Will the Christ Child Come?

Many of you may have already read this, but my mom just emailed it, and I had to share. It's too good not to!

WILL THE CHRIST CHILD COME?
(Author - Gaye Willis)

Halfway through December, we were doing the regular evening things when there was a knock at the door. We opened it to find a small package with a beautiful ceramic lamb inside. We looked at the calendar and realized that the 12 days of Christmas were
beginning!!

We waited excitedly for the next night's surprise and only then, with the gift of a matching shepherd, did we realized that the lamb was part of a nativity set.

Each night we grew more excited to see what piece we would receive. Each was exquisitely beautiful. The kids kept trying to catch the givers as we slowly built the scene at the manger and began to focus on Christ's birth.

On Christmas Eve, all the pieces were in place, but the baby Jesus. My 12 year-old son really wanted to catch our benefactors and began to devise all kinds of ways to trap them. He ate his dinner in the mini-van watching and waiting, but no one came.

Finally we called him in to go through our family's Christmas Eve traditions. But before the kids went to bed we checked the front step - no Baby Jesus! We began to worry that my son had scared them off. My husband suggested that maybe they dropped the Jesus and there wouldn't be anything coming.

Somehow, something was missing that Christmas Eve. There was a feeling that things weren't complete. The kids went to bed and I put out Christmas, but before I went to bed I again checked to see if the Jesus had come - no, the doorstep was empty.

In our family the kids can open their stockings when they want to, but they have to wait to open any presents until Dad wakes up. So one by one they woke up very early and I also woke up to watch them. Even before they opened their stockings, each child checked to see if perhaps during the night the baby Jesus had come. Missing that piece of the set seemed to have an odd effect. At least it changed my focus. I knew there were presents under the tree for me and I was excited to watch the children open their gifts, but first on my mind was the feeling of waiting for the ceramic Christ Child.

We had opened just about all of the presents when one of the children found one more for me buried deep beneath the limbs of the tree. He handed me a small package from my former visiting teaching companion. This sister was somewhat less active in the church. I had learned over time they didn't have much for Christmas, so that their focus was the children. It sounded like she didn't get many gifts to open, so I had always given her a small package - new dishtowels, the next year's lesson manual-not much, but something for her to open. I was touched when at Church on the day before Christmas, she had given me this small package, saying it was just a token of her love and appreciation.

As I took off the bow, I remembered my friendship with her and was filled with gratitude for knowing her and for her kindness and sacrifice in this year giving me a gift. But as the paper fell away, I began to tremble and cry. There in the small brown box was the baby Jesus. He had come!

I realized on that Christmas Day that Christ will come into our lives in ways that we don't expect. The spirit of Christ comes into our hearts as we serve one another. We had waited and watched for him to come, expecting the dramatic "knock at the door and scurrying of feet" but he came in a small, simple package that represented service, friendship, gratitude, and love.
This experience taught me that the beginning of the true spirit of Christmas comes as we open our hearts and actively focus on the Savior. But we will most likely find him in the small and simple acts of love, friendship and service that we give to each other.

This Christmas I want to feel again the joy of knowing that Christ is in our home. I want to focus on loving and serving. More than that I want to open my heart to him all year that I may see him again.

Don't forget the reason for the Season

Christmas Tag!

OK Skip, I guess it didn't take me as long as I thought!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Mostly wrapping. I love, love, love to wrap presents. But there are somethings that fit better in gift bags, and sometimes I don't have time to wrap everything. Even when I was little, my mom would put our presents in boxes and I would wrap them all. I never peeked because I love surprises!

2. Real tree or artificial? I wish I could say that I love real trees, but I'm artificial all the way. You can keep them up as long as you want, and move the branches where ever you want. And when kids (Avrie) pull them over because they have become all wrapped up in the lights, there are no needles all over the floor.

3. When do you put up the tree? I usually try to get everything up Thanksgiving weekend, but it just depends on the year.

4. When do you take the tree down? I'd leave it up all year if I could. I think one year Kyle took it down all by himself because he was sick of it.

5. Do you like eggnog? Yes and no. I have to be in the mood.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? That's really hard because they were all great (thanks mom). If I had to pick I would have to say the ones that were a surprise. I love the surprise, but I was not easy to surprise. Usually because I was picky and my mom didn't dare get something that I didn't like or didn't fit (sorry mom). Even when she tried to surprise me, my brother usually told me because he CANNOT keep a secret!

