Christmas 07

Well, we made it. It’s over. Thank goodness. I am not a scrooge in any way, but it just seems like so much energy and effort go into the holidays, that I am so relieved when they are over. I had such a busy weekend, so I will do a quick recap, and then you can watch our little slideshow to see a glimpse of what was going on with our family this weekend.

First, Hallie was in the Nutcracker Friday and Saturday night. She looked so cute, and did such a good job. She informed me that she doesn’t really like to dance; she just likes to get flowers on the night that she performs.lol. Her friend Taylor is in her class. They looked so cute together. Taylor didn’t perform on Saturday night, and after it was over, Hallie said, “Mommy, I searched and searched for Taylor and couldn’t find her, and I have a sick feeling in my tummy and my heart. I hope she’s not sick or hurt.” I just love it when she says cute things.

Anyways moving on- Saturday, Holly, Janice, Mandy, Tari, and I along with our kids had a cute Christmas party. I did a game, Janice the food, Tari the drinks, Holly the cookies that the kids frosted, and of course, crafty Mandy did the craft. It was very cute and very fun. The kids exchanged gifts, and that was great. They enjoyed giving, and of course enjoyed receiving, and the kids who gave to my kids did a great job, and they love their new stuff, so THANKS!

Saturday afternoon, I had a little get to gether with all my friends from high school. Nikki, Heather, Lindsey, Corinne, and Erin all came over for snacks and we just visited, it was fun.

On Sunday, we had our annual family Christmas party with family from my mom’s side. There are no pictures from that, sorry. I really cannot recall in all the years that we have had that party ever seeing a camera there. That is pretty sad. Anyways, it was fun. That night was really special as my family and I went to a Stake Christmas music concert. I sang with our choir and it was really nice.

Christmas Eve was pretty boring actually. The main excitement came when I was helping Mandy find a lost package that was for her little boy for Christmas. This boy who is a DHL driver has a sister that is a mutual friend of me and Mandy’s. Anyways, we were trying to get a hold of Kristen so we could get a hold of her brother who had the package, or so we thought. Mandy tried to call; she had people driving around town looking for him etc. I was going to grab a few groceries at Jubilee, but hadn’t’ had lunch yet so I decided to stop at Smith’s. Just as I sat down with my food at the good ol’ Smith’s deli Kristen walked by, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I ran up to her, explained the details and to make a long story short, the package was found and all is well. Anyways, I told Mandy as cheesy as it may sound, I truly felt prompted to go to Smith’s and I was so glad that I did because it helped make her little boys Christmas complete. Moving on to that evening, we had my Parents and Kris along with my Grandma and Grandpa Bowthorpe over for dinner and all that fun stuff. The kids went to bed easily and were snug in bed….so we thought.

At 11:30 Kayler woke up with a TERRIBLE cough. He could hardly breathe and I knew right away it was croup. He was wheezing and crying and we had him in a steamy shower and gave him medicine and had the vaporizer going full speed. It was not getting any better. I was going to take him to the ER, but I just knew that they would be slow and retarded there as usual, and that I would miss my other kids waking up on Christmas morning, and I was NOT going to miss that chance. So, I stood on the porch with him swaddled in a blanket letting him breathe the cool air and giving him sips of ice water, because that helps him breathe better. Even though it was so terrible, and I was so tired, and I felt so bad for him, a great thing happened. As I was standing on the porch, it was sooooo peaceful. It was snowing, and it was just glowing outside. It was extremely serene, and my mind quickly wandered to the night the savior was born. I couldn’t help but to feel a small fraction of what Mary must have felt that night. Holding her newborn baby boy knowing that his life was going to be full of so much pain. I stood there holding Kayler feeling so helpless and not wanting him to suffer, but realizing that I am so truly lucky to have him.

So, I did get to sleep at 3:30, only to have the neighbor dog bark the rest of the night, so I didn’t get any sleep. The kids were up bright and early at 7:30. They were so excited and cute and played so nicely with each other. Gavin was so cute and so happy and more interested in what Hallie and Kayler got than his own. Kayler was really sad and sick and didn’t even look at his presents. Hallie said, “thanks mommy!” I asked her what for. She said, “well, you know, for like letting me sign that letter to santa.” How cute is that. After we got all cleaned up and ate, my parents came and got the older kids and G.J. and I took Kayler to the ER for a shot for his croup. We were in and out in about an hour, thank goodness. We went to our annual family Stewart party, had a nap, had dinner that night, and came home and crashed. (That was after we took down all the Christmas décor of course….aren’t’ I such a party pooper)

Yesterday I just let the kids play and enjoy all their new stuff. I cleaned house and it felt so good to have everything in order. GJ and I went to a party last night for our friend Becky, who has been battling leukemia for the greater part of this last year. She has gone through SO much. A bone marrow transplant, lots of hospital time, pain, suffering, etc.etc.etc. Yet, she was so upbeat not only last night but through her whole ordeal. She was the same ol’ Becky I remember from High School. It was so nice to eat dinner and reminisce with our friends that we haven’t seen for a long time. It was also a good reminder that even though I do have trials of my kids being sick, there is always someone worse off, and that someone (Becky) has such a great attitude through her trials. It made me realize that I need to have more faith that everything will work out ok.

