New Year's Eve and a new floor

One of the few things that I wanted to do before going back to work was to put a floor down in the boys' room. We had talked about using the flooring we were going to use for the duplex before it got burned and decided the boys needed a floor before the current office did. It was New Year's Eve and we had done nothing.

So, I called a tool rental place down the street. They would be open until 12;30 and then closed until Jan 2. Perfect! We can pay for one day, get two days and I'll get my floor done. I ran off to get the floor nailer, came home, grabbed the chop saw, tried to find a finish nailer (you need that for the first and last rows typically) and wanted to get moving. 

Eric had some billing things he was working on and I couldn't find the finish nailer. I sent a few texts asking if one of our ward family members had one I could use. I found one, but wasn't able to get it until that evening. 

Having the desire to accomplish something, I got the kids and we started taking down the Christmas tree and other seasonal decor. We got that done and then I started working a little on the quilt I've been making since Thanksgiving break...

I'm excited about how it's turning out!

There was a bit of a debate about how we were going to spend our evening. Some of the kids wanted to go to the ward's game night, others wanted to stay home. Eric had an appointment at 8:30 and he was going to vegg until then. I wanted to start the floor, once I had a finish nailer (which Eric went and got from the Dunahee's), and I started a row, but then the big girls said they didn't want to hang around the house with their little siblings. 

SO, I decided I would take all the kids to the church for an hour and then we'd come home and start putting down a floor. Everyone seemed okay with that. Off we went. I played Skipbo with Xela, Aurora and Victoria De la Garza, had some snacks, while the boys ran around the gym and Neta played with her Hexbugs. I said we were going to leave at nine, but we didn't get out of there until 9:30. 

Upstairs we went and I hooked up the nailer to the air compressor, brought up my computer so the kids could listen to Bill Cosby routines in between "helping" me with the floor. After maybe one row, Eric came up and asked if it could wait until tomorrow because he couldn't rest with the banging and sawing. I said okay, but at the same time worried because we had a funeral to attend that, best guess, was going to take half the day, and I REALLY wanted to get a decent nights' sleep at least one night of the week.

Kids and I went downstairs, listened to Cosby and put together most of a 550 piece puzzle of Logan, Utah.

I think we're listening to
"the Chicken Heart that ate Manhattan"
The kids had to tell me to be quiet because I was laughing
and they couldn't hear him very well.
I have fond memories of listening to Cosby.

At just before midnight, Xela came into the kitchen and wanted us to watch the ball drop. Kids dropped puzzle pieces and got their coats, pots and utensils ready. At midnight (according to the computer) we stepped onto the driveway...

Graigry slamming spoon
& metal pot.

Nate popping bubble wrap with a pan
on the driveway, wearing my shoes.

Neta  not wanting to miss the action.

I let the kids listen to a little more Cosby while we made a little more progress on the puzzle, at the same time rotating them to pjs and brushing of teeth. Sometime shortly after one, we gathered around our bed, where Eric was laying, still awake, to say family prayer. 

Tomorrow would be busy. The floor had to get done because I had to take the floor nailer back before I went to work on Friday, Jan 2. Eric had to be at the viewing at 11 and the funeral started at 2. I had hoped to get a little done in the morning before the funeral and the rest right after the funeral. It didn't turn out the way. 

I got a few pieces in after Eric left for the viewing, in between some phone calls and showering and running before I left at 12:30 with the other kids to pick up the Stokes for the viewing. After the funeral (which was very nice by the way) I made two trips back to the church to give people rides home and then Karen had a New Year's dinner waiting for us when we got home. We didn't start on the floor until after 6:30 and then it was just Xela and I. She said she thought this was more fun than it looked when I first asked her to help me. 

Xela - the layer and banger of floor panels.

Around 7 Eric came home from his folks house and we worked a three man team. Just after midnight, or just before, we had one and a half rows left to do. We couldn't use the floor nailer for that, so we could quit and use the finish nailer later, as in tomorrow or the next day. 

My back was so sore, and my knees some too. I slept with a heating pad. On Friday, getting up and down out of the chair at work was slightly painful, but, the floor was done! Almost. Eric and I finished the last row and a half on Saturday. Now the boys and the Lego town that had taken up residence in their room, is all back and we're one VERY SMALL step closer to not living in a construction zone. (It's kind of a normal state of affairs after over 10 years) :)

Nate's Nine

Nate was very patient as he waited for the day to pass. I had the day off, but was trying to get things done. Eric grabbed Aurora as his day laborer and they went to Little Flower for a while and then to the properties to continue working on what everyone had spent all day Monday doing - painting and rebuilding the kitchen. Aurora was getting paid so she wasn't too upset and she knew I would come relieve her about 1:00 to get ready to go with the sister missionaries.

Anyway, so Nate played at home with his siblings, enjoying his birthday, no big activity, until dinner. He has said he wanted chicken enchiladas for his birthday dinner and it was after that when we did presents, cake and ice cream. Eric skipped the cake and ice cream because he was so tired. He had almost fallen asleep at the wheel on one of his supply runs (that poor man never gets enough sleep).

Typically I let the birthday person decorate their cake however they want. Nate, being a person who always looks to make the other person happy, wanted one thing, but Xela suggested something else and then when they looked things up online, that frustrated him because no one would let him borrow Lego pieces he needed to build what he wanted to build for his cake, so Graigry.... Finally, I told Nate to do what HE wanted to do and that everyone would have to either leave the room after the cake was cooled and frosted or keep their mouths SHUT!

