Traditions...kind of a novel

Christmas Morning

{I love Julia's hair!}
Tradition: the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation

It seems like the holidays revolve around family traditions. I love thinking about the ways we celebrated Christmas and New Years as a family before I had my own kids. Since we've started our own family we had pretty much done the same things we had before...every other year. Because we're sharing with two families {mine and Todd's} we decided to make it even and go to one side of the family's Thanksgiving and the other side of the family's Christmas Eve. It seemed to be working out pretty well...and then my mom and dad went on a mission. So for two years we just did everything with Todd's family. Now that my mom and dad are back we just assumed we would start back into the normal routine of every other. Thanksgiving was spent w/Todd's family so Christmas Eve was supposed to be spent with my family. We had a Christmas B-day party the week before at my parents and after that my mom and dad had decided they weren't up for doing a Christmas Eve with all those wild children running around the house. They thought it would be better if we started doing our own family traditions. Kandice and I made a fuss about it when we found out because It's TRADITION! You don't break TRADITION!! I came home and told Todd that we could either go with his family for Christmas Eve or start our own family tradition. He was excited to stay home and do our own thing. That changed my attitude and I thought we could do something fun to start this new tradition of ours. Then later, my mom and dad had talked about it and decided to do something after all and invited us if we wanted to come. I would have gone...if Todd was on board. He still wanted to do our own family thing. So this year started a new tradition for us. Being on OUR OWN! {I know...scary}

Todd went hunting all day and I tried to get the house cleaned up for something that evening. I really wanted to go to Zions {because we live so close} and walk around in the dark and talk about the Christmas story but it was so windy over here that it didn't sound as fun as I thought in my head. So after dinner {which consisted of BBQ ribs, quail that Todd had hunted that day..and is a personal favorite of Porter's, green salad, homemade bread, and some steamed carrots all served on our favorite Christmas dishes....mmmm} I tried to get the real meaning of Christmas in the kids heads. We read about Christ's birth in the Book of Mormon and what the signs of his coming would be. Then we talked about why we give presents and whose birthday it was. Payton and I argued for a bit over it being Santa's or Jesus' birthday. I gave in and let him think it was both. All this time Todd is laying on the couch taking a little nap because the day of hunting had just taken it out of him...I guess. Then we could hear fireworks going off and we watched them while we put on our new pj's {another tradition}. Then we got in the car and drove around looking at all the lights. I gotta admit I was not happy when we started because it just wasn't how I envisioned the night to go {mostly the part about how Todd wasn't helping share in the teaching of the "True Meaning Of Christmas"} but after listening to him talk to the kids about all the cool lights I couldn't help but start laughing. He was doing his best to make his voice the most excited he could at EVERY house that had lights. Even the houses with just a porch light on he'd get the kids to look at it. We came home, got some cookies and milk ready and a bowl of sugar for Santa's reindeer and then it was off to bed. The kids were in bed at 9:30 and asleep at 9:40. Santa never had it so easy. We had to lock the door to the room where the gifts were so the kids wouldn't go in and peek in the middle of the night. They were bound and determined to see Santa and give him a big hug. Payton wanted to sleep under the tree so he could see Santa. Not only Christmas Eve but Christmas Day has traditions as well. Todd's mom usually makes a yummy brunch and then we open presents at her house then we have a dinner around 3 that afternoon with most of her family. This year we opted out of the brunch and enjoyed seeing our kids play with their Christmas presents until it was time to head over for the dinner. It was actually nice to not be in a rush to get places. Even G-pa and G-ma Turek came over {with some left over goats milk -aka eggnog- from the night before} to see what Santa had left.
So another Christmas is over and a new year is approaching.

Another year to start more traditions...the things that make memories for the future.

Quick catch-up

I need to post about Payton's big day(s) before Christmas hits and it's all a big blur. So Payton turned six on Tuesday (the 15th) and he hasn't let us forget it since. He really got to celebrate most of the week. We started Sunday night at Todd's mom's where he got to open G-ma Julie's present (two days before his birthday) and have cake and celebrate w/G-pa Blair and Tara's boyfriend Jordan--who's b-day's are the day after Payton's.

Then Monday night we celebrated with my side of the family at G-ma & G-pa Turek's. We had pizza and cake and then the old man {Santa} himself came and visited the kids and sang happy birthday to the three boys having them this month.

Porter was hilarious!

{just a couple quotes from that night need to be written down}

He had to feel Santa's beard {yes! it was real!!}

When Santa read a book about Jesus' birth and the angels coming Porter said, "My grandma Ila died". Good relation son.

He came out of nowhere and gave Santa a big hug--which prompted Santa to tell him he could have anything he wanted...naughty Santa.

And last he kept looking for Santa's reindeer which uncle Jeff kept telling him were in the pasture--yup, Porter went looking for them across the street. They weren't there.

Santa let them all sit on his lap and then he gave all the kids toys which they all loved. Payton got these tops that had lights on them and his cousin Emmie accidentally broke one. {I've gotta put this down Kandice...sorry--Santa lifted Emmie on his knee and said, "Well, you haven't missed a meal!"} Payton got upset at Emmie for breaking his top and then said, "This is the worst Christmas ever!" He got over it...later.

