Category: Topher

For Primary last week the boys were encouraged to bring a small family photo or drawing to hang on our ward family tree that was located in the primary room.

When I read the note I realized, we didn’t have a family picture with all five of us in it!! Elliot is over 6 weeks old, but yet, we didn’t have a single snap shot with ALL of us in it. What?!?!

So over the next week I tried numerous times, and talked about it on several occasions, but somehow it just didn’t happen. So, when Sunday morning arrived (Christopher had already left for his early morning meetings, and wasn’t going to be home until right before church), I discussed our options with the boys, and they gladly decided they wanted to draw pictures, and I am so glad they did. Look at these precious family photos.

Trumans Family:

Tuckers Family:

I love children’s artwork, and it makes me smile to see how they view their world: Each of them at the center of their families, a very important place to be, and in my opinion, as it how it should be.

Just a peek at some of the things we’ve been doing since Elliots birth, hanging out at home…

I have a beautiful life. And it’s been a beautiful 6 weeks, wouldn’t you agree?

I really can’t believe it’s been over a month since this sweet little one has entered our life!

Parenthood is an amazing thing, and the more I parent, the more I am realizing that it just happens to quick. And so this time around in parenting Elliot, I am trying to take more time to enjoy this newborn phase, because I know from experience it goes by too quick.

And even though I am trying to stop my boys from growing up, it is happening before my eyes. (With that being said, I am not only enjoying my infant,

but also my preschooler,

and kindergartner.)

This past month, has been so magical and wonderful. We have just ‘hunkered down’ at home, getting to know Elliot, trying to keep the germs away, enjoying adjusting to the new baby that has entered our home, and trying to figure out our new family dynamics.

We have really not left our home more than a handful of times with Elliot (for doctors appointments, and necessary things like that) and I love the time I have spent with my older boys. We have had some grand adventures. And they have been SO PATIENT with me and Elliot. I’d forgotten about newborn feeding schedules, diaper changes, and etc. While I have had to be taking care of ‘baby brother’ they have found their own adventures,

and a new found friendship with one another.

They have shocked me with the love and kindness they exhibit.

Of course, it’s not all perfect,they have little fights now and again, they are impatient with me not being able to put all three of them in my lap while I am nursing, or meeting everyone’s need when they want them met, but overall I have been so impressed with them and the way they have transitioned to ‘big brother-hood’.

Hopefully we’ll have many more months of this wonderfulness…

According to Tucker this year/season was the ‘Best Christmas Ever’. And we wanted to document and record this wonderful season. This being said, feel free to stop reading now, as it is going to be a LONG post!
Obviously, I am WAY behind on my blogging. 🙂 I often blog during the boys quiet time or after they’ve gone to bed, but during the month of December, because I was pregnant and having contractions or just was exhausted, I would often go to bed early, or catch a nap while the boys were down. So Blogging just didn’t happen like I would have liked. So instead, I’m playing catch up! And here’s our Holiday Season Highlights.

* Making Christmas Ornaments for an ornament exchange
(The boys had alot of fun making the ornaments, and watching the mail for the others to come!)


* Putting up the fake tree
(Putting up this tree is always one of the first things we do when decorating the day before Thanksgiving, so it’s always a BIG DEAL. Tucker wanted to have a picture of every time we put a ‘layer’ of branches on the tree. It’s nice for the kids to have their own tree–they spent the month, moving around the ornaments, none were breakable, and they made their own ornaments to hang on it, and just enjoy ‘their’ tree. And I love the fact that Tucker is in shorts, and Truman is in his Hercules outfit. I love it.)

* Phillips Family Christmas Tree Hunt
As we look back on these pictures every year, It is always such a magical time. And you can see it in the pics…
I shot this at the beginning of the hike for the tree, it’s Toph and Tru, and I think it is SO sweet…



Thank goodness there were so many helping hands. Here is Jo and Tuck..

Patrick and Tuck..

We found the tree, Toph and Tuck starting the sawing…

After the tree had been found, it was time to head down the mountain…
Mikey just slid down like this…

And a horrible picture, but had to include it for memory sake…Cat had to help me down the mountain, I was sliding everywhere! Thanks again Cat for saving the big pregnant lady!

Warming back up with Grandpa in the Truck… (That’s a lot of little monkeys in there!)

Just Us..

My Sweetheart

And the BIG FAM shot…

* Festival of Lights
(Another tradition from Toph’s Childhood. Floats decorated with Christmas Lights, and Fireworks. A great way to welcome in the Holiday Season)






If you click on the Numbers below, it will open a quicktime video that we shot that night. It’s a horrible video, but you can see Santa on a float!
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*Decorating our Tree
This is always ‘my job’. Toph is okay letting me do this one! And I don’t mind to do it. I love to put on a good pair of jammies, turn on the christmas music and enjoy the evening of putting up the tree!

