Christmas Memories

I thought I had a few minutes to sit here at my computer and blog for a minute, but I am feeling the guilt...Jeff is now cleaning my kitchen.
Which I would have done, and I know i should do, but how often to I blog. I will help him when I am done.
My kitchen is a mess, because I made home made rolls and cookies yesterday for a fun family activity and a Christmas memory for my family. One, I hope the boys will remember forever.
Last night we went to Santa Clara for "Night in Bethlehem" with some of the Scoville Clan.
It was wonderful.
(I tried to take pictures, but my camera is lame)
They had taken this church parking lot and turned it into Bethlehem.
With a census table when you first walk in, soldiers in full authentic uniform. (that was cool) They were in full character too. Shoving people out of the way and looking very grumpy.
They had a few Inn's for Mary and Joseph to travel to, by donkey. A real donkey.
They were turned away.
Just outside the City of Bethlehem they had Shepard's watching over real sheep.
They also had shops, hut like structure, like you have seen in any movie, selling things and letting the kids, my kids, make things at each shop. they had wool making, and coin making, and bead making, and all kinds of other shops, probably like 20 different places to do and look at things from the time of Christs birth.
It was sooo cool.
They also covered the entire ground with sand. It had been pressed down so much it was packed, but it looked so real.
Mary and Joesph moved from one Inn to the next and was given the "barn" as they called it.
They keep the doors closed for the first minute or so and opened the doors to see Mary and Joesph looking over a (real) baby. They talked for a minute and Mary sang a song. Then across the "town" the Angel appeared and shouted to the Shepard's that "Christ Child was born". They then ran across the "town" to the barn to see Baby Jesus. And then come the Kings, the 3 wise men....with their entourage...One came in on Camel, one came in on a bed being carried in by 4 strong men, and ..I cant remember how the last one came in....but they all had belly dancers and there was fire twirlers..
Which I think is my favorite part. I love how they really thought about it. the kings would not have traveled alone, they would have had their entourage to care of them, I am sure they did not cook their own meals. They were kings, right?
It ended very much like the story they have told for centuries. Then the program started over again. It took about 10 minutes to run the program, and then they started over. It was very well organized.
My mom went 2 years ago and it was different. The way they had told the story was different.
But, it was still great.
Now, the fact that there was a 15 minute long line just to get in, it was so crowded, that we could not take strollers, I still can't carry a kid around for long with my toe, my Mom had to carry Emma in fear of her being trampled by the "very in character" soldier.
I have to go back...
We, my family, traveled by caravan, accidentally meeting up with my sister Sarah and her husband on the road. Meeting my other sister, Aimee, there with family and her in-laws, we had a tail gate party with soups and homemade bread and corn bread.
Then we got in line. We decided that the older kids needs a buddy. They could not go off alone.
They did great, they stuck together, just not with us.
Which was really hard for me, but I need to let go. I need to let them go a little now, so I can really let go later. It is a work in progress.
We lost a few kids and towards the end, it got very confusing as to where to meet. I told my kids a different place, and each of my older kids were paired up with one of my sisters kids.
We found them all in the end. We had another tailgate party with cookies and water and packed up.
We had to stop for a "pee on the fence" break. (just to clarify, it was the boys who peed, and not me) We had to squeeze one of my kids back into our 7 passenger van, so we didn't have to drive all the way back to my parents house, just to get him.
I made a Christmas music CD for the van before we left, and I think we listened to it about 6 times.
My Christmas memories are different. We never did anything like that, but we did do other things.
Top 3 in my mind....
Seeing the Christmas lights at the Oakland temple in Oakland.
Doing a Progressive dinner with the Astle Clan.
Going to cut down our own Christmas tree at a Christmas tree farm in Slough house and that it took hours...for my mom to decide which one, us kids singing a Christmas song to my mom at the top of our lungs just to drive her crazy and coming home to have Hot chocolate and toast.
I just hope that I am creating wonderful Christmas memories for my boys and my sweet baby girl.
I challenge any and all who read my blog....if any...to share a favorite Christmas memory on your blog if you have one. If not, share it with your family.

Oh I forgot to mention, that was the last year and night the church in Santa Clara was doing the "Night in Bethlehem"....
Soooo glad I didn't miss it.

Shopping, and shopping and shopping

This is the time of year, my little ones do not have a regular schedule, they are missing their naps or having mini naps in the car, eating fries and nuggets for lunch because I am .....
SHOPPING!!!!!!
I am in now way saying I am not grateful for the money I do have and opportunity to be able to shop.
I am grateful.
But, this is the time of year I have to be sneaky, and savy and a budget-eer. (like a mouse-kteer, but taller and a penny pincher)
I have had the Santa talks, and the what do you want.
I have even had to explain that Santa, although magical and brilliant, he still has to be careful with his budget.
"if he spent a $300 for an xbox 360 elite on every little boy, he would run out of money and would have nothing for next year."
yes, I did.
I had to stress "only 4 things this year, and choose wisely"(3 from mom and dad and 1 from Santa)......
When they ask for something big on there list...."sorry, buddy, but I cant afford to get you and your brothers all a new DS, they are $145 a piece.
Yes, maybe I shouldn't say that to them.
and Yes, maybe I should just me more frugal and start saving money the January before Christmas, (a family of 8, never has that much to save) but I dont want them to think of Christmas as the time to get what ever you want.
Last year we did...
Something they want, something they need, something they wear something they read.
It was brilliant.
I didn't remember that until after I planned and made lists for Christmas.
But this year I have done pretty well. I have a few more things to get.
Today I am ordering some things online.
By a miracle, I got a little extra CASH and am going to have fun spending it.
It is very stressful to shop. You have to buy a certain item, with a certain budget and exactly the right time.
I hate it, but love it all at the same time.

