On Sunday, Jason and I read
this talk by President Monson--it really helped me love getting ready for Christmas even more--to focus on the good things and not feel so overwhelmed.
The first real snow (power outage, icy roads = snow day!) - brothers who take care of each other and play together (only a few fights every once in awhile) - fun back yard with slippery rocks - cozy sweaters - icy tree twigs - big brothers who keep a careful watch on Sarah (she only gets into trouble when I'm in charge and get distracted) my collection of Christmas music (classics!) - christmas cards hanging on our back door) - paper chain (13 days!)
Christmas to-do list (almost all checked) - get out the rakes and grab a shovel - snow forts - shoveling the driveway - even better, looking out the window and seeing our friend shovel our driveway (thanks!) - service (to me and to others==people are amazing) - delivered treats - making treats with fun friends - wrapping teachers' gifts - chocolate (lots!) - mailing packages - singing Christmas songs
Buying our first little Christmas dress - "Cozy Tuesdays" (Jordan's teacher lets the kids bring a blanket and stuffy to school for individual reading time. They cuddle and read.) - Soft, brown blanket we bought for cozy Tuesdays (Sarah's in love with it. It's hard to send it to school with Jordan. Need 2) - Sarah's cold chubby hands on my face (our house is freezing all the time. I can double her layers on her little legs and arms. But her hands...her hands are always cold) - new flannel sheets for the kids' beds - hot chocolate and candy canes - impromtu family night with the Arnold's
Christmas crafts - family coloring night (Carter put this on our to-do list. We all sat and colored Christmas pictures for a couple of hours last night. Most therapuetic thing I've done in a long time. Jason's reindeer was exquisite.) - Gingerbread houses (uh em...graham cracker...and no, mom, I didn't end up using the glue gun!) - Tyler's cub scout candle - remembering New Years' Eve - talking about Christmas memories - smelling cinammon - hanging stockings - reading scriptures
walking. walking. walking. - growing up - so proud of herself - just a few more weeks until her first birthday - practicing "blow out the candle" - stealing candy canes from her brothers - loving daddy - waiting for dad to come home from work to show him all the jobs are done - shopping with dad at the book store - watching movies (thanks for the romantic movie the other night--Ironman. hmm...) waiting for school to get out - shopping and baking for class parties
decorating our tree - choosing a tree (is it possible to not find a tree in a New England Tree farm?) - how long did it take to get it to stand straight - smell of pine - don't even mind cleaning up the needles - is there still pitch on your hands? - how many ornaments do you want on that branch, Carter? - the kids were so helpful this year (Carter stuck right by my side until every last light was on the tree!)
hanging ornaments - can't wait for Santa - "Mom, my list is 3 pages long. Be sure you don't lose the any of it" - Love that my boys are extra well-behaved in December (Santa is coming) - why is "mom kiss dad" at the top of this Christmas to-do list? ("Mom, this is a big list--you might get busy and forget to do that!")
kind, loving little boy (he's my big helper all day...every day!) - Carter could play outside in even the deepest, piercing cold - playing the computer - practicing letters - drawing Christmas cards - eating mac-n-cheese and hot chocolate - hugging Sarah - doing homework in bed with mom in the morning (Jordan does his daily reading with me in the morning at 5:45--I love to hear his little voice while he is cuddled next to me. He's still at that reading level where I can fall asleep and still be alert enough to help him with the words he gets stuck on.) - mittens by the fire
Just trying to stay on our feet and be happy through the holidays.....
By the end of the day we just long for a soft warm place to lay down......
and we find one..(Sarah loves to find soft things and give them a hug!)
On Sunday, Jason and I read this talk by President Monson--it really helped me love getting ready for Christmas even more--to focus on the good things and not feel so overwhelmed.
The first real snow (power outage, icy roads = snow day!) - brothers who take care of each other and play together (only a few fights every once in awhile) - fun back yard with slippery rocks - cozy sweaters - icy tree twigs - big brothers who keep a careful watch on Sarah (she only gets into trouble when I'm in charge and get distracted) my collection of Christmas music (classics!) - christmas cards hanging on our back door) - paper chain (13 days!)
