New Years Eve and Illegal Fireworks

We spent New Years Even in style this year. My parents came so we started off with Owen's favorite dinner "dip sandwiches." After dinner my parents treated us to a movie (I can't recall the last time we even went to a movie, so it was very special). The girls and kids went to see Tangled, and Chad and my dad saw True Grit. Grant had never been to a movie, and the previews were playing as we walked in. He wouldn't move, he was so fascinated. It was a great movie, and we all had a good time.

After the movie the illegal fireworks came out. My dad loves fireworks, and he always has some good one on the 4th of July and New Years. The kids had a great time, and we let them do sparklers, and let one firework off. Then, they were off to bed. The adults played games, ate food, and then at midnight toasted, and sent Chad outside to let off more fireworks. What a guy, it was soooooo cold, and he would light one, then run back inside. It was a great night, and we couldn't have spent it better any other way!

A Visit from Grandma and Grandpa Farmer

Grandma and Grandpa Farmer came to visit us on New Year's Eve. They had to take Amber back to BYU-I so they came a few days early to spend some time with us. We were so glad that they did, and so were the kids because we saved their Christmas presents from them until they came. It was one of the first things we did when they walked in the door. Owen got an Iron Man hand, Claire got a new pair of snow boots (thank you!) and a new Barbie, Grant got a really cute truck, and Ava got a new outfit. They also gave us some BBQ tools, but then quickly took Chad shopping for our new BBQ.

All I Want for Christmas . . .

Claire came up one morning during Christmas break, and was missing her front tooth. We are still not sure where it is, but I'm pretty sure that she swallowed it. She left the Tooth Fairy a note, and was so happy with her dollar. It is so fun listening to her talk, and I was so excited that she lost her tooth before Christmas so we could sing a fun song together!

Christmas 2010

Christmas was a lot of fun this year. I always look forward to it because of the kids. I want it to be the best day for them, and something they look forward to. We had a wonderful dinner on Christmas Eve with our friend from the ward and his kids. We read the Christmas Story and then watched the Christmas DVD by the church. It was very nice to remember our Savior, and why we celebrate Christmas. The kids were very excited, put out the cookies for Santa, and went straight to bed.

Claire woke up first, but we made her stay in our room for awhile. She was very good about walking straight upstairs into our room since this was the first Christmas in her new room. She held off until just after 7:00 and then the madness began.

Santa had a hard time trying to figure out what to get Claire for Christmas. You can only have so many Barbies. Santa decided that since Claire loves to draw, and is always using her mom and dads good paper that she would love an Art Easel. She loved her art easel and her new art box. She also got a couple of new outfits, and some easel paper.

Santa had an easy time picking out what to get for Owen. He loves so many things! He got a walking Iron Man, "which is exactly what he wanted," some superhero cars, some superhero squad cars and a box of superhero costumes so he could save the world all by himself.

Santa also loved getting everything ready for Grant. Grant loves Toy Story, especially "Guzz" (Buzz). He got a talking Buzz Lightyear, a Buzz blanket for his bed, some Toy story figures and a Mr. Potato Head for the bathtub. It was so much fun to watch him figure out what Christmas was, and how much he enjoyed unwrapping the presents.

Santa got Ava some very practical Christmas presents. She got some new bottles, a new mattress pad, a new blanket and a couple of chew toys. She mostly wanted to play with all the paper that was all around her.

Mom and Dad got exactly what they needed a new TV. Their TV was very old and not working very well. They also got a new Blue Ray Player so that they can watch Netflix movies upstairs. It is very nice, and has made us very happy with our purchase. We were also lucky to get a new BBQ from Mom and Dad Farmer and a new handmade picnic table from Mom and Dad Clayson. We are now all set for the summer BBQ season.

Christmas Best

This year I had so much fun dressing my family for Christmas. Chad wouldn't get in the picture because we were in a hurry, but he also has a matching tie. I just wanted to make the boys a tie, but I had enough material to make Claire a skirt and then the girls got matching hair things, although Claire couldn't find hers. It was so much fun for me, and so great to hear all the comments at church. I'm not sure I will get Chad to wear matching ties very often unless I get a little more manly looking material.

