Christmas Day

 Christmas morning came early as it always does! Mike and I tucked into bed shortly after midnight. Ollie gave me perhaps the best present of all -- 8 hours of sleep in a row! It would have been an amazing night except for Finley waking to find his sippy and the older two coming to my bed side a couple of times around 3:00am to tell me that Santa had indeed come and asking if they could open their stockings. I sent them back to bed but heard them whispering for a little bit afterward. Finally at 6:00am they came into our room with stockings in hand! Everyone hopped onto our bed and opened their stockings with glee. 

Once we finished, we ventured out to the tree and everyone found a place to sit. Mike passed out the gifts one at a time starting with the youngest and working his way up. To say that Finley was thrilled with his gift would be an understatement. 

I've never seen a kid so excited about a car!

 He sat in that there beeping the horn until it was his turn to open a gift again and then he'd get out for a short time. It was so cute!

I loved watching how careful Joe was opening his gifts.

The chaos of Christmas is so fun!

Opening gifts a little bit slower allowed them to be played with and enjoyed.

Reese wandered around and joined the fun when she could.

As soon as Hyrum opened his new hoodie he had to run and get dressed. 

Gift opening can be tiring though!

We really tried to keep Christmas simple this year: Something they want, something they need, something to play with, something to read. Hyrum loved his light saber and spent all day building his Star Wars lego ships from Gramma and Grampa.

Reese got lots of loving!

Mr. Stannix gifted me with a tube of gingerbread lip sense (kiss proof, smudge proof lipstick) and gloss. It's nice to still feel pretty when you're a mamma and this stuff only needs applying once a day! He also had a special necklace made for me with all of the kids names and a special charm. He put a lot of thought into everything and I feel so lucky to have him!

We then ate breakfast and got dressed and ready for church (which was shortened to an hour because of Christmas). We ended up with a few minutes to spare and snapped some fancy photos of everyone.

Church went so good considering how tired the littles all were. At one point I looked over to find the boys in a tussle on the bench. Hyrum was stretching Joe's suspenders with one hand while Joe was squeezing Hyrum's other hand without mercy.  Thankfully my eyes were enough to make them both stop! I then looked to the other side of me to find Finley playing Quietly while Camilla planted kisses on his cheek. When I flashed her my don't-touch-him eyes, she whispered, "He's just so cute!!" How could I blame her?! He was pretty stinkin' cute today.

The rest of our afternoon was super low key. Lots of puppy snuggles and snacking. Mr. Stannix had planned on BBQ for dinner, but we had a late lunch of left over tacos and were too full for anything else. It was probably the easiest Christmas dinner ever, although the lack of Turkey and stuffing made it feel a little less like Christmas. I am so grateful for my crazy crew and the love we share. The kids bring so much magic into Christmas. It was a wonderful day!

Christmas Letter 2016

Dear Friends and Family,

We have officially been in our new house for over a year. We have been blessed with a great neighborhood, some new friends, and a wonderful ward to attend each Sunday. The children have a nice yard to enjoy as well as a nearby park frequently filled with neighborhood kids to play with. Addie loves being able to watch them from her kitchen window as they organize mini baseball games and swing on the monkey bars in the warmer months.

Mike enjoys his job in the city working as an international tax manager. He loves the challenge of dealing with new things day in and day out and enjoys the people he works with. He was grateful that Winter held off for a little while since he commutes on the highway to and from each day. Now that it has grown colder we decided it was time to say farewell to our 1999 CRV and invest in a newer vehicle to make his drive more pleasant (and keep his toes from freezing off). That old CRV has been such a blessing to us as we bought it from my parents for a dollar when we were first married. It's bittersweet giving it up, but his commute is much more enjoyable now that he has a heater and seat warmer.

Addie spends her days at home living the dream and is grateful for Mike and his career that allows her to be at home with the littles. She makes sure everything is going smoothly on the home front and takes care of things like grocery shopping, diaper changes, baking, and teaching Hyrum Kindergarten this year. She has recently made the adjustment to FIVE kids, and although some days are really hard, she wouldn't change where they are for a second. In her very limited spare time she enjoys keeping up with the family blog, serving in her Primary class, baking, and crocheting hats and slippers.

Camilla is loving her new school and has made lots of good friends! She is doing well in all subject areas and and has a really great teacher this year who helps make learning fun. She takes the bus to and from school and independently walks to the corner each morning to catch it (one of the perks of small town living). Life with four brothers isn't always easy and she cherishes her "girl time" with mom anytime she can get it.

