where to begin, we had quite a week last week....

we spent some time out in the snow and on the lake. we cleared a path on the ice, and i would lay the kids on it on their bellies and slide them. they thought it was hilarious. and wren especially loved it. she slides really far :)





koa's christmas program-





which was the morning after tyden and shaeya's. and we went straight from her program to ty and shaeya's party. and that was the end of school. yay!

dave and i went out one night for my birthday. so wonderful!!!!!

the girls and i did some painting-



















all fun and wonderful....and then we got hit.
with puking and diarrhea right before all the christmases. all 3 girls got it, and i was very busy cleaning up after them and holding them and stressing over what to do about the 3 christmas parties we had yet to attend.

in the end we went anyway, lovingly spreading our germs....sorry everyone!!!!
i truly hope no one gets it from us!!!
but it would be totally worth it if you did, right?? for the pleasure of our company at the parties???

so on christmas eve i climbed in bed feeling very tired and happy that the kids seemed to be getting better. 2 parties down and 2 to go (counting our own.)

and then my first gift on christmas morning was from my girls. merry christmas to me.
i was up half the night in pure misery and wanting to just die and be done with it.

by some miracle by the time the kids woke us up at 7 i was feeling a little better and made it through the day on christmas.
only to be hit again the next morning.
but at least i got to be a part of things on christmas day.




























this is where wren goes when she needs some alone time. i crack up every time.
see her feet?











smile, dave, i'm sure i'm not infecting you with my germs :)

after our own christmas we had my family's christmas.
we played 'deal or no deal' with $ from my parents. hilarious. we were playing for up to $150. some ended up with a hundred or a little over, but my sister and i ended up with $10 each. which my brothers thought was terribly funny. too bad for them my parents just couldn't let things stay that uneven in the end :)

so.....yesterday dave and the kids and i spent a quiet day at home. dave got to spend lots of good quality time with the kids as i was pretty much out of commission.

and then today.
today i am feeling better and actually able to eat.
sadly, dave is back to working all day and all evening everyday.
shaeya has been in bed all day with a fever, and wren just woke up from her nap with one.

we have a blessedly empty schedule this week. nothing to do but play with new christmas toys and recover from all the sickness.
my plan is to get in lots of quality time with the kids cause i am leaving them all for the first time in just 2 and 1/2 weeks!!!
i am very excited, and a little nervous.....

the 2 piles that are steadily growing.....





don't judge my tree. i let the kids decorate it this year.
they think it is beautiful, and i didn't have to do it.
and my nice ornaments are packed away in a box somewhere.

here are a few house pictures-









dave gave me my birthday present on sunday. an ipad.
i LOVE it. and so do my kids.
they spend a lot of time doing this- :)



....while wren quietly gets into their stuff.



her latest is "WHHHHY??"
it's so cute. (at this point)
she says something like "i want candy."
and when i say no, she instantly cries out "WHHY?"
she has no clue what 'why' means, but if the other kids do it then she should do it too, right? :)

here is a short video of tekoa. i let her try out the jumping thing at the mall.
she had the time of her life, and she keeps asking to go back and do it again.
"does grandma go to that mall? she needs to see me do that. or daddy? does daddy go to that mall?"




so.....
teacher gifts - done
christmas shopping - done
wrapping (and rewrapping) the gifts - done (for now)

christmas cards - mostly done

christmas songs - almost ready to perform
baking - not even close
laundry - way behind
house - falling apart at the seems

tomorrow we give out 5 gifts to people at 2 different schools, we have tekoa's christmas party in the morning, music at ty and shaeya's school in the afternoon, then a big family christmas with my dad's family here at the barn in the evening.

if i get to bed before midnight, and if i can somehow work in a shower and some coffee in the morning i should be allright....

so....turns out the haircut isn't as ugly as i once thought. i'm getting used to it and i am definitely not complaining about how much easier it is to do.





in other news- i have a new nephew! dave's sister jenn just had her 3rd baby- eliseo gonzalez.
he is so cute! and so little and soft....
i once said that i would ALWAYS wish it was me whenever someone had a new baby.....but i think that maybe being a single mom of 4 for 6 months is taking it's toll on me.
i actually don't think that i wish it was me. i don't think.... :)
but he is awfully sweet. can't wait to hold him again!



and i also have to confess that i reached my limit last week. something had to give- it was either the cats or the kids.....
i felt really bad for returning them but i had cleaned up kitty diarrhea for 5 days.
i had given them rice cause i read that that would help their stomachs, and then they were squirting out rice poop....waaay too much for me.
and the day that tekoa had rice chunks on her arm and wren got into the litter box completely sealed the deal.
i am officially done with kittens forever, and officially the world's cruelest most heartless mother.
and i am COMPLETELY OKAY with that.

christmas chaos is in full swing and i keep getting waves of overwhelmedness, but i just keep reminding myself that "i can only do the best i can do" :)
with 4 kids (times 3, cause a few others need me to get gifts for my kids from them) 11 nieces and nephews, a goddaughter, a few siblings, and 10 teachers to shop for; 100 christmas cards (i'm cutting back on cards this year- if you don't get one it has nothing to do with you. i mean probably not) to get out, 6 christmas events, 3 kids christmas parties, and 3 christmas programs to attend and including bringing food and gifts to each event i am officially busy.

oh yea, and i turn 30 somewhere in the midst of all that.
i have huge plans for that night. i will not only be attending an elementary school christmas program but leading the kids in a performance of few christmas songs.

don't like wishing christmas away, but my sights are completely set on our mexico vacation which is only 5 weeks away!!!!
i still can't believe we are really leaving the new house and kids behind for 6 days!!!
i can hardly even imagine what that will be like....





been forgetting to take pictures of the house but hopefully i'll take some this weekend.
the back porch has a roof and dave's been working on framing the inside and electricity.
and we're trying to pick out tubs, showers, and faucets in our spare time :)