Here’s a rundown of how it went in the Lang house-

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care…ok, we have no chimney, so they were hung from the bookshelf with lots of lighted candles.

This just might be my favorite gift of the evening. Thanks Mariah!

My brother spent Christmas with us and he brought these snazzy antlers along. They definitely kicked up the holiday spirit!

Christmas morning we went to Mass and JJ and Tristan served together.

The annual Christmas picture in front of the the tree in our church. Everyone’s getting so big! I’m thankful for the remaining little ones!

After church it was time for me to get cooking while the older kids played board games…

…the younger ones played outside…

…and the men drank beer on the roof (I’m still chuckling at this).

After dinner we had guests over for dessert.

It was a very nice Christmas Eve and Christmas day. The house was full and busy and we had some of the required wackiness. I’m calling it a success!

Now, my bags are packed, the house is silent (other than the clicking of the keys on my keyboard) and I’m about to wake Clay to take me to the airport. I’m heading up to Northern Cal for a few days to visit with friends and family and to see an ill friend and help out where I can. Clay will be in charge of the kiddos and the house for the next 3 days….

Have a great day~

Where to begin? Hmmm…how ’bout if we start with the tree?!

Isn’t it pretty?…in the dark!

Look again! There are only lights on it!

Let’s get a closer look

That’s right, just lights.

With all the waiting for JJ, Clay and Kateri to get home, I was trying to leave some things that they could be a part of. Well, it’s backfired on me and now it’s Christmas Eve and the tree has only lights on it!

But that’s just the beginning!

Not one single present has been wrapped. Not one! Let’s see, 5ish presents x11 people…Oh! My brother’s coming into town today too, so let’s add a few presents for him…You do the math! Don’t forget that Santa has to stuff stockings…So now, divide all of that by the # of hours until 7pm, when Santa will have come and gone (of course I’m estimating, no one can ACTUALLY know when Santa will appear. But I DO know that because of his amazing magical powers, he’ll come, work his magic and disappear while everyone is out of the house this evening and I’m pretty sure that’s going to be a little before 7 tonight…just a guess).

So…It’s now 5 am, I’ve got coffee and a big glass of water in front of me and I think it’s time to get moving. I better move the slumbering kiddos out of my bed, start the crock pot (yep, 3 nights of crock pot in a row. But tomorrow, I promise to turn on the oven and cook a turkey with all the trimmings), get all the presents out of hiding, lock my bedroom door, put a movie on and get going!

I think I’ll leave the tree trimming to Clay and the kiddos!

A very Merry Christmas Eve to each of you! May there truly be comfort and joy all around~

So now I am on “break”. Ha! The only thing breakish about it is that I don’t have to be dressed and out the door by 7:30. Instead, I’m getting up, showering, starting the coffee, the laundry, the dishes, the breakfast and then realizing that at 8 am I’m still not dressed and ready for the day. I am looking forward to catching up on the many, little tasks that have fallen behind since I am out of the house but the workload is greater and the expectations high when everyone is home. I didn’t work outside the house while Clay was still here or when Kateri and JJ were still living at home. My new schedule and the way I run things is new to them. When they’re home I feel a little pressure to make it all the way it “used to be”. So…more cooking, more cleaning and more organizing. It’s so good to have everyone together and the little kids are especially soaking up the attention from Clay and JJ. I will take lots of pictures and give them all many things to do together to keep them busy. But this time is going to move quickly and the break will be over and we will all go back to the way it’s been…JJ and Kateri away at school and Clay back to Iraq to finish his deployment. I must switch gears quickly.

Here’s to a beautiful Christmas week to all of you and to all that us moms do to make it all happen!

Have a great day~

The Science Fair threw me over! I’ve been juggling the list above and was holding it together pretty well, until last night and the Science Fair. Weeks ago one of my kids gave me their list of needed items for their project. I took the list, placed it on my desk with the million other papers and moved along with daily life. Yesterday it was ABSOLUTELY the last day to get the stuff for her and have her do her experiment. I told her that I couldn’t find the list, but that I was headed to the store and she could just text the list to me. This is the text I received;

Blender
3 disposable pipettes
1- 10 ml graduated cylinder
3- 50 ml flasks
1 stirring rod
Graph paper
Distilled water
Cheese cloth
Corn or potato starch
Glass beaker
Tincture iodine
Frozen OJ
Bottled OJ
Canned OJ
Oranges
Juicer

Uh…I was at Vons, not a medical lab! You can only imagine the conversation that occurred after that text. After acknowledging that she was not at fault and had done everything correctly, in giving me her list weeks ago, and that I had dropped the ball by not looking at it and trying to figure out where to get these things, I started to cry. Yep, crying seemed like the best way to go at that point. I mean, what kind of mother am I? I had the list and I left it till the last minute. I promised I’d call her teacher and explain. First I had to stop crying. Poor teacher! I got her on the phone and only got through, “hi, it’s Jen Lang” before the flood gates opened again.

Yikes!

Long story short, she told me that I did not need to cry over the science fair and that my daughter would, indeed, have the time she needed to get things done.

