Christmas at the Thomason's

Mackensey practices headstands, a talent grandpa taught them.

Barry helped the girls make a snow cave.

Drinking cocoa in snow cave.

Christmas Eve Pajama tradition.



Christmas morning, stockings.



Wednesday Evening we went caroling with others from church. At one house the lady invited us in to get candy canes from her tree. Barry told her that she probably didn't want us all to come in because we were covered in snow (It was currently snowing). He was holding Ben, who quickly said, "but I'm not!" She brought the candy canes out to the little kids.

We had a nice, quite Christmas at home this year (as quiet as a house with six children can be). We feel blessed to have such a wonderful, happy family.

In the News

This picture was in the newspaper as an advertisement for the "sleigh rides" that were going to be at the Santa Social last weekend. Barry took a closer look and realized that it was a picture of our family taken last year. (The picture in the add was about 1 1/2 inches by 2 inches.)

This next picture of Ben sitting on Santa's lap was a lot bigger (5x7 inches) on the front page of the newspaper.

These next two pictures show how much Marianne has grown in six months. Ben is still enjoying being a big brother, especially now that she can interract with him more.

Lastly shows Maddy playing the flute in her Christmas concert (intermediate band). She also played her coronet in beginner band.

Crash Week



"It's a hard knock life at the orphanage!"



 I don't know why they call it crash week (the week up until the weekend of the play), because I just looked on my calendar and Maddy(12) has been involved, in someway or another, in drama for thirteen days straight! The older kids are involved in painting props, setting up, etc two weeks before the play, then dress rehersals the week leading up to, and this weekend they performed seven different performances of Annie. This is always a tiring time, and I was worried how Mindy (9)and Mackensey(7) would do with it. They seem to be going strong and enjoying every minute of it, but we did have melt down city on Friday. Their first perfomance was Friday evening and I think Mindy and Mackensey were just nervous, this being their first play and all. They were litterally at each others throats, yelling at each other and crying at the things they were saying to each other. It was almost comical. Well we got through the day and the girls admitted that they were nervous right before it began, but as soon as they were on stage they weren't nervous at all (Oh boy, two more drama addicts!)

 Its too bad auntie Berta (theater major) wasn't here to see the play. It was super! My heart swelled with joy seeing my babies on stage and I couldn't stop bawling! Barry took Ben to see the Saturday morning performance and I stayed home with Marianne and Makayla. Makayla made some pretty flowers to give to sister when we went to watch the Saturday afternoon performance while Barry stayed home with Marianne and Ben.

I thought with the oldest three being gone so much this week that I would have all this free time, but for some reason I felt busy just dropping them off and picking them up and preparing meals for them to take with them. One night Mackensey said that one of her friends (most of the moms send their children with fast food) was eyeing her meal and saying how delicious it looked (ugh! it was Mac N Cheese!). Mackensey told her, "Well, my mom HAS to be a good cook - she has SIX kids!" I didn't know that the cooking skills requirement increase after the birth of each child, but I'm glad to know that at least I'm adequate. Actually I look forward to having my three cooks back home in the evenings to help with the dinners! Have a great week!

birthday, tree, santa

Mindy's birthday breakfast in bed

Cutting down a Chirstmas tree

 This week started off with us celebrating Mindy's nine year old birthday on Monday. It was a busy day because we also found and chopped down our Christmas tree and set it up as well as decorated the house for Christmas (all except putting up the nativies which were brought to the church for an annual Nativity Night).

The snow was up to Ben's knees. Barry packed Marianne and the chainsaw. Maddy packed Ben.

The rest of the week was busy with play practice for the older girls. On Friday night Santa came to Chewelah at the Civic Center, then we had a horse and buggy ride through town. Saturday was busy with our Christmas piano recital in the afternoon, and singing at the church in the evening at the Night of Nativity.