Christmas 2016

Christmas was rather quiet this year as we stayed home and had no one over.  It was nice for once to just enjoy the peace and hear the girls so excited to play with all the new toys and Santa's reading nook surprise that you rarely see them all day long... It was a weird feeling when usually I see them all day and try to spend a lot of time with them either playing, schooling, crafting, watching movies or playing games together I know the time will go by quick!

The girls were stoked to find Santa had again redone their closet into a Trolls Reading Nook and spent the day in their singing the same song over and over and over and over and OVER again from a Poppy Troll Light that spins and lights up.  They took their treasured Ponies that they received and played with them so well together.  To be honest I was feeling a bit down that we were alone but looking back on the memories I cherish that the girls spent the time playing together and making sweet memories.  I grew up with zero sisters and so I am beyond grateful that three girls who are so different chose to come to our home.. however little and broken it is!

Jessa woke up so excited for Christmas at 5:30 and Adaya woke up at 7:30!  It is tricky keeping excited girls from going crazy when Daddy doesn;t get home from work until 8 but we pulled through and I am forever grateful for the memories we will have!  I am so so grateful now that our house was filled with such joy and happiness with the little things from a hidey hole to play, matching pajamas and some magical unicorn friends!

Journey to Bethlehem

Christmas Eve always brings with it an element of magic as we take the time to truly remember the reason for the season!  We have the girls act out the nativity through pretending to be a character for the entire night and having a Journey to Bethlehem meal.  It is simple right now as we don't get too adventurous with the chicklets but we have a small simple and humble meal of bread, pita, feta cheese and olives.  It is during these times that we can truly imagine what it would be like for Mary and Joseph and all those people to truly worship the birth of the Savior.

There have been so many times that I think I have failed to realize that when the Savior came into the world it was not with a huge fanfare from the people who dwelled on earth.  There truly were only a few who came to view and worship the Savior.  And many times I fail to also remember that Heavenly Father send Jesus to set an example so we can return to live with them again.  I have a block that says, "are you part of the Inn crowd or one of the Stable few?  This helps me to remember that while not many came to worship his humble beginnings that He continued to love and set the way so we all could return to live with Him again. 

Jessa as usual begged to be Mary and wrapped up one of her babies to be Baby Jesus.  Adaya was supposed to be Joseph but carried that little curly sheep around the entire night we made her a shepherd.  When she decided to be a shepherd I gave her a plastic candy cane that she used as her staff and it was fun to see how real it became for the girls!  I really am so grateful for my littles and the cherished memories we have!

Can We Sing For You?

I can't believe it is already Christmas Eve!! I have totally failed to write in here on a daily basis which is sad! I will keep trying!! This Christmas season has been one that seemed to come in with a bang and kept us running the whole entire time... having littles at home makes Christmas so magical and fun.  The best part of all is that they do not nay say your ideas! ;)

I remember when I was little it seemed like the Christmas magic came as soon as the Christmas tee went up or we did something Christmassy! But as I have grown older it seems it is harder to find and hold on to it.  This year it was found as the littles and I spent a couple of days trying to think of the perfect gift to give.  What could we give? Who could we give it to? Where and when could we give it? So we thought and thought and thought some more until we decided that the best way to spread Christmas cheer really was singing loudly for all to hear.  So with the help of my big girls we made salt down gingerbread men and painted them.  We tied them up with twine and taped them to Christmas cards and went to deliver them to some of the Grandmas and Grandpas in our neighbourhood! 

It was the one of those beautiful experiences that you truly will cherish and one of the most heart warming experiences I have had as an adult for Christmas and one I will truly cherish.  The first house we delivered to the man told us he didn't celebrate Christmas but took our card and little ornament! The next house we were invited in to sing and the dear Grandma gave the littles a cookie to eat and showed us her two mini Christmas trees along with her magic santa! She talked to us about her grands and then sent us on her way with both our hearts full.  The next door we stopped at was for an 85 year old grandma who loved on the girls quickly with hugs to go around.  She kept saying how happy she was to see us and hoped we would come visit her again.  Her daughter who was there kept telling us how much our visit warmed her heart.  The girls were given little chocolate Santas so the littles really thought that this was great.  

When we arrived at the next house the lady let us sing to her but then after one song she told us that was enough and sent us on our way.  It was there that Jessa taught me a very valuable lesson.  She said to me, "Mommy, I forgot to ask her her name!  So that when we visit the next time we will know who she is!"  Despite the lady being quick to send us off Jessa saw her as the Savior would of a child of God, and that she truly was NOT forgotten.  Grandma Jean we arrived next too and the girls were enamored with her 20 or so nativities she had set up.  It was amazing to feel her love as we shared our love with her and I am grateful that we stopped here.  I feel like she filled my little love bucket and made me feel appreciated and loved.  She invited for us to go back and visit her whenever we wanted or could.  The next couple of houses was a couple who were happy to hear the girls sing and then a man who truly thought we were selling something but when we sang to him you could tell it made all the difference.  I hope this is a moment the girls will truly remember as magical because of how many hearts they touched.  I am grateful that we were able to be a part of the #lighttheworld initiative!!   

Christmas lights are flashing blinking.....

One of the greatest gifts that we can give our family members is supporting them in their opportunities to participate in dance shows or productions.  Jessa this year had the opportunity to be in ballet and jazz/tap duo classes.  She seems to love being a little dancer and many times she will perform shows for us asking us to sit and watch her as she turns on the radio or children's cd and dances round and round the living room.

On the 18th Jessa was in her Christmas performance and we got to go watch her.  It was another moment where your heart is filled with immense joy and pride that your daughter has the confidence and self-esteem needed to try her best and do what is needed to showcase her talents.  For ballet Jessa preformed to Christmas lights and her jazz/tap duo was the gift of friendship.  It is neat to see how Jessa falls into her two classes.  In one she became a bit of a leader as she was the only one that danced and in the other she fit perfectly as to the other girls who had dance experience on her.  It makes me happy to know that she is finding her niche.

I couldn't be more proud to see Jessa and the example she sets for her sisters in trying out different things and truly teaching them to showcase and develop their talents.  

Christmas Trees

I have to fully admit I have a slight pinterest addiction!  I absolutely love love love all the ideas that are crammed into one spot and how you can quickly grab an idea and run with it being successful in a limited amount of time.  Jessa sometimes likes to look on pinterest with me of different crafts or activities we can do.  She likes to tap the screen and tell me about how much fun it would be to do that activity and then ends her comments with, "mommy can we do this?"  Lots of times I say we sure can and never get around to doing them.  However, I tried to find one activity she had talked about for our Christmas count down and hence we got introduced to the love of icecream cone Christmas trees!  This was one of the funnest activities yet and the girls had an absolute blast doing it!