Traditions

So this year, being a very slim year financially, we have really had to pare back on Christmas.

So instead, of focusing so much on gifts and such, I thought we might concentrate on some traditions this year. I have even started a new one thanks to the crafty ideas of my friend Sandi.

She had a darling display of the tiniest gifts on a stand that she set up like a centerpiece. Each gift was wrapped in coordinating simple packaging and tagged with a simple number. Inside each box is a small token for the recipient. A 12 Days of Christmas token.

So I went and found 12 small boxes and 36 tiny little items to go inside them. Since I have four kids. Each box is filled with a tiny token that can be used as a Christmas symbol. I found some tiny wreaths, bells, a manger scene, Christmas lights and other things. Just little things that can help the kids be reminded of the true purpose around Christmas.

Sure it is just to open a present. But they have not been let down that the box wasn't filled with a toy for them. It has been just as fun to talk about and try to guess what the symbol inside the tiny box represents.

I think we will carry this tradition on for a few years to come. It has been very fun.

Another tradition that we do every year is we package up as many care packages as we can pull together--this year was 15. We fill the bags full of water bottles, and snacks of all varieties and a little reading material--this year was the "Proclamation to the Family". We then take the little care packages to the NICU where the twins were born 4 years ago. When we were there with our babies, it was so hard. To stay nearly 24-7 got exhausting and expensive. There were people that did that for us, and we remembered how much we appreciated the thoughtful treats.

It was really fun this year, because the twins understood that we were at the hospital where they were born, and understood that they were too tiny to come home. We got to explain to them that mommy and daddy stayed at the hospital day and night until they were ready to come home. It was exciting for them to see it and then help the families that have to do it now.

As we have done these little traditions for other people, we have been able to see and feel the true meaning of spirit in our hearts. It truly is better to give than to receive.

And even though our funds are so limited, we have had to think the home made route, and it has meant just as much, or more for me, to be the one making and putting together the humble gifts. I hope those people that receive them, feel the love that went into making them.

The twins a couple months after they came home from the NICU.

This Christmas is like no other Christmas that we have ever had, since we have moved to Texas, Ill have to admit that no Christmas has been normal. It started with Scott loosing his mom on Christmas day, then Scott joined the church, then the twins were born, then I got sick, then we moved, and now I am sick again. And most of those other Christmases were a bit hard and taxing on our little family, besides Scott joining the Church. We really had to pull together as a family unit. This Christmas, though not easier by any means, has meant the most, at least to me.

To see how many good people are out there giving of themselves. Giving to the Arnett family so generously. Some might think that this might be counted among the worst Christmas we have had yet, but I would disagree. I see it being the best Christmas we will ever remember. I know that it will be one that I surly will never forget.

May you all find the true spirit of Christmas in your hearts this year, and try to touch a family in need, or make a new tradition that can bring your family together this season. Merry Christmas, with love.

Manners 101

Today was sweet Bailey's birthday. She turned 9 years old. What a sweetie she is. We are super proud of her. I asked her what she wanted for her birthday dinner. She told me that she would like a steak. Scott pulled some steaks out of the freezer and then a while later, said lets just go out for a steak. We had a gift card so we decided that it would be a good chance to treat her to a really GOOD dinner. Not to say that Scott can't grill up a MEAN steak, he's one of the best!

But after our outing I think that maybe we should have dined IN!

So we get our table and all the kids start coloring on their little menus. Then Gavin lifts up the little bread plate that they hand out and shows me the pretty picture that he colored on the plate. Nice. So I told him, with a stern look on my face that coloring on the plate was bad. He turkeyed up and started crying. So of course the guilt sets in. We ended up giving him hugs and kisses because his little frown just melts you in your tracks. Then he gets this little look on his face, the one where he is working it all out in his head--coloring on plate = getting in trouble = hugs from mom and dad....TOTALY WORTH IT!

I think that when the hostess seats our family it only takes them a nano second to see that our table will be the loudest table in the ENTIRE restaurant, so our section then slowly morphs into the daycare section. So I guess the fact that my kids speak at about 900 decibels shouldn't really bother me, but for some reason I am constantly telling them to talk quieter.

Then the salads come and my little baby birds all sit there with their mouths open waiting for their bite. Gavin was sitting next to Scott begging croutons off of him and I could see a pea sized gob of something shiny on his forehead. I told Scott to wipe it off. He swiped his finger across his forehead and takes a look. Good thing he didn't think it was that yummy honey butter they give you with the bread. In fact, it was a uber huge green booger, shinning like a north star on his face, Scott gave a little gag. Meanwhile, Isabelle is HACKING her lungs up right across from him, and had been since we sat down. The kid didn't cough one time all day until we walked into that restaurant. And it is now dawning on me that it probably wasn't HIS snot. Way to go Isabelle, your strep laden mucous landed on your brother. At least it didn't hit the family at the table behind us.

