Our Christmas

It seems as though Christmas came very quickly this year, it really snuck up on me! Even with all the last minute shopping, cleaning, cooking, and baking that almost sent me over the edge we still had a wonderful Christmas!Christmas Eve is our BIG dinner with my family. So after I spent the day baking and cooking we headed over to my parents house for lots of yummy food. Just like always we were bombarded with lots and lots of good stuff! All of my brothers and sisters were there, so it was great!
After dinner the kids got to open a couple of presents. My grandma made all her non-married grand kids and all her great grand kids rag quilts with their names embroidered on. They were so cute and my kids loved them! And then they got to open a present from Uncle Jordan and Aunt Amber. They are rule breakers!! They got all the kids "cool" shirts, so they all had a little wardrobe change. After too many treats and lots of good company we had to head home so that Santa could come. We put the magical key out, so Santa could get in and we left him some sugar cookies (those are his favorite!) and some hot chocolate and then off to bed for us. It was a very long day!I was very surprised when Nick and Chloe came into my room so early. This is the first year that they actually woke up first. I am not a morning fan, but I was actually laying there awake because there is just something special about Christmas day and I can't sleep in. So Nick and Chloe woke Alex and Cooper up and then we headed downstairs to see what Santa brought. Nick got Nintendo gs, Chloe got her double stroller, and Alex & Cooper both got big trucks. We took our time opening presents and had our traditional Christmas breakfast, egg strata and homemade cinnamon rolls.
After we all got ready we headed to Chris' parents house to deliver presents and breakfast. We chatted with them for a bit and then it off to my parents again to open presents. I think my kids were more excited for Grandma's presents than Santa's! As usual they were spoiled!

Then time for some more breakfast! Crepes has been the Christmas tradition since I was little, so I definitely couldn't miss out on that. We spent the afternoon playing Wii and putting together new toys. After we couldn't handle any more sweets we went to lunch at TGI Fridays with all of my family. The kids crashed in the car on the way to Chris' sister's house for Christmas dinner. We couldn't handle anymore food, so we visited with family and friends and enjoyed a the 2008 Lichty Family video that Melissa put together. And finally...we headed to the movies with some of my family to see Marley and Me. It was a cute show, but very sad.

We had a wonderful Christmas! We are so thankful for all of our family because they are ones that made our day special!!

Just in time...

With a little nagging Chris finally put my knobs on and we got it hung up just in time for Santa to come and fill the stockings!

Tooth Fairy

While we were out of town Nick lost his first tooth. It has been loose for a while now and was barely hanging on, so Chris kind of helped it fall out! Uncle Jordan tried to tell Nick that the tooth fairy was going to bring him $100, but luckily he was okay with $10. And for Christmas he did get a new tooth, the new one is already coming in!

Jeakin's Family Christmas Party

We left the snow behind us and headed for Fernley, NV where my mom's parents live. All of my mom's family live in Reno and Fernley, so every year my mom throws a Christmas party up there.

Chris went snowboarding on Friday with my dad, Jordan, Josh, and Amber while the rest of us went into town and did a little shopping at the mall. After we shopped 'till we dropped we drove back to Fernley and had dinner at the Pizza Factory. Saturday afternoon was the party. My mom goes all out. We had a big turkey and ham dinner with all the fixing's and lots of treats. After we ate my mom had a gift for all the kids hidden around the house, so after they found their presents they could have something to do while the adults did a white elephant gift exchange. Chris and I didn't make out so good, so we did some gift swapping afterwards and got a really cute lantern.

I am thankful my mom has the party every year. It is nice to be able to see all my aunts, uncles, cousins and my grandparents, and it makes it nice that they are all in one spot!

For years now I have been complaining every time I have to go to Reno. There is nothing to do there and to me it is just ugly and dirty. While on our way home from this trip Nick fell asleep a couple of hours outside of Las Vegas. When he woke up he said, "we are in Vegas!". I asked him how he knew and he said, "because it is clean". I thought it was so funny! Great minds think alike!

