Cabin Fever Christmas

i promise myself every year that i won't leave everything to the last minute for the holidays (that is, all my projects!!)...i am slowly learning that lesson year after year.  hmm... in the meantime, our december has been dry and cold, and we've been trapped in the house a good majority!

ben had lasik surgery at the beginning of the month. we both went in for jury duty.  mine was while ben was gone on a business trip to las vegas, and the chicken water froze up.  the nicest lady in my ward ended up being able to take the kids.  thank goodness i wasn't chosen!

i should be holiday baking with all the eggs! we had our first blue one last saturday.  get between 9 and 12 a day so far.  bentley's sold a few for his mission fund, but him and emerson have been under the weather.  double trapped in the house.  he had to miss a day and a half of his only days in school last week until january, the ward party, and church.  poor guy, he got the croop.  e is still working on molars and seems to have something else, but i can't figure out what.  i'm thinking it's those darn teeth just getting her down!

we hosted a holiday party and have had company over a bit. the little kids and i made gingerbread houses with our pre-school group.  shera ate them a few days later when i couldn't stand them laying around anymore!  bentley helps with the calves.  bridon does what bridon does.  he is infatuated with toy story 2 right now. 

my great idea to dip pretzels in chocolate and sprinkles for all the neighbors was good but not the greatest.  i didn't account for all the dripping into the sprinkles and it drying..or emerson putting the sprinkles up her nose.  it was fun for the boys though! :)  the christmas season is so wonderful.  i love the decorations and getting all the christmas cards...and we are getting so old, because i haven't seen so many of the people we exchange cards with for years now. that is crazy to say! on sunday, i was by myself for sac. meeting with the 2 younger kidlets.  afterwards, bro. harrison our former stake patriarch, said he enjoyed watching our family.  they were a bit rowdy, so i apologized if they distracted him and i could tell he was reminiscing. he said mine are growing up so quickly and it reminded him of his children when they were small (he is super old by the way).  it made me stop and think...again.  i just hope my kids can feel the special feeling of christmas, what it is really about, how we should really work to give and care for others all year long...and also the magic that will only be there for a few years believing in santa.  but mostly, helping them develop their own, strong testimony in the savior and all that he has given us.  happy holidays!