it's the most wonderful (and busy) time of the year

 Dorothy sent us a package with lots of nuts in it.  We ate them all.  I think I gained a few pounds!

 Julia loved them most, but could not figure out how to open them.  I would find this combination all over the house until the nuts were gone.

 I bought shutters for the front windows.  they are expensive and i love them.

I worked from 8am to 12pm on friday.  Rachel watched the girls.  Rich has been out of town since monday.  Remi had a birthday party on friday afternoon.  The girls loved playing a christmas version of duck duck goose (christmas christmas reindeer).

 He had a chocolate transformers cake.

 we really love him.  we got him a radio with a mike (because he loves to sing along to stuff)

 friday night amy's kids came over for a sleepover.  we went to look at christmas lights.  we walked around my neighborhood, the kids enjoyed it alot.  Especially Gavin who got to walk Josie the dog.   it is my christmas gift to amy - that she can have a night away from her kids at christmas so she can enjoy them more over the holiday.

 we read about jesus healing the bling man and the present was these silly sunglasses.

 i really love this picture.

 gavin enjoyed playing with josie.  i enjoyed that someone else was playing with josie.

 amber made most of breakfast.

 here we are!  i hope i don't ever have 6 kids!  yikes!

 we went for several walks.  to the library, to the store, to the park.

 amber and anna.  amber is always so sweet to help with the younger kids.

 we made gingerbread houses.  out of grahm crackers of course.

 anna and julia look so much alike lately, its crazy.  look, they both have the same mug shot.,

 jane (3)

 gavin (9)

 amber (8)

 anna's house.  it was awesome and she did it all by herself (i helped with a few ideas...but she did it!)

 evan's airplane.  very creative.  i love the gummi passengers.

 ambers shack.

 gavins war fortress.

 anna's house.

 jane

 julia

 evan

 we went to this park with a big hill.  we call it fish park, it's on 9800 S.  The kids ran around a lot, up and down the hill.  It was a good thing to do after making gingerbread houses.

 they tied josie up while they played.  what good pet takers.

 we went to the library for pokemon club.  here is gavin preparing for a pokemon battle.  unfortunately he couldnt' get his deck together before we had to leave.

 jane and julia.  not fighting (;

 evan bored at the library - baby stuff.

 then we read for a good 1/2 hour.

 checking in on gaving again.

we ended the day with a movie (which is what they actually wanted to do the whole time - i just kept putting it off).  amber and anna colored and listened to a CD on tape instead of watching a movie and julia took a nice long (seriously like 1 hour) bath (after she peed her pants).

it was a good time!  only 2 pee pee'd pants (both my girls), 2 broken things (josie's leash and a mason jar), 1 minor injury (julia stepped on broken mason jar glass), 6 happy kids and 1 happy aunt (so happy because I only have 2....not 4 children).