SNOW Days!!

These are the mountains right behind our house.

On Monday, December 15th it snowed on and off all day. At our house we just had little flurries and they melted as soon as they hit the ground.

But 2 days later was a whole other story... I have lived in Las Vegas my whole life and I have never seen anything like this. It was so awesome. My kids were in heaven! They had a snowball fight and would have stayed outside forever if I would have let them.

After I finally made them come in they had hot chocolate and cookies. We stayed home all day because I had baking to do for the ward cookie exchange. It ended up being a great day baking cookies and watching the snow come down while listening to some Christmas music.

After Chris got home from work I was off to the cookie exchange. He tried to talk me into not going since the roads were so bad and I have no experience driving in these conditions, but I promised that I would drive very slow and he was okay with that. Part of me wishes that I brought my camera because everything was suddenly beautiful as it was covered with snow. It really was a Winter Wonderland to me! If I did have my camera though, I probably never would have made it to the church to enjoy a great night with such fabulous ladies because I would have been taking pictures of everything!

If my kids hadn't of been on track break they would have been able to enjoy their very first and probably their last snow day in Las Vegas! It was the first one in about 30 years. Pretty exciting!!

Nursery Graduation

On December 21, 2008 Alex graduated from nursery. It was the cutest thing! All 18 nursery kids got to come into the primary room for a little ceremony. Sister Page was very sweet and explained to the kids what was going to be happening in the next couple of weeks, that they get to come to primary now, they will have new friends, that the nursery leaders love them, and that Heavenly Father and Jesus love them. I couldn't help but tear up watching all these little ones so excited. They got to sing a couple of songs to help them feel a little more comfortable. It was so cute when Sister Page told them, "Look your new friends(the older primary kids) know all your favorite songs!". Then they each got to come forward and receive their diplomas.
I am so thankful for the nursery leaders. I know that they work hard, and their job isn't always easy, but I do appreciate them!

Ward Christmas Party

The night after the work party was our ward Christmas party. We had a yummy dinner and then there was a little program. The new bishopric did a cute little skit, the primary sang, and others in the ward did musical numbers and skits. Nick left when it was time for the primary to go get ready and then he never appeared on stage because he didn't want to sing! I really hate this phase that he is in. I wanted to beat him!! But that is why I only have a picture of Chloe singing. She did a great job! She loves to sing!

It really was an awesome turnout, there was no room to really even turn around! Great times with great friends!!

YES! Christmas Party

This is Chris' third Christmas working at YES! and this is the first time that the spouses have been invited to the Christmas party. It was pretty much a family dinner, seeing as all of my brothers were there with their wives. Jordan works with Chris, and Jeremy and Josh work for partner companies. It was yummy dinner and a very yummy chocolate fountain for dessert!

Chris recieved the "Wingman Award" for his company. And we walked away with a giftcard to Rave, so it was a great night!

I am so thankful for Chris' hard work for our family. The more children we have the harder things get, but he always works so hard to be able to support our family and give our children a memorable Christmas. Thanks for all your hard work!!

More Gingerbread FUN!!

Last week a couple of my friends, Lauren and Danielle came over with their kids for a little playdate. The kids all made their own gingerbread houses with our help, of course. Nick and Chloe are getting really good. They did theirs by theirselves and they turned out really cute! Alex and Cooper mostly ate candy, but that is part of the fun!

We then shoved the kids in the backyard and then it was mommy craft time! We made stocking boards. Mine is yet to be finished (hence the delay in this post) so I will have to post pictures later with all the stockings hanging.

Thanks girls for a great day!!

