December Highlights

December flew by and now we are in January. Here are a few highlights of our December, I know pictures of December in January...... I'm kind of behind. It is really for me, having this blog is a way for me to document our memories and keep in contact with our family.

WARNING!!! Keep in mind this is going to be filled with a lot of pictures.

I have my new planner! Love this. I need a planner and I am so pleased with this one. It holds so much information but at the same time it is small enough to fit in my purse. Need to be organized this year. 

Love, Love  it!!

We take the kids every Christmas break to Knotts Berry Farm. My hubby gets a discount every year around this time. Which is perfect since the kids are on vacation. So it has become a family tradition. 

However, it is extremely busy this time of year at the theme park, so we try to let the kids pick the rides they really want to go on. We do see Snoopy on Ice every time and it is always so beautiful. 

Then of course we have to go to Disneyland, it is so beautifully decorated for Christmas and we even saw Santa Claus there.

Daniel couldn't take his eyes off of Santa, I thought for sure he'd cry. But he he sat there and just starred at the big jolly man in red.

The photographers asked my hubby and I to join in the picture. Which is kind of neat since we've  never taken a picture as a family with Santa.

And of course a few trips to Disneyland during the kids Christmas break. 

We celebrated Christmas Eve with my hubby's family this year in Las Vegas. It was a short but sweet visit as we had to drive back home to California to have Christmas dinner with my side of the family. 

Had lots of fun visiting with the cousins.

My sweetest sister-in-law had crafts for the kids to do. We made these cute carolers and hand stamped ornaments. I forgot to take picture of the ornaments but I will just tell you that it was a challenge to get Daniel to do his. But they still turned out cute.

Then we opened presents with our cousins. 

We woke up early Christmas morning and headed back to California. 

Came home and saw all the wonderful presents Santa left for us while we were away. 

The kids exchanged their Secret Santa presents that they gave to each other. Every year we put the kids names in a hat and they pick out a name and buy a present for that person with their own money. On Christmas they stand up and say something nice about the person they got.

Later we went to have dinner with my side of the family and had lots of yummy treats with homemade Hot Chocolate.

My Mom always makes such a wonderful dinner.

We sang Happy Birthday to Jesus, but Gabriel thought we were singing to Michael since he was standing in the front of the cupcakes.

We played lots and lots and lots of board games durning the kids vacation.

This year I think our favorite was Clue. 

And of course had to squeeze in some more Disneyland fun. Oh how we love Disneyland. 

And through the whole month of December most of us were sick with a cold. Some of the kids got it twice, I got it several times.......lets just say, I was sick the whole month. But there was only one person who some how did not get sick.......and the winner was Dad. I don't know how that man didn't get even a cold. So there you have it some highlights of our last month in 2012!

I think it was a great December. 

Whew.....I think I'm caught up now :)

Merry Christmas!!

I hope you have a blessed Christmas and enjoy spending time with your family. 

Have a Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Oh Christmas Tree

Every year we pick out our tree, it is a family tradition that we love and look forward to every December. 

We love the fresh smell that it leaves throughout the house. 

This year we went a little late so we didn't get many pictures. It was cold out and the baby was getting fussy. 

The kids love to search for the perfect tree. It is such a special tradition  that we do together as a family.

Since we were all cold and a little cranky. We picked one out a little quicker this year and headed home to decorate our tree. 

The kids help out with the tree every year and I love how they get so excited putting up their ornaments that they have made. Our tree isn't filled with expensive ornaments but mostly homemade ornaments or ones that were given to us. Each ornament has a story and I love that. 

The kids and I love looking at the tree. Especially Daniel. He doesn't remember last Christmas since he was a baby, so it's like he is experiencing Christmas for the first time.

I love watching his eyes sparkle when he sees the tree.

 I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Truth in the Tinsel Advent 2012

This year I really wanted to do Advent with the kids.
I want them to focus on HIM, our Lord and Savior and not the gifts.
December is really going to fly by and with the busyness of the holidays, and regular everyday life.
I don't want to miss the opportunity and not Focus on Him.
I would like to do activities and crafts that are meaningful, which bring our focus on Jesus.
I want to be intentional this December when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.

So when I came across the ebook Truth In The Tinsel, I thought this is perfect for our family.
The focus is on the true meaning of Christmas.
It is simple, easy and meaningful thanks to Amanda who has organized this beautiful Advent.
It starts with doing a craft and a bible devotion with the kids.
She has a supply list for the crafts which is pretty much things you could find around the house.
She has a bible scripture ready for you to read along with the activity.

Amanda has really done an amazing job putting this all together!
It is easy to understand and fun for the whole family to do together.
Please go to check out Truth In The Tinsel and Amanda on her blog.

It starts on Dec. 1st and the activities are 30 min. long, so that means this busy mama has no excuse why I can't complete it with the kids.
There are different plans that you can do to fit your family's schedule.
I'm excited to start this weekend, I really believe the kids will have fun.
I hope it will keep our hearts, eyes and minds focused on the true meaning of Christmas this year.

