MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I think the best way to go about this is to caption each picture. First, this year was great! We tried really hard not to spend too much money and I felt like Christmas was just as big as it ever is if not better. So yay! We have been so blessed this year.

Also, this year was better because we didn't have to get up way early and then go back to bed... let me explain. This year we came home from Christmas dinner and then set out to finish wrapping (we forgot a couple of shoes we didn't wrap yet) and then set out all of the presents. We were done setting them out by like 10:30 or 11pm. We were still up in our room watching tv and getting ready for bed when what to our wondering eye should appear but Daija, and she was all excited that Santa had come already! It was 11:30. Not even Christmas yet! Thankfully she couldn't know that so we tried our best to act innocent and sent her back to bed. Chase woke up and went back to sleep around 2am, and the girls were heard scurrying back and forth around 2:30, but they didn't wake us up. So finally I'm pretty sure they all fell back to sleep. (We usually wake up around 4am or so, unwrap presents, go back to bed, then get up later for real.) So this year, we wake up at 8am (much better right?!) and got to open presents and actually stay awake and play with them all. It was a wonderful Christmas and the kids have LOVED their presents!

This is our Christmas spread before the kids tore into it!

Kyla LOVES her drums....let's just say, it ain't quiet around here! But the girl's got rhythm!

Ok this pic wouldn't cooperate so it's in the middle...

Christmas evening we went to visit my Uncle Jay and they got a few things there too. My children were way too spoiled this year. Thanks Jay and Vickie!

Daija excited about her new guitar!

Chad happily admiring his new knife from my dad.

Chase was so excited about these cars in his stocking. He didn't want to even open any more presents; he just sat on the floor and played with the cars. When we'd open a present and show it to him he didn't care, just wanted to play with his cars. What a boy! :)

We truly hope this year was filled with joy for all our family and friends and that 2010 will be even better! We love all of you!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve turned out to be ridiculous and slightly disastrous so to avoid all that I'm not going to get into it at all....

On a good note. This was the first time EVER since the last grand baby was born over a year ago that ALL 6 grand kids on the Barrett side were all together. So this is the best picture I could get. Funny enough it was the first one that I took, and I think it turned out pretty darn good; if I do say so myself. :) From the left:

Jenna, Connor (Kelly's kids), Daija, Kyla, Chase (Mine), Brendan (Spencer's boy).

Aren't they adorable?!?!?!

Daija's Christmas Program

I have so much to catch up on....

Daija had a Christmas program at her school! It was excellent! It was combined Elementary and Jr. High since this is the Jr. High's first year and they are so small still they combined performances. It was a lot of fun to see all the kids. The Jr. High band played first. Then the Kindergarten choir did a couple of songs. They did a musical performance of Jingle Bells. And then sang a song called, "My Red Sled". Daija did soooo well. Then a couple other choirs did their performances, and at the end they all got together on stage for the finale. All in all it was great to hear the children learning music and rhythm. I love her school so much, and so does Daija!

Daija doing her Jingle Bells! :)

Daija singing My Red Sled.

It's Unofficial

Ok. So maybe my announcement to going to college was a bit premature! :) Yes, I had my hopes up too; but I am postponing my college debut until the fall semester. Reasons being:
1. I can't justify the getting more student loans yet. When we have a better handle on Chad's (which we have a plan to do so by fall) then I can see it being ok.
2. I was going to take a preporatory class in January. Basically advanced piano lessons. I've taught myself so far, so I don't see why I can't teach myself what I need to know now. I know what I need to prepare for the auditions. So I have plenty to work on and I don't need to pay almost $600 to the college when I can do it myself.
So, no, I'm not going back YET! :) But I will.

On a side note..... How do you guys get someone to be nice when they aren't? For the life of me I need help with this person I know having way bad mood swings. Fine one minute then not the next. Not cool. How do you get them to be positive? And nice? Suggestions please.