We had a wonderful weekend. It was filled with all the people I care about most, my husband, kids, friends, and all my family. I hope everyone else had a wonderful time as well. Have a good day!

The day of finishing.

Well, today is a day that I have gotten so much done. First off, I would like to truly thank everyone for their genuine concern and advice about my little Hallie. I did call the principal, and she said that it was definitely not ok for that to happen at school. She said she was going to call Hallie in and tell her that she had every right to stand up for herself, and if it happens again to never hesitate to tell and not to feel like a tattletale. She said she was notifying the little girl and her parents, so we will see how that goes. I am a little nervous because they are a very feisty family, who cause lots of drama. So, hopefully things will get better, and with winter break for the next few weeks, I think that it will help settle things down.
The next thing that I have finished is my Christmas shopping. It seems there are just so many odds and ends that have to be done, but I think that I am done. I have vowed to NOT go to wal-mart for the next week or so, but we will see if I can stay away. There are just so many people in this dang town and they all seem to gravitate towards Wal-Mart, it is crazy.
The next thing I finished is something very special to me. G.J. and I have been reading the Book of Mormon as a couple for the past year. We have read a chapter or two every night. We have missed a few nights here or there, but for the most part we have read every night. I am a very fast reader, so G.J. just read along while I read aloud. I can honestly say that I know the book is true. I was so into it this time for some reason. This is the 4th time I have read it cover to cover. I think that it held so many answers for me this time around. Whenever I had a problem, it just so happened that the chapter we would read that night would help. I am so happy that we finished it at this time of year. It made it very special.
I need to post a big thanks to a friend from long ago. Stephanie was in my ward growing up, and I can honestly say that I haven't seen her for over 10-15 years I'm betting. Anyways, I am really good friends with Janice, who just happens to be Greg's wife, and Greg is Stephanie's brother, you catch all that??? lol. Anyways, she is a very talented crafty girl in lots of ways, but she really excels in digital scrap booking, so she did my new layout for me, and I love it. So- THANKS!!!
So, I am glad that I am ready for Christmas, and that everything else is settled and finished for the time being. Have a great day everyone!.Oh yeah-the pictures are from our ward Christmas party. The kids loved santa, all except for Kayler who did not like him one bit. But what is funny is that he stood right by the stage where Santa was and watched every kid go through the line, just mesmerized by him. He kept saying, "Santa-Ho-ho-ho" and then when the Santa got up and walked down the hall he got his arm waving as fast as it possibly could and he yelled "BYE-BYE" It was so cute.

The day about Hallie's Bully

Well, I need a little advice. Hallie has a bully bothering her at school. I have hesitated to even make anything of it, but I have had enough. I am not going to say her name, but she has bothered Hallie since Kindergarten. She is in our neighborhood, they go to church together, ride the bus together, and go to school together. She is non stop on Hallie's back and I have had it.
In Kindergarten, Hallie would come home and say, "_____was so mean to me today, she wouldnt let me in her club." I would just brush it off and tell her to make other friends, etc. She is the same way with her at church, always excluding Hallie and it makes her feel so bad. Well, what finally got me really really mad was an event last Friday. The kids had written letters to Santa, and then they had received letters back from him. Hallie came home very sad and said, "______took my paper and told me she was ripping it in a million pieces because I don't deserve Christmas." Then Hallie sat there a minute later and said, "mommy, she said something worse- ______took me aside and said, Hallie-I hope you know that you are SO UGLY." Hallie turned to me with big tears in her eyes and asked, "mommy, am I ugly?" I of course replied NO WAY, you are beautiful inside and out, which is so true. She has never went out of her way to be mean or hurt anyones feelings that I know of.
I have taught my kids to turn the other cheek. I have told them that other kids mommies and daddies don't teach them to say nice things to their classmates and friends. I have taught them to not fight back. Now, I am trying to decide if that was such a good idea. I am so fed up with this little girl for so many reasons. #1-She makes Hallie not want to go to school. I have heard Hallie pray at night that ______ will be nice to her at school the next day. #2 She doesn't want to go to church because of her. #3 They are 7 YEARS OLD. That is WAY too early for Hallie to have a negative opinion of herself, and it infuriates me that she actually believed this little girl when she said she didn't deserve Christmas and that she was ugly.
Hallie is not the only one being bothered. I have had several other mothers call and ask me if we were having trouble with this little girl too. She told one little girl that if she didn't bring her one of her toys the next day, she was going to come to her house and kill her horse. I just feel that I am in a hard place. I don't feel comfortable going to her mom to tell her about it, because the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree if you know what I mean, so I wouldn't get anywhere doing that. I have thought about calling the principle at her school, and talking to her primary teacher, but I don't know. I just don't want to be a tattletale, or one of those annoying mothers who fight their children's battles.
So, I need to know what you would all do, and what you think. I won't even care if you tell me I am over-reacting. I just need advice. Have a good day!