Although I had lots of help from the younger boys with putting everything up,

including the very important train under the tree. Which gets played with ALL month long.

And the only picture I have with the whole tree is this one from Christmas Morning….so excuse the wrapping paper and mess everywhere!

I love Christmas Trees. A magical Part of Christmas.
*Advent Calendars
(a tradition from my childhood, thanks again Grams and Gramps! Nothing like a piece of chocolate to get your morning off to a great start!)

* Festival of Trees.
A fundraiser for our local children’s hospital. I love this event, and love the kids village where the kids can make and do so many fun things…

I love this shot… Truman whispering a secret about gingerbread houses to Tucker. They have so many beautiful trees and gingerbread houses that have been generously made and donated. They are on display for people to buy (the money is then donated to the hospital). And believe me there are some beautiful ones there!

Here is a picture of our Tree, we made for Enrichment for Relief Society. It turned out beautifully!

Again, if you click on the numbers below, There is another video. This one of Tucker in the ‘bubble machine’ from the kids village. I love the way he claps his hands in excitement at the end.
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*Hanging of the special ornaments
(Another Phillips Family tradition. One special ornament is purchased every year, and then when we hang them up on the tree, we talk about what was eventful that year…)

A White, snowy Christmas!
Here are some pictures of the kids playing in the snow.


We didn’t have a lot up until right before Christmas, but then it came down, and it was cold.

We are blessed enough to live in a neighborhood with very nice neighbors and friends. Who constantly invite us in our their fun adventures…One family owns a four wheeler, and a sled was attached behind and our boys, rode and rode and rode in that sled. Our other neighbors have a snowmobile that the boys rode on for about an hour around our un-plowed circle. (The snowplows won’t plow it unless there are no cars parked on the road. There is always cars parked on the road, so it NEVER gets plowed! So it makes for a great place to go sledding behind a four wheeler, or on a snowmobile)

And of course, we always finish up the snowtime with HOT COCOA!

* Dipping Chocolates.
One of my favorite parts of Dipping with the Phillips Sisters is making the centers.

It is fun to stand around the oven, taking turns stirring the centers, and just chatting and catching up on life.

And honestly what is not to love about having a handful of chocolate? (Truman got in on the action)

And so did Tuck. (Mixing the chocolate with Grandma)
Yummy, Yummy, Chocolates are an important part of Christmas!
And I love this pic. While the little boys weren’t ‘helping’ us make the chocolates, the men folk were watching them—Here is a picture of Tucker schooling his younger cousin on pbskids. Got to love it. 🙂

* The Book Find Another Phillips Family Tradition…consisting of MANY different kinds of wrapping paper, hidden books, smiles and laughter, and alot of fun..

Tucker got Desperaux, which was an amazing book, we just finished reading it last week. I loved it and he loved it, and Truman listened to it too, and he loved it!! Can’t wait to see the movie of this one!

Truman got the book, The Mitten, with a mitten full of animals. I think the official count is now at 739,087 times I have read this book. Truman loves it (and now has it memorized) , and loves playing with the animals inside and out of the mitten.

I finished my book during the holiday season, The miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and Toph got a beautiful copy of Mark Twains most popular stories.
What a fun Tradition.

*Making Gingerbread. I wasn’t going to make gingerbread this year, as it is a lengthy process, but the boys kept asking and Christmas didn’t feel like Christmas, with out the smell/taste of Gingerbread, and Tucker asked me about it quite a few times. I only did a single batch instead of 4 or 5 I usually make, so it wasn’t quite as big of a process.

Rolling/Cutting

I love these end shots where the boys are covered with flour.

(not only is gingerbread a lengthy process, it is also a messy process!)
Decorating/Frosting the cookies (Truman was quite liberal on the sprinkles this year, I had to laugh, because I remember that being my favorite part too!)

And the plates we delivered to neighbors (Gingerbread and Chocolate).

*Reindeer Dust
At the beginning of the season, Truman found some ‘reindeer dust’. He was infatuated with it, and asked everyday if it was the day to put out the dust (a mix of oats and glitter)

Finally Christmas Eve arrived, and it was the day. The day to sprinkle the dust, for the reindeer…I had to include these pictures, so I could remember the daily question of ‘is today the day we get to put out the reindeer dust?’

*School Programs
What fun these days are, when you get to see your children with their peers, singing and performing. I love it!
Truman
A few pictures…


After the program, he got to sit on Santa’s Lap for the second time. We had already done it a week or too earlier at the ward party.

Tucker
Love this picture…

* Christmas Eve with the Greenes
Exchanging presents, and enjoying being together.
First though, seeing this mantle, makes me so happy!

Cute Aunt Amy..

