Family Christmas Newsletter (preview)

Every year I write a newsletter for my friends and family that live far away. I do have some friends that I don't send it too and my friends here don't get to see it so I decided to post it. Those of you who normally get it in the mail- it is coming soon so you don't have to strain your eyes to read it here. Just a tradition that I enjoy!

Christmas Time

I love Christmas time! Here are some things that we have been up to:

Picking out a Christmas tree with the Higgins at a tree farm in Redmond.
I think it took the Higgins half the time to find the "perfect tree" that it took us (this is a very serious endeavor for me).

Chopping down the tree with dad.

Of course, candycanes were there.

On a hayride.

Presenting- The Bredensteiner Christmas tree 2008!

Ta-Da!!! All decorated with a cute crooked look.

Clay and Ephraim were in a live Nativity this year that was presented at our ward Christmas party. Clay was the first innkeeper; when Mary and Joseph knocked on the door at his inn, he said, "No, this Inn is full!" He did a great job and wasn't nervous at all. Ephraim was a shepherd (Clay also joined the shepherds) and had no speaking lines, but they both sang all the songs which were so cute! At one point Ephraim had his stuffed sheep "skewered" at the end of his walking stick, roasting it over the "fire"...I'm pretty sure even if the shepherd's were hungry that they didn't do that...sigh, little boys.

"No, this Inn is full!"

My cute little shepherd.

Jon and I went on a double date with our good friends the Withers to a ceramic painting place. We had so much fun! We happened to come on date night so they gave us a couple of roses, some sparkling cider and a big piece of chocolate cake. Below is my creation, so cute huh (Jon's turned out great too but his is a present so I can't put a pic up)!? We had such a great time.

Snow is falling all around, on the housetops, on the ground, snow is falling on my nose, on my head and hands and toes!

Finally, our winter is hear. I have to say I prefer the white snowy day to the dreary rainy day! My boys have enjoyed a little bit of snow time. They love to eat the snow and today I think we will go make a snowman!

(On the negative side of snow, I wrecked my van last night! I was going down a slight incline and my van tires couldn't get traction to slow with my brakes so I slid into a huge mound of dirt and got stuck. I cracked and dented my front bumper (AGAIN!). Luckily, a lot of very nice men stopped to help. The man who finally towed my van off of the dirt with an old rope and a tow hitched to his truck, told me that he had seen me on his way home and thought, "Look some idiot got themselves stuck" and as he drove on he said God told him to come back and help that idiot, so he went home, got his tow hitch and rope and came back to help me- he said for me to thank God- so I DID!!! I'm so glad we hit a mound of dirt and not another car!)

We are headed to California for a warm Christmas with my family this weekend- we can't wait! We wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

The Bredensteiners

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am so grateful for a healthy and happy family.

I am so grateful for a husband who is alway trying to be a better man and who I am so glad I get to spend eternity with!

I am so grateful for 3 little boys who teach me more than I ever learned in school.

I am so grateful for the Gospel and the perspective it gives me.

I am so grateful for my parents who raised me in the Gospel and taught me to believe in myself.

I am so grateful for 4 younger brothers who were always there to keep in me company and who love me no matter what.

I am so grateful for amazing friends who make me want to be better (you know who you are).

I am so grateful for a country where I am free to vote, worship, and protest as I please.

I am so grateful for this beautiful earth that was made for us.

I am so grateful for a home, food, and a husband with a good steady job.

and I am most grateful for a Savior who made all these things possible!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Cinderella

In our TJED playgroup we read Cinderella by Charles Perrault with our kids. When we met for playgroup that week the kids made their own "glass slippers" by tracing their feet on paper then decorating them with glitter and markers. The following Saturday I took my boys to see a real "Cinderella" play/musical at the Silverlake Theatre. The play was not actually the real cinderella story but I thought the story was actually better. My boys absolutely loved it! They were actually able to sit for the entire 2 hour show (with a 15 minute intermission). I will have to take them to more plays.