SOOOO, here are some pictures from the evening's events. First,

Decorate the cake!

Xela's is trying very hard
to keep her lips zipped.

It went from Despicable Me minions, to Lego Movie.
The specs are the road.

Then...

Open Presents!!

Grandma Hibbert sent her traditional and much looked forward to "birthday box." Inside are always wonderful treats, edible and non-edible. :)

The kids all LOVED Perplexus.
Everyone wanted to try their hand at
getting the ball all the way through the maze.

YES!
Graigry got a Tumbler car for Christmas
and Nate got one for his birthday.

They raced and spun and pushed each others'
cars around the living room.
The cars light up, and can spin because
each wheel has it's own control.

Knex!
Guess what Mommy built after cake...

...while Nate built his Lego set from
Grandparents Scott.
He was allowed to stay up 
last year to build,
so he asked if he could stay up this year.
Alright, he didn't have to do to much begging 
to get that birthday wish.

Grandma Hibbert sent a 
small remote control car.
It took a minute to figure out (came in a "can") 
but kids had fun with it as well.

Finally....

Eat the CAKE!!

We sang Happy Birthday...

And then Nate forgot to make a wish
before he blew out the candles.
Oh well!

The last year off single digits. Nate is getting to be such a wonderful young man. He loves serving others, enjoys his school work (mostly), doesn't complain very often about practicing piano, is a good big brother and playmate for Neta and has a smile that melts my heart. I love my Nate the Great.

A "White" Christmas

The weather was supposed to be wet and drizzly on Christmas day, so Eric and I made snowflakes and hung them in the living room for Christmas morning.

It's SNOWING!!

Christmas morning, we got up around 8ish and made breakfast. Typically I ask the kids to get dressed before breakfast and presents, but I let Xela and Ro stay in pajamas. Ro loves her footies, so I figured for one Christmas morning, I'd let it slide.

For breakfast we had french toast, egg uglies, orange juice and BACON!! I bought bacon on Christmas Eve when we went grocery shopping because we never have bacon and Christmas breakfast was the perfect excuse to indulge. Much to my surprise, Nate doesn't like bacon. Much not to my surprise, Eric isn't a fan either. Just meant more for us!!

After breakfast, we moved to the living room and began sorting presents. Eric had put the new blankets that Sister Ault had made on the couches and floor as present placement areas.

Once presents were on their designated blankets, we started the opening of presents. Karen and Miles came over, uninvited, but the kids were excited to see Grandpa,  and stayed for the opening of all the gifts. Here are some of the snapshots of the gift unveiling.

Grandma Hibbert sent some fall jackets in Nov,
which I'd saved for Christmas
and since there isn't snow yet,
we put them over the stockings.

Xela opening Aurora's present to her:
a "Sisterhood is Forever" picture
using Disney sisters.

Graigry & Simba

Nate & Hiccup with Toothless.
Xela drew Disney pictures
for everyone.

When asked,
if she could only have one present,
what would it be,
Neta said a Nerf bow & arrow.
Ask and ye shall receive.

The "evil eye" in the photo is great!
She couldn't wait to try it out!
Such a serious face too!

Nate holding Aurora's picture to him (Nemo's sea turtle)
while patiently waiting to open his big present.

When asked what one present he wanted,
Nate said "A comforter."

I found a How to Train Your Dragon comforter (probably not what he was expecting) just for my Nate-nate. When he first opened it, his face was excited and then turned to a bit confused, "What is it?" I had to remind him what he had initially asked for and then when he saw it was Toothless, he thought it was cool. 

New colored pencils!

NEW SKIRT!
Ro has been very slim on skirts, so I found
two at Goodwill - one black, one white.

A present for Scott Boys
so they opened it together. 

Playing with their Hexbug - beetles

The bugs became even cooler when the boys discovered the bugs changed direction when they bumped into something or when they heard a clapping noise. Sooo COOL! They also received some "transformer" Hex nano bugs and a "battle arena." Hex bugs can be fun to watch...come alive....

Xela attempting to condense
her smaller gifts to make their transport
to the upper realms, easier.

Eric and I had discussed on Christmas Eve whether or not we should take the kids to "Box Trolls" at the dollar theater, the only one now is in Greenwood, a twenty minute drive. I looked up times and on Christmas Day, the first showing was at 11:55. At 11:15 Eric said we had to go, instructed all the kids to change (that was just for Xela and Ro who were still in pjs), get shoes on and get in the van. 

We kept the kids guessing where we were going. First we said we were going to the temple, that everything was already waiting for us at a hotel and that I got that all ready on Tuesday when I said I was staying late at work. Then we said we were heading to the Aults; they live in Greenwood. We approached the theater, but went into a bank parking lot because we missed the street. Kids were confused until they saw the theater. Upon such realization, there was a bunch of  "I knew it!" coming from the backseat.

The three youngest wanted to sit
in the front row. I said I would too,
until I sat down and my neck
felt kinked within moments.

Xela was the most excited.
She's wanted to see "Box Trolls" for weeks.

When we got home from the movie, we opened gifts at Grandparents' Scott house, then came home to make some pies before eating Christmas dinner. After dinner, we watched Despicable Me 2 (a gift from our friend Patience Gaydos) and then we helped clean up and head back home for the night.

I think the kids all enjoyed their Christmas. I enjoyed getting things ready for them and am grateful for online shopping where I can have things shipped to work where they can hide out until the big day. I'm grateful for kids that are happy with what they receive, even if it's not that much. I'm grateful to have the next few days off to be with my family. I enjoying sharing Christmas break with my kiddos.