New Ear's Eve

According to Mylie, tonight we are celebrating New Ear's Eve! We were at the mall this afternoon and on a whim we decided to get her ears pierced. I have asked her before if she wanted to do it, but she was always a bit nervous about it hurting. She must have been feeling extra brave today, because she jumped at the chance. She used part of her Christmas money from Grandpa Jack to have it done.

She was so brave and only cried for just a minute and then hurried to wipe the tears away so I could snap a picture with my phone to show everyone.

She is growing up!!

On Service ...

This Christmas my parents asked that instead of buying them presents, that we all do a service project and then write them a letter telling them about it. Our family thought about this and decided that we would adopt a family. We decided to work in conjunction with the Criminal Justice Club at CWI - I am the advisor for the club. I am going to cut and paste a couple emails into my blog because this was such an awesome experience, I don't want to forget it! This was the email I sent out to our club after we delivered Christmas.

Hello,
I wanted to update everyone on our Christmas service project. As you know, we adopted a family through the juvenile probation department who was in need this Christmas. It was a large family with 8 kids and one on the way. I must tell you that I am so very impressed with our club members.

Yesterday we spent the afternoon wrapping and putting the presents together and then this afternoon Shale, her daughters, Telena and I went with the probation officer to deliver the gifts. I have attached some pictures, we filled the trunk and backseat of the probation officer's car with more boxes in the back of Shale's suburban. We had three gifts for every child as well as a full stocking for each of them. We had a Christmas dinner which included two hams, and additionally, a large box of non perishable food items. We had gently used clothing for the children, gifts for the parents, as well as some money.

As Shale and Telena will chime in, delivering this to their house and meeting this family was an absolute joy. The looks on the kid's faces as they saw us carry in box after box was something we won't forget. They had a Christmas tree up, but nothing under it. The children excitedly unloaded the boxes and suddenly their tree was full. The children were so excited and the parents so grateful. It was so neat, because so often many of us may donate something at Christmas but rarely do you get to see the joy on the faces of the recipients.

From the bottom of my heart I thank those of you who contributed. Students contributed toys, food, clothing, money, wrapping paper, and their time. I know that money is very tight for many of you this Christmas. It truly speaks to your character to serve others. Shale, Telena and I decided today that this is the 1st Annual CJ Club Adopt a Christmas Event, which means there will be more to come! I am so proud to be associated with such a wonderful group of people.

Merry Christmas to each of you. I will see you next semester!!
Stephanie

And the email I sent to my parents:

Hi Mom & Dad,
This afternoon we delivered Christmas to the family that we adopted. As I told you guys this weekend, this is a large family. They are an LDS family and the dad is in the National Guard. Their home was small, especially for a family of this size. The mom homeschools all the kids. My students did a wonderful job of putting together gifts and food for this family. Our family participated in this as well by donating quite a bit of nonperisable food, art supplies, as well as giving the parents a card with $50 in it. We also took the big box of wipes that mom donated.

Thank you for asking us to serve this Christmas and in turn inspiring me to ask my students to serve. Helping this family was inspiring, but so was watching my students serve. Many of them have told me that they don't have much money. One student lost her house this year, many are unemployed, and most are having much smaller Christmases themselves. This did not stop them from helping this family in need. One student of mine has a daughter who is 11 years old. Her daughter came to one of our meetings with her mom when we were talking about this. When they got home that night she told her mom that she did not want anything for Christmas that year, instead wanted to use the money that her mom would have spent on presents to help this family. This girl and her mom put together 9 stockings for all the family. That 11 year old girl isn't getting any presents for Christmas this year because money is really tight. She helped wrap and deliver all the gifts. I just wanted to hug her, not many kids would do that. Another students went out and bought nice gifts for each and every child. When I thanked him, I asked if I could help pay for part of it. He told me no, but that he had been the recipient of a Christmas like this when he was a child and he wanted to give back.

I was talking to Jeff today at lunch and telling him all about these students. As I told him, we gave and gave generosly, but we are still having Christmas and getting gifts. We have the means that we can do both. Some of these students don't have the means to do both and had the means to do one or the other. I am touched by their generosity and their willingness to give when they don't have much to give. We know that we are blessed to have the means to have a nice Christmas with our family and the ability to serve other families.

Merry Christmas - we love you!
Stephanie and the Breach crew

Through this whole project, I think I was most touched by the 11 year old girl, Kendra, who gave up her Christmas to donate to this family. I called her mom the next day and told her that I could not stop thinking about her daughter's generosity and asked if we could go Christmas shopping for her. We did and I heard from the mom the other day telling me that she hasn't seen Kendra that excited in a long time.

What a wonderful feeling each of us in our family had this Christmas season as we truly thought about what we could do to ensure that others have a wonderful Christmas. We have the service bug and I hope to see it continue into 2011.

Christmas re-cap

The rest of December has just FLOWN by! We had a fabulous visit from Gramma and Big A the weekend before Christmas. I think the kids wore them out! Papa probably hasn't played blocks that much since HE was a kid. They came to church with us on Sunday and we all enjoyed the Christmas program. The primary kids sang, and Mylie did such a good job!

