Christmas Day

Ahhh, Christmas day. Our kids are so kind to us. They always let us sleep in. I heard them wake up at about 7:15 and they went and looked at the tree. It is so fun when you can hear the excitement in their voices. After they looked at it, they came and got us. Ben, Trevor, and Lydia opened up their stockings---while Karmin still slept. Our kids made out like bandits this year. They seriously scored and the deals we got on their gifts were AMAZING. We and Santa got the kids things they needed...mostly clothes. The kids are so sweet--they were so appreciative of every gift they got...even when it was clothes or socks (and especially Lydia--oh she loved the clothes). Where they scored: the boys got these huge nerf guns (so big they require batteries). Where we scored: Grant got them for free from work. There were also a few other things that the kids got, like their own Hymn books, that we also got for free. The one gift we splurged on was a doll house for the girls. But that gift was well worth it. All the kids have had fun with it.

Lydia had a way with treats. She found them everywhere. And even when we thought they were finally all up, she would come walking out of a room with a sucker in her mouth again. And then her sucker would be gone, and she would find another. This was the only time I heard someone get upset about something. Trevor pulled an apple out of his stocking. He got a huge scowl on his face and then he said "An apple?" I tried to get a picture of his disdain, but as soon as he saw the camera this is what we got: Lydia loves her Daddy. She has taken a very fond liking to him lately. She spent most of her waking time with him yesterday. Often just sitting in his lap, or coming over and sitting by him and putting her hand on his leg. She would always make sure to go show him specifically what her gift was. I think it was so cute. And here is a picture of Karmin when she just woke up. Oh that hair: We usually spend Christmas with at least my mom, but it was just us this year. We missed her. It was a very nice Christmas. Albeit a quiet Christmas.

Christmas Eve at our house

On Christmas Eve we always watch a new movie. This year it was "How to Train Your Dragon" courtesy of my mom. The kids were so excited to watch it. Before we could watch it though, we had to unwrap new pajamas. They were all excited about what kind they got. Ben got camouflage, Trevor got Mario Brothers, and the girls got Tinker Bell. Lydia loved how soft they were. She kept going around the house feeling her tummy and then her legs and saying, "Ohhh, woooowww." After the movie (and procrastinating bed time) we tracked Santa through Norad. I, myself, am fascinated with this. I kept checking all night to see where the Jolly Old Man was, but finally succumbed to sleep when he was 2 states away. Santa usually gets a few cookies and then something extra to help the night along. Usually it is nuts, but this year, the kids chose peach rings. Look at this bounty Santa got. And notice Lydia trying to snitch some--this was a common theme throughout Christmas. We also give eggnog to Santa. We figure Santa gets enough milk at other houses, so wouldn't it be nice to have something more palatable at our house? However, the store was completely out of eggnog except little containers. After everything was put in order for Santa, and we read a Christmas story, it was off to bed. The boys were asleep long before they normally were (which was nice so I could start wrapping gifts--something that I put off way too long this year).

Our Christmas Letter

Okay, my Christmas cards are seriously late this year. But they are officially on their way now. I wanted to put our Christmas letter on our blog because I am starting to get our blurb book done for the year. So here is our Christmas letter. You can wait for yours in the mail, or if you just can't stand the suspense--here you go.

The Top Ten things that happened this year in our family:

10. Grant still enjoys working at the doctor’s clinic. A nice perk is that he can bring flu shots home to give to the kids, so I don’t have to take them into a doctor’s office. Although it can be quite humorous (not sure if that is the right word) watching Grant chase kids through the house trying to get them to sit still for a shot. Do you think it will be traumatizing for our kids to remember dad coming home and giving them shots as part of Family Home Evening?

9. Ben is 9 and in the 3^rd grade! Holy cow. It makes me even more mindful of my parenting techniques because he will someday use or criticize my techniques because he is old enough to remember. Ahhhh—my job just got harder.

8. The girls like to wear tutus. No matter what they are wearing, they will put on their tutus with them. Jeans, other pants, other skirts…on go the tutus

7. I have become quite obsessed with doing different projects. My new favorite store is Hobby Lobby. I have done such things as made a wall hangings, painted a picture, made a quilt, and am currently refinishing a dresser.

