Can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread-Mom

The Christmas season is one that hits most moms on the head with quite a pressure she didn't expect. I learned a few years ago to make things a lot simpler (as I recently shared) by eliminating things that cause unnecessary stress....

things like decorating gingerbread houses. Yes, I was pretty satisfied with myself until one day when Alyssa came home from a friends house and asked me to buy graham crackers and m&ms the next time I went to the store. When I forgot, she tearfully reminded me that she had asked and was expecting the items to be purchased so that she could build a gingerbread house like the ones (they apparently) made in school. I was rather impressed, so the next time I went to the grocery store, I took her with me so she could pick out what she wanted on her house.

*Nice little tid-bit: The wonderful thing about the stress free holiday mentality is that this was after Christmas, so the candy was 50% off. Next year I'll have to hold out another week for the 75% off sale. ;) 

I must say that even though I thought I had barely grazed by Christmas without doing the dreaded gingerbread senario, I'm glad I didn't get away with it. 

  This turned out to be a wonderfully fun activity from shopping for supplies, to making and finishing the houses and  it helped me to pull away from all my other "to-do's" and enjoy my littles...

                               
                                   ...while they're still little. Something I need to do more often.

Mommy tip Tuesday and: It's Not too Late to Give

A couple years ago Steve and I decided that we needed to do whatever we could to ease the stress that inevitably accompanies the Christmas season. We omitted some unnecessary traditions and tweaked some, and planned to go on a family trip just before Christmas Eve (details later). These simple, yet significant, changes have really helped me to enjoy things a lot more, and as a consequence, helped my family as well. One of those "traditions" is the treat plates. Steve loves to give them to his home teaching families, and I to my close friends, not to mention how much I love to bake. But this year needed to have things ready a lot sooner so that I could have the children packed and ready for a longer trip to Utah to see one of our Nephews get married. I knew I couldn't get stressed and that there wouldn't be time to fit everything in, so we decided to make goodies AFTER Christmas. I started to rationalize that people would probably appreciate this more since they could take their goodies to a party they were attending if they didn't want to eat all of it themselves. 

So our Sunday activity was making Grammy Buxton's sugar cookies (recipe HERE) and for family home evening we frosted some for treat. {I'm all for efficiency.} ;)

  These particular cookies are loaded with fond memories for me and my siblings, doesn't need to be chilled before handling, and turn out perfect every time. I've also found a very valuable solutions over the years when making them. So for mommy tip Tuesday, that's what I'm sharing today! Ready for the big, yet simple, secret? Here goes:

*drum roll please*

*MOMMY TIP

 When rolling out the dough and you find you (or some little helpers) added too much flour, put the dough back into the mixing bowl, add softened butter, and remix. I was thrilled when I tried this and it worked! What do you have to lose? Crumbly dough is no good to you, is it? In the end, this will save your efforts. Win-win!

 Meanwhile, we are going to deliver the rest of our goodies.

 Happy New year!

Christmas Break

Although we had a wonderful Christmas break, I find myself very glad that things are getting back into the school routine. Am I bad? No. I just realize that the children are beginning to feel rest-less. In consequence I'm finding myself ready for them to be busy with a purpose other than raking leaves to get them to the curb before the leaf truck comes for pick up or earning an extra few bucks for toys they are sorry they didn't get for Christmas. It has been a wonderful and eventful season and as I was putting the decorations away, I found myself wondering how it all went by so quickly. I'm constantly reminded as our children are growing, that each moment is precious. Each moment, although difficult at times,  needs to be relished and cherished and that those teaching moments may only come once and how we need to grasp them when we are given the (sometimes once) opportunity. I'm grateful we had that opportunity with our children this wonderful season and that the promises of a New Year are ours in changing what needs changing, continuing what needs continuing and forgetting what needs forgetting.  Perhaps the purpose for my feeling this way this year, is attributed to the fact that our oldest came home for Christmas after our missing him the 4 months prior, and knowing that when he comes home in the Spring, he will be off to serve a mission. We realize he won't be home for Christmas for the next two years. This made our family time that much more precious. How grateful we are. Here are a few pictures of the Christmas season in our home:

Looking forward to Christmas

Alyssa in "Santa's Hat". It was her turn to put the star on top this year.

Twelve Days of Christmas. We read the meaning of each day and read a Christmas story each night while the children each enjoyed a treat from the designated treat bag for that assigned day. It was SO fun! We'll probably continue this tradition each year.

    Our sweet, traditional, Nativity on Christmas Eve and Mom and Dad's first year watching instead of acting out any parts.

(woo! hoo!)

Our beautiful Mary.

Our shepherds lacked enthusiasm this year...

 

The cutest Joseph, Mary, and Angel I think I've ever seen!  

Mary took a sugar cookie break. She must have been hungry after all that work in having a baby, after all. 

Bad, I know. Heh, heh...

The Narrator had some help. Sure is a cutie, huh?

Both, in case you're wondering.

The traditional Pajama parent gift on Christmas Eve....

You guessed it! P.J.s and a book. 

                                  They look forward to them... 

                                              EVERY 

                                                                        SINGLE

                                                                        YEAR!

    CUTE BUNCH EH?!

                                                               After Santa came....

  would be pretty if it were focused. Sorry, it's all ya get. 

Christmas day, sibling gift exchange. 

          Terrible, I know, but this is all I could get with so much excitement over Santa's big surprise gift.

A new Wii!

                     Enjoying their new gifts. Alyssa paints Amy's nails (thanks Grandma and Grandpa!)

 Bonding time playing the Wii

*snicker*

                   Jeremy and Justin building Justin's new lego sets

            Happy Kids= Happy Parents

        It was a great Christmas!

It's been a busy, but funfilled Christmas break. One night Jeremy decided to sit in our reading chair in our bedroom and read.

 Before we new it, he was fast asleep.

He was so adorable and cozy sleeping, that Steve didn't even notice him there!

Jeremy is such a wonderful help to us, generally occupying himself with tasks to help our around and outside the house. Thanks to him all the leaves from our trees this fall were out by the curb by the time the street sweepers came. I haven't had to worry whether anyone has taken care of them. He will just come home from school, or wake up in the morning while on break, and announce that he's going outside to blow leaves.  

I'm so thankful for such a sweet blessing in my life. My busy boy with such a profound amount of energy and an amazing insight on how to channel it. What a great example he is to all of us of service and hard work. He's truly amazing.

Santa

                                 So...Santa's been to our house. Although....

                                                     He looked more like a war veteran...

                                        And Justin questioned the authenticity of his beard.
                                             You can't pull anything by these kids! *sigh*