Then Tuesday was Payton's real b-day. He got to take a treat to share at school {Christmas cookies} and came home with the biggest smile wearing his birthday crown. Then that night we went bowling. This year he was given the choice of having a birthday party or getting a present. He chose to have a party and invite his cousins. I don't know how long that will last, but I loved it! His birthday's too close to Christmas and it's an overload of presents. I liked spending money on him this way instead of another toy that might fall apart or get broken later.

Well, I think that wraps up another birthday for the greatest six year old in our house!

A Lesson In Follow-Through

This morning I needed to get to the store and get a few things and Payton wanted to ride his bike to school. I was in my bathroom doing Julia's hair when Payton left so I wasn't really sure when he had gone. He negelcted to tell me goodbye. I've let Payton ride his bike to school alone before when I'm going to store because I usually leave a little after him and see him waiting at the cross walk on my way. Today I left quite a bit later than he did so when I didn't see him at the cross walk I assumed he was already there.

Porter, Julia, Khloee and I all went to WalMart, got our shopping done and headed home (an hour later). When I rounded the corner I saw the garage door open and thought what an idiot I was because I thought I had closed it. When I pulled in, I saw Payton's bike and thought he must have had an accident at school or something so he had to come home. I walk in the door and the kid is sitting in the chair watching ICE AGE 3!! When I ask why he's not at school he said, "I forgot my back pack and I'm not sure what time I have to leave." {WHAT?} We grabbed his backpack, jumped back in the car and headed to school...an hour and fifteen minutes late. Come to find out he never even made it to school because he had turned around to get his backpack and when he came back no one was here to tell him to get his little rump back to school instead of sit in front of the TV. I was tempted to just let him stay home but what would he learn from that? I hope he enjoys the last hour and half of school today. Chalk one up to me for learning that my kindergarten kid is not as big as I thought. What did I expect?? Just 'cause he's turning six tomorrow doesn't mean he has sprouted a sense of what's really right and wrong.

1000 by Christmas

I've started doing something this year that I never thought I'd get into...ok so I really didn't start until the last quarter of the year, but I'm loving it! What is it you ask?? INDEXING from the church website. A friend at work told me she was doing this {which is why she doesn't blog or do the facebook thing--she does this instead} and she got me to check it out. The warning when you sign up is pretty accurate. It can be a little addicting. It's my late night activity when I feel like I need to do something more than blogstalk other people. I'm only 32 names away from making my goal but I thought it might motivate others {or myself if I'm reading this and I've stopped doing something like this} to get into family history one way or another. Last night I did death certificates {which is an indexing first for me} and although some of them I found a little creepy {like the guy who died at the age of 40 something because of an airplane accident. He was partially decapitated by the blade hitting a rock--yeah, you can read what the autopsy report says} it was pretty interesting. I like to read the different names and see how old they were...stuff like that. I get a little sad when I index the deaths of kids and babies. Reminds me of my sisters and how hard something like that is on a parent. Of course you don't have to index death certificates. You get to choose what you want to index. Check it out...if you have nothing to do {or want something worthwhile to do on the computer}

A Hunting We Did Go...

Saturday we went out to find our Christmas Tree. Now I know most everyone else had theirs up in November --some even before Thanksgiving (???) but our family usually goes the first Saturday in December. We went out to our usual spot on the Kaibab looking for our tree. The kids were pumped to play in the snow. When we got there we found very little snow to play in and the wind was blowing enough for me to let Todd go look around and then come back and tell us what he found. The boys played in the snow until they got too cold and the first time Julia fell in it, she was done. She did get her first taste of snow and I think she liked it. Just not when both her hands were filled with the freezing stuff. After driving to a couple spots Todd came back with three possible trees to check out. We decided to have a bite of lunch before we checked them out so we could just load the tree and head on home. The tree we chose wasn't the most beautiful or the more perfect tree. We call it our "non typical" tree because it actually is one tree that stems out into three --so I guess that means we could have had three stars this year-but we don't. I love going out together as a family just because it's time together. On the ride home I talked to the boys about the Nativity and why we really celebrate Christmas. It was enough to put them both to sleep. Everyone helped decorate the tree (except for Jul's--she was napping) and after three broken balls Porter was pulled off ball duty and put on wooden angel duty. Todd was such a good sport. I had forgotten he didn't love this stuff until later when he reminded me how much he "{loved} putting up Christmas lights". I didn't even realize he was putting lights up outside until he was almost done. Well, another Christmas season started {YAHOO!!}

I had to put a picture of this shelf in because I love it! My neighbor across the street made it and I got a swinging deal on it (if anyone's interested he has a couple more he's selling for a great deal!)

I looked out the window...

I looked out the window and what did I see??

These cute little bugs on the teeter totter is better than the popcorn on the tree. Porter has even put Julia on and played with his sister this way. I'm glad they like each other. Yeah, sure she's fallen off a couple times but at least she's been fairly close to the ground. (I know, I'm such a good mom.)