Fun with Grandma and Grandpa!

There was a lot of fun to be had while Grandma and Grandpa were in town!

We went and ate out a few times...

And Maya peeked out of her little shell and decided to play like never before at Chik-Fil-A!  Daddy was working one day, so we planned a day out with food and a movie for Grandma, Grandpa, the kids, and me!

Ready...

Set...

GOOOO!!!!!

Of course, there was time for cuddles amongst all the play!

Oh yes, we ate some more while they were here!

On a day that Daddy (taking the picture) was home, we all ventured out to Red Robin for dinner!  Lydia wore her new Christmas outfit, and the dress covering the shirt and leggings, which she called her swimsuit, was removed (by her, of course)and left at the restaurant.  We drove half way home and turned around to look for it, to no avail.  It was gone, and Lydia was heartbroken...

Gifts arrived...

Several days late, but here nonetheless

And for the first Christmas in a long while, the kids were able to open gifts from Grandma and Grandpa in their presence!

And, Grandpa was able to assist in set up...YAY!!!

Did I mentione we ate a lot?

Yep, the girls all got saddle shots at Texas Roadhouse!

And one particular morning, after a few hours of sleep (because that's all she allotted me on most nights that the grandparents were visiting me), Maya woke so happy to show off her princess pajamas!

Aside from eating, we played lots of games!

Even Bonita got involved at the game board!

Later in the evening, we realized that Aiden matched Grandma perfectly!

We smiled...

We layed around, tired as ever form long nights of very little rest!!!

And we even chatted with my niece, Ashley, who is in PA!  It was a whole lot of fun!

Our last night together was spent playing more games...

before the sad goodbyes were said.

The kids cried, I cried, Grandma and Grandpa cried...tender souls!

The boys pulled out their new DS game systems to take some last pictures to remind them of their fun Christmas surprise!  They requested I wake them at 5am the following morning for a final goodbye.  I did, and the tears flowed even more!

Until next time...

We love you!

Christmas Magic!

Christmas is always an exciting time of year... for child and adult alike.

This year, it was extra special.

The children woke to Grandma and Grandpa on Christmas morning!!!  We pulled off an ultimate surprise for them!

Of course, nobody questioned why they had to sleep in Mommy's room... on the floor and in the closet! It was rather easy to lure them into any sleeping arrangement needed with the distraction of Santa on His was to deliver gifts!

Maya as always, was the first riser Christmas morning!  Daddy guided her to the couch where he slept a little longer, and she ignored the gifts for a few more hours!  She woke only an hour and a half after we all dozed off to sleep!

I found vintage jewelry boxes for my girls at an antique store a few weeks before Christmas...that was our little treasure to them! 

And for the boys...

I knew funds were tight.  I had been out of work for a few months and needed to find a way to make Christmas special for them in a way I have never been able to before!  So, I utilized the resources I had...lots of fabric...and I got to work!  I had bought nautical themed fabric--the wonderful ticking fabric with its coordinate patterns--on clearance 6 years ago.  I was clueless as to what I would use it for at the time.  Many times, I'd dream of the quilts I could make, but nothing stood out to me!  Finally, the purpose of these pieces of clothe, magical elements to my tapestry, became known.

I thought of my boys, and the message I want them to wake to, and rest to every day.

Light encompassed my thoughts.

They are sailors on this journey in life.  Though they may not fully know where to go at times, they are given a gift, a light, that they can always turn to.  Their lighthouse, of course, is Jesus Christ.  They will make covenants with their Father in Heaven as they grow older which will only allow them to follow His path, it is true north (a nice compass will be a future gift!).  As they look at themselves daily, I want them to remember that they are children of God, and eventually that phrase, "I am a son of God" will be above their mirrors...reminders of their divinity.

The lights behind their beds serve as reading lights at night...and peaceful serene lights on occasion through the day...when the house is quiet, their room is pristine, and I wander around doing my motherly chores...and admiring, with glimpses, the works of my hands!

I convinced Steve to refinish the kids beds with his frugal handy hands!  Admittedly, with his busy schedule, I assisted in long hours of this process, but it was well worth it.  Their beds took on a worn appearance, as though they had been sailed in rough waters...that was completely intentional!

I even gathered the assistance of Mom and Dad when they all arrived at 1am...Dad cut tulle that I hung on the rods to beautify the bright white lights!

 When morning came, the boys were in shock...all the work I had done was for them!

Days prior, Connor was admiring the quilts I was working on; he said, "Mom, that is gonna look really nice!  It reminds me of when you worked on my baptism quilt!  I really like when you quilt!"

 The girls were in heaven with their baby dolls!

And all the girls found themselves relaxing after some long, tiring Christmas days! 

Eventually, the mirrors and pictures were hung....almost completing the room!

The other, many quilts I have made them, sit folded at the foot of their beds. They adore each comforting blanket that I have stitched for them...as they have advanced in life's stages..."Birth, Big Brotherhood, Baptism (Aiden's will come here in a few months), and even now...the true and noble course of walking in light!"

They are being prepared for greater things than they can fathom at 7 and 9...

....as their  matching mirrors give them symbols of who they are, have always been, and will one day be!  If there is anything I can do for my children, it will be to give them the confidence to state, "I am a Child of God...of divine and promised inheritance!" 

My frugal offerings became the best Christmas gift I have ever given! 

Well, that, and the green sock monkey that Aiden adores!