"This Christmas, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.
Write a letter. Give a soft answer.
Encourage youth.
Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise.
Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize.
Try to understand.
Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else.
Be kind. Be gentle.
Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude.
Welcome a stranger.
Gladden the heart of a child.
Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth.
Speak your love and speak it again."
-President Howard W. Hunter

Santa, Santa, HO HO HO

All of a sudden Cooper is copying everything that the other kids say, and one of his new words is Santa. So the whole time we were waiting in line Cooper kept calling Santa and was waving at him and seemed pretty excited to see him. I knew it was too good to be true though, so I opted to not have is picture taken while he was crying. I seem to only get all my kids with Santa every other year, so I will just have to wait until next year!!
While we were waiting in line Chloe told me, "I have seen this Santa before! Last time!". And I was very surprised she remembered. She then asked me, "is this the real Santa? Because we have already seen 3 fake ones. The one who gave us candy canes, the one on the train, and at the other store." I was shocked! She is only 4 and she is so perceptive!! Everything is okay though because the REAL Santa is at the Meadows Mall!

The Lichty Gingerbread House

My kids have been begging me for about a month now to do our gingerbread house, so we finally did it this last weekend. I was feeling kind of ambitious, so we actually baked our own house this year. Chris did the builing of the home, and the roof and chimney, and the kids pretty much did the rest! I was very surprised at how much Nick was into it this year. While Chris was doing his part the kids got to do their own "Christmas trees" to put in the "yard".

They did such a good job and we had alot of fun!!

Our new Puppy

I have always said that I do kids, not dogs.
But it seems that my baby has turned into a puppy. He crawls around barking now! It is pretty cute! He drools, he plays fetch, and if you aren't careful he even bites!

These pictures are from my mom's house. He was playing fetch with Chris and randomly chewing on things that caught his attention.

Gingerbread House FUN

My very 1st gingerbread masterpiece!

This morning I had the opportunity to go to a Gingerbread Party at one of the ladies homes in my ward. She made us all our own houses for us to decorate. Alot of work! I only baked one for my family and that was an adventure.

What fun to sit with such great ladies and put our creativity to use. Everybody's houses turned out so cute!

I think this has became my new favorite Christmas tradition!! And I can't wait to make one with my kids!

All Aboard

Yesterday morning we loaded up the van, mostly with kids and headed to Willams, AZ. This is the 4th annual trip to ride The Polar Express, but my first time. I figured I should go and help a little seeing as half the grandkids my parents were taking are mine!

As much as I hate short trips, it was actually alot of fun!

When we got there we went to the deer farm. The kids (the ones that weren't scared) got to feed the deer. They totally surround you! I, myself stayed away from anybody with food. Now you know why all my kids are scared of EVERYTHING!! It was a fun experience though! They had lots of other animals there too. A camel! Donkeys, pigs, horses, sheep, all different kinds of birds, racoons, monkeys, and reindeer (Santa's).

After the farm we went to dinner at the Pizza Factory, that is part of the tradition too. And then it was time to board the train. They served us chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate on our way to the North Pole while they read the story The Polar Express. The kids got so excited when we got there and they could see Santa and his reindeer. On the way back Santa came aboard and gave all the kids a bell. They believe!

I am so thankful that my kids have such great grandparents who have started these fun traditions for them. My parents never cease to amaze with their generosity, especially at this time of year.

Thanks Mom and Dad for a fun trip! You guys are the BEST!!!

Happy Birthday Nick!

Where has the time gone my big, six-year old boy?

What happened to your chubby cheeks and the rolls on your legs?

Six years ago today, I blessed with an early Christmas present, the best Christmas present ever, YOU!In the last six years you have never stopped amazing me! You are such a smart boy. You are doing great in school. You are such a good helper to me and your dad. Whenever you are gone, the house goes to pieces! You are a great big brother to Chloe, Alex, and Cooper. You are a great example for them, and for your dad and I.Whatever you try you excel at. You are very gifted athletically. I always love to watch you in action! You have such a sweet spirit and I can't wait to see all the things that you accomplish. I am so proud to be your mom.

Happy Birthday Nick! I love you!!

Nick's Party

Nick's birthday is this week, but yesterday we celebrated with family and friends. Nick planned his own party! He wanted a Clone Wars party, a bounce house, a white Star Wars cake, pizza, and he even made his own guest list. I can't believe how old he is!! Where has the time gone?

Thanks to everyone who helped make his day special!!