Hyrum started Kindegarten this year and is writing and reading small words. Mommy likes having him home for the extra year as he is a great big brother and peace maker. When Camilla leaves for the bus in the morning he jumps on the piano and gets a little lesson from Mommy. We have made it half way through his piano book already this year and he enjoys the challenge! He loves playing with Joe and Fin and holding Oliver when Mommy needs extra help. He is really into his Lego and loves to build things.

Joseph is busy and fun! He loves playing with Hyrum when Camilla is at school and they've been getting along well. He has a huge heart and loves spending time with people. He loves to work and when he starts to get bored and pick on his brothers Mommy puts him to work washing walls. He thinks it's the greatest thing ever which makes his mom laugh! His brain moves at such a quick pace and he always needs help to stay busy! We love him and the extra spunk he brings to our family.

Finley has just entered the "terrible two's". He continues to bring us so much joy along with the messes he gets himself into each day. Mommy has to keep an extra close eye on him during the day and quiet usually means trouble. He makes up for any problems in cuteness and has the most contagious little laugh. Right now he loves copying everything his brothers do, right down to every word they say sometimes. If they are all shouting for our attention or telling us a story he will chime right in beside them repeating word for word what they are saying. It's quite fun to watch him grow!

Oliver is growing like a weed and probably our biggest baby. At his two month appointment he was in the 90th percentile for height and weight (compared to the 25th percentile of the rest of our kids). He has huge hands and  he may just be our tallest boy. His brothers might be able to pick on him for a short time, but we will smile each time we remind them that one day he WILL be bigger then them.

A recent loss in Addie's extended family has caused us to reflect on this Christmas season with more tender feelings than ever before. We are grateful for our Savior and the comfort and peace that He brings us not just at Christmas time, but all year round. We are counting our blessings and feeling extra grateful at this time of year for what we have. Christmas is more about presence than presents this year and we are so glad for loved ones near and far.

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Christmas Eve

 It's been so different celebrating with our own family of littles this year. We have been taking it easy, snacking, snuggling, playing, and loving much. There are moments where we really miss the hullabaloo of Christmas time with extended family, and many moments where we cherish this time we have with our littles. 

As the snow began to fall yesterday I slipped out to the store with Ollie and stocked up on groceries and last minute things so that we could spend a cozy weekend together. This morning Daddy slipped out for two important things that I forgot: Egg nog, and hot chocolate.  With those things on hand we were ready to not leave our house again until next week. 

By noon we had gotten a whole foot of snow. Daddy and the littles bundled up and went into the backyard too play. They were so excited to see how deep it was since we've only had little snow falls up until now. As they played the flakes continued to swirl down around them. It was a Christmas miracle. 

 And it kept falling all day long... 

The littles were happy to come inside to warm cups of hot chocolate and conversation around the kitchen table.

 In the late afternoon I felt brave and decided to give Finley a much needed trim. Camilla and I both let out sad exclamations as we watched his blonde hair fall to the floor. I took a good couple inches off the back and tried to trim his bangs as best I could. As long as it stays swiped to the side, it looks super cute! He looked so grown up after!

 Later in the afternoon we snuggled up to a movie downstairs and heard a big clunk. The littles ran upstairs to check it out and found a cute little puppy waiting to meet them. Turns out miss Reese was getting a little bit chilly in the sleigh and needed to be dropped off a bit early.

 Oh the excitement!!

 It was love at first sight for these guys! I think Reese will fit in nicely.

 Mr. Stannix spent the afternoon making the traditional "Grampy's Tacos" for dinner. He decided to do a double batch and spent a long time tossing tacos in the air to flip them in the pan. I look forward to watching our kids when the time comes to teach them this art of flipping tacos.

 There was lots of puppy lovin'...

 and snuggles...

 And lots of sweet smiles.

 While the snow continued to fall.

 Daddy entertained us with his mad flipping skills and then fried the filled tacos for dinner. We ate until we were stuffed and saved the last plate for lunch.

 As per tradition we let the littles each open one gift (which is always jammies). They were pretty excited about their onesies! We read the Nativity story in Luke and then tucked  them each into bed with a big hug and a smooch. After a few extra glasses of water, they finally fell asleep and Daddy and I got to work setting up Christmas.

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

North Pole Musical

 We were lucky to have Daddy stay home from work on Wednesday! We took the boys to Camilla's school for the afternoon performance of the North Pole Musical. It was quite well done and we loved watching our little Elf dance her heart out and sing in the front row! She is such a performer and I could tell she loved every minute. She has really enjoyed being a part of the choir at Brentwood school these last couple of years. She loves to sing and has been blessed with an awesome choir director and music teacher. 

