Christmas Countdown

Because the kids and I are spending a majority of our time at home these days, I got ambitious and made a Christmas Countdown for the season of Advent.  I figured with all this time at home we just as well keep our days fun and interesting.  I got these pockets from Hobby Lobby and with my Cricut cut out the numbers and then adhered them.  Inside of each pocket I put a slip of paper with a different Christmas activity on it for us to work on that day.  Hudson got really into it and was eager to see what was inside of the pocket each morning.  A few of the activities I captured in photos were...

Decorate the Christmas tree in your room

Make homemade ice cream

Make a gingerbread house

Bake

and decorate

cut out sugar cookies

Make and paint clay dough ornaments  

Write a letter to Santa

Fix a Christmas puzzle

Eat a snowman sandwich for lunch 

Christmas coloring pages

Eat a Christmas donut with friends 

Ride the Christmas train at the mall

And some of the other activities we did that I didn't take pictures of...

Go on a jingle bell hunt

   Read a stack of Christmas books by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate 

   Watch a christmas movie

   Look at Christmas lights

  Make a Christmas ornament for Nana and Mimi

   Play Christmas BINGO 

Sink or float Christmas science activity  

Do a Christmas craft  

   Make neighbor gifts and deliver them 

 Wrap presents

 Dance party to Christmas songs   

Sing Christmas carols

Make snowflakes

  Make christmas cards  

Serve (do something nice) for a family member 

Make a Merry Christmas phone call

Family Fun Night (in Ames)

We have season tickets to the Iowa State Cyclone Men's Basketball games again this year.  We don't make it to all of the games and sell several of the tickets.  On Sunday, December 10th they had a home game at 5:00pm.  We thought this would be a good opportunity to take both of the kids and have our first Family Fun Night at Hilton Coliseum.  Roy got his hands on a few extra tickets, we attempted to get Greta down for an early nap, and left for Ames around 2:30 Sunday afternoon.  Our first stop was at Hickory Park where we all enjoyed dinner before the game, which was delicious.  

My boys looking so handsome in their cardinal and gold Cyclone gear.  

This was Greta's first time to experience the Hilton Magic.  She was the most interested in the dancers and the cheerleaders.  She told us..."some day I will be down on that floor."  

Enjoying the time with my favorite six year old.  

Ready to get the party started.   

Go Cyclones!

At half time we got a bag of "Princess Popcorn" for a snack while we watched the Cyclones breeze to a victory.  

 When Cy came up to where we could greet him we waited our turn to get some photos with him.  

To my surprise Greta wasn't scared of Cy at all and seemed pretty interested in him.  

On our way out of town we stopped on campus at the big Christmas tree.  

At this very spot 11 years and 8 days before Roy got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.  

I said YES and the rest is history.  God has been so good to us.  

Merry Christmas

2017 SWINGER FAMILY UPDATE 

ROY

-Continues to work at DuPont Pioneer in soybean research.  The company went through a big merger this year.  The flexibility he has with his job is such a gift to our family. 

-Was in charge of selling our house “for sale by owner” and got it sold in eight days.   

-We started a small group at our church and are thankful for new relationships.  

-Was travel navigator for our Spring Break road trip to Arizona and the Grand Canyon.  We drove over 3000 miles.

-Has taken on plenty of handy man projects, most recently tiling the laundry room floor.   

-Helped his dad with harvest again this fall.  He did most of the combining.

EMILY

-Got her wish of a new house in 2017, which took up a big part of her year….packing, unpacking, painting and decorating.  Having the extra space has been a blessing. 

-Keeps the family blog updated with pictures…theswingerdays.blogspot.com

-Continued lesson planning for the creative curriculum children’s ministry team.  

-We celebrated ten years of marriage on August 11th.   

-Enjoyed a long family weekend in Chicago where we shopped, toured museums and went to a Cubs game.  

-After a fall at the apple orchard in September has spent a great deal of time at doctors appointments and doing medical tests.  We are trusting God for complete healing in her life.      

HUDSON

-Is a first grader and says “being with his Mommy and sister” is the best part of being homeschooled. 

-Has piano lessons on Tuesdays and attends enrichment classes on Wednesdays.   

-Had a blast living at Papa and Nana’s house for seven weeks this summer during our time of transition between houses.  He spent lots of time in his Papa’s shadow.  

-Loves having a park close to our new house, which we play at often.

-Celebrated his sixth birthday with one of his favorite things…LEGOS.  

-Is going to need to get a job soon to help pay the grocery bill.  Thankful he is a strong, growing boy.  

GRETA

-Is the perfect combination of sassy and sweet.  She brings so much joy and love into our home.       

-Amazes us with her expressive vocabulary and wild imagination, which is helpful in keeping up with her big brother.    

-Is a girly girl…likes bows, skirts that twirl, things that sparkle, the color pink, dancing and Disney princesses.  

-Turned three in November and had a “Mermaid Bash” with friends and family to celebrate.   

-Adores her cousins and talks about them daily.  She wishes they all lived closer and could play often. 

-Is told by many, “you look just like your Mommy,” yet she adores her Daddy the most.

