Holiday Check List

If you chose to continue, you will have to endure my holiday checklist. This years seemed to be a little longer, and I felt a little less motivated to complete it. Not a very good combination! But...it's mostly complete - miracles do happen at Christmas time! :)

1. Christmas Tree up and decorated: check (a week later than usual, but all the same, it's a check)

2. Lights on outside of house: NOT check (I guess that means I don't have to take them down either - I like this plan)

3. Homemade candy made: check (candy eaten: partly check. But the problem is, it's not supposed to be eaten until Christmas!)

4. Head cold: Big fat miserable CHECK

5. Shovel Snow: check and not check (more to come, I'm sure).

6. Christmas package to Kiritimati Island: Check, then check again

7. "Emergency" care packages to Kiritimati Island: check, check, check, check (we're losing our connection to send my parents packages in the future, so all the necessities had to be sent now, last minute notice - but thank heavens for the notice!).

8. Extended family Christmas packages prepared and mailed: check, check, check

9. Ira's office party (that we host): big fat check (literally).

10. Shopping, shopping, and more shopping (and some returns): check, check, check, check, check, check, check etc.

11. Neighbor and friends gifts, cards, party: check

12. Home teaching (I go with Ira), and Visiting Teaching: check

13. Tithing Settlements: HUGE CHECK! (not that I'm the one doing them, but...)

14. Backed up EVERYTHING on my laptop, because it's having issues - so I had to box it up and say goodbye to my 5th baby for a couple weeks: a very sad check

15. House clean, laundry done: not check (but what's new, right?)

16. Wrap: HaLf ChEcK

16 1/2. (numbered such because I forgot this one, and didn't want to renumber everything!): Helped at Emilie's school party: check

17. Jarin's preschool program: Very cute check.

18. Brayden's band concert: check (the pictures are dark because, as I mentioned, my baby #5 is in the shop - that's the computer I can alter pictures with).
19. Emilie and Brayden's piano recital: check and check

20. Emilie's performing group (TaVaci) program: super check

21. Cousin party: Very FUN check!

22. See Santa, give him "the lists": check, check, check, check

23. Family Christmas party: not checked yet, but can't wait.

24. Talk to my parents on the phone: not checked yet, but REALLY can't wait!

25. Kept my sanity: yet to be determined - but the signs are NOT lookin' good

26. Nap: NOT CHECK...but one is definently in the plans - PLEASE let it be sooner than later!

27. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas: CHECK!!!

Birthday Presents

My conversation with Jarin last night went as follows:

Me: Do you know whose birthday we celebrate on Christmas?

Jarin: Jesus.

Me: What birthday present should we give him?

Jarin: Toys

Me: What would he do with toys?

Jarin: Give them to some children.

Me: What else should we give him?

Jarin: a screwdriver

Me: What would he do with that?

Jarin: Give them to a daddy

I think Jarin knows our Savior better than most adults. After all, he walked with him and talked with him just 4 1/2 short years ago.

I do believe that Jesus would give those prized possessions away to anyone in need. Afterall, He gave His very life for all of us.

I have been feeling an emptiness in my heart over this holiday season, just not being able to feel the true spirit of Christmas. That brief conversation finally lit that candle for me. Thank you, once again, for the sweet example of a child.

Looks Are Deceiving

Beautiful, right??? (well, there's better pictures of the snow sparkling like diamonds in the sun, and the blue sky in the background - but this is what I had to work with for now!). But you can picture it, right? It's really breathtaking. But...SO deceiving!!!My attempts at catching those beautiful sparkling snow diamonds - Uhhh...needs work!



Check out that temperature (the -4 one)! NOT so beautiful!!!! And that was just the beginning of how cold it got last night.



This picture was for you mom and dad, hope your enjoying the south pacific!





Jarin's outfit doesn't make him appear to be the smartest chicken in the coop...

Remember...looks can be deceiving!

So what does that say about me??? He REALLY did beat me bad in our game of memory. You see that small stack, (that would be mine). He even helped me get half of those!

Look at that cute little, INNOCENT face! So sweet, right????...

AAwwwww...even sweeter!...

(remember...looks can be deceiving).

NOT so sweet!...

These dishes WERE in the dishwasher before my silent tornado hit.


notice the empty cupboard behind my tornado named Kam.

Really...enough mess already! (notice the last mess from 2 minutes previous is in the background of the newest mess). No exaggeration either...he really does move from mess to mess that quickly.

Oh...and that look in his eyes says it all "who me??? You wouldn't get upset at little 'ol me...would you?"

I can't even keep things up out of his reach - cuz he's found a way. In this case, he's got Ira's razer, and found the table full of Christmas candy.
Oh, time to clean up? So lets just throw it all in the garbage! We have found phones, remotes, toys, dishes...you name it, we've found it...IN THE GARBAGE (or the toilet)! We have an ongoing list of things that have never been found too.

And if you've been to my house and wonder why I can't keep it nice and tidy...well now you know! Times Kamden by 4, and that's the way we live around here. In public we may appear to have it all together...but LOOKS ARE DECEIVING!

And yes...I'm bragging - not complaining!