On the TWELFTH Date of Christmas....

This date is a tradition that we started in 2001. Tim was working for a global company and after 9/11 they laid off most of their US employees. That was the first week in October 2001. The second week our newly finished basement FLOODED with 2 feet of water and the third week, Cooper was born. It had been quite the eventful couple of weeks. Knowing that we had to conserve what money we had until Tim could find a new job and to rebuild the basement, Christmas was going to be thin. So instead of bemoaning it, we started a WONDERFUL tradition that we all look forward to each year.
On Thanksgiving we draw names and have until Christmas Eve to MAKE our person a gift. Only Mom knows who everyone has so it's a fun reveal on Christmas Eve.

Grandma gave Cooper this really cool book. She was the author and Illustrator!

Tay gave bay this really sweet hat with custom dingle balls and glitter!

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Lani made this magnet board for Tay to hang up in her apartment.

Morgan made Lani a really cute bracelet.

Dad made Harrison a CD with all his favorite Weird Al songs.

Cooper made Morgan a photo cube with pictures of the two of them and a cute note. Cooper did his Secret Santa all by himself this year.

Bailey made me a really sweet keychain.

Harrison made dad a CD of his favorite songs. Funny...they had each other and they each made CDs.....Like father, like son!

I made grandma three picture collections of her three kids in frames to put on her fridge. {{Cutest kid is in the middle!}}

Christmas Eve Surprise!!!

We were enjoying our Christmas Eve festivities when the doorbell rang. We thought it was the boys because they got here just minutes later. But it was a box FULL of presents. I mean FULL of presents. Look at all this!! And another box with Christmas Dinner inside. We were SHOCKED!!
Things are lean this year, but with nothing we could do about it we forged on with our normal Christmas merriment. Admittedly, I was a little nervous about how Coop would respond to the few things we got him. I knew the older kids would understand, but at 7 you have a very clear idea about what Santa will do for you....plus he's a really good boy!! No coal excuses!!

So it was so touching to see that "SOMEONE" was thinking about us. Cooper was BESIDE himself with all the gifts. We kept pulling them out of the box shaking our heads in disbelief. There was a silence in the room and a genuine feeling of Christlike love that filled our hearts in that moment. A very special THANK YOU to that someone...whoever you are.

Christmas Eve with John, Carter and Lily

John and his kids came down for Christmas Eve and it was SO FUN having them here! I can't believe how big the kids are now!!

Lily loves to run and jump and play and laugh. It's the most contagious laugh ever!!


I think she's got some cousins wrapped around her fingers!


First Barbie!! Yeah!!!


Our twins...Lily and Taylor. Tay looked so much like Lily at her age. And their Birthdays are only ONE DAY apart!


Tay and Lil


Carter has grown up so much!! Here is his space shuttle toy. He knows so many cool things and he is READING at 4 1/2!!


John trying to get to all the Barbie accessories that are superglued to the packaging...


Carter and Lily....watch this neat trick....




Wouldn't you love to bend your body completely in half?!

On the ELEVENTH Date of Christmas...

Back on December 5th (Ben's Birthday) he wanted us to do some kind of service for his birthday. It's harder than you think in the month of December to give service through an organization. We wanted to do something through the Food and Care Coalition. The first opportunity that fit our whole group was making sack lunches for them to hand out at the center. So we all came together tonight to make 50 sack lunches. Grandma bought the food, Ryan and Alicia (grandmas renters and our friends!) brought the clementines and I bought the paper bags. (I think I got the good end of that deal!) Tim and I are going to deliver them to the center in the morning.

Cooper and Alicia making sure each bag is getting one of everything.

Bailey packaging cookies for the lunches.

Tay and Ryan opening tuna cans.

The final check....

On the TENTH Date of Christmas...

We watched it snow ALL DAY. That's what we did. It snowed at least a foot at our house. The kids went sledding during the day, we shoveled the driveway and sidewalks together then warmed up with hot chocolate and tomato soup.

Our original plan was to go see "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever"that night, but by the time it came to go, the girls were having fun at their friends house, Coop was at his friends house and so Tim and I decided to go down and visit with Ben instead.

On the NINTH Date of Christmas...

Game Night!! We played a new game called Hit the Deck.

Tay, Jared and Cooper

Me and Bay

Julie, Grandma and Tim

This is Jared with his million points.....but with this game, less is more.

Say CHEESE!!!

This is what Josh and Jax did when I said "Say Cheese."

Fitness Challenge....at Christmas?!

After church on Sunday we received all of this within a 3 hour span. oh....it looks so good!! I was okay after the first couple. I just smelled them...literally! and walked away. Then they kept coming and smelling just wasn't enough! But I couldn't give in. Tim was gone home teaching and I needed support!! I LOCKED myself in my bathroom with my cell phone to text my trainer. After being in there for a few minutes, I talked myself off the ledge, went back out and enjoyed the evening with my family. And I ate this.....

I am gonna look SOOOO good!!

How cute is she?!

This is my friend, Carmindy in her mom's boutique. Don't you just want to reach through the screen and kiss those cheeks?!

On the EIGHTH Date of Christmas...

We met up with Pete and his family at John's house in Salt Lake to watch the Cowboys game.

Morgan, Tay and Dad

Pete and Gigi


Tay and Jason

Edith and John

Emma and Cooper

Morgan and Lani

Edith, Emma and Gigi

Me and Tim

Three of the four Weiland Boys..John, Pete and Tim

On the SEVENTH Date of Christmas....

We did a little girls night out for our date tonight. The girls all went to Grandmas house to hang out and give each other manicures. The boys stayed home and did boy things...