Ice Cream

After Claire's dance recital we went out for ice cream. Chad gave Ava her first taste, and she was in love. I think Chad was just as dirty as Ava. Claire was so happy to get to have a special night. We can't wait till the next dance recital.

Claire's Dance Recital

December 16th was a big day for our family. It was the last day of school for everyone, the beginning of Christmas Vacation, and of course Claire's dance recital. She was very, very, very excited. The theme for the whole recital was the 70's, and it was great. Her dance teacher just started this year, so this was her first dance recital. There aren't many classes, so she put a short skit in between each dance. Owen was laughing louder than anyone, and he loved the music. Chad said this was the best recital he had ever been to. It was a lot of fun. Claire danced to the song "Dancing Queen." She did great, and of course loved wearing making the best. I was very proud of her, and she is getting much better. She is still taking dance class with her friend Elise, and now Ellie and Maddi our neighbors are dancing a different class. It was fun to see them all do a great job.

Clayson Family Christmas Party

This year our annual family party was hosted by Trevor and Shana. Chad had to work all day, so luckily the kids and I made it there with the help of some family. We decided not to exchange sibling gifts instead we adopted a family from the local shelter. The kids helped pitch in and wrapped all the presents. Hopefully they got something out of it. Then we played games, and had time for us all to perform our skits. I will honestly tell you that Chad and I were not excited about that part. It was a big source of contention at our house, so Chad came up with a short little thing. Everyone did a great job. The kids exchanged books, and then we were visited by Santa. It was a lot of fun, and we can't wait till next year.

Random Cuteness

O Christmas Tree!

The kids could hardly wait to decorate the Christmas Tree this year. They were put off a couple of days because I got sick and then we had to let the tree settle the next day before we could decorate it. They had so much fun and are getting so big. We still had most of the ornaments on the bottom, but they are getting better. Thankfully dad was helpful and lifted them up to the top many times. Ava loved the lights, and Grant finally figured out how much fun it was to decorate the tree.

Oh No, you didn't!

OK, I know I'm a little behind again on blogging, but I did something today that I can't believe I did!! Seriously. I am actually quite proud of myself. So, the kids and I were sitting in the mall parking lot waiting for Chad's bus to come. We try to go for a ride when we have a Saturday with not much else to do (besides clean the house!). I was parked in a spot specified for mothers who are pregnant or with infants. I love those parking spots. It makes me feel like someone actually appreciates that I have my hands full. I won't even park in a spot like that unless I look very pregnant, or have Ava with me. Well, the spot across from me was also marked for the same people, and a few minutes earlier someone had come out and got in their car with a teenager. Seriously!! It just aggravates me, those people can walk a little farther. So next comes a little VW Bug with two teenage girls in it. I watch the driver read the sign, and then they both shrug, and park there anyways. I was mad. These girls don't look pregnant, nor have a little child with them. So as they were getting out, I got out of my car, and asked them if they saw the sign. The driver looks at me like "who cares." So I proceed to tell her that I watched her look at the sign and that she should move her car. I told her it was marked for specific people and unless they had a baby or were pregnant, they should move. Then I asked her if she wanted to drag my 4 kids across the parking lot by herself. She gave me this look of "whatever," got in her car and moved it. I honestly thought I would feel guilty, but I don't. But, I still can't believe that I did that. I think I'm getting old, and today I was that old lady who told someone what to do. Oh well, maybe next time they will think before they try to break the rules.

Zims Hot Springs

Our last family activity at my parents house was to go to Zim's Hot Springs. It is a very interesting experience to go swimming while it is snowing. I was grateful that I had left Ava with one of my mom's neighbors because she would have never lasted while swiming. The kids had a blast, and stayed in the pool for a long time. We finally had to convince the last few to get out. The kids thought it was funny to get out, sit in the snow and the jump back in the water. They also enjoyed throwing snow balls at each other. Amber started it, and had the most snowballs thrown at her. After swimming we had a picnic in their lounge area. Then Grandpa gave all the kids a dollar in quarters and they got to play games with them. Owen thought it was great. We put a quarter in the riding toy, and it never turned off. All the little kids got to ride it for quite awhile. Thanks for the fun time Grandpa and Grandma!

Oh Christmas Tree!

