New Year's Eve & Gingerbread Houses

We decided to continue our new time of making gingerbread houses on New Year's Eve Day.  Again, the kiddos decided on boys vs. girls.  Rebekah had her first taste of sugar during the making of the houses, and Jacob continued as our seasoned taste tester!

The rest of the evening we played games.  We were all actually really tired this year.  Josh and Mary were the only kids that made it up to midnight.  The rest decided to just go to bed earlier.  Joel and I tried to convince Mary and Josh to head in early as well, with no luck, so we stayed up with them as well.

Christmas Season Memories

We went to visit the John Johnson Farm in Hiram, Ohio the day after Christmas.  They had a gingerbread house display and then we were able to go on a tour.  We've been here many times, yet each time the Spirit touches me in a new way and I learn and have my testimony strengthened each time.  I am so grateful we live close enough to experience these amazing church history sites.

Joel was able to take vacation for almost the entire 2 weeks the kids were out of school.  We didn't go anywhere big or do anything major.  We just enjoyed being together as a family.  I'm grateful Joel loves to be home with us.  He tells me one of his favorite things to do is just be home and experience the day to day routine of family life that he misses when he is at work. The kids love when Dad is home, almost as much as I do! ;)

We played lots of games together...lots of late nights with snacks, fun, and laughter!

Christmas 2017

Christmas fell on a Sunday this  year.  We decided we would get up and do stockings and exchange gifts the kids bought each other.  Grandma and Grandpa Powell facetimed with us again in the wee hours of the morning.  We were able to open the gifts from them as well.  Then we had breakfast of homemade sweet rolls and got ready for 9:00 am church.  After church we came home, the kids got back in PJ's and we finished opening gifts.  IT was really nice.  It made the day a lot longer and we just relaxed and slowly went about the day.

One of my favorite parts of Christmas day is just all of us being together.  Lots of games are played, sharing of new toys, lounging around, and just focusing on our family and the spirit of Christmas.  It is also great to have the opportunity to talk with all of our extended family members.

Christmas Baking 2017

One of my favorite parts of Christmas time is baking cookies and treats with my family.  I love that all of our children still look forward to this time and want to be involved.  Spring was my hero this year and rolled out, cut out, and baked all these sugar cookies!  She loves decorating them, I love eating them, but I don't love cutting them out and baking them.  So grateful she wanted to do it this year.  It was awesome this year as well because Thomas could run to the grocery store when we realized we needed more of something or they decided to make a new cookie or treat.  Love time together!

Christmas 2015

My favorite part of Christmas this year was that we were all home, without any outside activities or distractions, for 2 whole weeks!  Joel was off the entire time from work and we just took advantage of the time to reconnect, refocus our priorities, and enjoy our time together.  We simplified and we loved it.  We played lots of games together.  Josh discovered Mille Borne and it quickly became the game of choice for him.  He was constantly being heard asking, "Does anyone want to play the miles game with me?"  I loved the relaxation and the peace that we felt as a family this season.

 Traditional visit to Kirtland to view over 900 Nativity displays.  The upper room is a favorite for many of the kiddos as they can dress up and enjoy the hands on nativities offered.

 Christmas morning began early, as usual.  Jacob slept through all the festivities and opened his presents much later than the rest of us!

 Lots of Lego Building happening on Christmas morning!

Christmas Season 2014

I love the Christmas season.  The first couple weeks of December were crazy busy with concerts and programs for all the kids.  Then things started to slow down a bit and we were able to enjoy our time together at home.  Joel was able to take the week of Christmas off so he was home too.  We had all the wrapping finished in the beginning of December so we just enjoyed time together.

We invited the Schnecks, Gerstenslagers, and Burches over to make Gingerbread houses.  It was crazy.  I think we have decided that next year we are going to just make them as a family and maybe make a couple for us to decorate.  We have so many kiddos wanting to decorate that one house just isn't enough anymore.

