Back to business!

Well, i took an unintentional break from blogging through the holidays as I was just too busy! I admire those that maintained their sites and still produced a wonderful holiday for their families!

We had a nice Christmas - better than last year. We really tried to keep things fairly simple this year, though the kids all got plenty. I didn't get all of my hand made items completed, but did get most of them done. Here's a rundown of gifts:

Matt: DVD player (ours broke a LONG time ago), 7" portable TV (so he can watch the game while in the kitchen)

Me: Matt got me a kitten - love her!

Jennifer: Portable DVD player with movie "Sarah's choice", a handmade notebook, Body Shop stuff, a dress, a sweatshirt fixed up with iron ons, handmade rice bag that is cinnamon scented.

Casey: an Ipod, $15 Itune gift card, homemade hair rollers, a sweatshirt customized with iron-ons, a Billabong sweatshirt, handmade rice bag that is cinnamon scented.

Sarah: I am quite proud of her gift - I took a 10 drawer "cropper hopper" and filled each drawer with something fun, educational, independent, and QUIET. Items included - Earth science cards with a handmade notebook, pen, and modeling clay to reproduce geography; a ''Disgusting Anatomy" kit on the heart, bead-making supplies, a DVD, a Leapfrog crammer (got for $14.99), and you get the idea. It was killing her because she only had 1 gift beside the tree! We wrapped each individual gift and put it in the drawers then covered the whole thing with a bike bag ($1 store)! It fits next to her bed perfectly, and has lots of good things in it. She also got a video cam/digital camera that I purchased for $40 over the summer.

Natasha: a tent, Leapfrog reader and several books, tinkerbell fairy dolls, handmade crayon roll, Melissa & Doug cookie set, an Usborne book "How big is a million?"

Arihana: a handmade cook top with pots and pans from plan toys, handmade fishing set, Leapfrog reader and several books, an Usborne book, a handmade crayon roll

I have to say this girls was completely uninterested in Christmas - she was enthralled with the kitten!

We had family over Christmas Eve for a stocking stuffer party and finger foods - that was fun, but Christmas Eve is hard as we all have so much to do. When I was a kid we had a stocking stuffer party every Christmas Eve at my Grandma's. I have such good memories of it and remember looking forward to it each year. My mom had several siblings and they all had at least 3 kids so there were cousins abounding! Our's was a smaller gathering, but I think the younger kids had fun.

Christmas Day I went to work at 3pm, Daddy and the kids had leftovers. I made a ham and all that goes with it the following day.

The week after Christmas, on New Year's Day, we met the rest of Matt's family at Knottsberry Farm for a weekend of fun! A treat from Grandpa and Grandma, each Christmas we go somewhere - at their expense. The kids will have such great memories and it's a special time.

We all left each other on Sunday, but we stayed an extra night at Grandpa & Grandma's so Matt and his Dad could look at their birds (they raise and show fancy pigeons). Grandma, the girls, and I went to Ontario Mills mall and had dinner at Rain Forest Cafe - a very cool place.

I hope to get back to regular, albeit of random content posting, this week - except on the days I work. The only things I do on those days are eat, sleep, love my kids, and work.

Hope everyone reading had a great Holiday!