Deck the Halls

Today we had a great Sunday morning (and I can't say that happens often). The children all slept in after our late night out last night, and there was minimal fighting. For the first time in forever I was able to shower and get ready for church while they slept. 

Lily wore one of her new dresses from H&M. She has many short sleeved Summer type dresses, but not many warmer Winter dresses. I just had to snap a picture of her and her big sis before we left for church!

After dinner, we lugged up our new tree and called my parents over to decorate with us. Mr. Stannix made sure to go big, and we now have a 12ft tree in our living room. It might take us a few days to sort out the furniture situation as the tree took the place of our couch.

 

The big kids were a huge help fluffing out the branches and getting it looking pretty.

The little ones played with the nativity sets and santa hats while they waited to decorate.

Joe was a big help securing the cords (that ended up later breaking) to keep the tree sturdy.

I had to grab a shot of Mike and his girls!

Sonny also joined us for a little bit (until it got too chaotic and everyone started tripping over each other).

This little lady knows all about ladders and loved climbing to the tippy top of this extra tall ladder. 

She wasn't feeling too hot and ended up falling asleep in her big sisters arms shortly after this pic was taken.

Sawyer is such a little elf and expressed so much excitement over finally being able to decorate the tree! He was so happy to put the "bells" on the tree.

This little lady slept through the entire decorating process. Daddy was happy to snuggle her while Camilla helped us out!

Hyrum put the star on this year and was able to get it just right.

We also enjoyed some festive rice krispy squares to keep our spirits bright. The kids started loosing steam near the end.

I am grateful for this Christmas season, to contemplate my relationship with the Saviour and what it means for me.

Sawyer searched his jammie drawer for the perfect Christmas pajamas. He couldn't wait to show us all at bedtime!

After the littles were tucked into bed and the furniture was arranged and the house was still, Camilla and I spent a few minutes tidying up the livingroom together. She wanted it to be perfectly cozy for morning scripture study. I was feeling so tired, and so grateful for her help! We enjoyed the low lighting and soft Christmas music while Sonny chewed his toy and hung out on the rug. 

Just as we were finishing up, Lily came out of her bed, fever burning, and cozied up on the couch. Her sister read her a few stories before finally going down to bed herself. It was quite late, and we had an early morning. 

I waited for the bread to come out of the oven, took some pictures of Lily sweetly resting, and then scooped her up and tucked her into bed.

This was such a beautiful sight to end the day to.

The Parade of Lights

Today we took the children into the Nativity display to sing with the other primary kids their age. They did such a great job! Lily was so cute standing up there with them. She doesn't know many of the words, but she loves copying the actions of the music leader as they sing. I was able to get a couple videos and I will forever smile at them. After helping clean up the Nativity display at the church with a few other people from the ward, we spent a quiet afternoon at home. The littles played outside in the snow, and I tidied the house. 

 

The evening brought us spontaneously to Mike's office to catch the parade of lights! Typically we aren't able to watch it because of scheduling conflicts, so we figured we had better take advantage of our free evening. It also gave the children something fun to do this evening. When a friend texted to say they were going too, we invited them to join us at the office as well. It was so nice to be warm and cozy, sipping hot chocolate as we waited over an hour for the parade to finally make it to main street. 

We couldn't have asked for better weather! Some of the littles had chilly hands near the end, but for the most part, we all stayed warm and cozy. The children all got some candy and glowsticks from the floats and were happy to have participated! 

 

The Nativity

Tonight after the boys hockey game, we took the whole family over to the church to check out the Nativity display. This is always a fun way to kick off the Christmas season, being reminded of the true meaning of Christmas - Christ. They quietly walked around and looked at the many displays on the tables while listening to Christmas hymns being softly played on the piano. As I followed, I was able to witness a tender moment between Fin and Sawyer. Fin asked Sawyer if he knew who was who in each display. When Sawyer couldn't tell him all of the answers, Fin took a second to explain all about Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus and why we celebrate Christmas. It was such a sweet moment that I will always cherish, the two of them standing side by side, quietly talking and pointing at the display. Once we had looked at everything, we stopped by the refreshment table for some cookies and hot chocolate. It was a great end to the week!

 

Sawyer turns FIVE

This morning I listened to the boys tell me about the woes of the gym changeroom in middle school. They told me of gym strip being put in toilets, cologne being sprayed in peoples faces, and deodorant sticks being busted and thrown around. None of them could understand how people could behave with so much disrespect, and it made my heart happy to hear that part. 

They went off to the bus, I tidied breakfast and then went into town to grab Joe for a dentist appointment. We had to be at the elementary school around noon to see Fin get an award, so we decided to stay in town and run errands. I learned there was a sugar shortage and was happy to have found one of the last four bags of sugar at a store in town. Once we loaded everything up, Sawyer, Lily and I had a quick bite to eat in the car on our way over to the school. We got to watch Fin receive his kindness award for being caring and respectful at school. I'm super proud of that guy! 

