Christmas Shopping

So it's we only have 15 days left until Christmas! I would like to say that I am done with the shopping but I have barely gotten started. Every year I say that I am going to start early and avoid all of the madness, but it just doesn't happen. I have bought some clothes for the kids but that's about it. So this weekend I am going to have to get to work and wrap the things that I have already bought. I'm kind of excited about it but I think the reason that I haven't gotten much done is because I am so unmotivated to do it and the funds are lacking this year. I just hope it turns out OK and our kids have a great Christmas! So send lots of prayers for me that I get it all done, QUICKLY!

Gracie had her Christmas program at school this week and she was a sheep. She was SO cute! She stood up there, and like all kids do, she was looking for us. I stood up so she could see where we were and she smiled from ear to ear the rest of the time. She sang all of the songs and I was SO proud of her! The twins have their first school dance tonight and Brent has volunteered to DJ it. The girls are really excited about it. They are excited about the dance itself, but I think they are more excited that their Dad is going to be the DJ. They have been trying to learn line dances on TV (we have On Demand and they can just bring them up and learn them step by step and then dance with just the music). Gabby was kind of funny about it. We were trying to do the Cupid Shuffle and she doesn't like the kicking part and she was about ready to give up, but I think she's got it now. I will have to get Brent to take some photos of them if he can and post them later. I am hoping they have a great time!!

Well, that's all the news I have for now. Hopefully I will post again soon. I wish all of you the best this Holiday Season! Let's not forget the reason for the season!!!

Love to all!!

New Blog

Well, here we are again...I have not blogged since Feb and thought that I should get back to it. I LOVE reading my sister's blog (Loren or Sissy, as I and the kids call her) and was catching up on hers today and thought, I should do mine too. So here you go...had to create a new one though, couldn't log onto the old one for some reason.

Lots of things have happened since Feb. Brent's family came down from Michigan in July and we all had a really great time. Brent misses them SO much (as would I if it were my family) and I know they were all glad to see one another. It was a great visit and we got lots of great family photos at the beach...the one at the top (left) is all 7 of our kids and Monica's (Brent's sister) 4 boys too. Brent's Mom cried when she saw all the kids sitting on the couch together playing there DS's. She said she thought we would never all be in one place at one time and she was just overcome by happiness. She's so sweet!

The business has taken off lately and it's taking a lot more of my time then it used to, but I love it. I am hoping that one day, it will be my primary job and I'll actually get paid for it then. LOL But patience is key when running a business, as Brent, Lee and I are learning all too well. We have met some of the best friends that anyone could ask for through this and I'm excited for it to prosper!

The kids are doing well. Ethan is testing for the gifted program and Ally made it into the advanced art class. Gabby, our little artist, did not make it though and is pretty bummed about it. She will be OK though, she has patrols and Brent told her maybe they needed her there more than in the art class, and she was happy with that. LOL Brent's a good Daddy. Jordan was in the hospital last month for an injury to his foot. He had to be there for 5 days and I was SO impressed by him. He wanted to go home, and you could tell, but he was such a trooper! I really enjoyed having the just Mommy and Jordan time, like the old days too (not that I don't love all of the other kids too). We colored and watched movies and just hung out. It was so great, even though he had to be in the hospital. Gracie is doing well too. She is loving going to school everyday now and she is learning so much. Every week when she starts a new week, it's a new letter of the alphabet and so we play the Mommy and Gracie game of "What starts with _" She cracks me up when I tell her some of the words. The other day the letter was K and she said kite and kitten and then she said, "Mommy, what else starts with K?" I told her, kitchen. All loud and excited she said, "I didn't even know that!" and immediately had to run and tell George that kitchen started with K. It was so cute.

Allana and Lee are living with us now. It's definitely a full house, but I really enjoy being able to spend so much time with Lilly and Landon! They are the funniest. Lilly's newest thing is to give you a hug and tiss (she doesn't say kiss) and then she says, "Kristen, you're the best Kristen in the whole, whole whole world, I ever seen!" It's so cute. I put the Christmas Tree up the other day while she was taking a nap and then I had to run to the store, so when I she got up and came out the tree was all lit up. Brent said her eyes lit up and then she looked at him and said, "Who did Christmas?" I love her! Landon is getting so big, so fast and way too smart for his own good too. LOL "What cha doin?" is his absolute favorite question, followed by "What's that?" but what 2 year old do you know that doesn't ask those questions a hundred million times a day. I love him!

Well...I'm sure there's a lot that I am forgetting, but I will update some more later. Love you guys.