Whew! Sometimes there’s just a straw to break the camel’s back and yesterday it was the science fair. Thank goodness for kind and understanding people!

Have a great day~

Yesterday was the Christmas program for the 1st-4th graders at my children’s school. I’ve sat through the same program through 4 of my children. But no matter how many times I see it, I get teary-eyed. It’s a little snippet of time that marks where my children are in their lives. All too soon they move onto other things and are no longer shaking maracas with a joyful smile and a festive sweater. This time of year is, indeed, joyful, but it’s also a reminder for me of how quickly time is moving. I am grateful that I can plan to sit through this program for years to come, until Max, Gabi and Lex are all past the 4th grade.

Somehow I know it’s going to be in the blink of an eye!

So let’s all be joyful for what’s here and now and try to stop time for just a moment so that we can revel in it before it’s gone.

Good night~

Tomorrow is St. Nicholas’ feast day, so tonight the kiddos will put their shoes out (I better remember to buy candy canes!) and tomorrow, after Liturgy, St. Nick will make a special appearance at the church. Every year we have a pot luck and celebration in honor of St. Nick. I like that the kids get to identify that Santa’s character was derived from a REAL man who lived and became a saint.

Now, the real challenge is to get this house decorated for the season. I’m running horribly behind this year!

But before I worry too much about the importance of the Christmas decor and after the Children’s party, we will be celebrating Mariah’s 16th birthday. Today is her special day! Whew! 16 years! So, it’s cake and sushi after the Children’s party. Busy, busy day! No wonder I’m behind.

Have a great day and don’t forget to put out your shoes~

I am floored that we are 2 days into December! My list grew by MANY entries when I realized all that must be done before Christmas and the arrival of the 3 missing members of this Lang Clan. I’m slightly overwhelmed!

So, the blogging has been makin it’s appearance on the ish. You know…Wednesday-ish. Next week-ish. Hopefully identifying this will change it.

Here’s to facing the fact that the Holiday Season is in full swing, that the year has blown past us and that life is WAY TOO full!

Good night~

Now that Black Friday is over and we are in full, “it’s time to think of gifts for the kids” mode I wanted to share a great gift idea for those looking for a fun and educational idea for their younger kiddos.

Jump Start Pet Rescue for wii! My 3 youngest have been having a blast with it. And I’m truly surprised at the fact that it’s not only fun but educational. It’s recommended for ages 3-6 but my 7yr old and our 8 yr old friend have been enjoying it too.

The kids have been enjoying JumpStart.com for awhile now and getting Pet Rescue was another way for them to have fun and learn with all that the Jump Start family of products has to offer.

Good luck with all the holiday shopping! I hope all your gift choices can be as easy as this one!

Have a great day~

The media and stores work hard to get us to forget all of that! They bring on a HUGE guilt trip if we can’t fulfill our every desire. After-all, it’s the Holiday season, it’s about shopping our pockets inside out.

I’m just trying to keep reminding myself that the important thing about this season that’s upon us is the beauty in our lives, how we live and seeing the blessings in each day. I challenge each of you to keep focused and to enjoy the true spirit of this time.

Have a great day~

I gathered everyone together at the end of the day and they all offered a Merry Christmas to each of you. After everyone offered their wishes, Luke-Xavier broke into an original, Santa song. I couldn’t help but include it.

I hope you each had a Merry Christmas and enjoyed this holiday season. Now, onto the new year!

It’s the last few hours before Santa makes his big appearance. There’s still much to do! But the day will fall into place and something magical will happen. It always does!

My 3 oldest headed out to a shelter to help out and the next 2 in line headed to a friend’s house to help him get some cooking done for the crowd he has coming tomorrow.

This all leaves me without helping hands, but I’m proud that the kids are out there helping others.

A very Merry Christmas to each of you. May the spirit move you in this beautiful season!

Here are a few pictures

The 5 oldest Lang kiddos

Luke-Xavier in his Christmas coat. Love to cuddle this little guy!

Kiddos enjoying a night of song and friendship

A happy winter’s day to you~

The key is going to be to take a deep breath, look around and enjoy the artwork from years gone-by and the fact that all my kids will be together by the end of this week. The feeling that this time of year brings can’t be matched but if we let ourselves get overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of all the things that surround this season, we can easily miss the joy and warmth of it.

So, I’m making my lists and getting ready to tie up the loose ends. Wish me luck!

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Here we are, 10 days from Santa’s big show and I am NOT READY! This next week is going to consist of lists, lists, lists and much shopping. The remaining stack of Christmas cards need to get addressed and mailed and some gifts had better be bought!

Clay is heading out for our tree today which will make for an evening of decorating and arranging. We’ve never been ones to get a tree early in the month. We leave it up until the celebration of Theophany or the Epiphany, on January 6th. It’s the celebration of the Magi finding the infant Jesus and paying him homage. That’s when we take everything down, so imagine if we got the tree early, it would be up forever!!! Last year was the first time that I really let go of trying to dictate the decorating of the tree and I let the older kids take over. They did a fabulous job! So, this year, I’m going to step back from the beginning and let them make it theirs.

