ashleyannphotography.com

Green Country (the area of the state I live in) was under a blizzard warning on Christmas Eve…the 3rd blizzard warning in recorded state history. All that wind and snow meant we’d have to dig out winter garb to go outside. I used to like the snow, but now trying to get so many little kids bundled up only to have them last a few minutes outside – well, it just doesn’t seem worth it. I might like it again when they can dress themselves. We’ll see. Nonetheless, we had our snow and our fun 10 minutes (then the tears started from snow in the face). Now it can melt and not come back until next winter. I miss you summer.

Once dressed he couldn’t move and just fell backwards….all the padding kept him from hurting himself.

See…he kind of thought it was funny.

I know it looks like the greatest day…a white Christmas. However, the fun was so short lived and we had chicken tacos at home instead of turkey at Nana’s. Are you tired of me complaining? I’ll stop now. They do look pretty cute in that beautiful snow.

I understand. I understand. Let’s go in. You can have some hot chocolate and I’ll have a caramel latte.

Oh, so you like it now that you realize you can eat it? I love you.

Here’s some marshmallows…and a side of hot chocolate.

Then a few days later it warmed up a bit and I admit to having nearly 30 minutes of fun outside with only one little boy crying due to snow in his face. I won major “coolest mom” ever points with the older boys when I single handedly built a rather large snow fort. My body will be paying me back in the days to come.

I was ready to get the house back to normal and the pretty much dead Christmas tree out the door. I would have just thrown it on the side of the house, but Chris and the boys had other plans.

Google Reader does not pick up this blog…don’t subscribe

Well we sure had our white Christmas. The snow and ice were fun for about 5 minutes.  The large amounts of time together as a family made up for the craziness outside. If you are wondering about all the mattresses in the living room…well every Christmas Eve Eve we all sleep under the Christmas tree (got that idea from our friend Mary). The boys basically wrestle all night. I am pretty sure Christmas Eve Eve living room wrestling matches will be a big part of their childhood Christmas memories.

Here’s a few peeks at our Christmas (no crazy ice will keep my dad from grilling the Christmas ham):

I do want to point out one of Baby Sister’s Christmas presents. 3 of her cousins (girls 9, 11, 11) worked together to make her this hat. So thoughtful of them and I am pretty impressed by it. Thanks girls!

On Christmas Eve blizzard conditions hit our state. I left my parent’s and headed home with the kids. Chris headed to the church for our Christmas Eve service. After the service ended he called to say he was headed home. At this point it was dark out, windy and snowing hard. About 5 minutes later he called to say he slid off the road, was stuck and the tow company said due to the weather it would be at least 8 hours before they could help him. (Both of our cars decided to stop working last week, he was in my grandparent’s SUV and I was left without a way to get to him). Did I mention this was Christmas Eve? He hung up in order to save his phone battery and I gathered the boys. We prayed and asked God for someone to be kind enough to stop and help daddy get home. Fifteen minutes later the phone rang again. “Jim” saw Chris stranded, pulled his truck over, unwrapped a brand new tow cable and helped Chris get back on the road. I told the boys what happened and Biggest Brother exclaimed, “God answered our prayer! He sent an angel named Jim!” So to Jim and his family – thank you for getting out in a blizzard to help my guy get home. Thanks for being a little late to celebrate the evening with your family, so that my family could be together. Thank you Jim.

A highlight of my day during December is checking the mailbox for Christmas cards. I love that so many people are doing cards with photographs on them. It is always so fun to see how families grow and change. We put all the cards on our living room chalkboard. Yes, there are only 3 stockings (mine & Chris’ are on the fireplace). Every time I found one for Baby Sister (online), it would end up being sold out.  Inspired by these stockings on MADE, I think I am going to make one out of a sweater and tatting. That won’t happen before Christmas…she won’t know the difference.

The chalkboard is full of cards from this year and old pictures from winter’s past…and 4 large SUMMER pictures of my kids. I keep thinking I should replace those shirtless outside pics for something more winterish. However, I am not a fan of winter and those pictures remind me for every dreary, cold winter there is a hot and splashing fun summer.

Chris got a card from Dave Ramsey this year. I added it to our chalkboard it makes me laugh each time I pass it because you know we are so tight with the Ramseys. Oh no! I forgot to send them ours! I am sure they are checking their mailbox daily in anticipation for it to arrive.

And here’s our card:

I thought I was being clever with the globes and strung lights for “Light of the World” (another name for Jesus)…however, several friends didn’t get it and said, “Oh, that’s fun you took pictures with your globes.” I’m not as clever as I think at times!

