Todd and Melissa have officially moved back to the Western States and we were excited to have them stay with us for a few days right before Christmas.
Liam loves to play "I Spy." We played it at the dentist when he was scared and it was a great distraction. He always wants to play it in the car and while we're eating dinner.
Tad insists on wearing mismatched jammies. He will take the bottoms from one set and the top from another and mix them together, usually with very different patterns. It drives me crazy! But it's not a battle that's worth fighting, I have to save my energy with this kid.
Tad and Liam moved into their own room and baby Nathan moved in with Tyler. Kyle and I are happy to have our room to ourselves, Tad and Liam think it's so cool to have their own room, and Tyler loves sharing with baby. It's a win all around. Alexa was excited to do a sleepover with all the boys on Christmas Eve.
Baby Nathan (4 months old) is very comfortable in 12 month clothing. We keep having to move up in size because the zippers and fabric on his pajamas are leaving indentations in his legs, and even the 12 month size are surprisingly cozy. Kyle has been using yoga blocks under his baby swing since he was a couple of weeks old because otherwise it drags on the ground. He's a fat, happy baby.
Alexa asked Santa for a Barbie dream house for Christmas. Tyler asked for a chinchilla, giant dragon stuffed animal, and/or Pokemon cards. Tad asked for a phone. Santa brought a Barbie animal rescue house, a dragon stuffed animal, and Tad and Liam got Wild Kratts vests and creature discs. They love the show Wild Kratts and pretend to be the two brothers rescuing animals every day.
Other exciting gifts included remote control cars and a Barbie Jeep for Tad & Liam. They think it's so cool that the jeep plays music. We bought it off a neighbor and were cleaning it after the kids went to bed on Christmas Eve and kept accidentally setting off the music. It was so loud! Tyler got a fancy new bike from Grandma and Grandpa Sweeny, Alexa got an Echo to play music in her room, and the whole family got plane tickets to Hawaii in May!
We started a new tradition on Christmas Eve that I heard about from a coworker. Everyone has a simple gift inside a wrapped container, attached to a string with their name on it. You sing a song or do a Christmas poem and when it ends you all pull on your strings at the same time to launch your gift out of the box. It was a lot of fun.
Alexa got lots of spa masks for Christmas. Here she is trying one out. Her brothers said it was super creepy :).
Alexa spoke in Sacrament meeting for the Christmas program. She was asked to speak about Luke 2. She read and re-read the chapter (4 times total) and wrote the talk all by herself. She did a good job speaking in front of a lot of people, and the Bishop commented on how excited he was because it's the first time he had ever had a 9-year old speak.
We took a little road trip to Nevada for New Years to visit Richard and Megan. We played a lot with cousins, ate delicious food, introduced the kids to Mighty Ducks, and the boys had fun shooting targets.
Here's our Christmas update in place of Christmas cards:
Kyle stays busy remodeling the house and keeping the children alive.
COVID made Jenny's work at Thrive extra busy this year. Apparently, everyone wants freeze dried food when the world is ending. Go figure.
Alexa, 9, loves Minecraft, Legos, reading Harry Potter, and playing with friends. She is surrounded by boys all day every day.
Tyler, 7, also loves Minecraft and Legos and is a fantastic artist.
Tad, 4, is obsessed with blanket forts and makes them all over the house. He and Liam are best buds.
Liam, 3, loves puzzles, reading, wrestling, and pretending to play Wild Kratts and go on animal adventures with Tad.
Nathaniel, 4 months, is huge! He is a wonderful baby and he loves to eat, sleep, and laugh at his big brothers and sister.
2020 Highlights: Sweeny reunion in Indiana at a beautiful lake-side cabin (June), Yellowstone and Bear World (Sept), Glacier NP for Kirstan's wedding (Oct), surviving COVID and lots of time at home, and 2 litters of baby kittens (July/Nov). Do yourself a favor and visit Glacier if you haven't, it's breathtaking. Virtual hugs from our family to yours, and best wishes for a wonderful new year!
Funny Stories:
Tad asked if all brown cows were dairy cows. I explained that not all brown cows are dairy cows, some are meat cows that give us meat like steak. Alexa chimed in and said, “Yeah! And pork, too! ... Wait. That comes from pigs. Face palm.”
Tyler: "Baby is huge! He looks like he’s already one year old. I bet when he’s in second grade everybody’s going to think he’s actually in third grade."
This is what happens when your kids are stuck at home for too long:
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