Finally our food arrives, after about 15 more 900 decibel inquiries from Gavin asking where his food was.

So we're sitting there enjoying our yummy overpriced steak dinner and Kylie starts yanking off the band aid that was covering her wart, and begins to wave it around at the table, announcing its presence. I couldn't say it fast enough to stuff that thing in her pocket-- I said it in such haste, I'm sure my voice traveled to every one of the surrounding tables. Then I look over at Gavin and he is doing "see food" to Isabelle. All I could do was think of my grandmother who would probably drop dead in her tracks if she saw how my kids behaved in a restaurant. I think I need to pull out her "Manners 101" manual and give them a lesson or two.

AHHHH......I love my family. Our outings are always so unforgettable.

My Second Amateur iMovie

This is our yearly trip to the Fort Worth Zoo. This trip was extra special because our aunt Christine was with us. Most of the captions are our little inside jokes and memories of the trip, but I thought it was worth posting some of the cute pictures of the kids.

I have been working on making small iMovies out of some of the pictures that just sit on my computer. There are files and files full of pictures that I have taken over the years and no one sees them or gets to appreciate the memories that go along with them.

As one of my new "projects" I have committed to organizing and compiling of some of our trips and outings as well as a compilation for each of my children to document their growth.

I think it will be fun for them to watch them and see how they have grown over the years. I know it will be a lot of work and hours sitting on the computer to sort through pictures, but the end product is worth it.

I still want to do a few scrapbooks too, but those also might take on a digital format. My Mac has a program for that. :)

Sea World San Antonio

So last weekend we loaded up the car and started our adventure to Sea World San Antonio. Our good friends the DeLaGarza's invited us to stay with them at the parents house in San Antonio. I have always loved San Antonio, and this trip only made me love it more. We stayed at James' fathers house, and what a house it was! It was so large it held eleven kids and 6 adults without a sweat. The kids just disappeared and went and played and had adventures. The house was in the hills and on the top of one too, I might add. The whole thing was beautiful and in itself would have been a fun getaway.

On Saturday morning we all made our way to Sea World. The weather was chilly, but luckily we hit a tiny window on the radar where there was no rain. I'm not kidding when I say, that it has rained every day in Texas these last couple of weeks. We were really fortunate that we hit the perfect window of no rain.

Since I am in a considerably weakened state, I had to travel my way around the park in one of those motorized scooters. For days I had an internal debate about which was worse, a traditional wheelchair or a motorized one. Popular vote was motorized, and I'm glad that I did opt for that one. I was a tad bit less of a burden when no one had to push me around. The worst part was the backing up "beep beep beep". But everyone laughed with me whenever I had to go in reverse.

Here are just a few of the snaps of the park.

Here is Bailey, John, Sara, me and Scott on one of the coasters. I think it was the Great White or something like that. It was thrilling! I'm never one to pass up a coaster. Kylie was sad because she is usually my partner and she was a bit too short for this one.

Saturday was me and Scott's 11th anniversary. We went to Sea World the weekend we got engaged, so it was a great place to celebrate. The last 11 years have been the best of my whole life!!

This was the Shamu show "Believe". It was awesome. The kids sat up in the splash zone with ponchos on and this was a snap of the three whales all lined up right before they splashed the kids. They all got soaked, but I brought ponchos so no one froze too bad.

This is "Mr. James" (as the kids call him) one of our closest friends, winning Gavin and Bailey a prize at the arcade. Each kid came home with an arm load of souvenirs.

Feeding the dolphins was the BEST!

The whole gang!

Some of the fun had at the DeLaGarza home. There was so much for the kids to do!

Thanks so much to all of the DeLaGarza gang for showing us such a good time, and being so hospitable. We think the world of you guys!

My first amateur MAC iMovie

Here are some more pictures of our trip to Utah. I got a laptop the other day, and I have been spending some of my days in bed messing around with the cool things on it. This little movie was so easy to make and next time, I will try to make it a little more professional. It was super fun. I would like to make a bunch of these so that looking at pictures will be more fun, than just flipping through them on the computer screen. I have done them before on my PC, but the Mac was so user friendly and I figured it out lickety split. A friend showed me the program, and the next time I opened it I just threw this together. I swear the hardest part was picking the music! Thanks Jocie!