Merry Christmas

This picture pretty much sums up our year. I'm feeling super blessed right about now... A few weeks ago I was asked to speak at a young woman's fireside about Mary and what qualities she would have had in order to raise the Savior. I thought a lot about it and in the end decided that she would have been a lot like me or any of you other mothers out there.  She would have been patient, loving, humble, frustrated, doubtful, and happy among many others. She might have been the chosen one who found favor with God but I sit here with 5 other children of His and so I think I might have found favor as well and so have all of you who live this crazy but miraculous life of motherhood. Merry Christmas!

Sophie turns 5

To add to the already crazy holiday season, we have Sophie's birthday to add to the mix. She turned the big 5! This was her first friend party and she wanted all things Rapunzel. So I turned on my mommy, creative juices and came up with what turned out to be a fun party!  Thanks to my sis who saved my bacon by helping out with all the sprinkles, Chloe, picture snapping and kiddos!

I can't take credit for this invitation..totally stole the idea from Pinterest..but cute right?

Her Rapunzel cake that obviously Maggie got to before we did..hence the smooshed corner

cookie decorating

Of course we couldn't leave out little sis

They made crowns with long, braided Rapunzel hair down the back..these were a hit

Christmas Tree Lane 2011

Christmas Tree Lane proved to be both exhausting and successful. Here is a brief overview.

Hurry and eat an early dinner

Get girls' hair done, costumes on and make-up done

Get all kids dressed and in car..pack still camera, video camera, dace shoes, diaper bag and purse with snacks, etc.

Drive to recital..Maggie falls asleep on the way (crap) and I literally have to park as far away as you can due to so many cars (more crap)

Get girls out of car and hurry into the auditorium (yes Maggie is still asleep in the car..remember I only have two arms and am packing all that crap plus a baby in a car seat)

Try to find my in-laws or any seat for 10 minutes..thankfully the program is running behind.

Find a few seats sort of close together by a friend I know..ask her to watch all my stuff while I huff it back to the car to get the other child

Walk clear across town (well it felt like it) get sleeping Mags and back we go to the recital.

Get back to our seats..get the girls back stage

Find my in-laws and move two kids and all our crap again.

Sit down and take off coat because I'm hot and sweating..Phew

Enjoy these two amazing daughters of mine who absolutely love to dance!

And all this by myself mind you as Nate is out delivering all your Christmas goodies!

Fact!

Fact- I am 31, I have 5 kids and I drive a suburban..not sure if this is how I pictured my life to be but wouldn't trade it for anything. The other day Nate and I escaped with just Chloe..and you have no idea how many people said, "ohhh she's so cute..is this your first?" When I responded that it was number 5 they told me that surely I was too young to have 5. And they're right I am ..happy to know I'm so young looking ..hahaa

Fact- Connor does not believe in much anymore..if you get my drift....He's 11 which I totally know is pushing it. We got the elf on the shelf and I asked him what he thought about the elf..his response,"well he's made in China" such a scrooge!

Fact- After 9 months of being pregnant and able to eat gluten (for some odd reason it didn't bother me while I was preggers) it is now back in all it's raging glory..So no more wheat, flour, etc for me. What's that you say? Now I might lose some weight? don't count on it..i can still eat chocolate! Praise the heavens. And don't even say I should just get pregnant again..NOT gonna happen. Ah well life could always be worse for sure.

Fact- Nate and I set up an actual budget for ourselves. Fact- it will not begin until January of course.

Fact- My life is insane and crazy and busy with this added bundle 'o joy we call Chloe and although I have my days, I would never trade it for anything. And what's so sad is that I know this time in my life will be gone before I blink and that my friends is sad.

Fact- As I type I say the words in my head and as I typed "friends" I say it like "fry-ends" you know for spelling purposes..you are trying it right now aren't you?..I also do it with Connor's teacher last name which is "Chynoweth"..I say it "chin o with" Our English language is straight up weird.