While we were at my parents house we got to cut our Christmas tree like we do every Thanksgiving we are there. This year with all the snow we loaded up the snowmobiles, and headed up to the forest. Claire and Owen went with us, but were ready to go in a little while because they were "cold." They had fun though, and Owen was so proud of our tree. It is always a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Thanksgiving Fun

We always have a lot of fun at Thanksgiving with my family. This year was not short on fun. We started our day with family pictures (my mom made all the girls their cute dresses the day before!! AMAZING!). Then we worked on dinner and of course ate appetizers. There was lots of football watching, and the traditional game playing. We taught Chad how to play pinocchole during the summer so we played a few games of that. Of course we had our wonderful, beautiful Thanksgiving dinner, followed by our after dinner entertainment of Heather playing the water glasses, and of course the kids piling on Aunt Amber. It is always fun to spend time together and enjoy each others company and of course laugh, which we do well!

Thanksgiving Aprons

My mom surprised each of her daughters and their oldest daughter with a matching apron for Thanksgiving this year. It was so much fun, and the girls loved matching their moms, and we thought it was fun too. Thanks mom for working so hard for us. We love them!!

Ava 6 months old

Miss Ava Jean is 6 months old. She is starting to try to sit, and loves to eat. She can roll from her tummy to her front, but just can't make it over her arm from her front to her back. She doesn't like to be on her tummy, but loves to jump. She can often be found in her jumparoo or her exersaucer. She is very happy, and loved by everyone. She is sleeping most of the night, and usually wakes up about 5:00 to eat and goes right back to bed. I just stopped nursing her except once a day, and she is doing great. She already has both her brothers in the palm of her hand, so I think she will be well taken care of when she is older.

Snowmobiling

It is not very often that my parents have enough snow at their house to play in it, especially not at Thanksgiving. This year we were extra lucky. However, it was cold!! Our first day there the kids begged to go on a 4 wheeler ride. Claire and Owen had no problem bundling up, but Grant was another story. I managed to get boots, snow pants, and a jacket on him, but he would have nothing to do with the gloves. We figured we would only be gone a few minutes because it was so cold. However we were gone long enough that for the next few days he cried and wouldn't touch anything. About a week after we were home his fingers actually peeled. I felt so bad!! Regardless of all the snow and cold on Thanksgiving day Chad bundled up and a few brave kids too and he pulled them behind the snowmobiles. Claire, Brittany and Parker had a great time. It was fun to watch them from the window.

Cookies

Owen loves to cook!! When we got to my parents house Amber wanted to make cookies and she had a helper right away with Owen. He was so proud of himself and brought me a cookie as soon as they were finished.

Cascade Idaho

When we left for Thanksgiving in White Bird, it was snowing. We made it to Boise with actually good roads. We stopped at our friends the Turgooses for dinner, and then I had to run a few errands. I made Chad promise that before we left in the snow that he had to promise me that if the roads were bad we would stay the night in Boise. He decided that the roads were just fine, so we loaded everyone up in the car and we left for our next destination. I was nervous. I hate riding on slick roads, but Chad is very capable. After driving for just about 3 hours we made it to Cascade. You might remember that we used to live in Cascade, but we had never thought we would stay there again. Well, Chad had had enough of my telling him to be careful, and the roads were bad so we decided to stay. The nicest hotel in town was empty, but they would not come down on their price, so we stayed at a ma and pa little place. The bed was terrible, but it worked out just fine. The next day Owen wanted something out of the car, and we told him that we weren't going to get it. He decided that he would do it himself. Lets just say that he didn't make it that far. We left in the morning and had a slow go all the way to my parents house. The owner of the in had to actually dig us out of the parking lot. We did get to stop and have breakfast in McCall at the Pancake House which was yummy. We told the kids that this would be their vacation for the year. They thought it was great fun!

Owen's Preschool Feast

Owen was very excited for his preschool feast this year. They got to make an apple turkey, then a necklace and do a couple other activities. The kids worked very hard practicing a play and a couple of songs. Owen was a pilgrim who said "Many years ago the pilgrims came to America. They sailed on a big ship called the Mayflower." He did a great job. It is always hard for him to be good because his mom is the teacher, and it easy to be ornery for your mom but once he got into it, he did a great job. He was so grateful that his dad could come.