  

Home Depot - Kid's Workshop

I know I've shared pictures of Home Depot Kid's Workshop in the past, but I've never really explained it.  The Wurpts family originally introduced us to them and its now becoming our routine to go.  On the first Saturday of each month The Home Depot hosts a Kid's Workshop.  They open their doors and provide a free building time with tools and the supplies for kids to build a simple project.  In the past they have made a race car, a bank, a flower pot, a pencil holder.  Nails and a hammer are always involved and then of course the paint comes out and there are stickers to adhere.  Roy usually is the one to take them, but this time I went along.  It was a more involved project, a gingerbread house, so the extra hands were helpful.  

Getting ready to start their gingerbread houses.  

They were handing out Christmas cookies to all the little (and big) builders.  

Greta's favorite part is always the painting.  

I know I have mentioned before, but Roy is such a great dad and the kids adore (and prefer) him.  

Hudson needed a little bit of help with securing some of the nails, but he was pretty independent in completing the entire project.  

What a group!  Clearly other people think this is fun too.  

Showing off their completed gingerbread houses, minus Greta who put her stickers on later.  They also have these cute orange aprons and every time they attend a Kid's Workshop, they get a pin to add to their apron.  

i created :: neighbor treat bags

Even in our new neighborhood we wanted to continue our tradition of handing out Christmas treats to our neighbors.  It has become a tradition.  We made a big batch of snack mix and put 2 cups in treat bags, tied with a festive bow and a Christmas tag.  On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in early December we went door to door and handed out 20 treat bags.  Some neighbors we had met before and this was our first interaction with others so we introduced ourselves.  We are thankful for our new neighborhood and the opportunities for new relationships that it provides.  

Garbage Bag Snack Mix

1 box Crispix cereal

1 bag Goldfish crackers

1 bag oyster crackers

1 bag Bugles

1 box Honey Nut Cheerios

1 bag pretzels

1 container peanuts

1 box Quaker Oats Squares cereal 

Oil Mixture:

1 T onion powder

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 8 oz bottle Orville Redenbacher's popcorn oil

Mix first ingredients in a kitchen garbage bag.  Pour oil mixture over it and mix/toss well.  This freezes great so you can make it ahead and enjoy it later.  

Painting Pottery

Hudson would say his best friend is Evie because they have been friends for his whole life, which is true.  Its been fun to watch them grow up together and I can hardly believe that they are 7 (and almost 7) years old.  We gave Evie a gift card to Glazed Expressions, a painting pottery studio, for her birthday.  We took them out for a "date night" on Friday, December 1st.  Kids who wear their pajamas get a free studio session, which we took advantage of.   

Hudson chose to paint a dragon.  He loves every kind of art project and puts forth a creative effort.  

Evie painted a unicorn.  

                                    All finished with their painting and enjoying their snacks.  

You leave the masterpieces at the studio and they fire them in the kiln and you can pick them up one week later.  Hudson and Evie showing off their finished projects at home.  

Oh Christmas Tree 2017

The following Saturday we headed over to Hills Tree Farm in Minburn to pick out our Christmas tree.  It was a picture perfect day for it.  The sun was shining and only a jacket was needed to keep warm.  

We walked up and down the rows of the entire tree farm looking for a tree but came up empty handed.  

Finally we decided to get a precut one, a Fraser Fir, because the size and price was right.  

Hudson was big and strong enough this year to have the responsibility of pulling the Christmas tree cart.  He was proud.    

On Sunday afternoon we decorated the tree.  We have so many ornaments, but we always seem to find a spot for them all on the tree.  My mom gives me, and now the kids, an ornament every year so our collection is large.    

Hudson and I did most of the tree decorating.  

Roy's favorite part of the Christmas tree decorating is putting on the candy canes, which is a Swinger tradition.  

We have been enjoying our Christmas tree and slowly filling it with presents in anticipation of our celebrations.  

Black Friday

The thought of shopping amidst the hustle and bustle of Black Friday is not too appealing to me, especially this year.  Yet, I did take advantage of some online deals and crossed a few gifts off my list.  We spent the day at Papa and Nana's house hanging out with cousins and celebrating.  

Mid morning we got out for some fresh air.  Uncle Ben led the troops on an expedition.      

Hudson and Clara get along so well and play independently together.  Its fun to see their relationship grow.    

Ben and Roy discussing memories from their childhood amidst the timber.  

We played a game, Roll the Turkey.  Clara and Hudson were the most interested in playing.  

We did round #2 of making the turkey snacks.  

I did my best to monitor the finger licking.  

We celebrated the fall birthdays.... 

Clara turned 5 on Oct. 12.  

Milly turned 4 on Oct. 29.

Mindyn turned 1 on Oct. 13.  

Greta turned 3 on Nov. 1.

We gave Milly this Ariel doll and Milly's family gave the same thing to Greta.  Two happy girls!  

Everyone seemed the most interested in watching Papa Ed open his gifts.  

Nana got an DQ ice cream cake for the 4 birthday girls.  

Notice Greta's big goose egg on her forehead.  She took a tumble and hit her head on her bed while walking with her pants around her ankles on Wednesday night before bed.  

Aunt Jenna took the girls for a ride in the Ranger.  

Its always a good time for snack time at Nana's house.  

They made a hike down to "the cave," which is another Thanksgiving tradition.  The trail was quite overgrown, which added to the adventure.  

A picture of the sun setting in the distance as they came back to the house after their hike.