Our Thanksgiving

After Chris did the usual Turkey Bowl thing, we got ready for the day and headed to the movies to see Bolt. It was a cute show and the kids were really good, even Cooper.

Then we were off to my mom's to hang out until dinner time. We snacked all afternoon and had a good time just being together.

The girls. Just hanging out in the kitchen.

After dinner my dad did "rocking horse" with the kids. This is something he used to do all the time with us when we were little.

And Thanksgiving would not be complete without a surprise from Grandma to help get the Christmas season started!!
New Christmas jammies!!!

The original six! I am so thankful to have such an awesome family! They mean so much to me. I really don't know what I would do without them!

No matter where we live, no matter what our circumstance may be, we all have something to be thankful for.

I am thankful for my children, my husband, my family, and my good friends.

I am so thankful for the gospel in my life, for my Savior,for my calling to work with the YW, and for the scriptures.

I know I am blessed, my list could go on forever...but I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

by: Nick

Twilight

Last night we (Chris, my mom, my sisters, Jenny & Katie, my sisters-in-law, Juli & Amber, and my sister's friends, and ME) got to go to the Twilight party and premiere. We only got to see it a couple of hours before everybody else, but it was a fun experience. I am a fan, but there are some really crazy people out there! Chris wanted to go with me, so he could finally know what we are all talking about without having to read the book. He actually liked it more than I did! I was a little disappointed that it wasn't more like the book. That is okay though, I knew it would never be as good as the book!!

The Invisible Mother

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'Obviously, not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? & Can you open this?Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.'It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.When I really think about it, I don't want my daughter to tell the friend she's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want her to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to her friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.'As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot see if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Funny kids

We have a DVD player in the car and pretty much only have 1 movie in it. So for the last month or more my kids have been watching Finding Nemo. Cooper, who has recently started talking, loves it! He points at all the shishies(fish) and dances through the whole thing. My favorite part is when Nemo is going through initiation to be part of the "Tankhood". Cooper dances and chants wha-he-hah-he-ah-whoo-whoo. It is the cutest ever! And like Dory he can also speak whale. Just for these reasons I don't think we will be changing the movie in the car anytime soon!

Chloe and her brothers are always playing house. Mostly Chloe and Alex, she is "Chrissy" and Alex is "Chris". Chloe is very much the little mama. They go to church, Alex watches the kids while Chloe goes to Weight Watchers, the talk on the phone and they call eachother "Babe". It is pretty funny! But ever since last week they don't play "Babies" anymore... they play "Mavrik". Chloe dressed her baby in boy clothes, she is "Amber" and Alex is "Jordan". I love watching them play! They can always make me smile!

Meeting Mavrik

Let the baby hunger begin! I guess you could say I am in unknown territory right now. I have always been pregnant by the time my baby was 9 months old, so I have never really felt baby hungry before. But holding this tiny little baby tonight just felt so right, like it is time for another one. Now we just need to convince Chris of this!

Ever since Amber told the kids she was pregnant Alex has been saying that she has a dog in her tummy. Anytime you asked him what she was having, he would say, "a boy gog". This morning Alex got to upto the hospital with my mom to visit and when I saw him this afternoon he said, "not a gog, a boy baby". He is a funny boy!

Nick also got to go up to the hospital this morning with my mom. This afternoon on the way back to the hospital he told me that he is lucky and spoiled because he gets to see Mavrik 2 times today. He was very concerned when the next time he will get to see the baby. And he couldn't stop talking about how tiny the baby's finger nails were.

Cooper has always been "my baby", so I figured he wouldn'y really care to see him, but boy was I wrong! He loved him!! He didn't want anybody else to hold him or even look at him for that matter. So maybe I really could have another one!

And of course, our little mama wanted to hold him forever! She woke up early this morning eager to go meet her new cousin. It is too bad she is only 4 because she would make a great babysitter!!

Five doesn't look like too many, right?! I keep countig the kids in this picture because it doesn't seem like that many.

The Anderson Family
(photo above by Nick)