(Middle in green behind the mic)

(Bottom left in the Green, photo credit to whoever posted this on the Brentwood facebook page)

I took a pretty awesome video while wrangling the two littlest boys into their seats and bouncing the baby to sleep in the carrier. It's terrible, but you can at least see Camilla and hear her awesome group of kids!! 

Click HERE

Cake for Breakfast

 Because of unforseen circumstances we didn't end up celebrating Finley's birthday yesterday. Instead we had cake for breakfast with our little family, Auntie Naomi and Uncle Arland today! Finley was delighted when we all sang to him and mesmerized by his candle! Everything is so magical at that age.

I couldn't give him a haircut before his second birthday even though he needs one. I adore his long, whispy, blonde toddler hair. I love the way the ends curl after a hot afternoon of play, or a long nap. Now that his birthday has come and gone and he's a big boy, I should probably rethink that trim!

Big thanks to Auntie Naomi who snagged these two pictures for me. I made this owl back in the Summer and have kept it hidden in my closet until today. He was so excited when he opened it. Happy birthday little man!

Fin Turns Two

 Last night when I tucked the little boys in I spent an extra few minutes snuggled next to Finley on his last night as a one year old. These last few years Finley has brought an added measure of joy to our family. Mike and I often remark how Finley is "the happiest baby we've ever had". He is just so chill, and smiley, and bright and full of love. He makes every day so much better!

Finley has started talking a lot more lately. He parrots everything we say and has started forming some pretty awesome sentences. I love listening to his little voice and the way he pieces things together. The other day as I pushed him through the grocery store in the cart he randomly said, "Mommy, I sure wuv you." It was the sweetest thing ever and we took turns repeating those words back and forth to each other as we browsed the aisles.

Mr. Fin likes to make everything into a game! If he's getting dressed or going to bed or getting his diaper changed he will make you chase him around. "Gunna get you!" He will exclaim with a giggle as he runs away. He could play hide and seek for hours and loves when we pop out and scare him from behind a counter or door as he runs. His belly laugh is so contagious and brightens any day.

Lately he is determined to walk by himself when we go places. He refuses to hold my hand but stays right next to me unlike his brother Joe who is always running ten feet ahead. If I try to grab his hand or the hood of his jacket and guide him he plants his feet and won't move until I let go. He's reaching the fun independent stage where he wants to fill up his water cup, sit in a big chair, walk down the stairs without holding onto anything, and buckle himself into his car seat. It can be frustrating at times, but it's part of the learning process and I love that he has a determined spirit!

Finley is gentle and kind (unless he has good reason to scream or fight back). He loves giving hugs to his siblings, snuggling next to them on the couch and smooching his baby brother. He always goes up to Oliver and says, "Hi Aw-wee" (Hi Ollie) with a gentle pat on the head and kiss on the nose.

He adores playing games and could sing ring around the rosey for hours and hours. He laughs just as hard the tenth time as he does the first. He loves to dance and sing. "Head and shoulders" or "Happy and ya know it" are his favorite songs. He knows almost all of the words to "I am a Child of God" and will sing loud and clear.

Finley has a zest for life that is contagious and wonderful! He gives his all to everything. Seeing life through his eyes is a special thing. His laugh is unique and right from his belly. Anyone who hears it can't help but smile. He plays hard and can fall asleep anywhere! I thought Joseph would be our first to get stitches but Finley surprised us all!

We adore this little two year old and his spunk! Life wouldn't be the same without him. He is such a special boy and we are so blessed to have him in our family!!

Celebration of Lights

Every year a bunch of wonderful volunteers get together and string a bunch of lights at the park and ball diamonds near our house. It always looks so wonderful when we drive by at night! We didn't get a chance to go check it out last year, so I put it on our Christmas bucket list this year. With the weather warming up again I thought it might be fun to go for Family Home Evening on Monday night. It was much warmer than it had been all week, but I didn't anticipate how bitter the wind would be until we actually arrived. I snugged Ollie in the carrier and shielded his face from the wind. The littles were dressed warmly in their snow gear and could have stayed all night! We made a quick walk around for the baby's sake, stopped to warm our hands by the fire, and ran through the little bit of snow. It was cold, but fun to be together as a family! The littles each got a candy cane for the drive home and glady curled up in their beds when we got home!