Anyways, as I was reading up on the story of Cinderella on the web I discovered that no one knows who the original author of the story was. There is actually a Cinderella-type story in most cultures; in China it is "Yeh Shen", "The Burnt Face Girl" to the Mik'maq tribe, "Tattercoats" in England, and "Marouckla" to the Slavs. I guess that Charles Perrault was notable in that he refined the story from its origin as a peasant tale to a more upscale version; in the peasant tale there was blood in the glass slipper from the severed toes and bunions of the evil stepsisters-GROSS. Thanks Perrault for making this tale a classic- we have sure enjoyed it!

UPDATE: After the play we had a "ball" at Christina's house. The kids dressed up, danced (well Ephraim did- all the girls loved him; Clay was too shy), played in a cardboard castle, and colored a huge castle wall art. We had so much fun!

Cardboard Castle

Clay's teacher asked someone to volunteer to make some kind of a playhouse out of a big cardboard box she had from her stove. I decided to jump on it because I can never get into the classroom to help because of Kai and Eph. Clay and I picked a castle design off the web and he looked on while I cut the top and the gate. After that we had a blast painting and making a huge mess. What a fun project!

"Sarah" by Monica Winner

My aunt is one of my favorite artists. She does beautiful chalk drawings, that I absolutely love! She has given me a couple for Christmas and my wedding and they are definitely some of my most prized possessions (along with some quilt work my best friend has given me). My girlfriend recently sent me a picture of this piece that she did of me when I was young on vacation with my family in Phuket! I didn't even know she had done it- I feel so special. Isn't it amazing?

My New Favorite Song

Happy Halloween!

After reading the previous post, I am sure you are not surprised that my boys decided to be ghosts for Halloween. I decided that the costume required for this character would be simple enough for me to sew so I did (with a little help from Chandra). The costumes were basically a simple hooded robe- they turned out great! Kai was a frog because I had the costume from a previous Halloween (not that he would know or care). He was so cute!! When I first put it on him we practiced hopping around and saying "ribbitt". He would say something that sounded like "iggitt" then fall right on his face- too funny.

Because Jon and I were invited to a party we decided to dress up as well. We didn't want to spend too much money so Jon was a sailor (no cost there since he still had his uniform from the Navy) and I was a "desperate housewife" (not the cute TV ones- more the married with children look).

After trick-or-treating at a few houses (which my older two boys are totally pro at this year and Kai trying to keep up with and copy them would yell "reat" (trick-or-treat) at every door and then as were were leaving would yell "ween" (Happy Halloween)-I wish I had a video camera with me!) we headed to our friends' party. Although we didn't know anyone there, it was fun to socialize and see every one's costumes. Clay was on a total sugar high, as he had eaten candy, etc. in school earlier that day. At the party everyone took a family costume picture so when I get it, I will update my post. We were all pooped around 930pm and headed home where baths were required (they all had make-up on) and bed was soon to follow. What a fun night!

Pumpkin Carving

On the Sunday before Halloween we carved pumpkins with our friends: Justin (our home teacher) and his wife Tori Withers. We had a lot of fun! All of our boys are totally obsessed with scary things right now, particularly ghosts. For a craft this year we made ghost cut outs and hung them around the house and also made little fabric ghosts and hung them on our pear tree out front. Every day Kai walks around looking at all the ghosts saying, "woo woo BOO!" It's so hilarious and cute. So, along with this new found love for the dead Clay decided to carve a ghost into his pumpkin (with Mommy's help of course)- he did a great job! I am impressed every day by all the capabilities that he has; he's getting so big.

Getting dirty

Carving it up

Eph and Clay's pumpkins

Ephraim chose a spider with Dad's help. After the boys were done and in bed, Jon and I finished up carving with Tori and Justin. I of course wanted to do something from the ocean so I looked online and found a sea turtle pattern which I printed and used. After I cut out the turtle I decided to add a couple of free-hand jellyfish; I love it! Jon did a pirate's ship, which turned out pretty cool as well. When Josh came over he made fun of us for being "professional pumpkin carvers".

Fall Leaf Pictures