WEBSTER FAMILY: 2014

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Websters 2014

Webster 2014 Highlights:

Xander, 9: Got his first pair of glasses. Loves 3^rd grade, reading, math and Spanish. Qualified for the regional championship meet in the breaststroke and is looking forward to his second season of basketball. He also earned his Wolf badge in Cub Scouts.

Eliza, 6: She continues to excel in everything she does and, like her brother, is an amazing student! She is quite the artist and loves to create—her favorite medium is construction paper (cut, colored, stickered, folded, etc.) She is looking forward to her first season of basketball this winter. Eliza is also enjoying learning Spanish—and drilling Mom who always sounds too French.

Violet, 4: Has a giggle you can’t help but join in with, a smile to turn clouds away & eyes that won’t let you say No! She is learning to read and is already riding her bike (without training wheels) around the neighborhood.

Abigail, 3: so very independent, and thinks she is Violet’s twin—instead of little sister. Loves talking, singing and dancing—and can’t stop shaking her hips…can you say T-R-O-U-B-L-E? She is everything a 3 year old should be. She enjoys her preschool playgroup and is looking forward to joining her siblings in Primary at church. (Can you say weird? ALL our kids will now be in Primary?) The first letter she learned to write was an H, so its her favorite and we’ve all been asked to spell her name: Abby H. J

Ben, continues to fight dragons every day for us down the street at Intel. He got to take his first international trip and loved Hong Kong. He is enjoying his new position working with Global Communications/Executive Communications.

Wendy is coaching full-time again and the family is reaping benefits! (aka free membership at the club) She continues to play the upright bass for a local orchestra and volunteers nonstop at the kids’ school and in the community. Can’t believe we are so close to having all the kids in school.

It’s been a year of lots of growth and remodeling. We enjoyed taking the fall off of sports and learned to love bike rides around town (some as long as 10 miles!) and nearby hikes. We are so grateful for our family—and all the new ages and phases we are enjoying. May this find you happy and healthy. Know that we love you and wish you the best of luck in the new year. May the Lord bless you and yours! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Ben, Wendy, Xander, Eliza, Violet and Abigail!

Last Day of 2014

We had a really relaxing and chill New Years Eve. We made it over to our friends for an early celebration, some eating and visiting. Once home we partied in the dark with our glow in the dark sticks. We had lots of fun and counted down again. The girls went to bed at 10PM

And then...we watched a movie (Iron Will) with this big guy who got to stay up until midnight for the first time! He did great and tried to sleep in the next day despite his noisy sisters

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

More Music Time

How young is too young? This little 4 year old wants to play so badly!!!

Monday, December 29, 2014

Bowling!

It's a terrible feeling to wake up and remember that your Groupon is about to expire! But what a fun adventure we had! We got to the bowling alley around 4PM and found out that the Groupon included a Pizza! Snack/dinner time! Whoo-hoo!

Since dinner was taken care of, we used another groupon to indulge in some dessert...

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Big Girl Haircut

This little beauty has been begging for a haircut! I don't have a good before picture. But this is kinda what she looks like...hair in face all the time. She hates having her hair done. And it grows straight into her face. So she has been asking...

She finished her last day as a nursery student and was graduating to primary for the new year so Aunt Kayley and I cut it. It's still in her face most of the time but it doesn't lay in her dishes of food now...

And she is one happy little girl!

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Noel

I think it was about 730 when the first kid stirred! And they let Daddy sleep until 8. I LOVE my kids! And can I just say that my girls have THE best big brother? Xander has hit a new phase in life where he loves his sisters and actually tries to help them...LOVE IT!

PRESENT OPENING! Christmas was very simple this year (as I hope it will be every year)

Xander received three of the Heros of Olympus books (which he finished all 3 in a week and a half!) He also got legos, pokeman cards, and some spy gear!

Eliza got her easy bake oven, some books and small toys from her siblings

Abby got a magna doodle and Frozen magnets, books and an Anna barbie doll!

Violet got exactly what shes been asking for for a long time! A guitar! She LOVES this guitar and I can't wait for her to be able to really play it. She has also been asking to learn how to play the violin...maybe you should start kindergarten first? (Secretly, I LOVE that she is so into music. She wants to be just like Lindsay Stirling!)

