Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve we had a quiet dinner at our house and then pulled English Crackers. Crackers are like decorated tubes with a firecracker, prize, joke/game, and paper crown inside. We read a nativity story and with much ado the children got new pajamas and (finally) went to bed! In the picture below note the cookies and milk laid out for Santa's imminent arrival. Visions of Sugar Plums Danced in Their Heads--Clement Moore Can you tell in the above photos who is really not sleeping? You guessed it! Daughter in the middle was waiting up for Santa...Mom was laughing at my boy asleep in his crown and so I had to snap these photos.

Christmas Eve at the Arapahoe House

Christmas Eve Eve Gift exchange Joanthan and Lucy Susannah's first gift! Our Christmas Eve dinner with family was actually on the 23rd (Sunday evening, "the eve of the eve" Hannah says). We met and had dinner with my side of the family and took some not-so-good photos of our Nativity reenactment story. Joe is a wise man bearing frankincense and myrrh. Pretty shepherdesses. A cute angel (Cami, Lisa's second daughter). Mary (Rebekah), Baby Jesus and Joseph (Jonathan). Susannah turns out to like to hold baby Jesus (briefly, before throwing him down). The girls, Hannah and Rebekah, practiced a duet of Christmas songs to play. Hannah and Rebekah played a number of Christmas songs on the piano of their own arrangement. Monkey see, monkey do. Cousins Owen and Alex (Little sister Amy's boys) play too. Elfi baked up a bunch of Christmas cookies!!! Grandma Clayton holds baby Andrew (Lisa's son). Grandpa Clayton holding Sonya Clayton (David's second daughter). Susannah walking at 11 mos!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all! Peace on earth. Good will to men. Life is good. My brother Mike made a CD with favorite Christmas 2007 Songs on it. We have been listening to #13 "Doop Doop Xmas" by Paper Moon...It begins, "Doop doop doop doop doop...it's Christmas!" This lyrical ditti has been floating around in Joe and my head all day. The children turned on the "sparkling music" and began singing along while Joe fried cheesy eggs and I made peppermint (herb) tea for a quick breakfast this morning. Soon, it was discovered that Santa had mistaken Susannah's and Rebekah's stockings (again!). He was also mistaken last year with Hannah and Rebekah's. I made a quick change to bring peace. When Jonathan was going through his stockings treats, apple, orange, chocolate and small gifts, he unwrapped a theater size box of Lifesaver Gummi candy. "Oh, I know what these are!" "They are 'flubber gubbers'!!! Anyone want some flubber gubbers?" (He shared all around and we joked at his imaginary word. Baby Sussanah, now eleven months and three days old, and walking/climbing/exploring her world was given a present. Her "big" gift was a ball game in a large box with a baby on it. She promptly tipped the box on it's large side and sttod up on it, sat down and fell off backwards onto the floor--spread eagle with a "what just happened" startled look on her face. No worries, she was up and trying it again in a flash--no tears...lesson learned...approaching the stand on box more carefully the second go round. Rebekah was thrilled with her Fisher Price Puppy Grows and Knows My Name toy dog. (This replaces a real puppy or getting a new mother...these were her suggestions when I told her we were not going to get a puppy when the three "Survivor" guinea pigs are still being fed most of the time by yours truly or Joe). Hannah, loved earning, buying, and making many gifts for family and friends this year. She made bath salts on Thanksgiving and bought used books at the Library Book sale with me. She gave up her "cracker" silver earrings to an aunt and really seemed to catch the spirit of the holiday this year. Rebekah also earned and bought gifts...a few making it to Christmas. Baby says it is time for bed. It is nice to think of the first Christmas gift and of a little baby boy who would come to save us all. God bless you!

December 10, 2007 The girls played at a Christmas piano recital at Brooke Roney's house tonight. The big "to do" was about getting both girls hair done up in hot curlers and so it would be full and curly for the program. Rebekah played "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "Jingle Bells." Hannah played "Joy to the World" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." They have an excellent teacher, Kellie Stilwell, who lives three blocks down the street and has eight of her own children and so is very patient with our wily young women. Wonderful Job! Grammy, Aunt Beth, cousins Jackson and Lauren also came to listen t the beautiful music!

December 9, 2007 We arrived at the LDS church Sunday evening for tithing settlement (a chance to pay any missed tithing or ten percent of our income to the Lord, see Malachi 3:10 ). The clerk came out before we met with the bishop. Joe and I were hurrying to count the children's tithing from sandwich baggies and fill out forms to declare their tithing also. The clerk said, "No beans this year!" Joe and I looked at him stunned. Apparently, after a lesson on the Lord's law of the tithe, one of our children turned in an envelope to the Bishop and when it was opened it was full of dried pinto beans and not coins! We had a good chuckle over that one!

Taking Steps

Ok, this is just to record that Susannah is walking. After we took this video showing a paltry 3 steps, she beat her old record of 6 steps and now has a new record of 11 steps in a row. Yeah, I know we are proud parents ! Enjoy, and just think of all the trouble she can get into walking at only 10 months!

Let it snow, Let it snow ....

Well, it has been snowing in Provo! We had a fun time yesterday, building an enormous snowman, and decorating for Christmas. In the picture, you will also see cousins Cami Ashton, and you can almost see Lucy Ashton behind Hannah. It is definitely getting closer to Christmas, and the beautiful snow is helping us all get in the mood. Julie and I have had a lot of fun activities going on this past week or so. Hannah was in the Christmas program with the ward, and quite a production it was! Hannah was an Angel (isn't she always an angel?) in the program, and we were all very impressed by the scope of the whole production. Kudos to Sister Comish for setting up such a fun evening! The kids of course got to see Santa: Check out Susannah's reaction. (Santa is looking skinny, and the Shades aren't helping the kids feel like it is the real Santa, but hey, Mike Stilwell is a jolly guy). Jonathan was tickled with the bag of loot from Santa: orange, candy canes, pencil, activity book, and candy.

Christmas greetings from the Campbells

December 2007

We wish you a Merry Christmas,

And a Happy New Year!

We just want to send you all our love and our happiness this Christmas season. Our family is enjoying a new-to-us Honda Mini-van (with four children and many errands to run, automatic doors are a lifesaver).

Joseph is now “Chief of Staff” at EMIA. This means he is now in charge of the “IT” department, as well as the actuarial department.

Julie is now an accredited leader with La Leche League International, and helps support breastfeeding mothers. Of course most of her time is spent just being a mother!

Hannah is a Fourth Grader and loving the art projects and Accelerated Reading Program. Recently she also got beautiful new glasses.

Rebekah is a Second Grader and loves animals, including her three guinea pigs. “Can’t we get a puppy for Christmas?”

Jonathan, our four year old, enjoys Rainbow Preschool, computers, V-smile and friends!

Susannah is ten months and busy standing and walking. She is smiley, patient, and enjoys whipped cream.

We love you all, The Campbells