December 4 - 7.

Kenedi got super comfy one the floor with her baby.

December 4-7 can be summed up best as sick.  Kenedi has been sick with everything from a fever to teething 4 giant molars, to croup, to runny nose and cough.  When I finally went to the doctor on Friday because I had no other tricks up my mommy-sleeve, the doc looked at me and gave me that 'I'm so sorry but there's nothing I can give you and you'll just have to not sleep for another 12 nights until everyone gets better' look.  And then I almost died from exhaustion.  And THEN, we went to the pharmacy because I nearly begged for medication (and got it) and it smelled so horrible that I thought for sure we were all going to be poisoned via breathing nasty smells.  It was bad.  Then Addi got it!  Good news is, Kenedi got better.  Bad news is, now Will is headed downhill.  With a family of five, it makes sense that at least one of us is sick!  But that doesn't make it FUN!

This is how Kenedi feels about being sick. 

There were some highlights to the week. We put up our Christmas tree and decorations which is always so fun. With the remodel this year, we have a lot less wall space than last year so we had to get creative about where we put decorations. Our tree also turned out a LOT smaller than we've had in the past. A lot. It looks like it belongs in a doll house.   So it only needed half the ornaments as last year. It also has color lights on it this year because our favorite white twinkle lights that blink a million different ways, broke.  I can't throw them away though becomes I'm convinced they can be fixed (and that you can't buy new ones anywhere...likely not true but still....)The kids always have so much fun doing these little pieces of the holiday season.

I don't get in many pictures which is obvious by the expression on my face.  I was tired.  This was day 3 of no sleep. 

December 3.

Today Miss Kenedi went and got sick!  Bleh.  High Fever and just miserable.  She kind of wandered around the house running into walls all sick-like.

I also realized that  in my haste to get Christmas cards done, I printed the wrong year.  Oops.  Good thing Costco is cheap!

Elf ended up in the pitcher with baby next to him.  Kenedi loves that baby and rubs and pats her back.  She'll say 'baby' wheneer she loves her and then when she finds her, plops a little kiss on her lips.  Adorable.

December 2.

Today was the annual Hawkins Family Christmas Tree Adventure event.  Which always seems to begin at Stan's house for a yummy, homemade breakfast.  This year it was waffles and eggs and bacon.    So good.  Plus he had marionberry syrup which Addi is in LOVE with right now.  This year we were missing Lyndsey and Brooks who are down South.

I do love trekking out to cut down our own Christmas tree.  Whenever some one says that they have an artificial one my first reaction is 'HUH?!' we live in the Northwest and you're packing your tree up to the attic each year?!  But then, when were out there and there's a baby on one hip and 12 coats slung over the other arm...well...for a moment I think about what it would be like to go to the Safeway parking lot.  And then, I remember that it's fun.  And it is.  And the kids love it.  

Here is the annual family shoot, a little large than last year with the addition of Riley packed away on Krista's front.  

 
We were slightly un prepared for a sit on Santa's lap but we went for it.  Addi asked for the Play doh sweet treat factory and Will wants new Bionicles.  I asked Santa to bring Will a haircut, but I doubt that will happen!

Our Christmas tree is going to be just perfect!  (it's still sitting outside so we haven't quite gotten it up yet!)

December 1.

Every year I tell myself somewhere around November 16th when I've totally missed out on the 30 Days of Gratitude project that everyone else does that THIS year, this year, I will finally do the December Daily.  The DEcember Daily is capturing each day of December so that we can look back and remember this busy season and all of the fun that it brings.  I love the idea behind it and try it almost every year and never get to it.  

Well, I'm already a day late.  Shoot.  But I'm not giving up!  

December first marked the return of B.E.T.  (not short for the old music video channel) but Buddy Elfie Taylo.  This guy came to our house 2 years ago and what an adventure he is.  The kids pulled out the book LATE on Friday night after we came home from dinner with friends super late.  Will read quietly to Addi and man, was she in to it!

Then that night, BET appeared magically from the North Pole ready to take notes of all the good (and naughty behavior) going on in our household!  He came in with gusto though staging a snowball fight made out of marshmallows with a Bionicle of Will's.

 Here was the scene.  That naughty little elf made quite the mess for mom to clean up!

 And the bionicle looked like he might just take this one.