her pants in the toilet or whatever else she fancies, so for now we have an open door policy!)

I have also loved watching Addie and Ella as the big sisters.  They too love helping Evelyn get to the potty...it's so much easier than potty training with a baby and/or toddler around too!

On a sad note, this means my house no longer has a baby...sigh.