As I am writing this I noticed “Indiana Jones” is spelled as “Indian Jones”. YIKES! Just checked a real card and it was right there…I must have messed it up when saving it for the web.

Before you pack away or throw away this year’s Christmas cards I thought I’d share a few ways to re-purpose them…

*For photo cards, turn them into a Kid’s Prayer Journal

*Make a Circle Garland from CraftStylish

*Cut apart the cards to use as tags for gifts next year

*Make clothespin magnets or scrap paper magnets to give away next year

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas…see you next week!

Google Reader does not pick up this blog…so don’t subscribe!

I am gearing up to enjoy a wonderful week with family and I hope you are too. Last year I posted a few tips for present opening pictures (you can read it here).  Part of that post focused on really being IN THE MOMENT with your friends and family. It is so easy for me to spend an entire evening behind the camera capturing it instead of living in it. I’m trying hard to set my camera down this week.

Here are a few glimpses of some of what has been going on around here (no hospitals stays included!):

Salt dough ornaments

Christmas Performances

He focused on me the whole time – made my heart smile.

He even looked at me while he picked his nose. That didn’t make my heart smile.

I bought supplies to make gingerbread houses (out of graham crackers). I envisioned 3 cute little houses. The boys were all working on their own and I stepped out of the room. I came back to find that the Teddy Graham Bears looked all crazy. I asked what happened and got this response from the older 2 boys, ” There was a war. Some bears lost their legs. These bears fell on the roof and landed on their heads. This guy stepped on a bomb and lost his arm.” So much for the cute little houses I dreamed of. After all, “there was a war.”

Another Christmas Performance. He was the Angel Gabriel and had a little solo. This is just before he started to sing…he was a little giddy. I realized about 30 minutes before we left the house that he didn’t have any type of “Christmas-y” outfit or clothes. I was WAY BEHIND on laundry and the only non t-shirt he had was the white oxford he wore to school that day. So I figured that was fine…until he ate a green Skittle off his gingerbread house. That tiny little Skittle left a long drool mark all down his white oxford. So, what is a mom to do with a performance starting soon and 4 kids to get ready by herself? Throw a t-shirt over the Skittle covered white oxford – that’s what she does. And when her sister leans over during the performance and says, “Nice Christmas outfit Ashley”. She smiles and says, “I think he looks pretty cute.”

Pure Delight.

My favorite decoration – Baby Jesus asleep in the hay. Made by Biggest Brother when he was 2.

He is crazy about her.

She got some new shoes. You’ll be seeing more of these soon…I am working on some pictures for Gracious May. They are the cutest little things ever.

Army Men pj pants. Shirtless. Cowboy hat. Cute toes. My boy.

Hope you are enjoying your week!

Google Reader does not pick up this blog…don’t subscribe!

Photos taken with an iPhone and P&S camera:

We started off our Christmas Break with a little hospital stay…Littlest Brother had to have a minor surgery. Waking up from general anesthesia he was IRRATE. Throwing stuffed animals and screaming – not fun. Can I just say I love doctors and nurses, but I hate hospitals. I hated seeing him in that little gown and hooked up to stuff. Hated it. It’s over. I’m grateful for a strong, healthy boy.

Our room in the Children’s Hospital was big and sunny and nice. But I still hate hospitals. Little guy here hated his IV and oxygen monitor. He kept trying to rip it out and would cry “All done. All done.” I love nurses and doctors. I hate hospitals.

The big boys stayed with Nana. Baby sister stayed in a hospital drawer. I’m not kidding.

I can add this to the list of random places my children have slept. During the course of our stay a sweet family came to visit all the kids at the hospital…bearing Christmas gifts. They were so kind and engaging to Littlest Brother. I was embarrassed when they looked over and saw my daughter sleeping in a drawer. Oh well, you do what you gotta do to get kids to sleep – at least Chris and I do.

Our gloomy, grumpy, sad little boy transformed when his big brothers came to visit. He was sitting on the couch eating ice when they walked through the door. He climbed down, ran to Biggest Brother, threw his arms around him in a big hug and wouldn’t let go. Eventually he let go and started running around the room and trying to wrestle with them. Here he is trying to do a somersault with Biggest Brother. It was an incredible moment to see the change in him that his big brothers caused. Nothing like it.

Thank you to all our friends and family who prayed for us and checked in on us during our short stay at the hospital. We are so grateful.

Google Reader does not pick up my blog…don’t subscribe to this feed!