Anderson Cookie Exchange

One of our favourite things to do at Christmas time is participate in Andersons Cookie Exchange. Cathy has been doing this for a few years now, and we love participating. The group gets bigger and bigger every year. The house is packed the morning of the exchange but it is so nice to stand around and chat with everyone!

This year was Bring Back Your Favourite Cookies. Obviously I made Candy Cane Chocolate Chip cookies and we sure got some yummy ones in return. Cathy made her yummy Orange Ricotta Cookies and Tannia her Peppermint Paddies.

We love that Santa comes to the Cookies Exchange as this quickly becoming the only time we see him as the kids get older. Remy loves it as she gets way more attention from Santa at this function. She gets one on one questions for a bit and then Santa sees all the kids but stays for the whole event! He eats Cookie with us and visits with the Mommy's!

Thanks Cathy for holding this yearly. It is a blast.

Tis the Season of Gemstone so Daddy has been working a ton. He was working this Saturday morning but was home just after lunch. He sent us this awesome selfie in his new hat!

As we were leaving the Cookie Exchange Lindsay and Mark asked what we were doing the rest of the day. We had no plans for about 5 hours so we all headed over to our house for lunch and some board games! If you ever need more players for games Mark and Lindsay are always up for it- and Remy has cousins to play with. It was a fun spontaneous afternoon.

Justin and I headed to another favourite thing to @ Christmas... the Kennett's Annual Adult Christmas Party! We have such a fun time at this event- its constant laughter and hilarity ensues. The White Elephant exchange is always so fun, the gift are such a hoot- its so fun to shop for them and see what other people come up with! PS Tannia your eyes were closed in like ALL of the photos!

Snapshots

When Pumpkin Pie comes out and Uncle Miles is feeling like a milkshake- we try Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes! I use the term "we" loosely. I think just 3 or so people tired it- but it was random that everyone had to crowd around and watch! Hahaha

Gemstone season is here. Its also the season of NOT asking Justin what he did at work that day. Yes tell me about your day but pictures like this stress me out. Also shows that he really uses all those letters stacked on his truck....

Remy is getting so big!! PLEASE STOP GROWING. It hurts my mommy heart. We got the BEST new Christmas book in the mail- we are fans! HAHA

CrossIron Date

In my head we had WAAAAY better pictures of today. 

Today was Basketball all morning and all afternoon. Barker had a game this morning and so did Kalia. I don't know if I have said this before, but watching kids learn how to play a sport can be soooo painful. With 2 kids learning about this new sport there are bound to be awkward times of "What are you doing?!" and "Seriously did you just do that?!?!" Both Kalia and Barker are playing point guard for their teams and its so hard to watch turnovers- yes they are just learning. 

Today it became apparent that Kalia really needed Basketball shoes, so after our morning of Basketball games we thought we would look. Turns out guys girls Basketball shoes are impossible to find. Like we are talking ALL of Calgary. 

So we did what any little sibling would do - we called Justins big Sister and her husband for some information. Holton and Jaidyn both play ball, our niece and nephew for a few years now. We knew they would have information. They did thank heavens and let us know yes, it is impossible to find Girl, specific, Basketball shoes. But Jaidyn has been wearing boy shoes for years. They gave us some good stores to look at, and we had a good conversation on the phone. Older siblings are so helpful. 

By the time of our conversation about shoes with Karla and Cyril we were heading home. Justin and I had a hot date at Cross Iron Mills Mall with Conways. Hot date- yeah hot date... walking around a busy mall getting some Christmas Shopping done. 

It was actually so fun! We had dinner first at the mall at this yummy Irish pub and then wondered a few stores together with the Conways then split up to get some serious kid shopping done. Justin and I got 1/3 of our Christmas shopping done in one swoop. PLUS the Basketball shoes we spent the day looking for, for Kalia. The night was so fun, it was by far my favourite way to do some Christmas shopping for the kids. Justin and I have only shopped together for the kids MAYBE twice since we have been married, it was so nice to have his opinion and ideas. We are going to have to make this "Christmas Shopping Hot Date" a new tradition!

