10 years old! I knew this day was coming right up, but I still can't believe Miss Leah is officially double digits now! After a disappointing moment when she realized we hadn't decorated the house for her birthday while she was asleep, we ambushed her in our bed with balloons, which was even more fun! We have to keep her guessing on what a birthday celebration looks like around here.
And while she was also a bit disappointed at not getting a highly coveted electric scooter for Christmas, she was more than thrilled to find that her one birthday present was hiding in the pantry!
A scooter for our scooter! And it has brought lots of laughs and fun with it. I've been thrilled with the increased frequency of outside play that it has brought, even with the weather in the 20s and 30s, and Leah has been more than happy to give rides to her siblings whenever they ask. She's also my official mailbox runner now, so it's been a win all around.
This year Leah decided she wanted to have another fairly small party, this time an ice skating party! She had so much fun when we went last year, and was a natural on the ice, so she was excited to go again.
Leah and four of her closest friends from church gathered at our house for presents, cake and birthday wishes (which she always thinks long and hard about!)-
Then off to the rink we went. It was busier than we would have preferred, but the weather was lovely and the girls still had a great time. They were such a fun group of girls- oh, how tweens make me smile!
When the sun went down they paused for some hot cocoa. I think that beautiful sunset was just for the birthday girl.
Sweet as she is, Leah even let me skate with them, holding my hand, showing me her tricks, and chatting away.
After we dropped all of the girls off at their homes, we picked up Daddy, dropped off a babysitter, and headed to Leah's annual birthday dinner of choice at IHOP. She commented on the way in how she clearly remembered the "uncomfortable" conversation that we had over pancakes a few birthdays back, and she has grown much more embarrassed about the whole topic as the years have gone by. I'm glad we first talked about it when she didn't think it was "disgusting".
But there were no awkward conversations this night, just a lot of pancakes and fun as we chatted about school, friends, and our upcoming trip. Leah is a wonderful big sister- she is usually so patient and kind with her brothers and her adoring little sister, but I've learned that just for her birthday, Leah's one wish is to get the undivided attention of her mom and dad. And we were so happy to be with her. She is growing up way too fast, but in the process continues to be one of my favorite people ever with her easy laugh, big smile, and funny ideas. Happy 10th Birthday Leah-Beah! We love you!
I almost didn't get the picture this year, but this is one tradition I'm determined to keep up!
9, 7, 5, 3
And it wasn't for lack of trying- this is the second photo shoot attempt at getting my annual picture of my stairstep babies.
In my first attempt, Emma was wearing the shirt that Leah had on when I first took this picture. And apparently Adam was wearing the same shirt two years in a row as well. There was a whole lot of giggling going on in that first attempt. Silly, sweet kids.
Oh, Christmas morning. How long we wait and wonder and prepare and hope for the magic that may come on Christmas morning. I knew that Christmas this year wasn't going to look quite like our Christmases past, and not just because Leah was asking for an electric scooter, Adam a dwarf shark, and Noah his own "show computer" (aka- an iPad). Only Emma had reasonable expectations of Christmas morning with her request of a new diary. Those other requests led to many conversations about how Santa is a lot like Jesus- he gives us what we really need (or want or would enjoy the most), not just what we think we need. In general, the expectations were rather low come Christmas Eve. Despite all of the build up, the reason we knew this morning would look different was because of this box-
The kids woke up around 7 (after Leah came into our room sobbing around midnight that she was just too excited to sleep), and we sent Daddy downstairs to check to see if Santa had actually come.
Once the kids got the ok to come down, they were quick to find their "piles", read Santa's note and sorted through their stockings before opening their one gift from Santa.
Each box was filled with none of the things that they had asked for, but they were all still thrilled as could be to find light sabers,
Buzz Lightyear shooters,
and Elena of Avalor scepters, along with costumes to go with each character.
Once they were all dressed in their costumes they noticed the big box with a tag to Kids L.A.N.E. (Leah, Adam, Noah and Emma) attached. We gave each other a kind of shoulder shrug and told them that Santa must have heard about our Christmas plans for our family, so they should go ahead and open our family gift right then.
They were all still fairly bleary-eyed at this point, but oh, how fun it was to watch them open the gift and figure out what was inside.