Then it was home for two hours to get a cake in the oven, visit with family that stopped in to wish Sawyer a happy birthday, and whip up some mac and cheese as per Sawyers dinner request. I was able to ice the cake moments before I had to leave to pick up the boys for piano lessons. In between lessons I dropped the boys skates off to be sharpened, picked up a package, and took the rest of the kids to the park for a bit. While we drove a few of them told me stories and woes of friendships and hard times in school that day. My heart ached for them and the things they sometimes have to go through. While the bullying that happens in school sometimes makes me sad, I am grateful that they have chosen good friends.

When the last boy finished up his lesson, we headed home to celebrate Sawyer on his special day! All he wanted for dinner was Mac and Cheese. Daddy heated it up in the oven while we were gone, so we could eat right away when we arrived home. He also requested a "marshmallow cake" (angel food with seafoam icing), with green icing. After he blew out his candles, he opened his gifts excitedly, and even loved the sweet cards he got from a few of his siblings. Ollie quickly wrote up this one after dinner.

"Happy Birthday Sawyer. You are a good little brother."

So sweet!

 

Sawyer is affectionately called "old man" by a few of us. He loves to go to bed early, stay home, and play independently. He has a great sense of humour and views the world in ways we sometimes don't consider. He is insightful and delightful. He aims to be a peacemaker and loves making others happy. He is an old soul, and we love him so much! Happy birthday, Sawyerbean!

 

The Snow Returns

This morning we woke to a light dusting of snow. I'm not sad to see the brown grass covered in a beautiful blanket of white. The spruce trees also look amazing when the snow comes. 

 

After our morning study, I turned on the kettle and made a batch of pancakes. When breakfast was finished, I found myself standing beside the piano holding a warm cup of apple cider in one hand and pointing at music notes with my other hand. Getting up early to study together before Camilla goes to seminary each day means we have plenty of free time before the bus comes to pick up the rest of the children for school.

It continued to snow for most of the day. I turned on "That's Christmas to Me" by Pentatonix and went to work baking in the kitchen. I needed to have a couple dozen cookies to share for the refreshment table at the Nativity this week.

Sawyer and Lily spent most of the afternoon engulfed in imaginary play while I folded laundry and did a quick tidy of the main floor.

I also managed a double batch of bagels this afternoon and the house smelled amazing. I did a dozen cinnamon bagels and a dozen everything bagels. These are always a hit for breakfast and they don't cost nearly as much as the ones from the store!

As I stepped out in the late afternoon to run errands and pick up some of the children, I was blessed by a beautiful view of the sun starting to set. It was such a beautiful day!

A New Space to Play

It was another early morning in the Stannix home, except this Tuesday felt much like a Friday. We are still closer to the start of the week than the end, and I am already exhausted. Lily came upstairs with her bedhead this morning (she slept with Camilla last night) and started rubbing and kissing my belly. "Wuv you baby!" 

Smooch

Over and over again. And it was so darn cute!

This past week we were able to get some carpet installed in the basement! The older boys are happy to have bedrooms with carpet rather than cement floors. Over the weekend we were able to move some of our furniture down to the playroom and I love how it all turned out! With carpet and furniture this space looks so much bigger! We brought down the sectional for the TV area, as well as the toy shelf. The children have been enjoying the extra space over the last couple of days. I am loving all of the pockets for everyone to hang out in our home. The big kids can take over an area upstairs or down, while the littles can also have some space to play and run. 

I found these fun window decals while out killing time the other night and love the cozy vibe they give! I can't wait to start decorating for Christmas!

 

Thirty-four Weeks

I'm not sure why Sundays have become the days to take bump pictures. Perhaps it's because it's the one day a week where I am guaranteed to have my hair done and some makeup on while wearing something nice. Anyways, here we are at thirty-four weeks already! With birthday season in full swing, followed by Christmas, and New Years, babe will be here before we know it!

 

Joseph Turns ELEVEN

We celebrated Joseph's birthday last night, since they had hockey this evening. We had Pizza for dinner and an angel food cake to celebrate his special day. This boy always wakes up with a "carpe diem" attitude. He is often the first one upstairs in the morning, dressed and ready for the day. He likes to make sure his hair looks good, and he always smells amazing! He's full of energy and excitement and loves to work with his hands. He has a brilliant mind that needs to be challenged on the daily. He likes to be busy and active. He has a love for technology and researches to the nines. He has a big heart and a big personality. We love the laughter and joy he brings to our family! I can hardly believe he is already eleven! He was our chubbiest, funniest, hungriest baby and I've enjoyed watching him grow! Happy Birthday, Joe! We sure love you!