It's Santa!

First Year with no tears & all the kids made it onto Santa's lap. Hooray! Baby {J} wasn't "thrilled", but we'll blame that on just being woken from a nice comfy nap and dropped onto a strange man with a giant white beard and silly hat's, lap.

Gifts asked for this year: a sword, magic, & a guitar, or kids computer... Baby {J} just wanted to go back to sleep.

A little more Christmas

I am enjoying every little bit before it's all over for the year. Getting close now!!

More Baking

Christmas cookies! Oh, how I LOVE Christmas cookies. The frosting, glitter and color! They make me feel happy & cheerful just looking at them. That all said, I actually hate baking. Yes hate. When the cookies are all cooked, cooled & decorated and smiling at me from their glass jars and holiday plates is when I sit back and enjoy them.

This year my husband asked why I do cookies EVERY year if I hate the process [he had to "help" this year, so quickly he questioned the need. hmmm, men]. I said wait until the kids are busy creating their little snowmen, gingerbread's and tree's. Look close at their little faces concentrating & perfecting. THAT is why! The memories of the kids faces is totally worth it for me! They way their eyes sparkle and light up when they get it just so.

See you next year holiday sugar cookies... now pass me some chocolate covered pretzels. YUM!

Solstice

Happy Winter Solstice! We spent the day baking cookies, laughing & enjoying each others company... and the bigger kids got to watch "Attack of the 50 ft Woman" from 1958. Fun times, hee-hee.

Looking forward to a warm, happy winter snuggled up with my children.

Some Christmas creations

The Christmas Elves {aka-mama} are working around the clock to have everything ready for the holiday. It's approaching so quickly! I had everything under control and was way ahead of schedule until disaster struck the Kunklebaby household. Every single person in the family has been sick. A nasty cold bug has drifted through the family for 2 weeks now, slowly working it's way through all six members of the house. One urgent care visit, fevers of 104+ and lots of medicine and we are slowly getting to the other side, only the parents are left ill at this point.

Here's a peek at some of the current projects happening, in various stages. Lots of needle felting & sewing with a splash of embroidery here and there. The red nest & eggs in the last picture was made by Miss {M} for her teacher. They have been studying birds in her classroom. I'm really proud of her work!

I hope there are enough hours left next week to get everything finished up. I have a quilt & several dolls 1/2 way to completion for the kids. Lots of late nights after they are tucked in bed.

Brothers

I can't help but feel overwhelmingly proud as I watch my oldest child, play with the youngest. He's so kind, and genuinely interested in the baby. We know so much more now with #4 than we did after our first-young parents, super excited to be a "family", just learning who we were together, still. For that matter who we were ourselves! Over the years, I"ve come to no longer think in terms of "I", but, "we". I rarely say I anymore, and even rarer is the singular thought. We are now a family, for good or bad times.

Sometimes when the day is dragging on, and I feel like I cannot take one more minute of this life-laundry, bickering children, muddy dogs and the never ending shuttle service called mom- I revisit moments like these. Captured sometimes by my camera, sometimes just in my mind, and it makes it all worth it. These days pass far to quick, and I am desperate to enjoy each & every moment. Too quickly will these small fingers & toes grow.

It takes a Village...

Village of felt Gingerbread house ornaments, waiting to go to their new homes on Christmas. Lots of ornament crafting going on at our house these days. Lots of last minute things to sew and finish, but it's been so fun.

Joy

A cookie. I never though one single cookie could bring me so much joy. One cookie brought giggles, smiles and happiness to our tiniest member of the family. All that happy warms a Mama's soul!

I feel like this one is growing up over night. In the wee hours when we are asleep in our warm bed, not noticing how fast the inches & milestones are passing. This one who seems like he just arrived, but is on the brink of crawling and talking.This little boy, so new, yet so very much a part of this family. This will be his first Christmas. I know he will have absolutely no memory of the season, but it will hold a special place in my heart forever.

Creating

Lots of making going on at our home. Between Kunklebaby Christmas orders and all our holiday gifts that need made, our days have been full. I've spent the past few months knitting and we'll spend the last few weeks before Christmas sewing. The kids have their own long list of "to do's", like Christmas cookies, clay, gingerbread houses and their own gift making. Mama is finishing scarves, new dolls, quilts, ornaments and some homemade baking too.

It's such a happy time of year for us. We are all excited to see the extended family soon. With most of our relatives 2+ hours away, it's becoming a special treat.

Merry & Bright

I am so amazed by the love these two little boys show each other! Little {L} is never referred to as a "gentle" child, but he is so tender and sweet with his Baby JuJu! I love watching them grow into friends. I know there will be many fights & disagreements over the years, but deep down, the love is already there-a bond of brotherhood growing stronger each day!