Yesterday I walked down the hall to get something and my little shadow started following me, but instead of catching up to me he ended up in here...
He climbed up on that "pool" box and right into the laundry basket. He was pretty proud of himself for figuring that one out. He is into EVERYTHING these days and I'm not sure I like it! Ha! And yes, my house is a complete wreck, but for the record that laundry is CLEAN! ;)
Well Landon's still not crawling on all fours but I'm not sure that he really cares to. He can pull himself up on the couch and climb over us on the floor. He may just head straight to walking from his army crawl. Who knows!? Well, lately I've spent a LOT of time at the kitchen table working on various Christmas crafts and he's always following me wherever I go, so he's claimed this as his new favorite spot...
He knows how to get in, but I'm not so sure he knows how to get out. He's just content pulling himself up on those bars and hanging in the middle of the chair.
Plus it's a great chew toy! He's currently cutting his 4th tooth! I think I may have bite marks on my chair now! Ha! Who needs a dog or cat when you have kids to chew your furniture!?A few weeks ago I started a children's nativity out of wooden blocks at our Relief Society Christmas Workshop, but considering I basically ran the whole event for everyone else (FHE boards, glass block nativities, and 2x4 pumpkins that all ended up taking place at the same time...it was INSANE!) I didn't exactly finish my crafts. Plus I have to hand paint everything on the blocks and lets face it, that takes time/talent that I don't have right now. So I got to thinking what other options I have. Since then I got called to be the new nursery leader, and so I came up with something that would work great for the nursery kids as well as my own little stinkers! Today I got to work and they turned out AMAZING! I absolutely LOVE them! So here it goes...
(I also have a version with shepherds, wise men, an angel, and a chicken but I was keeping it simple for the nursery kids and my sanity!)
(this stuff worked like a charm!)
Or you could buy those little metal lunch boxes at the craft store for them to store it in/stick it too for on-the-go fun. And think how many things you could make using this technique!? My mind is racing with the endless possibilities! Plus they're foam and squishy and soft...sooo perfect for kids! And super-duper cheap! I love it!Well, I did it! I pulled off my first and LAST (knock on wood!) Ward Christmas Party last night, and boy does it feel GOOD! Now even though I have a million half-finished Christmas projects to still complete I feel such a weight off my shoulders. I feel like I can actually start enjoying the season now that that's out of the way. I couldn't have pulled it off without some serious help from Dean (really, he was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I was looking at him the other day thinking how grateful I am that he's mine or I might be in trouble for coveting someone else's husband! Ha!) and my amazing in-laws who took care of the kiddos last night while Dean and I were running around like crazy trying to make sure everything ran smoothly. We had fun and had a decent turnout. We had TONS of food...ok maybe TOO much food, but we weren't complaining! And we topped it all off with an appearance from the Big Man in Red...
Tanner's had an issue with Santa this year and says he's scared of him and doesn't want him to come to our house, even if that means no presents. But he decided it's not scary to stand by Santa, just to sit on his lap, so we pulled off a picture anyway! Then today on the way to church he said, "Mom, Santa is a pretty nice guy!" So who knows, maybe we're over our fear! I also asked Tanner what he asked Santa to bring him and he said, "Coal!" That should be easy enough! ;) I think Dean's teased him a bit too much this year about what he'll be getting from Santa.
I also got a little crazy and decided to hand-make 50 frames for centerpieces/favors for everyone to take home from the party.
I'll admit, not one of my brightest ideas. Don't get me wrong I thought the idea was genius, but after millions of hours painting, mod podging, sanding and mod podging again, I decided it was NOT worth the effort! (Dean told me that long before I got that far into it.) But they turned out cute and it's over and done now. I was inspired by this and thought of framing a nativity picture with a tag that said, "God be thanked for the matchless gift of His Divine Son"(-the Living Christ). I wanted to make sure and focus on the greatest gift we've ever been given, our Savior Jesus Christ!
Anyway, I'm breathing a sigh of relief today and trying to re-claim my house/life. Hope you're all enjoying your holiday season as well!
We're pretty lucky to live right down the street from Tanner's great-grandparents. Everyday we get a special delivery of the newspaper from PapPap, with all the articles of interest highlighted and everything! But today there was an extra special something with it...
Tanner and Landon (well Dean and I too!) have been sick for the last week or so. Grandma thought this might help! ;) Thanks Grandma and PapPap! Tanner LOVES the card...he thinks it's his "Birthday" card, so you may be off the hook in February! Ha!
One of the best parts about living far away from my family is getting packages in the mail! The other day we got a surprise package from my parents and the kids were thrilled to open their first Christmas presents of the season. (Yes, we did get to open them right away...you'll understand why in a minute!)
Wednesday, the first day of December, we had our first real snow of the year! I'll admit I was every bit as excited about it as Tanner was. We hurried and ate breakfast, bundled up and headed out to play. The snow was PERFECT for playing in and making snowmen. Something about snow just makes the Christmas Season come alive. It was Landon's first snow experience and he did ok. I think he wasn't quite sure what to think. We had fun and it was a great way to ring in the start of the Christmas season. We just wish Dad could have been there too!
For Thanksgiving we drove 14 hours to Kansas City, MO for a Furin Family Reunion. All of Grandma and PapPap's descendants were there except for Braden who's on a mission (and we had a cardboard cutout of him, so it was almost like he was there!). It was an awesome week and it was so fun to see all of Dean's cousins, and Aunt Kathy and Uncle Mark. We got in late Wednesday night and then spent Thursday at Liberty Jail and the Visitor's Center at Independence. It was fun having the place to ourselves because no one else was there on Thanksgiving (except for the missionaries of course!). Friday we had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner and then spent the evening playing "Minute to Win It" games with everyone. It was SO fun! Saturday we just relaxed and enjoyed the day together. The kids all played on the playground and that night we went to a local outlet mall and the kids got to see Santa. Sadly, Tanner was a little sick and wanted nothing to do with him so we didn't get a picture. But he did write a letter to Santa and made an ornament and reindeer snacks. So we'll count it as a successful evening. We sure wish we could see more of everyone, but we're grateful for the time we had together and for all of Mark and Kathy's efforts to make this happen. We love you guys!
think they're in charge around here, but really we all know the boys call the shots. Dean's the cyber school coordinator at the high school and has made himself indispensable as the go-to tech guy as well. Andrea loves being a stay-at-home mom, hanging with Keaton all day. She does her best to keep up with the boys and is Activity Days Leader at Church. She volunteers with the PTA and blogs in her "spare time."
is nearly 18 and is halfway through his freshman year at BYU. He's pursuing a degree in Chemistry but changes his mind often. He has pet snails in his dorm and is working on a podcast in his spare time. He also loves to cook and is enjoying his independence.
is 15 and in 10th grade. He plays the trumpet and piano and participates in the school musical every year. He can't wait to turn 16 and learn to drive and is enjoying being the oldest now that Tanner's away at school.
is 13 and in the 8th grade. He plays saxophone in the school band and continues to take piano lessons. He rocks the school musicals, plays on the boys soccer team, serves with NJHS, and a million other clubs. His mischievous smile keeps us all on our toes, and he is best known for his scavenging skills, bringing home all sorts of "treasures" he finds at school.
is a big 10 year old and rocking the 4th grade. He's the lone Nelson at the elementary, but handles that like a champ. He plays piano and is always talking our ears off. He's smart as a whip and loves playing soccer.
is almost 3 and absolutely full of energy. He loves music and sings all day long. He is smart as a whip and has an impeccable memory. He's adored by his big brothers and gets into EVERYTHING.