Love the Grammy Jammy tradition!

The kids were all excited, as they are every Christmas Eve, to open their new Grammy Jammies. It was fun to watch the baby open hers, she wasn't quite sure what to do. She enjoyed all the attention but didn't like getting changed.

So cute and cuddly!

 We actually started without Kevin, he wasn't home yet, but the baby needed to go to bed. After she was dressed in hers, we changed her diaper, gave her a bottle and put her to bed. Then Daddy was home for the rest of them.

Most of our cute kids with their new, warm jammies!

Camdilyn - ducks
Harmonie - butterflies
Domonique - owls
Kemiah - Dora the Explorer
Xiomara - flowers
Emily - dots
Marissa - colors
Ben - sport balls

What fun!

First ginger bread house in our Michigan house.

It has been something I have wanted to do but never done it. We did it once before, when we had fewer kids, and while we were visiting Massachusetts. Our Home Teacher gave us a kit so we decided to do it as a Family Home Evening activity. Each child got a piece of gingerbread and some candy. I came around with the frosting and put it where they wanted it. They had so much fun. It went great, until we decided to put the pieces together. They wouldn't stay put very long so we took pictures and called the kids back to the table to eat their creation. Some were sad and some were excited! I bet it tasted better fresh rather than having it sit out and get crusty. OH well. It was fun!

Marissa had a roof.

Ben had a front or back.

Domonique had a side.

Kemiah had a side.

Emily had a roof.

Harmonie had the person, snowman, and a tree.

Xiomara had the other front or back.

Camdilyn enjoyed watching and eating Smarties.

It is the little things

We were sitting at the dinner table, finishing up, when Domonique asks the strangest question, "Is the Kirby vacuum guy going to come back?" Why would she think about that during dinner? How often does she think about him, and wonder if he'll come back? He was lots of fun and the kids really enjoyed his presentation - twice. It is one of those things that I don't think about at all but she does.

Votes are in...

Kevin picked up the pig meat today and we thawed some sliced ham to see how it was. Everyone agreed it was very good. Some even said it was better tasting than store bought! In the next week we will have some pork loin, bacon, and the big ham. We'll keep you posted on the taste - although I'm sure we will be pleased. The only issue was that we didn't specify with the sausage.... it all came as just ground sausage instead of links. Bummer.

Ham and bacon

Spare ribs, organs

Sweet and mild sausage

Shoulder roast

Pork loin Roast

Pure awesomeness!

Marissa was helping Kemiah with some school stuff. I hear them talking about silent consonants. Kemiah comes to Marissa saying, "I know one, boat." Marissa explains that it has a silent vowel not consonant. Kemiah keeps thinking. "Oh, I know, wrought!" Marissa was a little confused, so Kemiah said, "You know, wrought, in the scriptures."

I thought that was awesome! I was coming up with all sorts of words in my own mind but that did not come to me.

Nativity

Every year I try to acquire a new nativity scene. this year I made it. I made salt dough clay for the kids and ended up using some. The kids all painted their stuff but I was having a hard time thinking about painting mine. Not that I don't enjoy painting, it is fun, but I couldn't get a good feeling for this project. Then it came to me. Leave it the way it is. I found a piece of bark down in the basement and glued the pieces in place. I really like it.

And since I'm sharing salt dough creations, I might as well show you what the kids came up with.
Ben made this one for his Sunday School teaching.

Marissa made this one, but she hasn't told us who it is for yet.

Emily made her nativity for her Sunday School teacher, too.

Here are some of Marissa's other creations.
A howling wolf for Grandpa Nichols.

A penguin for Grandma Nichols.

A snowman for her Sunday School teacher.

Here are some of Ben's other creations.

A howling wolf for Grandpa Nichols.

A sliding penguin for Grandma Nichols.

All the other girls made some too, I just haven't taken pictures of them. They were mostly cut outs - bells, trees, candy canes, holly leaves, angels, and gingerbread men - and then painted.

It is so fun to watch them create and this dough was awesome. You did have to make sure to seal the seams or they pulled apart in the drying process. Some heads came off, or other parts, but we glued them back on. To create is so fun!

A little funny.

Going around the circle at evening prayer, Dad asks D, "what are you thankful for?"
D says, "Mom who is nice, Dad who is funny."
We all smile and Dad says something about him being funny.
Then D pipes up again, "Dad is funny, and Mom is nice and a little funny."
I think we all laughed at that point.
Thank you Domonique for notice my unique qualities!

They are gone.

The time has come, and our pigs have reached that weight range which means they are no longer roaming free in our backyard. Kevin built a fence on the trailer and backed it up to the pig yard. He put the ramp down and "fenced" it in so the pigs could go on if they wanted. We had no idea what it would take to get the pigs to cross the line where the electric fence wire had been so we hoped for the best. We put corn cobs from the farmer's field behind us (which he had just harvested) and put the corn on the trailer. It was early and we had time because we didn't need to get the pigs to the butcher until the 11th, and this was the 6th. The kids enjoyed one last romp with the pigs.

Fortunately, we have great pigs! They got onto the trailer all on their own and had no issues. Monday, the 8th, when Kevin came home from work he stopped by to check on the pigs. Both of them were in the trailer so he went ahead and closed it up. They were ready to go. He moved them to a little different location with the van, hooked up their water hose and gave them food. He got an old tarp and covered them because it had started to flurry.

The pigs spent the next few days on the trailer, getting treats from us and water from their hose. Thursday, Kevin was able to come home for a bit in the afternoon so he could drive the van and trailer to the butcher. I went with him because we weren't sure how the unloading would go. He backed up the trailer to the butcher's place and the ramp got caught on a bolt so it wouldn't go all the way down to the ground. Wilbur was ready to get off and he just went right down. Babe was a little more unsure and took some talking to. Eventually they both went down and into the building. What good little pigs.

Today is the day. They are no longer with us but we will always remember Babe and Wilbur.