We WILL get along!

New Year's Eve...and we're all itching to be in our own space!

The trouble with that is, it's harder to keep your hands to yourself, and you're likely to be a little more irritable than normal, and well, when mom doesn't come to the rescue as you're duke-ing it out, you'd better resolve the issue at hand before....

...you get to wear the "WE WILL GET ALONG" shirt!

Thank you, Pinterest!

Did I mention the fighting, arguing, and general contention started well before 6 am this morning???  No???  Oh, I must have been tired and forgot to mention that this 'incident' was ongoing for just under 3 hours.

Let me paraphrase:  Kids woke up, fought over something, squabbled over something else, and finally got yelled at around 6 am.  While I finished feeding the baby in my warm bed, they settled down briefly, before I was yet again woken up by contention in the living room.  After breakfast and making quite an effort to keep a happy disposition, the fighting would.not.cease.  They got time out.  Had to say 10 nice things to each other, while facing each other as I listened at the kitchen sink....they had to say 10 nice things multiple times....coming up with a new list each time.  When time out didn't sink in, they got to wear THE SHIRT, and when they ripped down the middle, they returned to time out.  Boy, did I have a clean kitchen when I was finished with them!!!  They were not allowed out of time out till Ryan came home from his first shift...around 10am....and luckily for them, they were getting along, playing a made up game at the kitchen table at 9:45...so I let them continue to play PEACEFULLY!

What a morning!!!

We spent some time in the afternoon running errands and stopping for a quick and brisk walk along the greenbelt downtown.  I insisted they wear their hats, they insisted they sit on the horse....WIN-WIN.

As one of my sister's pointed out, I'm SO glad Pinterest wasn't around when my mom was mothering us as young children.  LOL!  We would have killed each other.  Ha!

Making Christmas Memories

We made it to grandma and grandpa Crandall's just in time for their ward Christmas party, where two middle children (ahem) made a spectacle on stage, singing for Santa.  Between punches, Kortlen picked his nose and ate it while Taylor kicked and flicked his little brother in the ear.  Grandpa and I were slumped down in our seats, dying a slow and burning death (my face was SO RED!).  Tanner gave Santa a letter even I wasn't allowed to read, and thus started our Christmas Eve Night.

After a quick acting of the Nativity at grandma and grandpa's, complete with costumes and a nekkid baby Keetley (sorry, no pictures of the acting crew....even though it was AWESOME!), everyone retired to their beds, nestled under the covers and waiting to hear sleigh bells ring.

Much to our surprise, Santa DID stop I'm pretty sure his sleigh tipped over in Grandma's living room!  

Some pictures from the morning:

 

LEGOS!!!!!

Electric Circuit boards!

RIBBON!  (go figure)

The boys' electric circuit boards were a HIT!!!  They played with them for two days straight, and still pull them out every day.  :)  So much fun to be had by all!

Thanks for letting us stay for Christmas, and enjoy our toys at your house, grandma and grandpa!  

We have much to be thankful for, and look forward to the memories we'll make as we spend time together, becoming a more loving family with what we're given.  

We {heart} Scouting

I have waited a long time for this day, and it has come, and my heart is full!

Part of Tanner's birthday gift was a whole lot'a scout stuff!  We took some time after school working on the Bobcat Badge (memorizing the Scout Promise, Motto, Handshake, meaning of Webelos and other character traits).  In the beginning, memorizing the Scout Promise was a little daunting, but first thing Tuesday morning, we could hear Tanner reciting it and practicing each of the phrases to get them just right.  At 5 am, we assumed he was talking in his sleep, as he often does, but he was working very diligently to prepare for his first day of scouts!  He watch intently as I carefully stitched badges in their proper places.

Tanner is so excited for this new adventure that we know scouting will bring to his life (and ours!).  He came right home from school and put on his brand new crisp cub scout shirt.  I handed over the rest of the uniform necessities, and he spent a good while getting everything perfectly buttoned, tucked in, and straightened out so he'd be ready for scouts in four.long.hours.  :)  He was so excited, he even wore his uniform to group piano lessons!

Taylor and Kortlen were both a little envious of their older's brother new milestone.  I overheard Taylor admiring, "Wow, Tanner!  You look really sharp!  That's such a cool shirt!"  Or Kortlen eyeing the cool new belt and asking if he could try it on.

We discussed his really neat patch that his Grandpa Crandall got him at the Church History Museum earlier this year.  There is a FANTASTIC scouting exhibit there  commemorating 100 years of scouting in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  This patch is a really fun souvenir that Tanner is really proud to wear.  I feel like it also represents an amazing scouting heritage that he has.

I am so proud of Tanner and share in his enthusiasm.  I hope we can keep the positive attitude throughout this wild ride, and enjoy it thoroughly!  In his first den meeting, they talked all about different tools.  The boys then took the 10 quilts they tied at Pack Meeting last week (which Tanner was so excited to be able to go, TWO DAYS before his birthday!  LOL!) to a men's shelter downtown.