I did the rest of our Christmas shopping on Amazon.

snapshots

Every time we clean Remy's room she gets right back into dolls. She loves her doll house a bit to much and so it quickly become cluttered and dirty. When I say WE clean her room I mean MOMMY and Remy helps a bit- but I gotta be honest. When we had all 4 kids in one room, that room was always clean. Remy has her own room and it is a giant mess 60% of the time. Granted we no longer have a playroom... so her room has all her toys in it. Not just clothing and a bed. 

We clean in about every 2 weeks or so and I still prefer that over a toy room.

Sometimes Kalia spends time working on Math at the dinner table. Remy often wants to be included but I need focus on Kalia. A drawing video on youtube solves our problem :) 

These 2 snuggled up on the chair, watching a Christmas Movie together. It was adorable.

PD Day at Bouldering. The kids had a great hour while I sipped Hot Chocolate and read a magazine. If this facility was warmer- I would be tempted to get the kids a pass.

We took the kids to Mr Mikes for dinner one night. They have been begging to go since we started going often on date nights. We go after 9 on dates when the app list is 5$ each often with friends. The kids were actually pretty well behaved but taking them out for dinners is getting more and more expensive as the big girls eat adult meals now- so we are doing this less and less often. Tonight they were great- no fighting.

It may have helped as we found a new way to keep them busy... We bring Monopoly Deal and Five Crowns, in my purse where every we go. We started doing this in Utah this summer and has served us well. The kids coloured the place matts first and when they were done we played cards. Dinner came quick and was eaten quick.

sickness moves in

Mid November was the time of Gross in this house.

Mommy got sick, followed by Daddy getting sick, then Kalia and Remy. Ending with Barker.

It was a rough 2 weeks. 

We probably could have healed faster if life slowed down a bit- but when Christmas is coming and there is something happening every evening its hard to take the time to recoup! 

Wednesday things

Today I feel like crap.

My body has been trying to get sick for the last week, but I have been holding it off!

I thought I would make a fast dinner tonight cause I felt crappy, and had YW. So of COURSE its the day I mess up dinner SO BADLY. 

I accidentally split to much Italian Seasoning into the spaghetti sauce. SERIOUSLY. 

It was so over whelming I had to add so many cans of tomato sauce, paste and what not to dilute it. Justin had to run to the store I used everything we had on hand to dilute it. We had spaghetti eventually... I also froze 2 bags of sauce, and made 3 pans of lasagna for the freezer. 

Yes in the end we made lots of meals for the freezer, but man did it wear me out.

Barkers Okotoks Basketball uniform finally came- so they can look more like a team when playing. He is thrilled and been wearing it as often as he can. I, of course, make him take it off every time we eat- that thing has to go back in perfect shape!

Remy has learned a new card game at school and the kids have been playing with her nonstop all afternoon Wednesday. I played to, but siblings are funner as they over react for her and the volume of laughing was house shaking.

Young Women's tonight we decorated Gingerbread houses. The girls had a blast and there was laughing, eating and Christmas music. It was exactly how our YW class presidency imagined it- it was a lovely evening, I recommend trying it with your Youth.

Barker and Daddy had a sweet snuggling session before bed Wednesday. I was jealous I missed it.

Skiing with Dad

Snow was here in time for Remembrance Day again!! 

Mom, Laura and I were singing with the Philharmonic Chorus in the ceremony and so Justin took the kids skiing for the day with some of his family.

Installing with Gemstone makes it difficult for us to ski before Christmas- so when it snows early November we take advantage! I know this has been said before, but I am so thankful for a husband who takes 4 kids skiing by himself. If your family is not a skiing family- this takes a CRAZY amount of work... and gotta be honest I usually don't do it. Even when we are ALL skiing, Justin takes it upon hisself to get our family ready. 

