christmas

We spent Christmas Eve with Shad's family.  It was nice to read about Christ's birth and let the kids participate in some special traditions.  About bedtime, we loaded up and headed back home.

It was our first Christmas at our own home... with all it's decorative quirks (thanks to the kids).

The kids were already asleep when we got home Christmas Eve, so I was worried they might wake up earlier than normal in anticipation of Christmas Day.

It was different with just our own little family. 

Lindy wasn't quite sure what to make of it all.

We missed the extra excitement and shared joy that comes with having more family.

But it was also nice to have a quiet morning.

And to not worry about losing things or getting them mixed up.

Avery made sure to hold Lindy's hand as much as she could, while still sucking her thumb on the other hand.

I remember when my mom would say some of her favorite gifts were the ones we made.  I didn't believe her.  But now with my own kids, I love the homemade ones because of the thought that goes into them.  Lindy received this handmade gift from my youngest brother.

And Drake gave some of his legos to his siblings as gifts, and spent time decorating the envelopes to house them.

On the back of Avery's, he drew pictures of the legos that were inside, and how many of each.

On Graham's he left it a little more suspenseful.

I'm grateful for the Christmas season.  I'm grateful to be part of two wonderful families.  I'm grateful for the Savior, Jesus Christ.  And I really do love the homemade gifts, whether or not my kids will believe me.

homemade computer

Drake is the type of kid that sees or thinks of something he wants to do, then does it.

Here he is next to his own computer that he made by himself.

A close-up of the keyboard:

He was a good brother and helped make one for Graham too.

And Avery certainly wasn't about to be denied her own computer either.

I'm very grateful that Drake's creativity and motivation help make up for my lack of entertainment as their mother.

It makes my job a little bit easier sometimes.

narcolepsy

According to WebMD:

"Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that affects the control of sleep and wakefulness.

 People with narcolepsy experience excessive daytime sleepiness and intermittent, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the daytime.

 These sudden sleep attacks may occur during any type of activity at any time of the day."

I may be the only one immune...

smile for the camera

Because I document most of our lives with pictures, my children are used to me grabbing the camera a lot.

That doesn't mean that they always like it.

Other times, they ask me to take their picture and proceed to pose themselves...

...and their siblings (my sister-in-law made these cute aprons for the girls as part of Lindy's "welcome to the world" gift).

I certainly do like taking pictures.

And Avery has discovered a fake smile.

But I love her real one much more.

Drake always likes to look "cool" when I take his picture.

Or not.

Graham is the one who makes the most faces when I try to take his picture.

I'm grateful for cameras and the ability to capture images of people that I love.