Ava 6 Months

Little Miss Ava is growing up so fast. She is so much fun to be around, and according to the pictures you can tell how much fun her siblings have with her. She is just starting food, and likes fruit, but is not a big fan on vegetables, especially green vegetables. She can roll from her tummy to her back, but has no desire to do anything else. She is starting to try to sit, but she gets so excited about everything that she is always rocking back and forth so she is always falling over. I just hope that she doesn't decide to start moving before Christmas. She is still sleeping about 9 hours, wakes up, eats, and then goes right back to sleep. Hopefully this pattern will continue.

THANK YOU!!

Let me start off by describing our lives right now. Since Chad quit his job this summer, we have worked hard to make ends meet. Thankfully we have been very blessed. I worried for months before we made the big jump, but so far so good. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to teach 30 preschool kids. I'm not going to lie, it is hard some days because I would rather spend more time with my kids, but it is paying the bills, so I can't complain to hard!! I work Monday and Wednesday mornings, and then I have 2 classes on Tuesday and Thursdays. They are great kids and have wonderful parents who are so supportive. That always helps. Then there is my other job at the Holt Arena. I call that my fun mom time job. The ladies I work with are so fun to be around. We talk about our kids and families, and of course make lots of comments on what people are wearing. Football season has been crazy. It usually works out well, but Chad got his new job driving bus, and it has been tough. I have thought about giving it up, but it is our Christmas money, and right now every little bit helps. Before Chad was driving bus, he was working Saturday morning helping deliver Bountiful Baskets, and then cleaning at the Holt Area after events. That was crazy because he would work late Friday night until about 2:00, then have to be up at 4:30 to deliver baskets, be home around 12:00, sleep, and then go back to the Holt Arena about 6:30. I had to work during the day, and find a place for the kids. All I have to say is a big THANK YOU to those who have helped me. It hasn't been easy. Chad's mom is wonderful, she calls me every Friday to make sure the kids are taken care of. She has met me a countless number of times to pick up the kids. She has fed us dinner, and made my life much easier. Chad's brothers and sisters have also helped us so much. You guys are awesome, and I hope you know how much I appreciate it. I also need to say thank you to my wonderful friends Emma and Jodie. They have helped me when I am in a pinch. Last weekend I only had to work for a few hours, so I just got a babysitter, who called me 45 minutes before I had to be to work and told me she was sick. I went into panic mode, and called my mom crying (everyone has their breaking point right??) not like she could help me. Thankfully these two ladies stepped in to help me. Emma even took my two oldest to the movies.

Now Chad still works Saturday mornings delivering baskets, and then comes home for 30 minutes to eat and shower, and then is gone. He works a few evenings a week, and is at school most of the other times. We don't see each other much, but when we do see dad, we are all very excited. WE love Sundays and are looking forward to Thanksgiving and a break from school.

Things are going great, and I never thought I would say that I am this busy, but man we are busy. Maybe in a couple of years life will slow down a little bit. So here's the question, does anyone want to watch 4 kids this Saturday. I just thought I'd throw it out there now to see if there are any takers.

Crafting Mania

The past couple of months I have been looking at a lot of crafting blogs. I am addicted!! I see these things and think I can do that, so I try. It has been so hard to finish some projects because our Jo Anns (only fabric store in town), is moving to another store so for the past few months they haven't got any new merchandise (who does that before Halloween), so next week when they open I am there! Here are a few things I have made.

My friend had a craft night. This was one of them. They are two sided, so both projects are on the same pieces of wood. I thought that was so clever.
This was another project from that night. It was so much fun to make. The other side has Thanksgiving words.
I made Ava some booties before she was born, but they are now to small. I decided it was time to make her some more. They are so easy to make, and so much fun.

I have been working on Ava's room. Here are a few pictures. When I get everything done, I will post more. The butterfly picture frame was soooo easy. I just cut butterflies with my mom's cricket and then found a frame at DI and spray painted it. Then I just measured out and placed the butterflies. I love the way it turned out.
I found the instructions for this shirt, and this is the second one I have made. They are way easy, but a little time consuming. I'm think of trying one with some tulle next time, and maybe two toned. I can't decide.

Joe Cool

I looked outside yesterday while the boys were cleaning up the flowers in the front yard. This is what I saw.

Grant just sat there and watched them work like he was supervising. I love that the glasses are 1 pink, and 2 upside down. Man he is growing up so fast.