We do not usually wrap our gifts to the kids, but this year a friend gave them gifts, too. For some reason, she wrapped the girls gifts’ but not the boys’. I didn’t notice, but evidently Peter is more observant than I am.

Peter: Mom, how come Anna got a present to unwrap on Christmas, and I didn’t?

me: Because the person who gave it to you decided not to wrap yours.

Peter: But I wanted to unwrap a present.

me: You should be thankful you got the gift and not worry about whether it was wrapped.

Peter: (thinking)

me: Did you know the best gift given to anyone was not wrapped? Jesus wasn’t wrapped.

Peter: Yes, he was. He was wrapped up inside his mommy. (so much for that idea)

me: Well, lets look at this situation positively. What nice thing could you say about not getting a wrapped present?

Peter: Congratulations, Anna?

Today I am going to share Phillip’s Christmas with you. First of all, I feel like I should mention that Phillip’s favorite toy was a transformer. He spent almost all of his Christmas gift time trying to figure that thing out with his Dad. (That should tell you a something about him. Focused!) I took several pictures of him in pretty much the same pose and then figured I was getting a bit redundant. As a result, there weren’t nearly as many pictures of him as the other children. 😐

I am going to share one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite musicians tonight. This song spoke to me the first time I heard it, and it has continued to do so every single time I have listened to it. Take a few minutes to listen to The Real me by Natalie Grant.

Candice is a bit camera shy. Can you tell? 😀

Don’t most 2  year olds sleep with a teddy bear? What happened? 🙂

My girls are all abraid…at least the two who have enough hair! Tis a bit messy after being in all day, but I didn’t think to take pictures when they were fresh! 🙁

Wow! Have you ever tried to spell hippopotamus? Anyway, this song was mentioned over at Waxing Mundane, and I was inspired to post the lyrics on my blog. It is a pretty cool song! Have any of you heard it before now? Regardless of whether you have, take a moment to listen to it!

me: I need to put these socks away

Peter: Yeah right!

me: Cool! That was easy! (after putting socks away)

Peter: Yeah right! Mom, What does “Yeah right” mean?

me: It means you don’t believe what I’m saying

Peter: Yeah right!

Luke is doing a group writing project reminding us to be thankful this season. Here are seven things I’m thankful for (in no particular order – except the 1st one).

God
I am thankful that God is there with me through thick and thin, and that’s saying a lot! I’ve been through some pretty thick and pretty thin times, and He hasn’t failed me a time!

My Blog
This may sound like a funny thing to be thankful for, but I have always been more comfortable with a pen in my hand than talking. Words just come out better on paper. I don’t know why. I believe people who read my blog probably know me as much as, if not better than, those who only know me in person.

My Husband
The only reason I am thankful for him is because he got my blog going. Just teasing! He is the most awesome guy on the planet! I couldn’t ask for a better husband.

My Children
Being a mother has been a dream of mine for as far back as I can remember. Now I have five little blessings running around. Life would be boring and not complete without them!

Sleep
Can you imagine not ever getting sleep? What a nightmare that would be! Wait a minute! It couldn’t be a nightmare if I never slept. So there’s another reason. What could we say when something was really bad if there were no nightmares! There would also be no one saying their “dream came true.”

Family Night
It is so cool to end each work week with a fun evening with the family. It gives us all a break and gives us an excuse to have some fun together.

A Phone
We live in New England, and my parents, my sister, and other loved ones live down in Mississippi. There is no way I would be able to communicate with them if I did not have a phone.

For some reason the idea struck me to put Bethany in my overalls to see if it would work as a baby carrier. It worked quite well, but I think tying her on with cloth might work better and be more comfortable for both of us! What do you think?