FHE

Monday night was Family Home Evening, our kids look forward to this night all week. Let's hope that this attitude continues through the teenager years.

Justin and Heather gave us a Book of Mormon dress up kit for Christmas. We have had so much fun with it. Last week was the lesson on Nephi and his brothers going back to get the plates. This week we did Moroni in hiding with the plates from the Lamanites, after explaining the story we had a fun activity. Each one of the girls took turns dressing up being Moroni and hiding with the gold plates. Then the other 2 dressed up as the Lamanites with swords would try and find Moroni. This kids loved it. This is where Garrett helped Natalie hide. (Then Morgan wanted to try it out) Thanks Justin and Heather for spicing up our FHE.

Weekly update

Since today is Sunday and we don't have church until 1:00 I thought I would get a few things written down about our past week........
This week was really hard to get back on a schedule from Christmas. Getting Madalyn ready for the bus was the biggest thing, it was so nice to be able to sleep in and not have to try and get the kids in bed by 7:30.

Monday morning Emily called me and she needed a ride to the hospital she was going into labor, and Brock was at school. I called around and found a place for my kids to go, then went and picked her up. It was so strange not being the one in pain, i guess I have a little more of an understanding of what the men go through. To make a long story short Emily ended up having a C-section and Wyatt Brock Gibbons was born Tuesday Jan. 5th at 12:07 am (7' 15" 20 inches long). I was able to be at the hospital when he was born and what a miracle it is to see a new baby come into this world. He is doing good now and is out of NICU, and will come home on Tuesday.

We got some test results back from Madalyn. She has been having a lot of tummy problems the past 3 months. We had an x-ray done and that showed us nothing and then had blood work done and they could not find anything wrong. So we don't really know where to go from here. I guess we are just going to see how the next month goes and see if it get better or worse.

We took the girls to see "The Princess and the Frog" yesterday. They really loved the movie. We had promised the kids we would go during Christmas but I just didn't feel go the day we were in Tri-Cites.

I realized that I have not blogged about this pregnancy. Since this is the closest thing to a Journal that I have I want to record a few things about this baby. I got sick right away with this one, so for the past 4 months I have not felt like doing to much. Here are a few things about this one: I have been a lot sicker with this one, I throw up alot more and feel yucky all day long, my body also feels like I'm 50 and pregnant, I can't get enough sleep, and very emotional. I don't know if it is a boy or girl (most likely a Girl) we are looking forward to finding out what it is in less than a month. I am very excited for this baby, it has been a long time since I have felt like we have a baby in our house.

I just blogged about the kids Christmas and didn't say anything about Garrett and my Christmas. This year we needed things that we both had a hard time picking out for each other, it was just easier to have each others help. Garrett did surprise me with a outside picnic table that he built himself. I week before Christmas he told me that he was going to build something for me and that I needed to ok the building plans. He wanted to make sure that was the one I wanted, it's nice and big (8 feet long). I was really impressed with Garrett's building talent.

We still both agree that the best gift there is Christmas morning is seeing our kids open their gifts. That is where the pure joy of Christmas is for the both of us.

The Girl's Christmas

I love this time of year, my kids are so excited for all Christmas has to offer. The parties playing with cousins, SANTA and hoping he will bring all they asked for, Giving gifts to others, playing in the snow. We had a wonderful Christmas at home.

Natalie has been asking everyday since October for the movie "Barbie and the Three Musketeers" she would say "mom do you have my musketeers movie" almost everyday. She asked Santa many times for it. She was so excited to see that Santa had brought the movie and a musketeers dress, she wore it all morning and want to watch the movie that very moment she saw it.

Natalie's pile from Santa

Morgan was so funny this year. Each time we would ask her what she wanted for Christmas it would change. Santa had told me that he finished our kids Christmas by the end of October so when End of November came and she keep saying she wanted a pink computer, and a tinker bell doll we had to call Santa a few days before Christmas and add them to her want list.