After den meeting, he carefully hung up his shirt and tucked the neckerchief in the shirt pocket (along with the belt and slide) so it would all be ready for the next meeting.  This prompted me to make a fun little Christmas gift for him that will hopefully be useful and help keep us organized.

So....to prevent THIS from happening...

(It pained me to remove Tanner's neatness to make this mess!)

I made THIS fun and simple caddy for uniform paraphernalia.

Seriously simple.  I wonder how many of these I could crank out in an hour and sell, all proceeds going to future scout camps, of course.  Hahaha!

Gift of Music

Music has been, and I hope it continues to be, a big part of my life.  My mother and father worked hard and sacrificed to put us all in piano lessons, and I started at the early age of 3.  My mom patiently sat with us, practicing with us each day.  There were many days we fought her on it, and many days we lost out on playing in the pond or out in the snow...but we got our practicing done, even if it took us 3 or 4 hours!  There weren't many mornings when my dad didn't wake me up before the sun so I could be the first to get my time in on the ivory keys.  I loved that he cared enough to wake up a grumpy girl so she would have time to practice, THEN get ready for school!

I will forever be grateful for my mom's persistence and my dad's encouragement.  I hope that my children will come to love music as much as I do!

:::

We are very fortunate to have a great piano teacher.  She teaches my boys and I teach her girls and it has worked out pretty well, for us to be held 'accountable'.  :)

I am so proud of Tanner and Taylor for working so diligently in learning and memorizing their Christmas pieces!  Their songs weren't the usual melody being played with both hands.....they had more challenging pieces where the melody was in the right, and the left harmonized with chords and simple patterns.  It was a pretty big deal at our house, and they even complete a 100's chart the week before and the day of the recital (a 10x10 grid that when a specific task was practiced, they got a sticker.....all the way to 100 stickers!!)

Tanner played "Away in a Manger"...

Taylor played "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing"...

Kortlen even sang in the little Mozart's group and was so cute!

Way to go, boys!  You made your mama proud!

Living life and loving it

If she could walk, Keetley would be toddling down the catwalk, winning me some more material!

I started this little gem at 10 pm Saturday night.

But when the jumper's zipper didn't go in perfectly (1/16th of an inch off...and with plaid, it was REALLY noticeable), I decided to go ahead and make the jacket to go with the dress....It was all cut out anyways, and baby girl really needed it to make THE LOOK.  I started with a pattern, but after realizing it wasn't what I really wanted, I drafted my own. (Thank you, "true major" required classes!)

I am in love with this fully lined, dropped waist, pleated, invisible zipper, scalloped edge, frog toggle and peter-pan collar ensemble!!!  Long enough to cover legs in tights, but short enough so when Keetley starts to crawl, she won't be too frustrated (which I anticipate will be happening before I can get her New Year's dress done!).

I won the plaid wool at my very first "Make It With Wool" contest when I was 13 or 14.  I think I might have cried when I opened my paper bag prize, and saw this horrid piece of material!  I have held onto it for over 17 years knowing I'd someday make a darling Christmas Dress with it.

The red wool came from a large 'donation' to the 4-H office when I worked there.  The majority of the fabric came home with me, including all the gingham, wool, vintage rick-rack and a handful of zippers.  I was floored that the club leaders didn't want to deal with it.  Didn't I get LUCKY?!

I finally turned off the sewing machine at 4:32 am.  Took this picture, and decided to shower, then head to bed for a cat-nap before getting ready for Church.

:::

I was asked to prepare a piano number for Sacrament Meeting.  Found a little ditty on Sally DeFord's website, and practiced every day for the 5 days notice I got.  Being as sleep deprived as I was, I am so proud of myself for getting lost on line two and ending up at the end of page two, without having to stop and start over.  Quite honestly, I don't even remember playing the song once I got to the piano, so to say I made it through, was pretty special.

:::

Every once in a while we have to just live a little.  Since I've re-dedicated my life to motherhood and am more focused on being at home and with my children, we decided to cut 'er lose and enjoy our Christmas decorations!

Yay for trains, exploring, pajama pictures, nativities, and ornaments that roll like balls!

Tonight we drew names.  Not to buy gifts, but to do acts of service.  Taylor excitedly wrote the name of each family member on a piece of paper and with Kortlen, they folded and placed in a bowl.  Our family could use a healthy dose of service and humility, especially since we seem to have a bad case of the gimme-gimme's.  I'm excited to see how this all unfolds in the morning!!!  We seemed to be off to a good start after dinner, and I hope it goes well.

Birthday Boys

December is always a whirlwind of craziness and parties!

Between Ryan's, Tanner's and Taylor's birthday, we were all caked out when Grandma and Grandpa came to celebrate.  We opted for cupcakes from Albertson's instead....and I had to laugh when only 3 were eaten.  No surprise!

Go figure that this is the only and likely the silliest moment I was able to capture....Ryan and Tanner both in mid-gasp/sentence.

Happy Birthday, you fine, outstanding young men! 

A little Christmas Cheer

Let's be honest.  There's no way I have time to run down and get these printed, let alone addressed and stamped and taken to the post office.

This will have to do.

Merry Christmas, from our house to yours!