Christmas to-do list (almost all checked) - get out the rakes and grab a shovel - snow forts - shoveling the driveway - even better, looking out the window and seeing our friend shovel our driveway (thanks!) - service (to me and to others==people are amazing) - delivered treats - making treats with fun friends - wrapping teachers' gifts - chocolate (lots!) - mailing packages - singing Christmas songs
Buying our first little Christmas dress - "Cozy Tuesdays" (Jordan's teacher lets the kids bring a blanket and stuffy to school for individual reading time. They cuddle and read.) - Soft, brown blanket we bought for cozy Tuesdays (Sarah's in love with it. It's hard to send it to school with Jordan. Need 2) - Sarah's cold chubby hands on my face (our house is freezing all the time. I can double her layers on her little legs and arms. But her hands...her hands are always cold) - new flannel sheets for the kids' beds - hot chocolate and candy canes - impromtu family night with the Arnold's
Christmas crafts - family coloring night (Carter put this on our to-do list. We all sat and colored Christmas pictures for a couple of hours last night. Most therapuetic thing I've done in a long time. Jason's reindeer was exquisite.) - Gingerbread houses (uh em...graham cracker...and no, mom, I didn't end up using the glue gun!) - Tyler's cub scout candle - remembering New Years' Eve - talking about Christmas memories - smelling cinammon - hanging stockings - reading scriptures
walking. walking. walking. - growing up - so proud of herself - just a few more weeks until her first birthday - practicing "blow out the candle" - stealing candy canes from her brothers - loving daddy - waiting for dad to come home from work to show him all the jobs are done - shopping with dad at the book store - watching movies (thanks for the romantic movie the other night--Ironman. hmm...) waiting for school to get out - shopping and baking for class parties
decorating our tree - choosing a tree (is it possible to not find a tree in a New England Tree farm?) - how long did it take to get it to stand straight - smell of pine - don't even mind cleaning up the needles - is there still pitch on your hands? - how many ornaments do you want on that branch, Carter? - the kids were so helpful this year (Carter stuck right by my side until every last light was on the tree!)
hanging ornaments - can't wait for Santa - "Mom, my list is 3 pages long. Be sure you don't lose the any of it" - Love that my boys are extra well-behaved in December (Santa is coming) - why is "mom kiss dad" at the top of this Christmas to-do list? ("Mom, this is a big list--you might get busy and forget to do that!")
kind, loving little boy (he's my big helper all day...every day!) - Carter could play outside in even the deepest, piercing cold - playing the computer - practicing letters - drawing Christmas cards - eating mac-n-cheese and hot chocolate - hugging Sarah - doing homework in bed with mom in the morning (Jordan does his daily reading with me in the morning at 5:45--I love to hear his little voice while he is cuddled next to me. He's still at that reading level where I can fall asleep and still be alert enough to help him with the words he gets stuck on.) - mittens by the fire
Just trying to stay on our feet and be happy through the holidays.....
By the end of the day we just long for a soft warm place to lay down......
and we find one..(Sarah loves to find soft things and give them a hug!)
10 comments:
This post is SO very cute! I love a ll the cute pics of the kids and the "kiss dad"part made me laugh. Miss you and love you all.
Your kids are darling. Did you survive that ice storm the other day? We hope that you have a great Christmas.
Oh my goodness! You guys really have fit in just about everything you can do in one winter/Christmas season! Never a dull moment at the Kemp house! Darling first girly dress! It's so fun to atleast have one to dress all frilly I think!
Ok, I nearly cried! (i do cry a lot lately, though, haha) Those pics/stories are SO sweet - you really have a sweet, beautiful family.
I *loved* this post, Steph! (And not just because I was laughing in delight at Jordan's "harmonica" comment - thank you for that. Too awesome. :D ) The pictures were fantastic, and the stream of consciousness narrative, I could almost *feel* the hurry and scurry and SO MANY THINGS TO DO. Adored the picture of Sarah in her Christmas dress, looking regally solemn (thereby living up to the meaning of her name! - "princess"). Loved seeing Tyler, Jordan, and Carter, sooo much bigger than I remember. Love that they were reminding mom to kiss dad. Heh. Just...oh, happy, happy post! Hope you're managing through the weather/roads...read the articles last night and was shivering in sympathy. **lots of hugs**
My favorite parts of this post - the feel of Christmas tree sap on little hands and the romantic Iron Man. Thank you for painting such a beautiful Christmas scene. It was wonderful to talk to you yesterday.
Perfect! Merry Christmas, and thanks for the fun post!
i love all your cute pics, especially the ones in the snow, you guys belong on a normal rockwell card :)
Stephanie, you have such cute kids and your blog I enjoyed. Hope Jason's not too busy. Don't you LOVE dressing girls.
Could those kids be any cuter? Even Cameron mentioned that when we got your card. I loved the comment about how Sarah only gets in trouble when you're in charge - Paige told me today that Hannah shouldn't crawl on something for fear she will fall over something else. My response? "oh, that makes sense. Ok." Who's in charge here?
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