As I get ready to go and shop, I have to keep in mind the families and other children of God who are less fortunate this year.
I am going to start a Helping the Homeless Service Project.
I am collecting back packs, and non perishable food items (like canned tuna and crackers, granola bars, bottled water, gum), and hygiene items. Just to leave in my car, to pass out instead of cash or change.
I want the boys to be able to be a part of it.
So much to do, and the days are running out...
Christmas is almost here.

Christmas Lights

If you knew how many times we have had lights on this tree you would laugh...
okay, here it goes...
TWICE
The first time the boys put them on. And yes, It was a great effort, you could see who did it at each height.
The second time, my husband tried and failed. We had both females ends to the lights at the top and bottom of the tree. (we are still not sure how that happened)
So as I sit here in my living room, smelling my pot roast in the crock pot, listening to the boys watch "the Santa Clause" and Emma selfishly guide Mikey through the house all the while bossing him around, (yes, i am in for a treat with her), I am avoiding the unavoidable.
Jeff refuses to put the lights on the tree...again.
I have never in all of our 16 Christmases together, ever put the lights on the tree.
Jeff is sooo good at it, and I HATE doing it.
This year I have to do it.
I have to put these lights on the tree.
UGH....
I have already decided the day after Christmas I am going to get up early and go and by a Pre-lit Christmas tree.
You bet your holly jolly, I will be there when the doors open.
I am not sure what we will do with all of our lights we already have....
Anyone wanna guess how long it will take me?
Anyone wanna guess how long it will take me to get motivated to actually put the lights ont he tree?
Do we really need lights on the tree?
yes, we do.
*deep deep sigh*
I don't wanna do it.
I have soooooo many other things to do. I have cleaned the kitchen and bathroom and I don't know where this weird smell is coming from.
My house stinks!
Yes, I live in a house with boys, but something smells and dang I will have to re-scrub everything.
Okay, still avoiding the tree....
Okay, off i go...
wish me luck.
Hopefully I wont fall off the ladder.

Bahh, merry humbug

So I am in the mood for Christmas and then..... I really am not.
It has been a crazy few weeks.
Jeff got back from his trip with his dad and he worked 3 days of overtime on his last week of vacation, yes, I guess I am a mean wife and I made my husband work over time to cover the furloughs and to have a little left over for Christmas. I will be danged if my kids have to suffer and not have a nice, decent Christmas, just because Daddy went to help Grandpa and stupid whats-his-face Arnold and the stupid furloughs.
I am evil, lets move on.
Well, on Jeff's last day of vacation he came down with a raging fever and chills and he slept most of the day, I myself was sick too, his leg on his right shin began looking red and splotchy and his leg swelled up and was very hot and tender to the touch He went to the doctors on Monday.
Cellulitis.
It seems while he was working over time (to pay our bills), Jeff was working in a very infected, germ infested part of his work, I should tell you that, there was was a few other employees that were hospitalized. We got lucky. I give credit to the blessing he had.
His dad and my dad came over and gave him a priesthood blessing.
In the end, with vacation and being sick, except for the 3 days he worked over time, he didn't work his normal shift the whole month of November. He was on 3 different kinds of antibiotics and watched a lot of TV.
On top of all of this, I was sick too, 3 of our kids got sick too. and My 2 oldest boys had to work most of their Thanksgiving break just helping out.
Bonus, I got to read 4 books and we saved $80 on gas.
Then just as Jeff is getting better, I fracture my toe.
I dropped a ceramic serving patter on my toe. I have never seen a toe so purple, front and back. (I have pictures, I will post it later)
I did host a Turkey dinner with the Bigney Family. Then I made my Oreo Cookie Pie and homemade rolls for my mom's house on Thursday.
(I will post recipes soon)
I got up EARLY on Turkey day to get some Christmas presents and stayed up until 4 am on Thursday night/Friday morning. and up again early Saturday morning.
Our craft fair didn't go as well as planned, but thanks to my sister Sarah and her co-workers we are selling some stuff.
I need to figure out how to sell the rest of these hair pretties. It would take too long to take pictures and upload them on to here, I don't have that kind of time.
I don't even know why or how I am here blogging.
I have a MOUNTAIN of laundry to fold and put away (that's what happens when you are sick), then I have to do the dishes, which I never really got a break on, and then there is the whole house. I was able to get the Christmas decorations up, but not.
I have to take all the stuff off the tree and rehang the lights.... the boys did it crazy and it is driving me crazy.
I have all the Christmas presents decided and on a list, but now getting it shopped and funded????????? lol
So I hope your Christmas season starts off better than mine....
I am tired, stressed, in pain and busy, but merry.