The Days leading up to Christmas

Well, the days are here. Our stockings are hung. The tree is lit. The presents are almost bought and wrapped and delivered. The friends and family are stopping by with gifts. The snow is making it seem real “Christmassy”. The kids have sent the letters to Santa and are very excited. I love this last week before Christmas.

We have a VERY and I mean VERY busy week. Monday we are dropping our poor dog off to be neutered. Bless his little doggy heart. We are making 20+ stops delivering gifts to neighbors, family, and friends for FHE. Tuesday we have: dance class, pick dog up, and the ward Christmas party. Wednesday brings 3 things for Hallie. First is a School Choral Concert, and then 2 ballet rehearsals for the Nutcracker which is this weekend. Thursday Hallie has a party at School as well as Gavin. Then we have G.J.’s work Christmas party that night. Friday, we yet again have rehearsal for the Nutcracker, with a performance that night. Saturday morning, my friends and I are throwing a Christmas party for our kids. We let them draw names for gifts. We are having games, lunch, etc. It should be a lot of fun. Hallie has another Nutcracker performance that night, and boy will I be glad for that to be over. She told me, "I don't really love ballet, I only love that you bring me flowers when I perform." Sunday is a busy day as well with a family Christmas Party during the day. The evening will be full of music at the Stake Sing a long. This is where each ward choir performs one number and sings one number with the congregation. There are 9 wards in our stake, so it is quite the event. It will set the tone just right for Monday, which is Christmas Eve, and then the BIG DAY!!! Christmas on Tuesday. So our schedule is PACKED. But it is full of things that I enjoy, other than the dog neuter thing and all.

We had a very nice weekend. Just enjoyed family, friends, etc. I tried and tried to get the wedding pictures on here from Kael's wedding, but it didn't work. My kids are horrible at picture taking, and G.J. and I aren’t very gifted in that area either. So none of them were very good of us, but there were some great ones of Kael and Emily and Rachael. We tried again to get my kids in their cute clothes in front of the Christmas tree this morning, but the sun shone through on most of them, and then we pulled the curtains, but by that time the kids were too ornery to smile and pose anymore, but you can get the idea of how cute they looked. Hallie was so happy today because she got to play the part of Mary at a little skit in primary. I got to watch and it was just precious. Well, I hope everything is going well for all who read. I will just say again how much I have enjoyed this whole blogging thing. My mom thinks I am retarded for doing it, but I don’t care. I don’t even care if nobody at all reads it or leaves me comments. All I care is that I sort my thoughts and events out, and print it out and save as my journal so that I can look back and remember all the tiniest details of my life. Have a good day!!!

The day of parties, weddings, and snowmen.

What a whirlwind week we have had. It all started Monday with Kayler’s Christmas Party for Prime Time 4 Kids. They do a cute little party at the elks lodge each year. Hallie and Gavin were in the program when they were younger as well, so I think this is like the 7^th time we have gone. They serve the same meal each year- hot dog, chips, & Kool-Aid. Pretty yummy, I know G.J. looks forward to it! He did not like Santa one bit. He was pretty ticked off about the whole thing. He did give Kayler a cute little bear that he loved and patted and made a big scene with.

Gavin had a cute little preschool party at the bank here in town. He told everyone that he was going to Santa’s bank. It was so cute, they sang a song, did the pledge, and some other stuff. They got to see Santa, and Gavin was all about that. He told him he wanted a “fish grabber” whatever the heck that is. I may have to show him lots of pictures to see what he means. Of course he was the child who last year all he wanted was keys….so you can never tell with him. The next party came with my monthly Bunco group. It is always the first Wednesday of the month. We have been playing for quite a few years now. It is a good getaway. I rarely win, but all I care about is the dinner, and getting in some adult conversation with my friends.