Yes! We're going to Disney World!! My parents took us back in 2012 and we have been planning another trip ever since. I'll post more on Disney in the next few weeks, but after deciding in October that we were going to go in January (instead of February 2018, like we've been telling the kids for months), all we had to do was keep the trip a secret until Christmas morning!
They were excited (Leah especially because she remembers Disney best of the kids), and all wore their Magic bands all morning.
Just 20 days from Christmas Day until we leave for Disney World!!
But there is nothing that compares to the lure of an actual present with your name on it sitting right next to the tree, so we opened a few more presents before stopping and getting ready for church. Christmas was on a Sunday this year! And it was a wonderful meeting. The music was beautiful, the speakers (including Jason) were inspiring, and the chance to pause and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas was a perfect way to spend our day.
Once we got back home it was back into jammies or costumes, and back to enjoying the presents that we received along with Christmas brunch (which the kids refused to let anyone mistakenly call breakfast). We loved FaceTiming with Grandma and Grandpa and Allison, and later with Grandma Morales, Auntie Emily and Jenny. Technology has a wonderful way of making us feel close to our families even when we're so far apart. Then we got ready for visitors- we opened our home up to both the elders and the sister missionaries, a single mom and her teenage daughter, and a friend with three small kids whose medical residency husband was working on Christmas Day. It was a wonderful day that flew by way too quickly, and my most favorite moments were when each of the kids came up to me and said, "Thank you for my presents Mommy" or "This is the best day ever! Thank you for everything!" That makes all of the magic and planning worth it. It is a blessing to experience Christmas in the eyes of a child- it is truly the most wonderful day of the year!
We spent Christmas Eve with some of our church friends, eating a candlelit dinner of fish, flatbread, pomegranates, pistachios, grape juice and olives. As we ate we each shared something that we love about Jesus. It was a simple but perfect way to reflect on our Savior's birth, life and mission while he was on the earth. After dinner we acted out the nativity.
Noah was a sheep-
Emma was an angel, Leah and Adam were wise men. As most children's nativities go, it was a bit chaotic but so sweet to watch the miracle of the Christmas story broken down into it's most simple form.
And then at home the kids quickly got ready for bed, prepared their note and treats for Santa, and lined up to share their sibling Secret Santa gifts with each other.
This is always one of my most favorite parts of the whole Christmas season- watching each of the kids experience the joy of giving to someone that they love the most. Watching the sincere love, gratitude, and giants hugs that they share with each other is just the best.
Then it was off to bed, with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, most of the kids dropped right off to sleep. Poor Leah came stumbling into our room at 12:30 in tears, frustrated that she just couldn't fall asleep. There is an awful lot of build up and anticipation that comes with Christmas morning, and we were finally almost there!
Starting with the tree, which the kids were so excited to decorate.
We keep Christmas books under our tree until Christmas Eve, when they are replaced with presents.
The stockings were hung by the chimney, as well as a homemade evergreen wreath.
Garlands,
and as many poinsettias as I could get my hands on!
More evergreen sprigs,
and more boughs of holly.
More of our favorite Christmas books,
and nativities.
The elves have been busy at work, skipping around the house and keeping an eye out for good little girls and boys to tell Santa about. They always end up surrounding baby Jesus before they head back to the North Pole-
There is something so magical about the glow of Christmas lights-
and the delight of Christmas boxes, apparently...
Everything seems a little more joyful at Christmastime!
Grandpa came to visit us, so we did a whole lot of this-
and this-
and this.
Oh boy, and even more of this-
He got to join us for Leah's first ever school concert- recorders and rounds! Music class has come a long way since I was in it a few years ago, and it was actually pretty tolerable to listen to 85 kids playing Hot Crossed Buns on their recorders. And having Grandpa there was an extra special treat!
He came to ordain Jason as a high priest, and arrived just after the official ward business of sustaining Jason as the bishop finished. Having him with us was so special, and, like he said, we're so glad he "wouldn't miss it".
He was a huge distraction to the kids and I as the first few days of life with the bishop commenced. We we are all too excited to have him here to visit to think much about the changes that are coming our way with Jason's new calling.
And, of course, just like that it was time for him to go again. But we will never forget this special trip that Grandpa Mark came to be here with us! (Or the way he tells silly stories about when he was "a little girl", the grateful way he eats anything I cooked for him, and the guy time that Jason only gets to enjoy when he's around!)