I love the feel around Christmas! I wish there were a way to just capture the feeling and not have to worry so much about all the things that keep us busy at this time of year. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we have parties to attend and people to visit with, but it does take away from the magic that happens around the simpler things. I’m hoping that with the close of this weekend and the last party having been attended, that the cookie baking, carol singing and movie watching can begin.

I’m dreaming! I still have all the shopping to do! Snap back to reality! The kids can bake, sing and watch movies but I’ve got to shop, wrap and hide! ~sigh~ But even with all the hustle and bustle, there’s a magic that happens on Christmas Eve when they come into the house and see what Santa has left. I guess that’s what I will look forward to.

This afternoon all the kiddos will head to a friends’ house to make gingerbread houses. They’ve gone for a couple of years now and it’s always a lot of fun. Our friends bakes all the houses and assembles them and the kids get to spend the time making them beautiful. I’m sure there will be some great pictures to share!

Have a great day~

People often ask me why (and sometimes, how) I get up at 4:15 am. I always give a rundown of what my morning consists of; checking the computer, answering emails, blogging, writing the Morning Memo, making the coffee, starting a load of laundry, making the school lunches and taking a shower. All of these things being done before the family is up, make for an easier and smoother day. But, from time to time, I cut myself some slack and I hit the alarm and give myself a little extra time in bed. Yesterday was one of those, rare, days. Because of my snooze time, I didn’t have time to shower until after the kids had gone off to school and the little ones were settled with breakfast and a movie. When I came out of the shower and went to check on things, I was instantly reminded of why getting up at 4:15 is necessary! Gabi and Luke-Xavier had decided to have a tea party while I was busy. This meant dragging out the plastic tea set, pulling a chair into the kitchen, filling the cups and tea pot with water and carrying them to the front room. I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but somehow they aimed the faucet in such a way that the whole kitchen floor was covered in water. All I could really do was sigh and grab some towels. The floor was in need of a washing anyway. So there you have it, a really good example of why 4:15 am and I are friends.
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The kids have begun their trek home for Christmas. Kateri arrived Wednesday night and will be here for a month. JJ gets in next Friday. Even though there are more bodies in this little space, it’s more peaceful when everyone is together. Kateri does a really good job of picking up the balls that fall as I juggle. I suppose it’s because she’s the oldest and watched as I did everything, so she has a kind of intuitiveness about how it should all be done. No matter what it is, I’m happy for this time!
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A full calendar can sometimes equal an empty brain!

I’ve had events every night for several nights. It’s the time of year when everyone is having parties and wanting to gather people together. I live by my calendar and if things aren’t written down, they simply don’t happen. BUT on the flip side, if they ARE written down, you better believe I’ll be there. Even if I wrote down an event that I have nothing to do with!

That’s right, the other night I got dressed, grabbed the gift I had purchased and wrapped and left for a military spouse function. When I arrived, I recognized a few faces, but quickly realized that something, just wasn’t right. Clay is in the flight community and I had (somehow) written down an event for the surface community. Ugh! At least I had a gift! I spent a few minutes saying hello to the people I knew, meeting a couple of new people and then slipping out the back door. I’ll be double-checking my calendar from now on!
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Speaking of the calendar and events-

Each month I set up a coffee for the Naval Officers Spouse Club (NOSC) in the coastal area. This gives me a large area and many coffee shops to choose from. I usually pick some place close to the water because it’s beautiful and I have a particular love for the way the ocean smells and feels and if I can set up a social event that has anything to do with being near the water, I’m going with it! So, we usually meet at little coffee shops that have the ocean in the background. But this month I took the opportunity to have everyone taste some amazing gelato, have some coffee and meet some great people. Chuao is a local chocolatier who presents fresh and interesting flavor combinations in their chocolates and their gelato flavors are just as interesting and intriguing. I set up a tasting for the NOSC and we were not disappointed! We learned a little about how gelato and sorbet are created and about how the flavors were put together. It was great to be able to try each of the flavors but my favorite remains the cambur chip. Yum!
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Today is the squadron’s Children’s Christmas Party. For the last few years, Clay has flown to the North Pole to pick Santa up and deliver him to the party. The kids always get so excited when that helicopter flies in and they know that Santa is going to step off. There’s nothing like the excitement of little ones!

This year we have a couple of other things going on at the same time, so all of our kids won’t be with us, but the little ones will still enjoy the event. As these kids grown, the dynamic keeps changing.

Tristan has his first kayak race today. Kateri will be taking him to cheer him on and help out and Maddi would rather watch Tristan than see Santa come in on the helicopter. I’m glad they will be there for him! He’s really having a great time being on the water!
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Well, that’s it, for now, from here. It’s been a whirlwind of being busy and not being diligent enough to sit here and write about it. Sorry! I haven’t even been able to get a show out because I had gotten sick and didn’t have the voice for the show. It would have been raspy talking interspersed with coughing. So, now that I’m getting better I’m looking forward to talking about getting ready for Christmas and the whole holiday season and the traditions and stories that get passed on to the kids.

Have a great day~