It's not over yet!

Holidays aren't over yet!!!!  Not until the new year comes and goes.  Then to start off a new year.  Christmas was exceptional.  Well as exceptional as it could be.  I had a little sick one.  Vivianna Grace was sick and miserable. 5 days of my poor baby just being sick.  By the time Christmas came around...she was feeling alot better but she was what I call "sick spoiled" she got so use to us coddling her that she didn't want it to stop.   Her eyes tell me what she is thinking.  They totally give her away.  Bre, Beto, and Jules didn't miss a step. 

Since we were home for Christmas we establish new traditions.  Which was very nice.  I like the whole magical factor of Christmas.  I get a kick how the kids love the mistletoe.  They find ways to get each other under the mistletoe to steal a kiss.  I love things like that.  I try to enjoy my kids "joy" and not just let the moment pass me up.  Here are some pics of our family Christmas. 

Christmas Eve

@ Grandpa's

and

Grandma's

Jules always gets into Grandma's fridge

 Miss GrumpVivianna

 Love this game

 "mommy I wanna play"

 Bunuelos...yum

 wax fingers????

 My Betito

 Dre Dre

 Yup in Grandmas stuff

 My crazy momma! I

 Not a party at my mommas if we don't have a shot or two

 Happy with his guns

 $$$$ 

 Carissa

 Miss Grumpfish

 Jules playing with Meche's doll

 My crazy momma again

 I LOVE THIS PICTURE

 Special bond between these 2

@ Home on 

Christmas Eve

Take a bow

 Opening their one present! 

I wonder what i what it is...hmmmm?

 My poor Vivianna is pooped out

 Bre adding more hay in baby Jesus manger

because she helps out so much and is the

best big sister ever!

Putting out the cookies for Santa

I love my kiddos

 SANTA CAME SANTA CAME!!!!!!

Magic is on the tree....do you see it????

Tinsel makes everything sparkle!

..........Baby Jesus arrived!

 ......Santa ate the cookies

Larry, Moe, & Curly @ post

 LOVE

 Vivi a feeling a little bit better

 Still a little grumpy

 trying to open her present with her giant scissors Santa left.

 lol....classic Vivster move

 oh my what is inTHAT box???

ummm can you see the oatmeal and ding dong treats....

i watching them open stuff like that

thats how i get me kicks ;) 

 Vivster found more sugar

 awww...she loves babies :)

 giving shaggy and the gang chocolate milk

 I caught her smiling and she wasn't having it!

calling Grandma 

 deadly

 lechita for baby

they love their art center 

 climbing...climbing... .and more..you guessed it...climbing

 Big bro showing her the ropes

 why Jules is the way she is..she keeps up with Beto

 but can he keep up with her?

 My future little player

 Enjoying their toys

 Love these next set of pics...

Vivi has the bottle

Jules takes the bottle

Poor Vivster...(but she got back her bottle)

 Calling Jules

Christmas Cookies

My little helper today was Julianna Consuelo.  She is amazing.  She cracks eggs perfectly.  Plus she is a cutie.

4th week of Advent

Where has the time gone?  Christmas is around the corner.  Oh and I'm happy to say that Beto & Breanna know the Lords Prayer.  Breanna is getting to be an expert in the Apostle's Creed.  On their first weekend of Christmas vacation they are grounded!  Driving me nutso.  This is going to be a long two weeks!  But now I have new ammo.  Write and recite scriptures and its working.  :-) 

We finally went to look at Christmas lights.  We brought the usual hot coco and popcorn but this time Daddy...yea Daddy bought huge peppermint pops.  The little kids had a few licks and said it was to heavy to hold.  That was a first!!!

This is Julianna putting "hay" in baby Jesus manger. She does it all so carefully.  Vivi is sick and Julianna was being so good and nice to her baby sister.  We let her put 3 strands of hay in the manger. 

Only two more weeks till baby Jesus Birthday!

I love hearing those words, baby Jesus!  They are learning so much about baby Jesus.  I'm loving it and I'm learning alot on my journey as well.   I love our prayer sessions I want to eventually have at least an 30-45 minute family Bible study at least twice a week if not daily.  We will see:).  This Christmas I made an advent wreath.  Every Sunday we read scriptures and have an open discussion.  Breanna and Beto enjoy it.  I thought I would have to fight them tooth and nail.  But they have a ton of questions and are interested.  I love seeing their gears turning.  The little ones are bonkers but they do sit still and calm for a little while.  Another new tradition is a "good deeds manger.  Basically when you act out a good deed you cut a piece of yellow yarn off and but in in the manger so baby Jesus will have a nice comfy bed when he arrives on his birthday. I thought this might be too corny but the big kids really like it.  I'm sure the littles will too and catch on fast.  I haven't started quite yet.  It was hard finding a "manger"  but I finally found one but its pink.  I'm going to spray paint it brown.  Ill take a pic and show you how it turns out.  We will start just in time for the kiddos 2 week Christmas break.  

