Landon's Christmas Program

Landon had his first Christmas program today. His Sunday School teacher told the class if they sang LOUD they would get a candy cane. Being LOUD is something my boy does well :P This video is off our camera so it isn't great and doesn't quite give you the full volume effect, but it is precious!

Heavy Hearted

Yesterday we received news of a friend who had to undergo an emergency c section to deliver her baby. The baby was laying transverese and had no heartbeat. The situation with the baby was dire so the doctors had to make both an incision horizontally and vertically to get the baby out. The doctors worked on the baby for 25 minutes to get her breathing and then they transferred her to the Children's Hopsital. As of now, the baby is on a respirator and is being medicated to keep all her organs functioning. They are running a number of tests to check for the extent of organ function and will advise the family later this weekend on a prognosis. It seems fairly certain that if the baby survives she will have some neurological damage. I am grieving for this family, for this mom who can not hold her newborn baby, a mom who is herself in pain both physically and emotionally, for their 5 other children who are confused and not sure what is happening, and for their family who lives so far away.

At our homeschool group yesterday we were tying blankets to donate to a group called Project Linus. Project Linus gives blankets to children who are in the hospital or children who have suffered the loss of a parent, grandparent, or sibling. As we were tying blankets and the children were praying over the blankets, I couldn't help but think that this moms children could be recieving these blankets. These blankets tied with love and covered in prayer by their friends. These blankets meant to give comfort in a time of loss.

My heart is heavy because I know this feeling of seeing your baby hooked up to monitors and not being able to hold or touch her. You feel so helpless and just heartsick. But my experience does not compare to this mom, my baby was breathing on her own, her organs were functioning, and we knew she was going to be okay. I look at my babies today and I am thankful for them, for their health, for being able to hold them and love on them, and for being granted the gift of being their mom.

I need your help!

Here are the proofs from the Christmas photo session with the kids. I need help picking our Christmas card photo - let me know your favorite. I am not really loving any of them. In the past it has been hard to choose because they are so good. This year we are just trying to pick a decent photo. Amazing how the dynamics change with each child added. Morgan and Landon were so worried about Mauryn that it was hard to get shot of them even looking at the camera. Oh what we go through for the Christmas picture! We also had Morgan's 8 year photo (her school photo since we homeschool) and Mauryn's 1 year photo taken at the same time. Mauryn was not enjoying the photo session, so her pictures are less than stellar but will serve as a great reminder of that evening.

Landon + Markers =

THIS!!!


But Mom, I just wanted to look like a Broncos fan!

Thank God for Crayola's washable markers. I think we will be taking a break from coloring with markers and we will be reading this book!

The stockings are hung .....

over the fireplace :o)

The smell of pine trees permiate the house. I love the smell of the Christmas tree. I look forward to the day each year when we can put our tree up and start decorating for the holidays. Last week, Lance, Morgan, and Landon went off to the local tree farm to get a tree. Lance always does a great job of picking out the perfect tree.

Two years ago we bought the kids an artifical tree to put up with their decorations. They were so excited this year that they put up the tree on their own and decoarted it. Landon even got out the camera and took this picture. (mom helped with a little photo editing)

Here is part of our house with lights. The kids begged Lance for colored lights this year. I am not sure that we will have colored lights again as Lance prefers the white lights but he indulged his children this year. What a good daddy!

Landon has been enjoying the nativity scenes this year. Each day he is using the characters to act out the story of Jesus' birth. We did find the Little People nativity in a box a few days ago. He was thrilled! He told me yesterday, he needs some more shepherds for his LP set. I guess we will be ordering some more shepherds :P

