McEntire Times

There are so many reasons I love the Christmas season. . . and here's one of them! Christmas cards with pictures enclosed. This year I decided to hang them on my pantry door (intermingled with some of Kirra's school artwork) so I can enjoy looking at the smiling faces of friends and family!

It's interesting to me how little kids have to go through a 'made-up-joke' telling stage. These jokes usually come about during dinner, though Kirra's tonight is from bedtime.

"Why did the cricket cross the road?. . . . . To put a rock in his pants!"

And then she laughs at her cleverness.

We made a sad discovery tonight. . . someone stole our little lighted reindeer that were in our front yard. They've been caught doing naughty things in the past (like joker kids putting the reindeer in interesting positions) but this year they have been gone. We actually didn't know it had happened and when our neighbors got home from their Christmas vacation they found an extension cord in the road near their driveway and asked if it was ours. We thought it wasn't until I started to walk over and look at it and then realized our deer were missing. Kirra was devastated and cried and cried. She said, "We need to call the police to tell them someone stole our deer." It's sad that she has to learn that not all people are honest and make good choices. It is always concerning when something like that happens, especially when you are little because your sense of security is damaged.

I remember when I was young that there was a rash of vehicle break-ins at Christmas time. My mom had some presents in our van ready to take to the post office the next day and they were stolen. I guess the sweater she had bought for my cousin in Nebraska wasn't worth hauling too far since it was found down the street the next morning. I remember feeling scared and worried that they might break into our house sometime, too.

Kirra is insisting that we go find some more reindeer. I had no idea they were so endearing to her, but maybe we'll head out tomorrow to find something to replace them. They weren't very big and stored easily so we might have to wait until we have a bigger house and another garage to get some new ones. It would just be nice to have our old guys back!

Yes, that's right - 19 dinners for us after Keian was born. We just got a surprise last one today!

My good friends, Sarah and Sharee, threw me a Service Shower where they provided wonderful food and an enjoyable atmosphere to visit with some of the amazing women in my life. Instead of bringing baby gifts people signed up to bring us a dinner after Keian was born - what a blessing!

We ended up getting 19 dinners in all! It's amazing what a dinner from a friend can do - no mess in the kitchen, no planning, minimal clean-up, and some fun new recipes.

THANK YOU so much to all who served us! It made the transition from two kids to three much smoother!

Our friends, the Vigoren's, called Saturday morning and asked if we wanted to be spontaneous and leave in an hour and go sledding. Unlike the rest of the West we got very little snow last week - though the back side of the Sandias got their fair share of new powder so we decided to see what it was like. Boy, it was crazy! I think most of Albuquerque was on the mountain. It was the Saturday after Christmas and people we out in force armed with sleds, saucers, and improvised snow clothes. It was bitter cold so I opted to stay close to the car and leave sleeping Keian inside all toasty and warm while I took pictures of the sledders. Kirra and Isaac have been missing each other since school started and this was the first time they really got to play with each other in months. They had a wonderful time! Headed back up to zoom down again.
When we got home Kirra and Kade went to play with Isaac and Eliza and then later Scott and I joined them at the Vigoren's for some yummy ginger soup. The kids watched a movie while we played a game of Settlers of Catan - that I won! I haven't done that in a long time. I'm pretty sure Kirra giggled more than she has in months and it was interesting to see how quickly the craziness escalated in the kids after their movie was over and we were still playing our game. Thanks to the Vigoren's for their friendship and a great day!

This the 10th Christmas Scott and I have spent together since we've been married! It is craziness how extremely fast our lives seem to be going since we had kids. This was the first Christmas Eve in ten years that we haven't been with extended family or friends. My parents and brothers were supposed to be here for Christmas, but alas the snow in Idaho wouldn't allow it. I was really sad for a day or two, but Christmas Eve turned out to be a lot of fun and we enjoyed being together - just our little family of five.

Scott went to work and the kids and I actually braved Walmart just before lunch. It wasn't too bad in the store until we got to the checkout line and then it was a little crazy. I was trying to get some stocking stuffers for myself and I also remembered I didn't have anything for Keian so the whole shopping experience was a trial at how to pick things up without your children seeing you. I would have them go down the aisle a little to look at something and when we were checking out I had Kirra go look at the styling contact cases next to the eye center. It was a successful trip!