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Somewhere. I have the complete Boyd's Bear Nativity, but it's in storage.

8. Hardest person to buy for? You'd think it wouldn't be Kyle, but it is. I think he is even pickier than me. Although his dad is pretty hard too. It must be the Eyre genes.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Myself, seeing how I usually have to buy my own presents. I am pretty good at knowing what I want!

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don't think I have ever gotten one. Oh wait, I did buy me a pair of jeans that looked really bad.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail

12. Favorite Christmas movie? It is hands down "The First Christmas" from Liken the Scriptures. I could listen to the angel Gabriel sing for hours and hours. It is really funny too. My girls watch it year round.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I like to have the majority done before Thanksgiving. Then I can enjoy the season and not be stressed. This year I didn't even start thinking about it until Thanksgiving and now I'm STRESSED! Can't find what I want, and there is not time left!!!!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Food. Although there is this apple cake with Carmel sauce that is to die for. I really like ham too. And pretty much any appetizer that is sitting around. Oh and all the yummy treats from everyone. Candy is really good. Chips and dip too. Alright ... FOOD!

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear. They go with everything and there is something pure about them.

17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night. Especially by Celine Dion. Her voice and that song - pure magic!

18. Travel for Christmas or stay home? Home - the more kids you get, the nicer it is.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph (I just copied yours Skip!)

20. Angel on the treetop or a star? How come bow is not a choice? Oh wait, it is a star this year. Usually it is a bow.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Like many, Jammie's Christmas Eve and the rest Christmas day.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People wanting to call it a "Winter Festival". Have your "Winter Festival" in January. Leave my Christmas alone! You are more that welcome to celebrate what ever you want, how ever you want, but so am I. And I want CHRISTmas with "CHRIST" at the center of it all!

23. What I love most about Christmas? I don't think I have enough room to name it all. Or you would get really bored reading it all. I love it all!

Now I tag - Barbara, Kim, Heather, Tina and Tiff

{Lets take a look back}

For those who were following my Halloween saga, I now have some pictures to go along with it!


This is the result of the last-minute-Wal-Mart-run. Ashtyn decided that she was a "Spring Princess". I already had Avrie's snowman costume. That was one I have been able to recycle. Kenadee ended up being a "Vampires". The collar was suppose to stand up, but we could live with that. I'm just so glad we found something that they could live with.

This one shows how our afternoon went. After we got back from the parties at school, it was a mad rush to finish getting everyone dressed. Avrie decided that she was suppose to be a frog instead of a snowman, and refused to get dressed for 40 minutes. Where she got a frog, I have no idea. I have no frog costumes and couldn't remember seeing any lately that would give her that idea. So that put us 40 minutes behind, which in turn made us miss a birthday party we were suppose to go to, which in turn sent Ashtyn into an hour long tear fit. Hence - the picture. HAPPY DAY!

Here's the snowman once she finally decided it was OK not to be a frog.

Kenadee doing what she loves to do best - taking care of the babies! This is my brother's littlest, Charlee.

These are all the grand kids on my side. My three and my brother's four. Notice the six girls and the one lone boy. POOR SAM! At least he's got grandpa.

Back row: Charlee, Kenadee, Sam, Paytan, and Ashtyn

Front row: Avrie and Halle

20 COMMENTS - Whoohooo! I feel so special! We'll just look past the fact that I had to doctor the results (a lot). It was fun while it lasted. Thanks to all of you who left real comments :)

As far as the pictures go ... maybe "horrible" was too strong of a word. A better word would have been "disappointed". I was really disappointed when I got them developed. I really didn't have the time to spend all day fixing them. I debated if I should have even taken them in the first place. I'll try and quit being so hard on myself. Thanks to everyone for pointing that out.

Everything in my life right now has taken a huge effort to fix, and I was just wanting something to be easy. They did end up looking more like I wanted them to, so that made me happy. I know - WHAA WHAA. I'm trying to suck it up.

Kyle accuses me of overreacting sometimes - maybe there is some truth to that. Just don't tell him that I admit it!





Anne, this is for you:

1 - I have nice feet
2 - I'm pretty good at games

Are those good enough?