Thursday we were busy preparing for Kael and Emily’s big day on Friday. Friday morning came with inches upon inches of new snow. It was beautiful and white and nice, which was great except for maybe on a wedding day, but that’s ok. My good wonderful friends helped me out with my kids. Holly took Gavin, and he played well with Spencer, so I am glad of that. Janice took Hallie, and she did her hair for me and Hallie had fun she said. Mandy took Kayler, and I know he wore her ragged, but she assured me he was ok. I hope that’s true because I know 18 month olds are very busy and LOTS of work.

We were at the temple until 11:00. This is a day I never imagined would come for Kael. He hasn’t been to church in almost 14 years. He just fell away. He was not a bad person by any means; he just didn’t feel a need to go I guess. That was until he met Emily and Rachael. She was his very first girlfriend, kiss, all that at the age of almost 30! He is so good to them, and they love him so much too. It was very very special to be in the temple with my WHOLE family. I never thought that would happen. It was a moment I will never forget. The luncheon went well. Then we came home and made a huge snowman and had so much fun in the snow. The reception was beautiful, and my kids looked SO cute. I am kicking myself because I had a camera, but things were so hectic, that we only let the photographer take pictures of them. But I will get some pictures soon I hope. Needless to say, by the end of that day we were so tired.

Saturday was so much fun. It reminded me of the snow days that I used to have when I was little. It just doesn’t seem like it has snowed this much for a very long time. We made a really fun trail on the backside of my parent’s hill. My kids tubed and sledded and did all sorts of fun stuff. Kayler was sleeping, so I had to stay and watch him, but that’s ok with me. I have too many people to take care of to risk getting hurt sledding, but I did go down a couple times. We had everyone there, all my immediate family, and cousins and their spouses and kids. We had hot chocolate and sloppy joes and the funnest Wii Nintendo party EVER. It was absolutely hilarious seeing all the adults so competitive and into it. I haven’t laughed that much in a really long time.

Kael and Emily are in Disneyland. I hope they are having fun. They got SOOOOO many presents, and we get to help them open them when they get back, that should be fun. I am so truly happy for them. If only I could get my other brother married off, that would make our family complete.

Today just same old church and choir. May I just say how truly grateful I am that I am in the choir this time of year. Our ward has a very talented choir and director. I love singing the songs of Christmas. It just helps me feel the true spirit so much more. This week we are going to try to finish up some Christmas shopping, cards, etc. Hope you all have a great day!

The Day starting with a Bang!

Thanks for all the feedback about Gavin. I realized that I am not alone. Along with that, I have read a WONDERFUL article, just out in this months Ensign by President Hinckley. It was exactly what I needed in every way, and I urge you all to read it. It is the titled “These, our little ones.” I read that a few days ago, and it made me feel so blessed to have the kids that I do. I know that I will not always feel so blessed when they are being naughty. I know that there are rough times ahead, but I also know that the times that are worth cherishing make it all worth it.

My weekend started out with a bang….literally. I took a little spill down the stairs. I was holding Kayler at the time. Gavin had left a little tray on the stairs and my foot hit it just right-I slipped back-hit my head-hit my back/hip area-blacked out a little-woke up-was still holding Kayler-wanted to cry-didn’t-and it still hurts today. And that is that. When I asked Gavin about it he said, “Oh mommy, I’m sorry you found my booby trap!”

Anyways, I had a wonderful night out with my gal pals Friday night. It was so wonderful because first off, it was snowing. Second off, we all had pedicures. (I know, its winter…but our toes will look pretty until springtime now hopefully!) Next we had a delicious dinner at Gandolfo’s. Then we headed to the movie “Dan in Real Life.” It was so good. After that, they all headed home. I went and got G.J. and the kids and we went to my moms to enjoy a little Wii. I am getting wicked awesome at Guitar Hero by the way. Hallie and Gavin stayed the night there.

The next morning, I had a church meeting, then we went and got the kids. We stayed there all day just eating and playing and enjoying being out of our house. We went shopping for awhile. Then we came home and tried to make a snowman, but the snow wasn’t packing well. So I got a few pics of the kids and the dog (who is very amazed by the snow by the way) We then took the kids to “Enchanted” with my Mom, Dad, Kael, Emily and Rachel. They liked it. I think my Dad liked it the most though, shedding a few tears here and there. My kids thought that was hilarious. Such a sentimental fellow even at shows when 99% of people would not even consider crying lol.

We had church, choir, and dinner at my moms tonight. Then we topped the weekend off by watching the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. It was wonderful. Just reiterated why I love this season. I have decided that I could do without the snow and ice and all that crap. But I do love this time of year. This week will be so busy because I have my brothers wedding on the 7^th. Have a Good Day!