Just kidding

Ha, so there are pictures.  I remember my sister having her camera now.  Of course she had her camera. She is a photographer, she always has her camera, even when the rest of us don't.  Yay for Jennifer!!!  So I stole the pictures of my kids off of her blog, I hope she doesn't mind.  :) and here they are.

 This is Benjamin opening a present From Grammy and Papa.  It's a John deer truck, trailer and the best part (in my opinion) a Gater on the back.  I used to drive a gater around when I did Facilities maintenance years ago and I thought it was the best part since I didn't have a drivers licence yet.  Yay, I love it! So does he, but he likes the white truck part more.  :)

 Here is Glen opening one of his favorite gifts, also from Grammy and Papa.  It's a Toy Story lego set.  He also has another lego set that had two horses and they go well together.

And here in my Jedi son.  During family pictures Benjamin was cold and so John gave him his sweatshirt.  It went down to his feet and the arms had to be tied in a knot.  My brothers in law thought he looked like a Jedi so my sister made a light saber for him.  This is possibly the best picture of the year.  :D

cameraless Christmas

No camera = no pictures, sorry folks.  We went to Southern Utah for  Christmas this year and I didn't take my camera.  I thought about it, then I thought of the hundreds of pictures from the last time we went and I figured that I would just get copies from some one else.  After all there were 3-4 cameras last time. Ya, I think that either everyone else was thinking the same thing or in the chaos that is so many people and kids we all just forgot.  Whatever the case I realized the week after Christmas that I had no pictures.  My shame is the reason for such a late post.
Christmas was great though.  In years past I have really struggled finding a balance between giving gifts and focusing on Christ.  It's hard with kids, Christmas is big and kids think for months about what they are going to get, Santa coming, candy canes, presents, cookies, and cocoa.  But I have found that it is not impossible to teach kids a Christ centered message in the midst of so much materialism.  Last year for Easter I put pictures of Christ in the Easter eggs along with small candies and toys.  Glen was so excited to find the pictures of Christ that he didn't pay much attention tot he candy or toys until after he had found and showed me all of the pictures.
So we found a groove for Easter.  Christmas seemed harder, more intimidating.  We found a way to make it work for us though.  We have debated the whole Santa thing at our house.  Santa isn't real, not the way kids see him, but there is something special in believing in Santa.  We found middle ground. We did three things this year. We did not play Santa up.  He doesn't bring all the gifts, but he does bring a some gifts.  This year he brought a lot because someone did a sub for Santa for us.
We made Christ the focus of our home.  He is always the focus of our home, but in December we a make a little more effort and focus on his birth.  We have toy nativity sets for the kids, we read Luke Chapter 2 every night in December, and we watched movies about the birth of Christ.
The other thing that we found worked was to minimize the number of gifts the kids received.  They got 1-2 things from us and one from Santa.  That way we do not get lost in the materialism that Christmas has become.
I feel a need to anchor my children in the gospel, to teach them what is truly important and where true happiness is found.  I fear for them.  In a world that is becoming increasingly evil I worry a lot about them.  Are the messages I teach them going to mean more then the messages of the world. Will they hear my voice or the world's?  My hope is that our family traditions for Easter, Christmas, and our daily lives will help prepare them for the wickedness they will face as they grow.

Christmas

I spent the last few weeks pretty Scroogy--let me back up.  Christmas items showed up in stores in July, can you believe it?  stockings and decorations were at the dollar store and it drove me crazy.  Then later I stopped to get an advent calendar and could not find one with a nativity on it, they were all toys and presents and Santa.  Christmas has become Santamas.  I was so frustrated by all of the materialism and marketing that Christmas has become that I didn't even want to put up the Christmas tree.  I did though, after Thanksgiving weekend I was ready and so we set it up.  I am so glad I did because among our Christmas decorations there are many reminders of what Christmas is all about--Christ.  We hang pictured of Christ to remind us of him during December, we have many different nativity sets, and Luke chapter 2 is read more in the month of December then all the rest of the year, I think we read it about every day.  The story of Christ's birth.

Tonight I remembered about the Christmas devotional about half way through, but I hurried to turn it on.  I am so glad I did. You can watch it here. http://lds.org/broadcasts/languages/christmas-devotional/2011/12?lang=eng President Monson spoke last and his talk really spoke to my heart.  He said "Christmas is what you make it."  He then went on to say that we can make Christmas traditions that help us make Christmas about Christ.  I realized that I did not have to feel so grumpy about what stores have done to Christmas because I can make Christmas about Christ in our home.  He is the center of our home all year around, but at Christmas I am happy to have a full month where I get to focus just a little extra on Him.  

I suppose it is hard for me to see the world becoming so far away from Christ.  So many seem to have forgotten that He is the only true and lasting source of joy.    I know that He is my savoir and that he came to Earth as a baby.  He came to die for me, and I know that He lives.  What glorious news for all of us!  He lives!

Lipstick, and snow men, and other cuteness

First of all I have to tell you the lipstick story. It's my own fault really. It was quiet time and so I decided to lay down for a few minutes, which is all it took for trouble to find my make up. Trouble version 1, Glen, found my make-up case and set to work with his new colors. He used my lipstick and mascara to paint his baby boy doll, his rocking horse, the walls, shoe shelf, carpet, and himself from head to toe. I was so shacked that I wasn't even upset, but I am glad I had the presence of mind to take plenty of pictures. Glen sure had fun. Oh and just a side note, apparently he only likes the dark colors, because he left all the light colored makeup alone.

After the "Blizzard" Glen begged me to take him out to play in the snow. So we got his "Snow boy" suit on and

went to build snowmen. Glen sure did have fun in the snow. He loves it. And I am so glad that his grandma gave him a snow suit last year so he can go play in the snow and still stay warm and dry. Glen tried to eat the snow and discovered that it feels cold and tastes cold. Some one gave me a great idea to put food coloring in a spray bottle and let him spray the snow, so I did and he loved that more then anything.

We decorated our Christmas tree tonight. It was wonderful. This is the first year that Glen and Benjamin have been able to help me. Glen helped put on a few ornaments and the gifts to Christ. He also helped daddy put the Angel Moroni on top of the tree. Glen favorite part was all the pictures of Jesus and the Angel Moroni on top. He loves Jesus and angels and wont hesitate to tell you that Jesus came to America and there were angels. (His favorite Book of Mormon story from 3rd Nephi 17:24) This year the boys got special ornament. Glen got a sea horse since he is crazy about horses and going to the aquarium. And Benjamin got one that looked like a gift tag and said smile because I cherish his smiles so much.

Benjamin, my sweet smiley boy, loves hats. He will put one on, take it off. For quite awhile he will do that on again and off again game. Then he will bring it to me so I can play and he takes it off so I can put it on. He also likes to put hats on other people. I just love this picture of him. He is holding the hat, so cute and smiling his sweet little smile that I love so much. I just can't get enough of his smiles