HORRIBLE Pictures Turned ... A Little Less Horrible

So, it was time for Christmas pictures. I've been thinking about it for months, and had them all planned out in my head. And I just have to say that they looked really cute in my head. I had to take the girls up to the house because the light here -- pretty much stinks. Since the floors up there are still covered in Sheetrock dust, I had only a small area to work with. I had to use my smaller lens because I couldn't get far enough away with my bigger lens, and the light up there was not the best either.

Long story short, they turned out really badly. I think my small lens has seen the last of it's days because I can't hardly get it to focus anymore.

When I got them developed, I wanted to cry. I just wanted them to turn out so I didn't have to spend so much time in Photo Shop (like I did last year), but that was not to be.

I can say it has forced me into figuring out how to really work my photo shop program.

Why do I want you to see my complete failure? So everyone can know there is hope. It just takes a little magic( I use that word because it was not skill) and your pictures can be somewhat presentable. Anyway, the result.

Before :(

AFTER

Before :(

AFTER

Happy Holidays!

Since my house will be sparsely decorated for this holiday also (my house is not going to be finished by Christmas), I have to get into the holiday spirit by decorating the blog -- AGAIN! Kyle just came over and rolled his eyes. He thinks I have a sickness, which could very well be true.

Christmas is my most favorite time of the year. I love the magic that is infused into the air. The beauty of the season is unbeatable, and the food . . . can I just say, YUM!

I hope everyone can really enjoy the holiday season. Breathe the air, write to old friends, bake with your babies, sing along to your favorite Christmas songs, find a new Christmas movie that makes you cry as you remember what Christmas is all about, give of your talents, and most important of all - get on your knees every night and give thanks for all of the blessings that we have. They are numerous and plenty, and it is all because of the birth of our Savior.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Quote

I read this and just laughed! It is so true. . .

"Women are like phones. They love to be held and talked too,

but you push the wrong button and you will be disconnected!"

Some Sooper Sillyness

These pictures are HORRIBLE. I was trying out a digital camera, and I definitely don't want this one. But they are memories just the same. We were bored late one night(ok - only 7:00), and this was the product.

THE MANY FACES OF AVRIE

Surprise!


Sad :(

Happy :)


Mad!!!

Tired












THEN WE ALL HAD TO GET INVOLVED


Sad :(









Tired










Happy :)









The girls love this game. Unfortunately Kenadee is getting to big to play. So she got to watch. They start out on the ground, then yell "UP", and try to keep their balance as Kyle raises them into the air(notice the "hair"). Of course Kyle has to move around and try to get them to fall off. He wouldn't be Kyle if he didn't :)



Ashtyn thinks she is a pro, so she is dancing.












This picture is Ashtyn to a "T". She will stand on her head where ever and when ever she can. She is never still. Always jumping, twirling, flitting, or upside down.




And, I'm trying to get over my fear of pictures of myself. Sorry you have to be involved!

TOUGH COOKIES

Earlier I was talking to Avrie and told her that it was time to get into the tub and then time to take a nap. She said "Avrie a get in a tub, but Avrie no nap". I said "Tough cookies. You get to take a bath, and then you get to take a nap." She then continued with "Avrie (she talks in the third person) get in a tub, and then Avrie have a cooookie." Laughing I explained, "Not a real cookie, I said TOUGH COOKIES. That means you get to do what I say anyway". I said this, thinking I had explained it fairly well. "OK" she said. "Avrie have tough cooookies." I knew it was time to throw in the towel.

Note to self: Never use any form of treat word when trying to explain something to a two year old. All they hear is blah blah blah COOKIE. Blahblahblah TOUGH COOKIES blah blah blah. She is thinking Wow, a tough cookie. I've never had one of those. Even better!!

I wonder what a tough cookie tastes like?

This year for Halloween the girls decided to be a 4th grader and a 1st grader! Just joking! These are the "A few days after the first day of school" pictures. They are wearing the same clothes that they wore on the first day of school. So that's close enough, right?

HELLOWEEN is Over

No, I didn't misspell the title. I've decided that I like all the stuff leading up to Halloween. Not Halloween day itself. It's too crazy and hectic. Then you add super high amounts of sugar, excitement and energy - to three little girls - and it is bound to explode at some point. It did, in the form of tears. We had our fare share. But, it's all over and we can move on. YAY!

Tagged!

Guess it's my turn. Skip tagged me :)


The Rules:Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.At the end of the post the player then tags six people and posts their names then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Have fun!


