Recap of Christmas

It was LOUD.

It was not a free for all.

Kids in matching jammies melts my heart.

Excitement was off the charts.

Santa left footprints at the door.

 

Wrapping paper was picked up after each gift.

Best gift of all was a picture with all 7 kids looking with both mom & dad.

Big kids still talk about how they got to eat dinner in the living room after presents.

Drew does not like to share or even let the little kids look at his gifts.

Dad tried hard but he thinks Mom is smaller than she is.

Everyone wants to play with the same toy. Questioned why we don't buy 4 of everything.

Natalie caught 'Santa' building Santa's gifts...Mom came up with story...not sure if she is buying it.

The big girls say they got everything they wanted except for one thing. 

The one thing I know is Christmas gets more and more fun each year and also more relaxing. I can not even begin to imagine what our Christmas' will look like 20 years from now! Christmas 2014 we loved having you and are excited to welcome in the New Year in just a couple days. Praying 2015 continues to bring adventure and joy into the Lesnau home.

They were so excited to have us open the gifts they bought us from their school craft fair. We got candy canes, soaps, dad-hershey kiss angel, mom-earrings to match a necklace I have.

' I have wanted this my whole life.'

Picture 1- "I am tired of having my picture taken mom."

Picture 2- "I just told you I did not want my picture taken. Why do you knot listen to me?"

Picture 3- "These stickers I found on my sister's wrapping paper are the greatest gift I have gotten all night. Of course you can take my picture."

A hug for dad for putting together his car ramp.

First time watching 'A Christmas Story.' A Lesnau (not including mom) tradition that means Christmas to Paul.

It's not Christmas unless you are able to get away with eating M&M's for breakfast.

Something Magical Happens at Christmas

When my big kids were asked what they wanted for Christmas this year I was expecting the answer of Spiderman, Ninja Turtles, Nerf guns from a little four year old boy but instead his answer was something I never thought I would hear, 'I don't want anything for Christmas except for our family to be together.' I do not know where he heard this; maybe a movie, maybe a book, maybe from something at school but it carried through our house this Christmas season. None of my kids made a Christmas list this year. They have not asked for a single toy. Instead they have asked to make Christmas cookies to bring to the neighbors, to have their new cousin over for a play date, to have daddy build a fire because mommy does not know how to. Are they excited to open presents tonight? Of course they are only 6. 4 and 2 but somewhere along the way they have realized there is more to Christmas than presents.

There is something so magical about this time of year; the Christmas carols which have been playing since the beginning of November in our house, the smell of pine from the Christmas tree, the sparkle of lights in every room and on the rooftops, and the crackle of the fire. Sometimes as Christmas gets closer you can feel a change in the world. People are kinder. Strangers are wished a Merry Christmas. People take that one extra step to make someones day. If only the magic of the season did not end...

The other night I was praying for answers, for guidance and for directions and just as I fell quiet the following lyrics came over the radio:

Believe in what your heart is saying, 

Hear the melody that's playing
There's no time to waste,
There is so much to celebrate.
Believe in what you feel inside,
Give your dreams the wings to fly.
You have everything you need, if you just believe.

So tonight on Christmas Eve may the joys that make your Christmas magical carry on because as the rest of the words to the song Believe tell us:

Children, sleeping.
Snow is softly falling.
Dreams are calling, 
Like bells in the distance.
We were dreamers,
Not so long ago.
But one by one, we
All had to grow up.

When it seems the magic slipped away... 
We find it all again on Christmas Day.

Forever Captured

Earlier this fall we had our family pictures taken, and even though it felt like we had just had them done yesterday while I was searching for clothing for all 9 of us, it had been well over a year. Last time we took them I had four one year olds trying to escape a wagon and was worried about head injuries; now we had 4 little people going in ten different directions with 2 big girls trying to corral them and then the same 4 toddlers getting upset because someone was trying to pick them up. Good thing daddy had the smart idea to start throwing wipes in the air which was funnier than any comedian on late night. In the end I was a sweaty mess and felt like I had just ran a marathon, which I have never done nor do I ever plan to do, so I am just guessing that I felt the same as I would after 26.2 miles. You can imagine how ecstatic I was when I was emailed my link for our slideshow and I saw picture after picture that captured my children in their true form. The amazing Monica once again froze each of our kids personalities and did not include a single picture of a stressed out mom. That is talent!

Now that our Christmas cards are out I will attempt to narrow down my favorites to  just a couple but let's just say I started with over 160 so if I can get it down to 50 that is huge...

We all have days like this. Isabella portrays it perfectly!

The Twins

This one makes me laugh because if you know Rylan you know that he purposefully got into Kenzie's shot just to tick her off.

If a lap is empty there will always be someone who wants to be held. Whether they are 6, 4 or 2 they all love to cuddle.

I often wonder what the boys were saying to each other.

We have never had a daddy's girl like this one is. She loves him with her whole heart.

LIFE

I never imagined my family would take up an entire road but that said I do see space for 1 more on the far left...