The week before Christmas was a busy one. I was finishing up grades/end of the semester stuff. Mylie got to go to the Rockettes with Grandma and Grandpa Breach and had a fabulous time!! Grandma and Grandpa Breach came over on Christmas Eve afternoon for lunch and we had a lovely afternoon together.

The kids were so excited and hyper on Christmas Eve! Mylie kept asking if it was bedtime (starting at about 9 am) because she couldn't wait for Santa to come! We had a nice Christmas Eve night reading the Christmas Story, watching A Christmas Story, and writing letters to Santa. Daddy slept in Blake's room, to make sure he didn't escape in the night.

The kids must have stayed on the nice list, because they woke up to this on Christmas morning.

Christmas Day was so nice. Mylie was so excited that Santa brought her a pillow pet, a spin brush and some silly bands. Those were her big requests. Santa also brought her a new doll and princess barbies! Blake asked Santa for a truck and he got lots of trucks!! Santa also brought him a remote control car (which has provided hours of fun for all of us!) and a pillow pet. Jeff and I both stayed on the good list too. We all had a fun day just hanging out and playing with our new toys.

On Monday, the kids and I decided to take an impromptu trip to Idaho Falls for a few days. We had a great time, played with cousins, saw the Great Grandpas, rode the 4-wheeler (well I didn't - too cold, but the kids did!) We had an icky drive back on Thursday, but made it eventually and are glad to be home. It was a wonderful Christmas season. It seems to go quicker every year, but we definitely enjoy it!

PARTY!

On Friday, Mylie had her Christmas party at school. I went to help and brought Blake along (yes, I was nervous! But he was such a good boy.) Mylie's teacher had an extra gingerbread house and so Blakey got to do one too. It was funny because she asked him his name and he said "BUBBA!" He was working hard on this gingerbread house, though I am pretty sure he ate as much candy as he put on.

Mylie's cute gingerbread house and reindeer antlers. I have so much fun helping in her classroom. I took Christmas pictures of all the kids in her class with their gingerbread houses and antlers.

We had a wonderful, absolutely fabulous weekend with Gramma and Papa here. The kids wore them out on Saturday playing the whole day. They read stories, build towers, played dolls, played cars, the works. It was wonderful. Mylie sang in the Christmas program on Sunday so it was fun to have them there for that. They headed back to Idaho Falls after lunch.

Sunday night we had our annual progressive dinner with the Bennett and Brady families. It was lots of fun as usual and lots of good food. This week is busy, busy. We are very excited for Christmas at our house!!!

Christmas Program

Here are a couple pictures from the kid's Christmas program at daycare. They did a great job and it was a lot of fun. Mylie, with the chicken pox.

Blake was OK with Santa, as long as he got to sit next to him, not on his lap. Silly boy. He did tell Santa he wanted a TRUCK!

Uncle Ben was in town for court so he got to come and watch their program as well. Lots of fun!

She's mad as a fox!

Tonight was Mylie and Blake's daycare Christmas program. The did great singing and Blake actually stayed on the stage the entire time (major shocker). Mylie had a speaking part at the end. She did awesome!

You can't really see, but she has chicken pox painted on her face. Too cute!

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to the North Pole we go!

Earlier this week, Jeff decided that he would get tickets and take all of us on the Polar Express this afternoon. The kids have been so excited. Grandma and Grandpa Breach took us on the Polar Express when Mylie was 3, just before Blake was born. She doesn't really remember and she and Blake (especially Blakey, he loves trains) have been so excited the last few days getting ready to go on the train (choo choo) and to meet Santa.

The Polar Express train departs from Horseshoe Bend and arrives at the North Pole an hour later (Banks area).

What a fun surprise to have Mrs. Claus and one of the elves on our train!

There were also carolers and Mylie got to pick a song for them to sing. She picked "Frosty the Snowman."

And lo and behold, Santa was on our train too!!

Mylie was very excited to tell Santa what she wanted, a pillow pet, a spin brush, and silly bands. Blake totally ignored Santa and pulled the old, "if I don't look at him, he is not really there" routine.

Other than seeing Santa, he totally loved the train.

He really loved it when we got off at the North Pole. He was very interested in checking out the train, and in stomping in the snow.

He was totally OK posing with Santa, as long as Daddy was there. Mylie couldn't wait to sit on Santa's lap and get her picture taken.

Then they had to check out the rest of the North Pole.

What a wonderful afternoon! If we weren't in the Christmas spirit before, we certainly are now!

In the last week ...

We have had snow, lots of snow.



And even a snow day. The kids and I used our snow day to play, to make Christmas cookies and watch Christmas movies. Fabulous!

This weekend, Mylie and I went with Helen and Melissa to Cinderella the musical. The girls had a fabulous time and the show was delightful!

Tonight we decorated our tree. I have silly kids, this is how they pose for a picture. Crazies!

It is hard to believe it is only 19 days until Christmas. Time flies when you are having fun!