1. For a long time I would unknowingly dress the girls to match. I don't mean in the exact same clothes, I mean in the same colors. No pastels with primary colors dag it! I finally realized that I did it, and tried to stop, but can't. There are some days when they don't match and it drives me crazy! They seem dirty or messy. I know that doesn't make sense, but it's true.


2. I am a night owl. I wish I wasn't, but I haven't been able to turn it around. It doesn't help that I have trouble sleeping. Kyle is a morning person, and goes to bed at 9 or 10. I'm lucky if I make it by 1:00 am, and usually then I can't fall asleep. So we are on completely different time schedules. That is also my only Alone Time. I love my Alone Time, so it's been hard to try and cut it short. I can watch whatever I want (thank you TiVo), I can work on whatever I want, and I have no interruptions.


3. I can't stand it when people chomp their food, or gum. And I have been blessed with some major chompers in my family. It's like fingernails on the chalkboard, and I can't seem to break them of the habit.


4. I am an online shopaholic. It's good and bad. I can now find the super slim, adjustable waist pants for the girls (not for me :( ) the extra long ones for me, and in the right sizes. The selection is so much better, and the sales are so much better. And . . . I can do it all in my Jammie's. But I really have to have self control. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I have done almost all of the shopping for my house online. A huge selection, and it's delivered right to my house.


5. I really, really, really want to travel. Anywhere and everywhere. There is an interesting story and interesting people where ever you go.


6. I love to paint. Not the get-the-whole-wall-done roller painting, but the steady-hand-don't-get-it-on-the-ceiling-cutting-in painting. It really relaxes me.


Well, there you have it. Now who hasn't been tagged . . . Barbara, Heather, Heidi, Kris and Deneil. Come on girls, you can do it!

I got bit in the butt!

Just when I thought I was getting out of my "Funk", I got bit. I'm starting to think that if I had a smaller butt I wouldn't get bit so much. Remember on my last post I thought I had things crossed off my list? Well . . . I did . . . and then I didn't.


I had ordered costumes for the older two because I haven't been anywhere. Not even Wal-Mart in Evanston. Those who know the valley know what I'm talking about. No mall or Target to run to. Anyway, the costumes were suppose to be here yesterday.


They didn't show up :(


I had even ordered one for me. I haven't dressed up for years, and I really wanted to this year. I found a great costume. It was Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. Being the wookie that I am (hey, that gives me an idea for next year) I thought I could be pretty intimidating to those first graders in that tall, scary, black-horned costume. But it was not to be.


I called the company and my order hadn't even left the warehouse. The girls were listening intently while I was on the phone, and started bawling as soon as I said "Well, I'll just cancel the order." The poor things had their hearts set on those costumes. Tears fell for a hour while we tried to figure out what to do. We finally decided to run to Evanston as soon as Kyle got home (he got to baby sit Avire). It didn't matter that I had to go to Evanston today, they had to go last night so they could pick out their costumes.


So at 7:00 last night we headed out. Luckily they both found something that would work. They just happened to be the very last costumes in their size, but NO WORRIES! Thank goodness we found something! After I took a few hundred deep breaths, so I wouldn't go into panic mode, the evening ended up being really fun. We had a really great girls night out.


I still had to go back to Evanston today because I just realized that my drivers license had expired a month ago. Funny huh!?! Luckily I got it taken care of before I got pulled over. That might have sent me back into my "Funk".

. . .

Oh, I don't know how many of you have gotten the "Vicks" email, but I tried it, and it has worked really well on the girls. If you didn't get the email, here's the just of it:


If you have that horrible, annoying cough, spread Vicks on the bottoms of your feet, put socks on and go to bed. It said that it would quiet the cough, and help with congestion through the night.

All of my girls have had the cough and stuffiness, so I thought that it wouldn't hurt to try. IT WORKED. They might cough through the day, but they have been silent at night. They even remind me to put it on if I forget. Avrie had one really bad croupy day, and ended up waking up once that night. But that was it. When she gets that cough, we are usually up for a few nights in a row because she can't breath.

It's worth a try, and you don't have to give them that nasty cough medicine, that they are saying is so bad for them now.

I'm ready to pull my hair out!