Christmas Meme

I was tagged by Sarah, over at Short Stop to play along in this Christmas Meme. Read along and find out about some traditions in the Cheney Household.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I wrap gifts because the kids like to open gifts that have been wrapped. I do not have the patience for wrapping so I am not a very good at it. Lance is a super gift wrapper so if he is around, I let him do all the wrapping.
2. Real tree or artificial?
We have both. I love the real tree smell and we have always had a real tree. Two years ago, Lance wanted to have a "pretty" tree in our front room and put all the kid decorations on another tree. We bought an artificial tree for our bonus room and the kids put it up and decorate it themselves - it is all theirs!
3. When you you put up the tree?
We usually put our tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year, because we had company for Thanksgiving, it didn't go up until Wednesday after Thanksgiving.
4. When do you take down the tree?
We usually take the tree down the weekend after New Years.
5. Do you like egg nog?
Nope - yucky stuff!
6. Favorite gift received as a child?
I think my two favorites were the play kitchen I got from Santa when I was 3 or 4 years old and then when I got my Cabbage Patch doll from Santa in 6th grade. They were both surprises so I think they mean the most to me as I look back. I was a horrible snooper and I usually found all my gifts so anything that was a surprise was great!
7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes, we received a Fontanini set from my parents when we got married. I love it because the kids can play with it and I don't have to worry about them breaking anything. Although the year our golden retriever was a puppy, he did eat one of my wise men :P We also have the Little People nativity set for our kids that they have set up under their tree.
8. Hardest person to buy for?
The parents, they buy what they need or want so their isn't much left to get them
9. Easiest person to buy for?
My son Landon - he has numerous interests so it is always easy to find something for him
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
I am pleading the fifth on this one :P
11. Mail or email Christmas cards?
I mail them and I love, love getting them!
12. Favorite Christmas movie?
It is not technically a Christmas movie but we always seem to watch The Sound of Music at some point during Christmas vacation
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
I start shopping for Christmas in August or September and try to have the majority of my shopping done by Thanksgiving
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
I don't think I have
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
I love to eat lefse
16. Clear lights or colored lights on the tree?
Clear lights on the tree for sure. We did put colored lights up on the house this year for the kids - they really wanted colored lights. It is torture for my husband to see those colored lights because he is a purist and would really like to just have white lights - all for the love of the kids!
17. Favorite Christmas song?
Light of the Stable by Selah and Born on this Day by Avalon
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
I love to be home on Christmas Day so the kids can stay in their jammies, open their gifts, play with their toys, play games, take naps, watch movies, and eat lots of food. In the past when we have lived closer to family we have traveled either before or after Christmas Day. This will be the second year we haven't done any traveling over the holidays.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Nope, I always forget someone
20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Star
21. Open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
I grew up always opening on Christmas Eve. Since we have had kids, we have opened gifts on Christmas Day because we usually were not home on Christmas Eve. Now that we are home both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we let the kids open gifts under their tree on Christmas Eve (from out of town relatives) and then on Christmas Day they open the gifts from us, get their stockings , and Santa gift.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
How rude and inconsiderate people can be at this time of the year - it is supposed to be a time to spread cheer, joy, and love!
23. What I most love about Christmas?
I don't know that I can name one thing. I enjoy celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. I just love this season. I like the baking, the making of crafts, the time with friends and family, the smells, the food, and just the feeling of the season. I love the season so much I got married as close to Christmas as possible!

I tag anyone who wants to play. I would love to read what your traditions are for Christmas!

Date Night (Sort of)

Almost a year ago, I received a gift certificate from my sister sister at church for dinner and movie tickets. The gift certificate was about to expire, so we planned a date night for last night. Here is how our evening went:

5:00 pm Babysitter arrives and Mauryn wakes up from a LONG afternoon nap (she is fighting a cold so this was a blessing)

5:05 pm Give the babysitter the rundown on the evening, show her where everything is, get kiddos settled/distracted

5:10 pm In the car, ready to back out of the driveway when the garage door opens. Landon is screaming, sees us in the car, and slams the door shut. At least he didn't run after the car but the look on his face was pitiful. Lance goes after Landon, he is a mess, we get him calmed down and he goes back in with the babysitter.

5:15 pm Make it to the restaurant, enjoy a quiet dinner without kids

6:00 pm Go walk around Costco to look at cameras, ipods

6:30 pm Check in call to home, Morgan answers and tells us they are trying to get dinner going but Mauryn just wants to be held. I talked to the babysitter who said they were fine and we didn't need to come home.

6:50 pm Get to the movie theater, get our popcorn (can't watch a movie without it) and soda

6:55 pm Lance's cell phone rings - it is Morgan, Mauryn is screaming and we need to come home.

7:00 pm Get a refund on our tickets

7:10 pm Arrive home with our HUGE tub of popcorn and soda in hand. Kids are all quiet and eating dinner.

9:00 pm Kids are all in bed, we are in comfy clothe, we have our soda and HUGE tub of popcorn, throw in the DVD of We are Marshall (good movie) that we have had from Netflix for far too long and veg on the couch

I think the problem with Mauryn was that she was so hungry. She ate from the moment we got home until she went to bed. When Landon went back in the house after his fit, he asked to watch a movie. When the sitter put the movie in, they all watched it in our bonus room. Dinner didn't get started until after the movie was over at 6:30 pm. I thought they would eat right away so I hadn't given Mauryn a snack. I should have probably just had the kids eat when we left and then they could have had a bigger snack before bed. This is the first time we have had a sitter since we have lived in Idaho. If we go out usually our we trade with our neighbors or some friends. Any tips for the next time we have a sitter?