We went to Historic Kirtland for the Nativity display.  There are more than 700 nativities on display from all over the world. They kids always enjoy dressing up in the clothing provided to tell the Christmas story.  This year proved difficult for them to all cooperate at the same time.  Spring really wanted a nice picture of it but her attempts proved fruitless.  Maybe next year, but probably not! :)

We also did our traditional 12 Days of Christmas for a family.  We choose a family that could use some extra cheer and secretly drop off gifts/goodies each night for the 12 days leading up to Christmas.  The kids all love taking their turn being secretive and running away before being caught.

We also went on our 2nd Annual Christmas Express. One evening near Christmas we turn on music to the Polar Express and the kids come running to get their own ticket.  We climb in the bus and drive around town looking at Christmas lights while enjoying hot chocolate and cookies.  We all love this tradition.

We were able to take treats around to go Christmas caroling and drop off cookies one evening as well.  We all even had Santa hats for the occasion.  This was a first time for us and they all want to be sure we do it again.

Joshie was really concerned this year because we were not getting snow before Christmas.  He was sure that Santa could only come if there was a white Christmas.  Can you tell he has become an Ohioan?!  We tried and tried to convince him otherwise and it did not work.  He was so concerned it was actually kinda cute.  Santa heard of his concern; however, and sent him a personalized video telling him that no matter what the weather Santa always comes.  Finally, Josh's concerns were laid to rest.

Christmas morning started early as always with the traditional face-timing with Grandma and Grandpa Powell.  It is awesome to have them share this morning with us and we so appreciate the sacrifice they make to do this each year.  Santa brought us a ping pong table this year and we have had lots of fun playing together.  We spent time playing games, playing with play dough, building LEGOS, playing with Paw Patrols, and just sharing our time together.  I love the peace and calmness of Christmas and the day after as we just enjoy time together.

Christmas 2013

Christmas Eve was so relaxing for us.  We had everything wrapped a couple weeks ago and just enjoyed the day together playing games and just being with each other.  Following dinner we read the story of Christ's birth in the scriptures and spent time sharing our testimonies together.  We had family prayer and then the kids opened their Christmas PJ's. They are all so gracious and excited about their jammies.  Joshie exclaimed, "Yes, Jake Slip n' slide jammies!"  It was awesome.  They all, minus Sara, slept in Thomas and Sammy's room.  Gideon was moved to his own room after a short while and they were all asleep by 8:15.  It was great.  Joel and I headed to bed about 9:30 and were laying in bed reading when all of a sudden we lost power.  

We had the adventure of trying to locate flashlights since our children think flashlights are toys.  We found a couple and then we lit candles.  Thomas and Spring woke up and said they couldn't sleep so we let them go into Spring's room and play games by candle and flashlight.  Even though her room was super cold they thought it was fun.  Gratefully, we only were without power for a couple hours and around 11:30 power was restored.  

Christmas morning the kids actually slept in until Thomas woke them up at 6:15.  I think that is a record in our home!  When he woke up Gideon, I asked Gideon if we should see if Santa came. He agreed and went to the bedroom window to look out.  He looked back at me and said, "Santa not here.  Let's go back to bed."  His siblings quickly reminded him Santa did come and left toys downstairs for us.  

It was awesome to have my parents and sister, Alanna, join us for Christmas morning.  I am so grateful they have continued the tradition of joining us via the computer for Christmas morning, even though there is a 3 hour time difference for them.  The kids look forward to this every year.  Today they all mentioned to me at different times that they know how much Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Alanna love them because they get up really early to spend Christmas morning with them so we can have some family with us even though we live so far away.  How grateful I am for technology and the opportunities it affords us to be together when distance may separate us.

I'm grateful for our children and their pure love and excitement.  They were so gracious and excited about everything today.  It was a fun day playing games together, looming rubber band bracelets, listening to music, laughing, playing rescue bots, taking multiple bubble baths with new bubble bath, and sharing the day together.