I want to scream. Can I just scream? Did I say that I want to scream and pull my hair out? I've been in such a "FUNK" lately, and I can't seem to get out of it. The kids have been sick for over a week - thought they were getting better- but NO. It moved onto Kyle, which I don't know how he can keep working nonstop being sick, but he does. I do think he is getting better. Can it pass up mom? Of course not. That would make life go smoothly, and why would I want smooth right now? I don't need smooth. . . ok, whatever, I really need smooth. Please give me smooth. I feel like everything is falling apart. I don't function well in ciaos and that is all my life is anymore - CIAOS!

The kids are sick, they have so much homework already, I can't get them ran to the two things that they do have after school, the house is not moving anywhere, Avrie completely tears apart everything she touches every moment of the day, the other two are so whinny and moody that I want to lock them in their rooms every night, I can't find anything in our current living quarters, Halloween is approaching and the girls want to have costumes, and ... Ashtyn's teacher decided to put me in charge of the Halloween Party, oh and I'm trying to get my whole house painted, Oh and I have been sick. Is there anything else? I'm sure I could think of something else if you give me just a minute. Ya, I know, things can always get worse. That is what I am afraid of.

Any ideas on how to get out of this "FUNK"? Please help because my ideas are not working.

I am grateful -

1 - No one has been throwing up. I have enough laundry to do without adding that much more.

2 - I have gotten some painting done.

3 - I will hopefully have a new house in the future. I'm crossing my fingers because right now it doesn't seem like it will ever happen.

4 - We do have a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food on the table (although that is always a huge source of the whining each night. I can never please everyone)

5 - I did finally get the major part of the Halloween dilemma taken care of. I'm still crossing my fingers because it seems like when ever I breath for a moment - thinking I can mark something off my list - it comes back to bite me in the butt.

I'm trying to stay positive. OK maybe I sank into huge pessimism, but I'm trying to crawl out into the light of optimism. HELP!!

I did get a few new pictures "Painted". That always makes me happy :)

WANTED: A new Tooth Fairy

We are in search of a new Tooth Fairy. We have had to put up with a lot from the Tooth Fairies through the years, and this year is no exception. I've have had enough and have to let this one go.

We have had to deal with an obsessive-compulsive, extremely neurotic Tooth Fairy. Kenadee had to polish and clean her tooth for a week before this Tooth Fairy would take it. By the time the tooth was good enough to take, it could have been on display in the "Prettiest Teeth of All" museum in Tooth Land. Do you think that matters to a 5 year old? NO! I did hear that they had to promote that Tooth Fairy to Curator of the museum. A job she was much more suited for.

We were also a part of THE GREAT TOOTH LOSS OF 2004. The Tooth Fairy had said that there were so many teeth lost that week, that it took them almost a month to catch up. Come on Tooth Fairies, aren't you magic! Don't give me that nonsense.

We have also had our share of forgetful Tooth Fairies. I just have to shake my head. Isn't that your job? Is it really that hard to find a qualified Tooth Fairy?

Yesterday was the last straw! Ashtyn, my child with a huge fear of pain, was brave enough to let me tie a string around her loose tooth, tie the other end to the door knob, and *shaking because of the anticipation* let me slam the door shut, yanking her tooth right out. The only reason she let me do this ... "I want to get my money tonight." she said. You would think that would mean something to the Tooth Fairy. But guess what? It was too cold for her to come that night! Can you believe it ... TOO COLD! Has she never been to Antarctica or Iceland? Why are they assigning a warm weather Tooth Fairy to a cold climate? Only heartache is to come because it is cold more often then not. I do have to say that in the excitement of the door slamming, tooth jerking, blood coming craziness, the tooth got lost. We searched for an hour and came up with nothing. That should not mean it isn't a big priority to come, especially when you read the heart-felt note she wrote explaining the whole situation.

So I've had it. Tooth Fairy - YOU'RE FIRED! I'm looking for a new one.

Fishing

Do you want to hear a sad story - I've never actually "fished". I've been where people are fishing, but never "fished" myself. It's not because I didn't want to, it has just never worked out. I have a funny story about my dad, but better get his OK before I tell it.
We went camping over Labor Day, and Kenadee had the chance to fish. She is so proud that she got to fish before I did. She was the only one to catch a fish too. I didn't get a picture because the slippery little thing flipped its way out of Kyle's hands before I could. While Kyle and Kenadee were fishing, Ashtyn , Avrie, and I hung out on the rocks (and in the river some too).

New Pictures

I finally got a few rolls developed. Here are a few of my favorites.