We have been busy busy with our Christmas cards.  I'm very proud of my kiddos work.  There are some amazing drawings.  Here is a sneak peek. 

Here is a few minutes of my life with these amazing kiddos!---yea I know you are jealous ;P

December Going-ons

Felt Christmas Tree

Made a felt Christmas tree in hopes that the gremlins would leave the real tree alone.....A TOTAL NO GO.  They love the felt tree but love the real one more. 

 

Lets eat bugs!

Made bugs for Lunch.  Jules of course loved the idea.   Bugs call for hot dogs and spaghetti.  We didn't have spaghetti so I used what we had which was wheat linguine.  These came out so cute. 

 Julianna and Viviann love to help.  Breanna was with Grandma where at the ballet watching The Nutcracker.  And Beto of course was running the streets. 

 They love chickpeas and cheese so I smoothered it on. 

 Janet is here!

Why or how the name Janet was picked...I have no clue.  But that's the name they came up with.  I always want to say "Janet.....Jackson....if your nasty".  lol...if you grew up in the 80's you will get that :).  At first I didn't think that the kids would like Elf on the Shelf.  But when I heard that the elves come back from the north pole and land in a different place every morning. I knew Jules would totally get that.  I got alot of fun ideas from this website.  I love the part in the book where it mentions "if you say your prayers"  Jules said "I do...I do"  So freaking cute. :)  Vivianna is too young. She still doesn't get it.  Bre and Beto go along with it.

 But you can tell they are total NON BELIEVERS.  :(

 Jules did not like not being able to touch Janet (Jackson..if your nasty..lol)  But she got over it, kinda, sorta.  I did see plush elves that the kids are allowed to touch.  But we will see how she does.  

She's crying because she wants to play with her :(

This is were Janet sits after we find her every morning. 

I have a feeling that Janet is going to take after us :) and get into trouble. 

1st Night she was found playing with the train around the tree. 

 Church

We went to church....Hooray!  Hoorah! We sit in the cry room but I manage to listen.   When I was kneeling and was reading from the prayer booklet.  Jules did exactly what I did.  I love that and that shows you that kids do what you do, not what you say.  I'm struggling on knowing the "why" in things. Like why this or that is said.   There is classes on Tuesday's starting in Jan.  I am really interested in going.  I have always had an relationship with God.  I always "talk" to him.  But I never served him.  If that makes sense?  I want my kids to grow up having faith.  I feel  that we have lost our path.  I feel nobody puts God first anymore.  It hit me hard when Sundays became "football days".  I was like I can get so much done in the name of football but I can't go to church for one hour.  It's not the going to church for one hour...its what you get out of it.   It makes me feel good.  I love the feeling of needing something...not being able to pin point what  and then you go to church and you find it.  I'm sure I'm not making no sense to nobody but myself but that's cool.  I get it me.  ;)

 Christmas Tree

Decorating the Christmas tree is a thing we do in phases.  Bre and I do all the prep work.  When nobody is around thats the key of everything going smoothly.  The garland, putting the bows on the tree, putting the ornaments on the hooks, laying everything out.It's a must we must, we must prepare 1st.  Oh while we do all that.  Beto is laying out the train.  Bre and I must approve of the layout, or course ;).  Then when all this is done we call in the troops aka the Gremlins aka..Jules and Vivi.  Pure chaos!  But Christmasy chaos. 

Jules is preparing her candy cane stash

 Beto took a break and letting all the ladies do the work. 

 The Gremlins at work

 The final piece of art. 

FOOTBALL

Can't forget about the football games going on this week.  Longhorns lost...boooooooooo.  Cowboys lost......booooooo.  Texans won. YAY!!!!!!!!!!! WOOP WOOP!    

Win or lose we always have fun.  AND WE ALWAYS EAT GOOD!

Here is my layout.  Made jalapeno poppers.  Super yummy. Here is the recipe   I would def add more jalapeno's next time.  Then I made a sausage version for the girls. Basically just sausage and cheddar cheese.  OH and the mock TGIF potatoes were to die for.  Here is that recipe.  I did use heavy cream instead of milk...because i'm a fatty :)  But i'm def gonna be making big batches to freeze.  I get all these recipes off pinterest <-That link is for my "superbowl board".  It's awesome.  :)