When Scott got home from work he and Kirra put ornaments on our big evergreen tree outside and then we made a prime rib dinner. It was delicious! We knew our kids were carnivores, but they seem to have a taste for good meat and they ate and ate. Every few minutes there was a call for "more meat, please!" After dinner we headed out to drive around and look at all the beautiful Christmas lights. It wasn't as comical this year because Kade can say "light" instead of his "s#$%" from last year. It was so funny to be driving around and hear a bunch of cussing from the backseat. I can remember Kirra saying, "He sure doesn't say the word light very well!" There was one house that was totally decked out in lights and then they had live caroling with microphones and everything, a Santa and Elf handing out candy canes, and warm cider for those driving by. Kirra has a cold and didn't nap so she fell asleep shortly after the Santa house.

When we got home there was a special note in the number 24 pocket of the advent calendar that led the kids to look under the Christmas tree where they found packages filled with new pajamas. They loved them! Keian was thrilled too, can't you tell?

How might you ask was I able to get a reaction like this from two teenage girls?
Give them High School Music on Ice tickets for Christmas! I was so excited to see their faces when they opened the presents and they didn't disappoint me! I bought tickets for Kirra and me also so we can enjoy the show with them.

We spent Christmas afternoon and night with the Steel's and had a lot of fun. We are so grateful to have such wonderful friends here in Albuquerque that we consider them our family. Katie and Kendra are so good with Kirra and Kade and I love having teenagers in my life to keep me updated on the goings on in their world!

I can remember the anticipation of Santa's arrival as a child and it was a magical feeling. We had to go into Mom and Dad's bedroom before we went out to the tree so that we all saw our Santa presents at the same time. My dad would go out in the family room and when the Christmas music started we could run out to see our loot. Santa didn't wrap the presents at our house and they were always just sitting out waiting to be found. Scott and I decided to do Santa much the same way for our kids. We were up late wrapping presents (though the big items were put together the night of the 23rd - thank goodness) so we were glad the kids slept until at least 7:10 a.m.

Here are our stockings. . . .all made by Grandma Parke. Mine is the oldest of course (almost 30 years old - AHH!) and then each new family member gets a stocking from Grandma. Keian even had one this year and he wasn't born until October 23rd. Grandma is on the ball! I can't even begin to count how many of those stockings she has made through the years.Santa brought Kade a new sword and I am sure he liked it more than his big gift! He loves to be able to 'bap' his Daddy with a sword. On Guard!Kirra got an 18" doll for Christmas - like an American Girl doll, just much cheaper. She had been asking for a 'tall doll' for quite a while before Christmas, but it wasn't until our ward Christmas party where she heard some other girls talking to Santa that she started asking for an "American Girl" doll. I already had one picked out from Costco that was $24.99 vs. $90 for an American Girl doll so I thought this year we'd do a trial run with a cheaper doll and see how much she plays with it. I think it was a good choice - she really likes her doll, but has no idea it's not the 'real' thing.
Keian missed Christmas morning, but I think it was good for Kirra and Kade to have Mommy and Daddy to themselves. We had a really fun time! Here's the kids checking out the plate that they put cookies and carrot shreds on before they went to bed. They thought it was funny that there was bits of cookie in the mug. Silly Santa, dipping his cookies in the milk!
Kade's present from Santa as a bouncy horse. . . here is Kade petting the horse and that's about all he would have to do with it!
Kirra originally wanted to ask Santa for a Vet Center that she had found in a magazine so that's what Santa got and planned on giving her. When she got so set on her American Girl doll Santa switched his plans and she got the Vet Center from Mommy and Daddy. A new sleeping bag!
Kirra had just a few things on her wish list this year and actually when she was telling me what she wanted she said, "I want an American Girl doll and then next Christmas you can get me a diaper bag for her, and then the next Christmas I want something to hang over my door to put stuff in. I don't want to ask for too much at one time!" Oh, let's hope she keeps that kind of attitude. She did get all those things - she saw them all in the AG catalog. The over the door organizer was $48 in the catalog and $7.60 at Walmart. She was thrilled and had it filled up by the days end!

We had a wonderful Christmas Day and I feel so blessed to have such an amazing husband and incredible children. What a beautiful season it was and it is always so nice to have extra reasons to remember our Savior and think of the circumstances surrounding his humble birth. We are richly blessed!