Light the world

I was so thrilled when the church was going to do their Light the World campaign.   This year I planned way in advance - as soon as they put out the calendar (mid November) I pre-planned and scheduled what we were going to do each day.  Some things were simple, "take a treat to school and share it with someone you are not friends with" to more complicated, "drive around and give meals to homeless people".  

We kicked off our month by having the Sister missionaries over and introducing Light the World and encouraging the kids to get their non-member friends involved in the service.

One day we stayed late after school with some other families and cleaned up the school.

We baby sat our neighbors 18 month old twins.

We took flowers to a cemetery and put them on veterans graves - we also took wipes and shovels and cleaned them up.

We made bags for our ward service project (this was just me - not the kids)

We donated books to some kids in Africa (our ward friends were going and wanted to take some chapter books)

We made a bunch of chex muddie buddies and drove around and gave them to mailmen, UPS and fed ex drivers.

We packed lunches and gave them to homeless people around downtown.

Those are the big things I took pictures of - most of it was little things they did around the house or at school - just trying to light other peoples lives one person at a time.

Nativity

We hosted our third annual Bucknell Nativity.  This may be the highlight of my year.  I love bringing a little spirituality onto our (pretty secular) street.  I hope that these kids will always remember being in a nativity and they way they felt. 

One of our neighbors usually sings "oh holy night" - but she was sick this year and nobody wanted to sing - so last minute I called the sister missionaries and they came and sang. 

Christmas letter

We sat our kids down at the end of November and talked to them about our year.  We reminded them that dad hasn't had a job most of the year and that this year we were going to have a small Christmas.  We especially focused on how blessed we are and that nobody really needs anything right now and that we would spend our Christmas season trying to serve other people and make their Christmas better.  They were all pretty on board with the plan. I found this note in Madison's room.

"Dear Santa.  I know I am going [to] have a small christmas but I want to tell you what I want for Christmas.  It is just one thing, inention stuff and that is all".

I couldn't tell if my heart hurt because how dang cute she is, how equally proud and sad I was that she accepted the fact that we were having a small Christmas, but really wanted just one thing, the fact that she ONLY wanted one thing, or if she was just consigned to her fate.  Either was I wanted to give her the world.  Just for the record - she did in deed get invention stuff.

Christmas Money

We did our babysitting night again this year for the kids to earn money for buying Christmas presents for their siblings.  This year did not go as great as last year.  Our kids just wanted to play with their friends and we ended up with WAY to many babies. That was all my fault though.  But Jason and I really had to step in and work hard all night taking care of all the kids under 18 months.  I don't know if we will do it again next year.  Although, my kids did earn their pay in cleaning up the house - I think we had every toy out. 

My Birthday

Jason was out of town for work on my birthday again this year.  My friends are always so nice to help make my birthday great when he is gone.  My mom had left earlier in the day (we went bowling on our way to the airport to drop her off) - and then that night I went to PF Changs with my ward friends.

Rachel Bliss, Kara Garr, Me, Marisa Neyenhuis, Heather Clark, Becky Tenney, Leslie Prussee, Charity Hanson (Charity's sister who was in town and came - I don't remember her name), and Veronica Birch.  (who couldn't come: Krista Weister, Hannah West, Karly Ormond, and Lindsey Neauman)

I absolutely LOVE PF Changs.  I love it so so much.  It is definitely my happy place.  But I love it the most when lots of people come and we order a ton of food and we all share it.  It was a great birthday!

I mean... come on... doesn't this look amazing?!

The only things that made my birthday sad was that Jason was out of town.  I missed him.  But he came home and we celebrated my birthday the next Sunday!  He made my favorite breakfast (milk mush) and dinner (honey teriyaki salmon, garlic mashed potatoes, and for dessert asphalt pie).  And the kids got me a new necklace and made me some cute cards.  I feel a little silly doing such an intense post about my own birthday - it was just such a great year and I am so grateful to everyone who showed me so much love.

Fun Times! ha ha

Mid December we got our first snow "storm".  It wasn't much - but it was cold.  I had dropped my kids off at school and was headed home for my preschool christmas program that day.   I took a turn a little too fast I guess and slid on some ice.  I didn't have shoes on or a coat.  I called my friend, Jen, and she came to my rescue with boots, coat, and gloves.  Luckily I had: already dropped the kids off, no one was hurt, I went EXACTLY in between the stop sign and an electrical box, my car was drivable home and even drivable for the next week while we waited for the repair job, it got repaired in 2 days and both of those days the weather was nice enough for the kids to walk to and from school, my parents were willing to push preschool back 30 minutes, and no major damage.  Look at me seeing all the silver lining!  

Ugly Sweater Parties

We attended 2 ugly sweater parties this Christmas.  One we dressed up for - the other one we didn't (only becasue we borrowed our sweater for the first party from the Barretts who were attending the second party - so we didn't have our sweaters).

The first one was thrown by Lindsey and Justin Neauman.  It was an ugly sweater/ cookie exchange.  The desserts were amazing and plentiful - my kind of party!

Some pictures of the women who attended.  I am not in the pictures for moral reasons. :) 

Back left: Diana Hulme, Leslie Prusse, Leanne Coleman, Allie Brown, Rachel Anderson, Jasmine Smith, MaryAnne Ahlsrom, ?, Whitney Trythall

Second row on right: Mandy Ricks, Marisa Neyenhuis, Nicole Bullock, Hannah West

Front row, left: Kendall Hakes, ?, Lindsey Neaumann, Abbie Chambers, Megan Rothey, Tory Hunt

 Our second party was at our neighbors: Shelly and Dave Gardner.

Almost our whole street

Noah's Piano Recital

Our cute Noah had his Christmas piano recital at his teachers house.  He played, "Angels we have heard on high" - his favorite Christmas song, and "Joy to the World".  Both songs were pretty difficult with both the right hand and left hands doing different things.  I am impressed with how well he is doing at the piano and how much he enjoys it.  He had both songs memorized - even though his teacher didn't tell him he had too.

Noah and James

The other students (the West boys) Jackson, Riley, Dillon, and Noah (James in the back)