6. Mr. Trevor is 6. He has a great teacher this year. In January he will be getting his adenoids removed and tubes in his ears. I am hoping that he will be better after this. The poor guy has had ear infection after ear infection.

5. Grant and I left our 3 kids for a whole 3-day weekend for the first time and even went out of state. It was fun, but I missed my kids a ton. However, Lydia got to tag along since I was still nursing her. (I couldn’t leave them all!)

4. Karmin was so excited to turn 4 this year. And amazingly she can do everything and anything because she is 4. Whenever she does something she says, “Yeah, I can do that ‘cause I’m 4.” She is so happy and continues to go to speech and is improving all the time.

3. I have been super busy with scouts. I am the Bear Den Leader and get to have Ben (& Trevor gets to tag along as well) in my group. It’s a lot of fun to get to know the boys and be with Ben, but it sure is a lot of work.

2. Grant and the boys have had a lot of fun tearing down walls in the house. We are remodeling our kitchen and a bedroom (they are switching spots). Most nights are busy with those projects. They are doing a great job and I am excited for a new and bigger kitchen—oh and new walls to decorate and places to put all of my projects.

1. Lydia turned 1 and is as happy and as cute as they come. She can hold her own in our growing family and fashion is her passion. Hats, necklaces, shoes, anything and everything works. I probably should be worried about her as a teenager, but that’s years away.

And for 2011: We are looking forward to Baby Ely #5 due July 22. We hope this finds you happy and well. Merry Christmas!

With Love,

Grant, Niki, Ben, Trevor, Karmin, and Lydia Ely

Rewards

Today was a day that I saw the fruits of my labors as a mother.
At school, the 3rd graders are doing a year long study on money. All consequences are based on money---good and bad. If they get their homework done (it's not graded) they get paid $5--if not they are fined $5. At the Christmas program there was a boy who kept squatting down and disappearing. Instead of getting in trouble, the teacher just gave him a $60 fine. I love it. It is perfect for Ben--where he is a self-motivator--it's all up to him how he does. Over the course of the year they have to earn enough money to buy passage on the Titanic (they do a unit study on it, and then the school goes all out creating an experience where the kids dress up just as if they were really on the Titanic, etc.).
One of the ways that they can earn their money (and spend it) is by having White Elephant sales. They can bring toys or anything else that they can come up with to sell that day. Ben missed the first one because of attending Grandma Ely's funeral. However, that day he rented his desk to so somebody so they could bring extra stuff to sell. Somebody actually paid him $100 to use the top of his desk for the day!
Ben and I went through the house and found the most random things that he could sell. I mean really, some of the stuff was just crazy---but kids bought them. He only bought things with the money he earned from selling things (so he didn't dip into his checking account). Through the course of the sale, he bought a stuffed dog for Karmin because she LOVES dogs and a pair of girly sunglasses because her's broke this summer. He bought a couple of trinkets for Trev, a little toy for Lydia, and a Christmas decoration for me. It was so sweet and I was so impressed that he thought of us. He even said that he saw a boy who hadn't sold anything, so he went and bought something from him so that the boy could sell something. What a great big heart he has!

Summer fun in the Winter

Grant had this amazing idea today and everyone had a lot of fun with it. He bought hot dogs yesterday and decided to have a hot dog roast---in the snow. One of Grant's favorite things to do during the summer is to have a hot dog roast, so he figured out how to do the same in the winter. Everyone got bundled up and went to work. They had a huge wall already made from the snowplow. Then they built some side walls to help block the wind. They all built the fire pit and Ben made the chimney for the smoke. A few seats were made out of snow and a table as well. Once that was done, I bundled Lydia up (her first time out in the snow) and we went out and joined them. Usually the kids don't care for the snow the first time they go out in it, so that is why we waited until the end to take Lydia out, but she loved it. She didn't want to come back inside. Once everything was ready and the fire was nice and hot, we roasted the hot dogs. The kids were starving from all the hard work they had to put into it. I think we went through 3 packages of hot dogs. I think I have a very creative husband.