Tuesday, January 5, 2010

CHRISTMAS and SLEDDING


Christmas morning we woke to a beautiful, cold and
sunny day.


This was my present from my husband. There are real
foxes on our property that we see very seldom so he thought
it would be nice to have this picture, painted by Dave Wade,
for us to look at every day.


Jett loved his helicopter

Katie got a look alike doll.

Ben tried to figure out his new Mac Queen tent......


After opening presents and eating a yummy casserole that
I only make on Christmas morning we decided it was time
to get outside for some snow fun. Some went downhill under
their own power and some.....

got a little help.....


This is Katie


The day after Christmas the rest of the crew arrived.
That four hour drive can be grueling but these guys
don't look any worse for the wear.

Grandma will venture outside if she can keep warm.
I try to walk every day but if it gets too cold that
just doesn't happen.
Little boys are such tough nuts.
They have fun no matter what.
And then there is the two year
old montra......"I can do it myself!"

All of us that take pictures have come to the conclusion
that you get one gem for every fifty pictures you take.
The one above was our sledding gem. Can't you just
hear and feel the fun these two are having?
The teenage cousins were so nice and helpful
to all the little kids. Can't you see the admiration
in Jett's eyes?
The girls weren't the least bit afraid to try the hill.

And it never hurts to have a little help from dads.


Tait the brave !!

I know this was Garrett and Anders but don't ask me
which was which. I just think they look a little Alien!!!

Neeless to say everyone had a fun time!!
I tried to takedown some hot chocolate so they would want
to stay out longer. I mean, weren't some of your fondest
memories as a kid of being outside in the snow?

This is a repeat and because I don't know how
to do much with this blog I didn't know how to
erase this picture...but aren't they cute anyway?
Ben, Hans, Jett.

These little guys have to be pulled around because they
are so bundled up they can barely move.!!
Little Lila is just going to snuggle up and take
a nap and forget all about what is going on outside

All this Chirstmas fun will take it out
of the best of them!!
We sure had alot of fun with our family this year. I have to admit it is alot of work but the pleasures and the joys of family will always outweigh the negative. My only wish is that I could just wiggle my nose and the meal would be steaming hot on the table and then we could all just snap our fingers and the dishes would be done.....but then again it is the process that binds us all together from hauling firewood to unloading the dishwasher.
Merry Christmas to you all and a Blessed and Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, January 4, 2010

CHRISTMAS EVE MAGIC


Keri, our gourmet cook, wanted to kick the
Christmas Eve meal up a bit.....

We worked on a puzzel until we realized we had
started putting it together on too small of a table.
Needless to say between that and two - two year
olds we gave up.

Lila and Mikan decided to dress like twins for the day.


DO YOU "BELIEVE" IN THE MAGIC?????


PEEK A BOO TO YOU TOO!!!!!! Little Lila Lou!!!! YAWN!!!!!















The table is always so fun to decorate. HAPPYY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!







We are so blessed to have our wonderful family
with us to celebrate the birth of our Savior.









We sang and read our usual Christmas Eve program
but only sang one verse of every song because
of the 'two year old attention span'. As you can see.......








.....What is that song? You better not pout, you better not cry? I don't think these two get it yet. The no crying and pouting thing.
We also did our traditional thing and went outside
to sing "Silent Night" around the fire. We make this fire
before the first snow falls and cover it with a tarp so it will
be ready for Christmas Eve.






















Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm all is bright
























And there must be HOT CHOCOLATE!!!!!

Sleep in heavenly peace!!!!!!!!!
Once again we did not see the stars this evening.
After tub time and opening that Chrismas Eve package
and getting those new jammas it is time for a few
treats and a little singing.
Ben, Jett, Katie, Lila
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOOOOWNNNNN!!!!

Ben is our candy-cane addict!!!!!!

Ben loves, loves, loves them. He wanted them
for breakfast too.

The stockings were all hung by the chimney
with care.........

In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be here!!!!


My kids know me well.....don't try to spin me!!!

CHRISTMAS SURE TAKES ALOT OF PREPARATIONS


What is Christmas without that good old fashioned fire
every night? Jett, Jess and Neil began preparing
by hauling up lots of firewood for the many fires we
were wanting to enjoy during the Christmas celebrating.

Zach got the job of cleaning off the snow for our
Christmas Eve fire down by the firepit.
Thank goodness for snowblowers!!!!

Once again I put up our Nativity. I made this forty years
ago with cloth, styrofoam and tape and plaster heads,
hands and feet. Each year I put it up I expect it to be the last
but it just keeps on holding together.

As I put on the ornaments every year I can almost
remember the story behind each one of them.

Years ago I spent grocery money buying these two because
I just could not NOT have them.

Bless Zach! Each year after Thanksgiving he
brings down the fake tree so I can spend the next
week getting all the decorations on it. Each year he
saves Christmas by figuring out the dang lights on
this tree. I refuse to mess with them in my old age.