Morgan loved her Hello Kitty gumball machine.

Morgans pile from Santa

Madalyn always has the best facial expressions, she truly enjoyed Christmas this year. It was hard for her not to tell what she got everyone for gifts. She would plead with me each day to let her sisters open their gifts from her. She learned lots about how others places around the world celebrate Christmas, she also did a great job on her Christmas program at school. A family did the 12 days of Christmas to our family, that was the first time anyone has done it to our family and we loved it.

Madalyn with her Santa pile.

Christmas Eve the kids get to open their gifts to each other. We went to the Jenks Christmas Party that night and then came home to prepare for Santa. We get cookies ready, sprinkle oats on our front yard for the reindeer to eat while they wait for Santa. The kids went to bed around 9:30 and woke up at 7:00 the next morning. I love the night before Christmas, what a magical time.

Priest Lake

McGary Family 2009

The Monday before Christmas we got the chance to go the Eppich Cabin for a few days with my family. This was the first vacation in a long time that all of my family were able to go.

We had a great time, the kids enjoyed the sledding. I was surprise how fearless they were on the sleds. Madalyn even let me pull her behind the four wheeler on the sled. We didn't have as much snow as past years.

Our little puff ball all dressed up ready for the cold.

We took up the four wheelers it's a good thing we did cause there was not enough for the snowmobiles. All the boys heading off for a tail ride.

Frosty and the 2 girls

Trying to take some family pictures before we left to come home. Garrett got the flu the day we got up there, he was not very much fun. I felt bad he didn't get to enjoy the trip very much.

Christmas Dresses

This morning before going to church I took a few shots of the girls in their Christmas dresses. Our family is counting down the days until Santa comes, it gets a little more enjoyable each year as the girls know more about Christmas.

Natalie 2

Madalyn 6

Morgan 4

So far we have made it to all the Christmas party on the right days, on time, and with the right food. So far so good. We still have a few more parties to go. We sure love the holidays!!! Merry Christmas.

Santa at the mall

Yesterday was a very busy day for us. In the morning we had Emily and Karyn's baby showers, they went great. I think they received a lot of great gifts. Then Madalyn had to be at a birthday party at Chuck E Cheeses at 1:00 then we had told the girls we would go see Santa at the mall so they could tell him what they wanted. We were so lucky the mall was packed but the line for Santa was not bad at all. Natalie could not get enough of Santa. She keep calling him her best friend and that see wanted to go home with him. Most kids are crying when you put them on his lap, not Natalie she was crying when we had to go. We took the kids to eat at Eatza Pizza and then came home.

We have been very good this year Santa.

Gingerbread house

Every year for the past few years at Christmas time we buy a gingerbread kit. The girls love putting it together and making it look great. By the time we are done we have a big mess but the kids love doing it.
I have been doing a lot of Christmas baking around our house for friends, home teaching and visiting teaching families. I'm so glad that is done.

Surgery Day

Today was Natalie's Surgery Day for the trigger finger on her left thumb. She has had problems with the movement of that thumb since the end of July, we took her in and they said that it might fix itself, gave us a few things that might help. But over time it just didn't get any better and it seemed to start hurting her. We had no choice but to schedule surgery. In which I was so worried, I hate putting them out that young.

Natalie getting ready to go back, I think it was harder on Mom saying good bye than it was for her. She did great. I'm just a basket case, I always think of the worst things that could happen and worry myself. After the surgery was over she was crying alot trying to come to, she just didn't know what was going on.

I was glad to get her home she was much happier. She has to have the soft cast on for 2 weeks and then we go to get the stitches out. I'm so grateful it went well, lets just hope it heals good.

Our brave little girl!!

Award

On Monday we were able to go to the school and see Madalyn receive an A.C.E Award. The teacher and principal choose a child once a month to receive them. Madalyn was an A.C.E award for academics. Great Job!!! I'm so glad she loves school so much. Keep up the good Work Madie.