Christmas 2017

This Christmas season wasn't our best. 

About 2 weeks before Christmas everyone began having their own turn being sick. Like throwing up, diarrhea, fever's and the such. It lasted 2-3 days for each individual. Even Kory stayed home from work one day in bed! That has never happened in our 17 years of marriage.  It wasn't fun! I was the last to get it. It hit me during the night of December 23rd. Christmas Eve I was still suffering pretty bad. I had plans and most of those plans didn't happen......  

I did already have everything we needed for our gram cracker nativity scenes but never got a picture of the finished products.  

My kiddo's did get to open their one present on Christmas Eve but I never did take a picture of them in their new ones. The kids didn't pose as siblings, didn't stand on their heads, didn't play the stick game. Instead Kory turned on the X Box and everyone played Pac Man, Dig Dug, and other oldies he and I played as kids. I was so, so sick I let them at it and put myself to bed, hoping that Santa Clause would make it!

Christmas morning came pretty fast. We had told the kids the night before that they needed to stay in bed until 6am. Here they are up and ready! 

As my kids are getting bigger, gifts are getting harder. We have never done a lot of electronics in our family. The kids don't have phones or ipads. When our kids turn 12 they get an ipod but that's it. It's up to them to replace it or up grade it. This year seemed to be a bit harder than most. We still continue to do the 3/4 gifts per child each year. Everything else comes from siblings, grandparents and friends. 

Santa brought Hunter a RC car and left a book in his stocking. Mom and Dad gave him an electric guitar with amp, a new sleeping bag for all of his scout camps, the Maze Runner series and a Nike jacket. The rest came from siblings.  

Santa brought Madelyn a globe that she has been asking for along with the book Wonder in her stocking. Mom and dad gave her new black/brown boots, a new outfit, a US map to hang on her bedroom wall and a boogie board. 

Santa brought Emily a Magna Doodle board and a book. Mom and Dad gave her new boots, a new outfit, and a string art kit and a chocolate pen to decorate her cupcakes with. Her siblings bought her a fingernail polish kit and then put together a rock kit. Her rock kit consisted of smooth rocks the kids have been collecting along with craft paint and brushes. She paints them and then leaves them for other to find. She loves it!

These older kids of mine can be so hard but they all seemed to enjoy their gifts. I miss it when they were little and so easy to know what they would like!

Santa was good to this young man. He brought him an RC car just like Hunter. These boys are going to have a great time with them. Mom and Dad gave him a case of hex a bugs, a butterfly kit to watch a butterfly grow, a package of Zoob builders (similar to legos) and a new outfit. His older brother and sisters spoiled him!

Miss Kylie must have been pretty good this year. Santa brought her a purple Suprise Puppy. Her momma dog came with 3 puppies inside. She was so thrilled. Kylie was also left a new book in her stocking. Mom and Dad gave her a new doll with several fun accessories for her. We also gave her a new outfit, and a puzzle. Once again her older siblings spoiled her too!

Mom was feeling better this day but definitely not her normal self!

After lunch we took the family to the Goodfellows to play with the boys RC cars on the track. There were a total of 4 families playing with the new RC cars received for Christmas. 

Lots of fun!

Despite this momma being sick we had a great day!