                         I will try to share our Advent journey here on the blog with you.

                                                        How do you celebrate Advent?

Thanksgiving Week 2012

We started off our week by finishing up some of our Thanksgiving crafts.

I love handprints and feet crafts.

Made homemade Pumpkin pie. 

I know there is some really yummy pies out there like Costco.

But I still like making ours with the kids.

We had our Thanksgiving with my hubby on Tuesday because he worked on Thanksgiving day.

Lots and lots of yummy food was eaten.

We went to Disneyland the day before Thanksgiving, we thought maybe there wouldn't be that many people. 

We figured people would be shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. 

Oh we were so wrong!!!

NOTE TO SELF.......

Never go to Disneyland on Thanksgiving week!

We had to park far, far away and be shuttled on a bus to Disneyland! 

Here is Sleeping Beauty's Castle all ready for Christmas. 

It is beautiful at night all light up. 

I really need to get a picture of it a night.

A Family picture, which reminds me we need to do our Christmas cards and pictures!

I better get on it.

Or we might be using this one. 

Thanksgiving Dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

This one came out blurry but thats life and I love his smile.

Des and the older kids went for a walk with there Grandpa. 

She took my iphone and came back with some cool pictures.

Ended dinner with some yummy pies.

Pumpkin is our favorite and when I remembered to take the picture, it was half gone. Oh well!!

And we ended the night playing board games and charades!

Can you guess which game I'm playing??

A blessed Thanksgiving week we had. 

I hope yours was as well!

thankful

I blinked and here we are on November 18th, days before Thanksgiving. 

Are you ready?

I'm not.

I wanted to do all these crafts with the kids 

and savor the moments of this month 

of celebrating 

GRATITUDE.

I know we still have a few days before we celebrate Thanksgiving, but

really I want to share and show the kids

its not just a day or month that we should celebrate being Thankful.

We should be Thankful all the time.

So I wanted to share what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for God, who blesses me each day.

I am thankful for our church.

I am thankful for my hubby, who works hard long hours each day.

I am thankful that I am able to be a stay at home Mom.

I am thankful for our home.

I am thankful for my family.

I am thankful for the " I love you's"

I am thankful for the hugs and kisses from my kids.

I am thankful for the stories that my children share with me.

I am thankful that when my washer was broken for the MONTH of October, my Mom came to the rescue!

She not only let me use her washer, she washed and folded my clothes many times through out the month. "Thank you, Mom."

I am thankful for my little shop and how it is growing.

I am thankful for my camera. That I am able to take pictures and document our lives.

I am thankful for the dirty dishes. It means that we have food for our family.

I am thankful for the mountains of laundry that need to be washed and folded. It means my family has clothes.

I am thankful for each and everyday God has blessed me with.

Have a great Thanksgiving week with your families!

Life lately

Thanksgiving is this week and I'm so excited. The kids had there last day of school, which I'm so happy because we all could use the little break.

Today the boys had their Rocket Races, so the little guys and I went to cheer them on.

They had half day of school this week but we still managed to be busy with orthodontist appointments, school projects and conferences.
Did I mention we so need a break of school.
But they still have projects to complete over the break......Really!!!Ugh!!

The little guys had eye appointments earlier in the week.
Here is Gabe with his sunglasses from the eye doctor.
Doesn't he look cool?
Gabriel did such a great job at the exam and Daniel did pretty well for a 16 month old.

My little shop is getting orders for Christmas.
So I've been busy working on them this week with my little helper.
I'm so blessed with each and every order.

I entered a giveaway for the Brave movie last week at Everyday Moments and I won!!!
 I've never ever won a giveaway before. We will be watching it this weekend!

These next few months are going to be busy with Christmas fast approaching
and my little shop is growing.
Which I'm so thankful for and I know God will give me only what I can handle.

                                       I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Halloween 2012

 Here is a look at our Halloween this year.
 With everyone being busy with cross country, guitar and Tae Kwon Do practice we ended up carving our pumpkins the night before Halloween.

Actually we bought them the night before at the grocery store. Take a look at that price .29 a pound.

So much cheaper than our local Pumpkin Patch and especially when you need to buy 5!!

And here are the big kids pumpkins carved and the little guys painted theres.

And here is our annual pictures with the kids and there pumpkins.

This year we went as the Avengers.
Here is Jimmy as Hawk Eye.

And Desi as Black Widow.

 

Michael went as the HULk. Doesn't he look scary?

But my little  sweet Daniel went as Winnie the Pooh inside a Pumpkin. All my little boys have worn this costume and I had to continue with the tradition.

It was so hard to get him to stay in one place and smile for me. I had to be quick and chase him around. This is the best picture I could get.

Here is some of the before shots.

No interest in looking up at me.....at all!

Still not looking....

Trick or Treating

I hope you all had a great Halloween!!

Lots and lots of candy to hide now.