It's Christmas, it's Christmas...

We make the kids 

(and Zoe...what an obedient puppy)

wait at the top of the stairs 

so they can all go down 

and witness the magic that is Christmas

 together.

It's a bit torturous of us 

I know...

Our pictures are very lacking this year. 

See that deathly ill thing lying on the couch in the background?

That would be me.

I got through all the Christmas Eve festivities...

Caroling and the nativity

without a hitch. 

The children were nestled all snug in their beds

and I was finishing up some last minute wrapping.

When out of no where

 I was so rudely ambushed by the Grinch!

Headache, fever, nausea 

set in and I literally thought I was going to die!

I barely made it downstairs to see

the kids open presents Christmas morning.

Then my poor sweet husband 

had to get our kids dressed in their holiday best

 do the girls hair (a feat in itself)

prepare the dish we had to bring

finish wrapping the presents for the cousins

AND

drive up the snowy canyon

 to spend Christmas day with the family...

while I lay huddled on the bathroom floor

What a gem he is!

I think it is safe for me to say,

this was 

THE WORST CHRISTMAS EVER

(for my sickly self)

My kids still thought it was pretty great...

The Stockings Were Hung By The Chimney With Care...

(OK...so they're not by the chimney...)

We have a family tradition that Daddy reads 

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

to the children  

just before we tuck them into bed.

Then they all sleep together in the same room

(with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads)

Although I'm curious
 as to how much of the sleeping thing
 is really going on...

Merry Christmas to all...
and to all a good night!

Me and My Big Ideas...

To make a long story longer...


This is Smith. 

He is the last of five, our little caboose. 

Although Smith is 5, has started Kindie, and is a self-proclaimed big boy, 

he will irrevocably be our baby.

 Now with that title comes some pretty awesome perks! 

The biggest one being getting major aid in the “clean up your toys” effort.
(He is well aware of this perk)

As every mother of littles knows, the amount of accumulated toys verges on the side of ridiculous! 

Lego’s and trucks and blocks...oh my! 

About a week ago I was sitting in the epicenter of one of Smith’s tsunami’s

frantically making,  

“keep,” 

“thrift” 

and

 “to chuck” piles. 

Smith asked me WHY everything was in piles and instantaneously burst into tears as I explained their destinations. 

Unbeknownst to me...

those piles were apparently full of precious sentimental heirlooms

 that Smith was simply not willing to part with. 

Separation anxiety was in full effect! 

I’m pretty sure more than half of those toys

 had sadly taken residency under his bed

 or wedged behind his dresser

 for who even knows how long.

 Unfortunately for Smith,

 I’d been having one of those

 “I’m just an unpaid servant in this house” days. 

Out of no where that mean mom alien voice spewed from my mouth.

 I screeched about him having way too many toys, 

we WERE giving some of them away, 

and half of them were crapolla happy meal toys anyway

 (think I just admitted, out loud, to the obscene habit of feeding my children Mc’ D’s).

 That sordid threat clearly amplified the tears

 into full blown meltdown mode. 

While thinking of what my next move to console 
“the baby who barely has to do any jobs” 
would be,

 a crafty idea popped into my head. 

I could hot glue all that plastic garb onto a frame 

that we could hang on Smiths wall. 

He gets to kinda keep his toys,

 and momma gets to kinda consolidate the crap.

 Artsy, Homemade, and Green all rolled into one.

Martha would say it was a good thing!

 After a bit of coaxing and an even bigger bit of bribery,

 he tearfully agreed. 

Needless to say, the frame quickly became a really cool idea.

To make the frame all about Smith, 

I'm adding a few of his favorites to the mix...

a couple “playmo guys,” 

a ton of lego’s, 

and a dash of vintage, retro finds 

that I’ve been collecting for that special
 “someday I could do something with this” 
project.

It's taking forever 
to puzzle piece everything just so
but turning out pretty stinkin' awesome...

Kinda famous...

So a few weeks ago I was reading

The Nie Nie Dialogues

and she was talking about how she loves homemade Christmas gifts.

She's dedicating a whole week of blog posts to 

the goodness that is homemade.
You could send in your wares in hopes to get picked...

Well...

I sent her a little something 

and...

SHE FEATURED IT TODAY!!!!!

The "Frame of Misfit Toys"
Every single thing on this frame is about The Nielsons. I read past posts on her blog and found out things they love, places they've been and things they do (sounds stalkerish...really I'm not...really) I just wanted it to be super unique and all about them.

Even the domino means something...
4 kids...2 parents

Can I tell you how excited I am????

I have been checking her blog everyday

hoping to get a glimpse of my homemade gift...

Each day that went by

with no "Frame of Misfit Toys"

I started second guessing myself.

Maybe it's not as great as I thought it was...

Maybe she thought "what the heck is all this junk"...

Maybe it got totally busted up in the mail...

I don't have a website so maybe she won't pick it...

the doubter in me went on and on!

But today it was there and she loved it

 and 

It made my day...

(I'll tell you the LOOOONG story of how

 I thought of doing these frames on the next "I Made It Monday")

Turning 12...

Christian is now 12...

12 is a big boy 

an almost teenager big boy...

Having a birthday party with friends is great...
sharing your birthday with Christmas decorations
...probably isn't so great

This "tweener" age is pretty funny.

Christian got an awesome chetah sunggie

from one friend.

Another friend gave him this rainbow glittery card

and was VERY proud of it!

Man I love boys...

Happy Birthday little (uh... big) He He!

The gift of music...

Dre's guitar teacher

might very well be

the coolest guitar teacher around.

He has the kids perform...

on a stage...

at a "for real" venue...

with a rockin' band behind them.

It is an 

AMAZING

experience for these kids!

Teaching Dre to play and love music
has been an incredible gift. Thanks Jeff!!!!

I Made it Mondays...

Every time I walked past the chandelier

I felt like it was missing something.

That little

je ne sais quoi...

It was the shades...

So I just wrapped them in some scrapbook paper

...what a cinch!

Just make the paper shade 

a tiny bit bigger than the shade itself.

 It will slide right over

and

stay in place!

You could go all out

adding ric-rac, bits and bobs, whatever...

So grab some scrapbook paper and get decorating your lampshades...

everyone deserves to look fancy for the holidays...

A little late...

We waited for Blythe's

 Grammie and Grampie to arrive in Utah

before she got baptized.

It was worth the wait...

Decking a little more...

Did I already mention how much I love

to decorate for Christmas???

Oh...

I did...

my bad...

I DO have a tendency to repeat myself,

just ask my kids...

 and my husband...

So as I apparently told you before,

I love to decorate for Christmas!

My sister Polly took these pictures...she is awesome!

Not a surface gets left uncovered...

Not a nook or cranny bare...

Even the children's bedrooms

have an ornament or two to spare...

(put a little holiday cheer in your kids' rooms...it helps them be happier little elfs!)

Decking Our Halls...

I 

LOVE LOVE LOVE

this time of year...

it is truly magical

in every way...

and in the words of Charlie and Lola 

"it is my favorite and my best"
to decorate for...

Slow Down...
Enjoy this holiday season.....