The changes....

So it has been a while since I blogged last... I am not sure why I have not been in the mood, but every time I get on the computer I have things to do, and by the time I am done I don't feel like blogging. I have lost that little spirit, and I need it back. Right now I feel so overwhelmed with what has been going on that I don't even know where to start.
Here goes: November...
We headed to California to spend time with Kets family for Thanksgiving. It was fun, we spent five days and six nights there. It was long enough for me. But very nice. I made four pies for thanksgiving diner... eggnog, chocolate pie, pumpkin and apple. All very traditional pies. I could tell Ket's parents didn't like the pies, but his sister and her boyfriend loved them. It was fun to eat diner in a different way, we had turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and then Asian food. We had spring rolls, and a shrimp salad. It was different but it was fun! I have to admit, I missed home. I missed being with my sisters and cooking. We didn't even get together for Christmas this year, everyone was just doing their own thing. SAD! So November came and went and we entered into December!
Jesiah is turned 8! How did that happen. I need to remember to always plan his birthday party before Thanksgiving. Otherwise it just sneaks up on me! He is 8! I can not believe that I am old enough to have an eight year old. This is the year that Jesiah gets to have have a Friend party. He invites friends from school and we have a pizza party, then take all the kids to the movies... Jesiah wanted to see Astro Boy and it was playing at the dollar theater. Easy party! I actually really like taking these kids to the movie. I made Carmel corn ahead of time and put them in my purse so they would have something to eat. It was perfect.
The week before Jesiah's birthday party, I had all my sisters and mom come over and we made goodies for Christmas... It was really fun! We made about ten different goodies. We even made homemade peppermint marshmallows. Oh, so good! It was a lot of work, but oh, so fun! Thanks ladies for all your help.
So December is such a busy month... Jesiah's birthday, making goodies.
Christmas cards-I think they turned out pretty good this year. This is the front, and then inside how the letter in it. Putting up Christmas decoration, my birthday, work parties, taking pictures for people... to say the least it has been so busy. Also being in the primary presidency we have been having meetings every week so that we can have things ready for the new year... things like new teachers, new classes, and new students in each class. Wow there has been so much that has been going on.
Christmas was wonderful. We spent it all at home. Grandma and Grandpa Mairs came over for brunch, Grandma Dunn and Rod came over at the end of brunch but there was still enough food for them! We invited our neighbors across the street over for brunch too. It was so much fun.
This year for Christmas I deiced to help me know buy everything I see in sight, because the kids always need things, and I will buy the white church shirts, or the new dress, and give them as Christmas presents. The underwear, socks, new shoes... Well to help me limit my gifts, I deiced to do just three gifts for the kids. One from Us, One from Santa and then one from each other. The kids drew names and then we talked to them about what we should do for that person. I think the hardest thing was deciding what to get for the kids. I also made a rule for myself... since it was only three things, well two that Ket and I got to pick, none of the items could be clothes or things they needed! So they had to come right from the list that they make for Santa. I still did stockings, and a couple of really small stocking stuffers. Why only three things you might ask, well when we were reading the story of Christ at the beginning of the month, we talked about how many gifts did Christ get, it was three. So there is where the number came from. Overall it went really well. Of course I could not limit it to just three, because there was gifts from the grandparents, and Great-Grandma Dunn, and Great-grandparents Mairs. So there was plenty of presents.
January 2nd was a big day for our family. That was the day that Jesiah got baptized. It was such a wonderful day, filled with family and friends. I sent these invites to all our friends and family that lived around here. I think it turned out pretty good. After the baptism, which his Dad did and then Papa confirmed him, we had a dinner at the church in the gym. Jesiah wanted Hawaiian Haystacks. That was pretty easy. I made three big crock pots of the Chicken Curry that would go on the rice, and then you of course would put on what ever topping that you want. We had pineapple, tomatoes, green peppers, olives, chomein noodles, coconut flakes, almonds and cheese. I love them! I had all the family bring some kind of desert. It turned out perfect. My friend Tia, brought a sheet cake that she made, it was a pineapple cake. Oh, it was so good. Caulene helped me plan the whole thing, helped me set up and then clean up. She is such a great friend.
I have to take this minute to tell Jesiah how proud I am of him. He is such a good example to me. His smile is always ready and on his face, it takes a lot to get him angry. I can see the shining light that he radiates. People around him can see it too. They always want to be around him. I know in my heart that Jesiah will do the world good. He is a wonderful, honest, caring and very smart boy. He bears his testimony on Fast Sunday and it is beautiful. Thank you Jesiah for always being such an example to your younger brothers and others around you. How lucky we are to have you in our family, and how wonderful it is to see you shape your life and go after your goals! Along with getting baptized, you also get to go to cub scouts. Since you were five, you have been asking to go, and now you are having a blast!
Lastly today is my little turkey's birthday-KASEN! He turned three today! What a joy he is in our life. His smile is so wonderful it makes me want to kiss his face all over. He has these dimples on the sides of his cheeks that are so cute! I am so excited to see how this little boy will blossom. He is so helpful, independent, and caring in everything he does. Right now I would have to say he is the extreme of everything, either really, really happy or really, really mad. His favorite color is orange. He has to eat from the orange bowel, orange plate and drink from the orange cup! Potty training was a breeze with Kasen, he loves being independent with that to. As I cringe and hope he doesn't pee all over the toilet.He has to sit in the same place for breakfast every morning, and does not do well with change. A man of routine I think he will be. For his birthday we had family over, cake from Costco and lots of fun. He got from us these books that have a pen with it that reads the books. He loves them. He reads them at night with the light on and then falls asleep. The books help with numbers, shapes, colors, but are Disney themed. So it is the movie Cars for one book, there is ten books in all.
I think I have caught up enough. More later.