 Fact- I super love Christmas, Christmas music, treats, Christmas cards (which you should all send me because you know we all love getting them in the mail) I wish the season lasted longer..but don't ask Nate about it because he's a total scrooge..because he has to work forever, in the snow, in the dark and forever every day..but doesn't his job make your life totally easy..love ordering stuff and having it brought to my door. Pure genius!

Fact- I kind of like these factoids..maybe they will replace my "little letters" since I have basically scrapped that one as of late. Enjoy!

Name & a Blessing

Yesterday we blessed this sweet girl and her daddy did an amazing job..he never ceases to amaze me..you would never know he is nervous as all get out. It was a perfect day filled with family and food of course and as a bonus, we were able to host the dinner at our own home for the first time ever! We have never lived anywhere big enough to accommodate both of our families..so I got to play hostess and it gave us a good excuse to have the house finally put together and decorated..for the most part. Here are some pics of the happy day...

Here are the 3 cousins..just one month later..at least Chloe isn't crying

Nice blue undies Soph!

Randoms

On Saturday I won mother of the year..just for a few hours..Ellie had her 9th birthday and had about 14 girls over for cake decorating, purse making and games..it was quite the party and the girls had so much fun. I thought I was taking the easy route by doing cakes...simply buy and decorate right? Well then I found out each cake would cost $6 to buy undecorated..so that added up to a whopping $80 bucks or so. Clearly that went out the window so yours truly ended up baking 14 cakes...in the end it was totally worth it..I also made the cake stands out of cups and plates..can you say "Martha Stewart" that's right..thought of that one all on my own...it's also amazing how many jars of sprinkles 14 girls can go through...

Also we went to our new ward for the first time last Sunday...Nate got a calling in the YM and the kids were super nervous. Also during sacrament Ellie asked me if the prophet w

as the same as the one in our last ward.(shaking head with audible sigh) ..guess we better get back to more religious FHE.

Here is Sophie dressed for church..I think her boots made her feel cowgirlish..so she grabbed her jump rope and was using it as a lasso..she always wants me to take her picture

A couple of weeks ago we went to the baby blessing of my cute nephew Luke..As you can see, he slept through the whole party..while Chloe on the other hand is doing what she does best..such a naughty girl..these 3 cousins were all born within 4 months of each other..what a busy year. Baby Kate is such the caretaker..and tries to eat Chloe's head..does she have the cutest cheeks or what?

Lost..sortof

For two hours today, I had no clue where Connor was. Let me rewind to yesterday to start my story.

Yesterday, Connor..lets say made some poor choices..dinner was not eaten..tissue boxes were thrown.. and ultimately he was grounded for today. Fast forward to today after school. Ellie walked in.. I asked where her brother was..she told me she didn't know. I shrugged it off and finished changing Chloe. Then I busily prepared to take some items to "stage" our other home for a showing today (that's right we still have not sold our other home and decided to list it with an agent today and she immediately had a showing) so I hopped in the car, bribed Ellie with money to watch Chloe and headed over to the other house. Mind you, Connor had still not shown up.

 I hurried to hang a few pictures, vacuum and then started home. Saw some of my old neighbors and asked if they had seen Connor. They had not. I had already called my mom, mother-in-law, and neighbors in the mean time of all of this. I am racking my brain of where he could be..maybe he was trying to teach me a lesson since I had grounded him?  I am starting to panic at this point. You know how you let your crazy mind take over and you start thinking the worst...and to top it all off, I couldn't remember what he was wearing to school..what kind of mother was I? I wasn't going to be able to tell the police what he was wearing..great! Did he fall asleep on the bus? Is he kidnapped? So my neighbors start searching..meanwhile I call the school..they track down his bus driver and then I find out that she says he never even got on the bus. What? Now I am even more panicked because I seriously have NO clue where he would be. He knows to call and always does..he's old enough to borrow a cell phone. I call all the people I can think of..my parents are out searching..I go back home..search the house, go to the neighbors..their daughter tells me he had gotten on the bus. What? So I start driving down the road..we live by a golf course so I think maybe he is picking up golf balls...And don't worry I am crying and praying at this point. It has now been two hours since he should have been home. I am not lying when I say I think the spirit led me to the road and home I checked next. A kid his age had just moved in to a nearby home so I thought to check there...and lo and behold, I see 4 kids out behind this friends home, looking for golf balls. Holy hell..it was all I could do not to rip his head off..after the sigh of relief of course. I'm yelling at him..telling him, "do you know how many people are looking for you? Where have you been? Did you not remember you were grounded? I have been worried sick about you?"...and so on and so forth.