Gathering snow gear for 5 people- 4 children's snow gear from backpacks, back hall, closets and rooms is not a feat I do NOT enjoy. NOTHING can be forgotten, once we get to the hill, if something is missing (balaclava, a mitt, sweater) - that person is outta luck- it changes their whole day on the hill. This has happened before and Justin works really hard so that won't happen. 

Gathering the equipment is awkward lifting, up and down stairs, watching the walls, making sure you getting the right boots- the kids grow and remembering who is wearing what is a pain. Figuring out who is skiing or snowboarding or doing both and getting boots for both and equipment for both. Everyone needs their helmet and goggles. 

Morning- lunch needs to be packed for the whole family, kids need to be up early, eating and dressed for the hill. Ski socks are always being hunted down and someone is always "to tired to be awake" and laying around while the rest are trying to leave. 

It makes me tired just typing it... Justin lives for ski days- Mommy does them usually begrudgingly. Hence Justin prepares....

Justin took the kids skiing this November 11- meeting his Mom and Sister with her kids. They took a moment of silence at 11:00 and had a great day on the hill.

Laura, Mom and I sang for the program and went out for lunch after- Mark and Lindsay and their girls and Grandma met us for lunch. We split ways and I enjoyed the rest of the day sewing while waiting for the family to get home.

Everyone is always tired after a day on the hill and I was tired after a early morning and sewing all day 😂😂 SO Grilled Cheese for dinner- and when I put ketchup on my plate my family made me eat in the other room, they all acted like I was committing treason. RUDE eh- so I took the debate to Facebook and was overwhelmingly supported by my online friends... Ketchup on Grilled Cheese is the bomb. 

Finishing set up

We finished set up- in Barkers Room first. 

I mean, PRIORITIES people. 

Barker now uses his broken dresser as a desk, hoping he would get sick of having an extra piece of furniture in his room, we said yes. He isn't sick of it- we are now broken dresser collectors...

But he is VERY proud of his new dresser. If you look in his new dresser, every piece of his clothing is folded and neatly placed in his dresser. Even his underwear. This kid needs to pass his clean bedroom habits to his sisters!

We finished decorating for Christmas and had no casualties on the nativity front this year. 

Changed the tree placement and enjoyed decorating with Christmas music. 

Setting up Saturday

Our lives are to the point where we have to Decorate for Christmas in stages.

Thats the reality of timing with a busy family of 6.

Lucky for us our kids were just happy to be getting ready for Christmas.

I love that they are still thrilled with tiny things like:

• the Christmas Tree is in a different spot this year
• we let them help fluff the tree (even though it looked like garbage all season and I hated it, but they loved doing it)
• "mommy mommy play that one Christmas Song we love to decorate to"
• "can I have a decoration in my room?"

and the list goes on and on.

We brought the decorations in Saturday morning and worked on getting the house ready to decorate, until it was time to head off to Barkers Basketball game. 

This was the day he got into the car with no winter coat or sweater- which was frustrating, as he try to get away with it ALL THE TIME. It was a busy day and we didn't notice. It was cold enough we had to find time to stop and get him a hoodie.... little turd. This was also the day his dresser that is 12 years old got replaced. Weird enough that was the thing the kids were most excited about- getting the dresser and putting it together.

Before getting in trouble about the coat thing, Barker also had a tough Basketball game. He did something in the game and the coach said something to him to correct it and Barker decide too sulk about it on the bench. He sat on the bench way longer than needed cause he as busy sulking. Somehow I got a pic of the coach talking to him- its profile but Barker is pretty annoyed at this point.

I made Justin take a laughing parent selfie as he was getting mad at Barker for sulking, and mad at me for blaming him for passing that particular trait on...

As we were getting the dresser put together, showering the kids, braiding hair for church and trying to find a second wind- Mark and Lindsay texted. They wanted to do a impromptu games night, snack night at their house. With the awesomeness of having a child old enough to babysit, we put the kids to bed and headed over.

It was a great evening of laughing, snacks and games. We are so lucky for family being close by to randomly get together and enjoy each other company.