Christmas 2015

This is basically a photo bomb! I have so many from recently and I need to post em somewhere!  We are sort of starting newest to oldest I guess!

Christmas was bitter sweet this year. We still had a really nice Christmas but it was (and is) heavily laced with sadness and grieving. Just before Christmas Jeremy's uncle died suddenly and tragically and left behind his wife and their 6 kids (the youngest two being on missions) and that has been a struggle for us and a hundredfold for the immediate family too. So we kept that in mind and although the kids didn't really see a difference, for us it's been an emotional time.

But we still felt the spirit of Christmas, the kids especially! They have been cracking me up lately, especially Owen with his photo faces! This one was taken after he thought the pictures were done.. 

..this is what I get from him when I say smile!

Sadie has been killing everyone with her cuteness lately, and I have lots of photos to prove it.. it looks like she's my favorite kid if you look at my photo roll... she does love the camera though and is always happy to pose!  

Jeremy and I accidentally matched the other day... I thought we should go out and advertise it, but Jeremy said the only reason he didn't change is because we were staying in that day... spoil sport!  

My awesome brother (really sister-in-law I think!) got me this new outfit for Christmas!  The shirt and scarf and earrings... I feel so grown up and sophisticated!  Thanks guys!  I can use some nicer additions to my wardrobe! 

Sadie's favorite Christmas present!!  She's been loving it, as well as all the other kids too!  It might be the all time favorite this year!  Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

In their new Christmas clothes!

Haha here's another Owen face... this is when I said smile:

This is when I said tough faces... I'm actually a little afraid of Masons tough face!  Owen is confused.. haha

Christmas morning!

As soon as we entered this room Sadie went straight to the giraffe and climbed right on!  Perfect!

Santa's spread!

Christmas Jammies!

Christmas Eve we tried to act out the nativity with just our family... I don't know if it's just us, but this has never gone amazingly well for us.  This year was no exception!  Brenna was a great angel, but the boys were not happy about dressing up, and Sadie was our Mary and so.... it was basically just a gong show!  But I think they got the gist of it!

And that's our Christmas stuff!  I have a few more pictures from before Christmas too, the kids have been off of school and we've been trying to keep busy with friends and cousins.  Sadie got her nails painted with the girls one day, and she was SOOO into it!  she loved putting her hands under the dryer and looking at her pink nails.. it was fun!  Something new, since I almost never have pretty nails for her to look at!

I think she liked what she saw in the mirror!

We had an amazing ward party, and Santa even came!  Sadie would not sit, but our Santa was great and the other kids all wanted to talk to him!

Brenna had a winter concert at school too, and she did amazing.  She loves performing and her and her bestie were both great!

Mason had a concert too, but I don't have any pictures because between forcing him to go up and then Sadie pulling my full drink down off the stroller and it splatting everywhere and grumpy kids, I was lucky just to get out of there without crying and making a fool of myself!  Some days are those days you know!?

Mason was in time out the other day and he was mad, but Sadie wanted to comfort him and she was happy!  opposites!

Gingerbread houses at Masons class!  I came in to "help" with my two other littles and we added some excitement to the kindergarten room!  Those kids all got crazy sugared up just in time to go home!  

That is some of our December festivities!  We have been busy, and also the week between Christmas and New Years we had lots of down time.  I got a new calling as the second councilor in the Relief Society, which is exciting and scary at the same time (that mature outfit will come in handy!  No more primary for me!)  and we had some time to be with/help family as much as possible too.  The funeral for Uncle Dave was today and it was beautiful and we were happy to be there to remember all the good times and be with family.  It definitely puts things in perspective and I feel the need to be better and do more and use my time with family making memories!  We are also sending love and prayers to the Pattersons!