Christmas

is coming on way too fast for me! I almost had a panic attack last Friday because I realized that it was October in a couple of days and that means that the holiday season will be whirling by us. I always have BIG plans on what I am going to do, lets see if I get any of it done. I am going to have Carson and Morgan's pictures taken tmw, so that is one thing I can get crossed off my list. I still have to get Jordan, Rylee and Cameron's pics too. Last year we started a new tradition where we take the kids to Target instead of getting school pictures. It works wonderfully well, I get so many more pictures and I only spend about $20-$25 per kid which is so much cheaper than school. I try to get them in the fall so we have ones to send for Christmas. Last year I was really bad, I didn't even send Christmas cards. I think Heavenly Father will forgive me since I just had had a baby. Anyway, I did send Fall cards out with the kids pictures, so I didn't feel so bad - that was before Morgan was born and I did have a few minutes of time for myself. Now, that he is almost a year old - in 2 1/2 weeks - we are on a good schedule and I am going to now make time to do the fun stuff I want, especially my scrapbooking. I sooooo miss being able to be creative. I have been able to do it just a few times since Morgan was born, but now, I've just got to try really hard because now I'm further behind. I have all these pictures I have to do something with! I am also going to teach myself how to do digital scrapbooking. That would help me get caught up much quicker.

We have the older kids for Christmas this year. I have been thinking that we really need to institute our own holiday traditions we look forward to every year. We have tried things from my family and made up things we thought would be fun but never really stuck with anything. This is going to be the year. I am going to find a breakfast recipe we only use on Christmas day. We will have rice alamonde this year even if the older kids don't like it, Carson and Morgan will have it every year like we did! Here is a recipe for Danish Rice Pudding, although this isn't how my mom makes it. I'll have to get her recipe and post it on our recipe blog. When Bryan's parents were here, I asked his mom if they had any family Christmas traditions. She said the one that stuck out in her mind was they would read the Christmas story from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, so we are going to incorporate that one this year also.

I have so much to do today! Let's hope I get it all done. Until the next time.