Balloon Drop

Dave is in the Stake Young Men's Presidency and they were doing a New Years Eve dance for the youth.  They wanted to do a balloon drop and Dave volunteered to do it.  He went to the church one night with another guy and they worked for like 4+ hours on this net they made with streamers, rope and glue.  Then Dave went back the morning of New Years Eve and worked on it some more with Josh and Rhett Robinson.  Then right before the dance the youth blew up the balloons and filled it.

Pretty neat huh?

Cheryl's Baby Quilt

I finally got Cheryl's baby quilt done!  When she was pregnant her, Becky and I went to Joann's and she picked out her fabric.  She picked the quilt pattern and I added the elephant.  And Becky is making matching bumper pads.  I had started this before my mom's stroke.  I had the top all sewn together.  Then it just sat there waiting be sandwiched together and quilted.  Well, I finally got it done...

Recipe Holder

Here is the recipe holder Dave made for me and his mom for Christmas.  I had found it on a blog awhile ago and decided I really wanted one.  So I asked Dave to make it for me and thought that his mom might like one as well.  I just love it!!!  I use it all the time!!!!  The metal is magnetic and so I just use a small magnet to hold my recipe up.  It can hold a little note card or a whole piece of paper.  It keeps my recipe where I can see it and out of the food or water on the counter top!  And I will usually chose my recipes for the week and just clip them all there.  I truely love it!

The one I had seen on the other blog had the edges antiqued and I thought I'd like that, but I had never done it before, so we didn't do it to this yet.  We figured we can always go back and do it if we want.

Carolynn's Cape

I really wanted to get this cape made for Carolynn for Christmas.  (Just a side note, I have lots of nieces and nephews so I might need to explain why I am singling out just one to make a gift for... I baby sit Carolynn a couple days a week and normally you get the kid you baby sit for a gift.  That's what Jayden's babysitter did for him when I was working.)  But with going to visit my mom so much (that's a minimum of 3 hours every time I go, normally longer because I like to stay longer than an hour.  It's a 50 minute drive one way.) I just didn't have time to get everything done that I wanted to for Christmas.  There were a few things I just decided to not do.  So the day after Christmas I whipped up the cape and took it over to Carolynn.

I was up early one morning and I was watching Sewing with Nancy on PBS and they talked about this charity Enchanted Makeovers  they make and donate Capes for Kids that are currently living in shelters.  I linked to their website where you can find more information and the pattern for the cape.  From their website :

We Believe:

Capes for Kids represents hope. Since every cape is unique and handmade with love, each child who receives one will feel their own superpowers, and know that they have the strength and ability to create whatever they want for their lives.

 One day I think it will be fun to get the church group to make a bunch and mail them to this group.  It sounds like such a great idea!  In the mean time, I took their pattern and made a cape for Carolynn...

Christmas Eve

I love Christmas Eve!  I love the tradition that Dave's family has and getting together with them.  

This year we made the cheese ball snowman to take with us.  We made this a couple years ago.  It's from FamilyFun.com and it's so easy and cute to make!

(please note... click on any picture to make it bigger, then hit the back button to go back to the blog.  There are a lot of pics, so I'm going to keep them smaller.)

After a fabulous dinner we all get dressed up to act out, read and sing the story of Christs birth.

Can you see Dave's right eye?  Earlier in the day he and Jayden were wrestling and Jayden hit him in the eye!  It was a lot puffier before we left to go to his parents house.  Because of it being swollen, it was really bothering Dave... poor guy!

The Shepherds

The wise men...

Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus...

Corban wanted to hold Mackenzie...

After that it was present time.  Jayden got a zip line and he was so excited!

Mackenzie's first Christmas and this is the only picture I got of me and her, and it's not that great of either of us!  Her shirt said "Baby's First Christmas" I got it end of season last year for like 99 cents.  I love end of season!

We slacked off this year and ended up making our Christmas presents for Dave's parents on Christmas Eve and a little they day before.  While we were camping at the beach I noticed a lot of the campers had signs out with their name and where they were from.  I also noticed that Ralph liked knowing where people were from and stuff so I thought about getting one made for them at Knoebels (you know, where they do the wood stuff there.)  However, when we went back I had forgot all about getting the sign made.  It wasn't until the week before Christmas that I remembered.  So I made one up real quick in Photoshop, we had it printed at a one hour photo place and Dave made the sign Christmas eve.  The sign says "The Staus House, mobile edition, Reading, PA" and I put a picture I found on flickr of a campground.  If you get a sign made sometimes they carve pictures of trees on it, and so that's why I chose that picture.

I will post about Becky's gift later, because Dave also made one for me, so look for that post later.

Dave's parents bought this little car thing for the kids to ride in their basement, it's pretty cute...

You use your arms and wiggle the wheel to make it go.

Stephen, Cheryl and Baby Kalaela...

Then when we got home the boys had to go out and sprinkle their reindeer food to make sure Santa found our house.

They were so excited!!!!

Mackenzie Loves the Christmas Lights

Mackenzie loves to sit at the Christmas tree and play with the lights...

In the picture below, she kept leaning in and it'd poke her, she'd rub her face, lean in again... it was pretty funny and cute...

Ginger Bread Houses

Liz invited us over to make some ginger bread houses.  Her and Jeremy put all the houses together the night before, so all the kids had to do was decorate them.  How nice!  Everyone brought some goodies to share for all the kids to decorate.  They had so much fun!

Above is Tanner house, he told me the green trees were grass.  So cute!

Jayden's house...

Corban had a lot of fun playing with Mackenzie...

Finn...

Damean...

Jackson... his house was pretty neat.  He was very symmetrical.  His dad helped him a little, but a lot of it was him... pretty cool!

Colin's house...