Atti Dog…

Belle…

Brothers…

Eleanor (don’t you just want to kiss those cheeks? I do…)

Me…

Eric…

Gramps and Atti…

Truman and Hercules..

Eric and Ikey…

Toph…

Tuck…

Opening Presents…

* And More Christmas Eve with the Extended Greenes
More Enjoying being together, as well as

Eating food.

Laughing…

Sharing Presents…

Getting Hugs

and Kisses

and Tickles

Exchanging presents…

And did I mention enjoying good company?

* Christmas Day (This day was supposed to be spent with the Phillips, but because of bad weather conditions, we weren’t able to travel. We stayed at home instead, and played with our new Christmas Toys, and enjoyed a nap, and our little family! Of course we missed being with the Phillips, and we were grateful for Video Chat!!)
On the stairs waiting to see what Santa brought:

Stockings:

Opening Presents:


Tuckers Big present this year, was an enormous Bionicle set.

Truman got the Planet Heroes Rescue Command Center.

And the biggest/best present, and true labor of love was this playroom. It’s the area under our stairs. It was just storage before. Now it’s a little playroom for the boys. It was unfinished, Christopher did the framing, drywall, electrical (with the help of an electrician), mudding, painting, and layed the carpet. He started it two weeks before Christmas. It was finished very late Christmas Eve/or Early Christmas Morning…. The boys LOVE their own little area,

And slept in the cubby area all Christmas Break Long.

* Ice Skating Party
My mom’s Cousin Patty invited us again this year to her party. The kids love this, as they can skate using buckets to help them balance, and this year, near the end of the party Tucker skated without the buckets. That is impressive for any 6 year old! And he was pretty excited about it too! In my pregnant state, I watched from up above with my niece Eleanor, and we had a great evening!
.

*Santa
To hold with tradition the boys did write letters to Santa, and I scanned them to post, before sending them off, along with Pictures of them sitting on Santa’s Lap at our Ward Christmas Party. What a cute Santa…
Truman

(Can you see the word Santa written? I love it, and the Orange Marker)
Tucker

(Make look like jibberish to you and me, but they are actually the names of Bionicles that he wanted)

If you made it this far, thanks for reading, I felt it was important to document this important season of our life. So much time was spent with family. It was wonderful, and although it was not documented with pictures, I want to remember the small moments too, where we spent remembering our Savior. The most important thing during this time.
Hope your season was wonderful, and you too have taken time to recover from this busy season!

How does it happen so fast?
Big (3 weeks old! And growing chubbier, longer, cuter by the day!)

Bigger (3 Years Old, and looks and acts so much bigger after having Elliot at home! What is it about a newborn that makes your little ones grow up so fast?)

Biggest (6 Years Old and Proud of it! He has become the independent one of our house since Elliots arrival, and the self designated ‘babysitter’ and helper.)


What a blessing these boys are in our lives!

I have had one of the most wonderful weeks of my life enjoying so many small moments like these…

Thanks to so many friends and family who have taken care of my older boys, given us thoughtful gifts, brought in meals, cleaned my house, done my laundry, shopped for me, and so much more so that I can rest, heal, bond with my sweet Elliot, and enjoy these magical moments.

Pilgrim…

check
(See the Pilgrim hat in front? It got ripped shortly after we took the picture. 🙁 I got to Truman’s Class Thanksgiving Feast to help them. I love seeing my children in their school setting, watching them interact with peers, the things they say, the way they act, what they do, the routines they follow. Oh, I can’t get enough)

Food? Turkey, Stuffing, Potatoes, Gravy, Artichokes, sparkling grape juice….

check
(A Few years ago, I realized someday (hopefully not for a long, long time) I am going to be the Matriarch in charge of putting together this grand feast. So since then, we’ve tried to make our own Turkey, and little dinner, to begin the practicing! I am no gourmet chef, but it is fun to celebrate just our little fam too!)

More Turkeys….

check.
(Every year, we’ve done this. We hang them up, and it’s fun to see how the boys writing and artwork skills have changed over the years. Plus what is Thanksgiving without a Hand print Turkey?)

Gratitude?

check.
(An important part of Thanksgiving. I’ve been trying to encourage the boys to be aware of the abundance of blessings that are around them. Pretty sure someday the real concept of gratitude will sink it, but for now, a majority of the time Tucker is grateful for Robots/Robotics and Truman for Hercules or whatever Superhero he is pretending to be at the moment. I am especially grateful for a healthy rather uneventful pregnancy, and an amazing husband who I don’t appreciate enough for all of the amazing things he does. I have so many blessings!)

Still More Turkeys?

Check
(Just kidding there not really turkeys, but they are the cutest little people I know.)

And to you, wishing you
a wonderful Thanksgiving!
THANK YOU
for being a very important part of my life.