After a yummy breakfast of sausage and french toast casserole, the missionaries came over to call their families. We spent the morning in Mommy and Daddy's present...the LOFT!

The kids got several Highlight Top Secret Adventures for Christmas and we completed a couple. So much fun!

Once the Elders wrapped up we headed over to Nana and Grumpys to play with cousins and eat dinner! We had prime rib, potatoes, vegetables and pumpkin pie (made from our pumpkins! no canned stuff here!!) We stayed late watching movies and just having fun.

Christmas was wonderful, simple and full of family...the best ever!

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Christmas Eve

We were planning on a having a very quiet Christmas...instead, it was a TON of crazy fun!

The kids made gingerbread houses and I let them eat as much as they wanted...

For Christmas Eve lunch, I had invited the missionaries from our Church over to eat. We would have had them for dinner but they were meeting with some other missionaries so we had them for lunch. We made ham, pineapple banana, vegetables and cheesecake. It was very yummy and we were very very full!

Mid afternoon, Aunt Kayley & Uncle John showed up from San Diego! We continued playing and having fun throughout the afternoon. Then our friends and neighbors, the Amundsens, showed up and we had a soup potluck. We had 3 yummy soups to choose from. Nana read the Night before Christmas:

We attempted to do the Nativity story...Grumpy played the part of Joseph and Lainey was Mary

Abby and Amelia were our angels

Eliza was a donkey (never before has the donkey been the most wanted position, maybe the costume had something to do with it?)

Jack had his turn too

We let the kids open some jammies. I have had lots of request for feet jammies or dress jammies. Wishes were made...and kids were happy to go to bed!

But they wouldn't go to bed until after they used their spy gear to set a trap for Santa. Xander set up a laser that if Santa walked past it would set the alarm off.

I worked really hard throughout the week so that I wouldn't be up all night.

And now, I must send out a plea. I LOVE sugar cookies. My husband LOVES sugar cookies but I cannot make sugar cookies. I can make so many other things but not sugar cookies...if you have a fantastic, fail proof recipe...please send it my way. I am determined! Such an embarrassment to invite people over to decorate sugar cookies only to have nothing to decorate.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Total Score & Neighborhood fun!

I LOVE NUTCRACKERS!! I've always wanted a Nutcracker collection. I've added one here or there but the ones I like are super expensive. So I'm just being patient. Well my patience paid off! A woman on a FB sale site offered 8 Nutcrackers for $45! I was stoked. I asked Ben. He said to go for it. But it was not to be. And then it was! She had these 4 guys left and said she'd take $10 for them! WHAT!? Total score. The morning I was suppose to pick up the Nutcrackers, my car was dead. (I had asked the kids to clean out the car for my Christmas gift and they had--but they had left a light on.) The woman asked where I lived and volunteered to bring them to me. (SO super nice) They are beautiful and one is even a music box. They are so lovely to look at. They make me so happy!

Just after Christmas this kind woman wrote back and said that she had found another one and wanted to give it to me! WHAT!? It is a gorgeous Nutcracker on a rocking horse. She didn't want me to pay her. I brought her some homemade jam. (For which she was ecstatic about!). She also showed me a 3ft tall Nutcracker that she wasn't ready to part with. She told me that she would like me to have it when she is ready. I felt so loved by this total stranger. And I hope to pay it forward some day!

Since our car was dead...we played. We played with chalk. We used our bodies instead of the sidewalk. Fun was had by all!

Monday, December 22, 2014

Shepherds Night

A year or so ago, I read about a Christmas tradition of celebrating and learning about the Shepherds. You can find it here (http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/shepherds-night/). Me + food traditions are almost always a go. So I thought we'd try it. I invited our friends the Nelsons over to try it out with us. We had lots of fun! We ditched the Shepherds for dessert though and I made a Buche de Noel. :) We had a fun FHE lesson and enjoyed playing and singing and eating!

For food we had cheese and crackers and meats, grapes, carrots and some other yummy finger foods. We ate under our Christmas tree stars, next to our tv fire. hahaha!