Lea's Day-Lea's, Week 52

Wrapping up 2014

Day 358, Wednesday, December 24th

Christmas Eve

Day 359, Thursday, December 25th

Christmas Morning

Day 360, Friday, December 26th

We had a full garbage already so Dave, Logan, and Ry burned our boxes.

Day 361, Saturday, December 27th

Ry got an archeological digging set and they got to work digging up the mummy.

Day 362, Sunday, December 28th

Watching another holiday movie with mom.

(and eating something healthy for the first time in days)

Day 363, Monday, December 29th

Woke up to a little snow this morning.

When they got cold they came in to work on these...

Nailed it!!

Truly one of the funniest memories of the year. 

The kids got these clay cartoon characters to mold.

Ry:  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

Logan:  Purple Minion

Presley:  Yellow Minion

I wasn't expecting this when they told me they were done and to come take a look. 

Hilarious!!

(and Presley totally won)

Tuesday, December 30th

Dave took Logan and Ry up to Mission Ridge for the day. 

They picked up Riley on the way and Logan and Riley went off skiing together. 

Dave worked with Rylan. 

He did pretty good but he took one nasty fall. 

Ry was happy when he came home. 

Wednesday, December 31st

One last family picture before we headed out to dinner and a movie for New Year's Eve. 

Family Pictures 2014

MKC Photography did our professional pictures this year. 

We had two different sessions reserved for outdoor pictures and we were rained out both times. 

Finally, she said we'd better go to her studio and get them done or we would't get them back in time for Christmas cards. 

Logan (age 13)

Presley (age 11)

Rylan (age 7)

Harper (age 5)

The boys

The girls

Kid pics

She told Rylan and Harper they could jump on her couch at the end. 

They were very excited to do this. 

Our 2014 Christmas Card

Christmas Decorations

I thought I'd better do a post about how I decorated our house during Christmas time. 

It's changed a bit year to year, but these are most of the decorations for 2014.

On our front door I always hang a live wreath. 

Coming in the front door...

I had a few of the kids' projects framed last year. 

(Logan's handprints from 2004, age 3 1/2)

Grandma's village.

I kind of fell in love with reindeer this year.

The reindeer head was one of only two new things I bought this year. 

I used it's antlers to open packages.

Sadly, on the 24th I was opening one last package and his antler broke. 

We tried to glue him back together but it just wouldn't stick on. 

In the dining room. 

Ry's painting from kindergarten. 

Barb gave me these old ornaments.  I think they're from when Dave was a little boy. 

I love the antique, vintage-ish look to them so I display them in little spots around the house. 

That jar has more of those old time ornaments. 

Harper's mistle-toes from 2013 (age 4 1/2)

Logan and Presley's Santas from fourth grade. 

On the kitchen windowsill.

Presley made this snowflake on the last day of school before Christmas break. 

Our oven stopped working so our landlady bought a new one. 

Unfortunately, she didn't buy a flat range so this new one had the knobs up top and created this awful looking silver back that was always exposed. 

We told her, thinking she had forgot that the old one was flat, but she didn't choose to replace it. 

So Hobby Lobby made me a frame to cover that and Dave painted the glass with chalkboard paint. 

I change the little sayings every once in a while. 

The fireplace with the Little People Nativity set. 

The windowsill near where the tree was this year. 

A little side table with Ry's drawing of Buddy the Elf. 

The Christmas Light garland was the only other decoration I bought this year. 

Our coffee table.  I used fresh boughs I found at Fred Meyer.

The gold pinecone is Dave's first little Christmas decoration to me back in 1995. 

For years, we alternated years putting it in each others stocking until I finally got tired of figuring out whose year it was.  Now it just makes it way out in the decor every year. 

I'm excited about decorating the new house next year!!

Our Christmas To Do List

I love, love, love Christmas time.

I want to remember some of the fun things we do during the holiday season. 

We listen to lots of Christmas music.

We pick out a live Christmas tree that becomes our card tree...

I love this tree!!

The kids get an Advent Calendar candy each night. 

I can only put in candy one day at a time because Harper ate days ahead one year. 

We pick out a yearly ornament.

(I try to remember to put their name and year on it so they can have these when they get older)

We have an elf that moves each night.

This night Buddy made a nice and naughty list.

(Logan was on the naughty list)

We drink hot cocoa in our jammies and drive around to see Christmas lights. 

We watch lots of Christmas movies.

Always, always, always Christmas Vacation.

The kids go to Grandma and Papa Nelson's one afternoon and frosting sugar cookies. 

And this year we watched our house being built. 

On this day, Harper noticed the chimney (maybe because it was wrapped in white) 

and she said, "hey next year that's where Santa will go down".

Dad and Mom don't really exchange gifts. 

After shopping for the kids, the families, helping Grandma shop, helping Papa Berries shop, 

I'm done, like, put a fork in me done.

But occasionally dad will be out and see something that reminds him of me and just ask if I want it. 

We love to celebrate the season together.