I then proceed to call all the people who were looking, not to mention the principal who was doing what she could on her end at the school, my neighbors, family, and Nate. Whew! What a stupid day. So I had a serious talk with Connor and told him his punishment would be decided when Nate got home and we could decide together..which was a pretty calm move on my part I have to say..usually I jump to unrealistic punishments in the heat of the moment like "you are grounded forever" or "no more PlayStation for a month" and let's face it, who is gonna go through with that..so I stayed calm this time (patting myself on the back)

and that was my day.

Baby Chloe

Well an entire month has gone by since we added Chloe to the family and this little gem of ours is growing so fast. Don't let these sweet, sleeping pictures deceive you..she is a sleep fighter...at least during the day. She is a champ sleeper at night...which is what matters most I know...but you can only get so much done with one arm.

This is what we wake up to about 95% of the time...Maggie only lasts about half of the night in her bed and when Chloe gets up to eat, we both end up falling back to sleep..the perks of nursing. And if I can accomplish two things at once like nursing and sleeping then I am all for it..and don't be alarmed, my boobs are not big enough to smother my child..so we are good to go. Pretty cute pic tho right?

This is her look most of the day..wide eyed and alert

PS...I know I am totally old-fashioned with the glue-on bows..but in reality, I can't find bows small enough for her tiny head, too lazy and crazy to make my own and I she doesn't have any hair to do much else with. Oh my gosh I am so old..having a moment when you realize you are becoming your mother..send your hair bow suggestions my way please.

Arrow of Light

Connor technically got his Arrow of Light in July but with our ward, no scoutmaster, summer time, and other problems, he finally received his hard earned award this past month. Congrats to him and a huge shout-out of thanks goes to his amazing scout leader.

Pumpkin Tradition

This pumpkin patch found about 10 miles from home, has become our annual tradition. Where else do you get to ride a tractor into the middle of an enormous pumpkin patch and choose the perfect pumpkin to carve and gourds to decorate with? Ok, fine probably lots of places this time of year..but at this patch, you also get a great deal. So off we went in search of the best pumpkins!

oh and you also get to take a ride in these little carts..fun times with lots of cousins

Better than magic Beans

The garden you see in back of Sophie is no ordinary garden..nope it's a magical one. You see it belonged to my Grandpa Christensen and in it he was able to grown the best, most delicious corn in the whole world..and that is a fact seeing as how I am a world traveler and have tried corn all over the world. So when he passed away and his house was put up for sale, we made sure that we were able to keep this magic garden of his. He had already taught my dad and uncle the secrets of growing this magical corn so they have since carried on the task of planting, watering and weeding this place. And every now and again my kids and I try to help in this so that one day we will carry on the important task.

This year we put up around 100 bags of corn..it's quite the process that required 10 people and lasted about 3 hours..but totally worth the valiant effort...the corn will last us through the winter and we will add it to soups and main dishes..but nothing beats eating it with salt and butter straight off the cob.

My dad and uncle always add a few pumpkin seeds to the garden and these few pictures were taken with two of my favorite families. We were lucky to grow up with close cousins doing things with each other like this for family night. And I'm sure Grandpa was looking down with a great big smile and a bag of fun size snickers ready for the home night treat...thanks grandpa!

Mags' Birthday

This little spitfire had a birthday a bit ago and turned the big 2...she has long been wanting to have her "buday" and wanting to open her own "pheasants" so with some of her cousins visiting, we had a birthday celebration at Grandmas house..lucky little girl. A shopping cart and a wiggle car (not pictured) were her favorite toys. Maggie is at my favorite age..with a vocabulary to boot. She is non-stop chatter and does not back down when in trouble..I am in for it with this one. We love you Maggie Jane and hope you had a great day!