Christmas Fun

We had a great Christmas. First it started with Christmas Eve. This is our big dinner day. We all gather and make dinner and then open family presents.

Here is Kylan getting ready for dinner


This year we were in charge of dessert and rolls. Here are the cute reindeer cupcakes that we made. We also made cheesecake for dessert. It was really good. Everything was really good. We all ate too much.

Later that night we opened our family presents.
Here is Gavin tearing into one of his presents


Here is Kandie saying thanks to Beck for her present that he gave her. These two are only 6 months apart in age and they are so cute together. They love to play together all of the time.


The adult presents came in these cute Christmas boxes. Here is mine.

The kids got a group present from Grandma and Grandpa. Here they are trying to open it all together.

My MIL makes these cute stockings for everyone. This picture is blurry but the stockings are really cute.

Each stocking has a story behind it. They are made on the child's first Christmas.
Here are my kid's stockings.




Here is the new one this year. No we didn't have a new little one. My SIL Melanie had another little boy this year. Here is his cute stocking.

After all the Christmas Eve fun we got ready for bed and left Santa a treat. The kids thought that he would enjoy one of our reindeer cupcakes.

Santa must have thought that everyone was good this year because we got some good presents.

Beck loves Diego

Kylan finally got a DS. He has been wanting one of these for over a year.

The day after Christmas we had so much snow and we wanted to go sledding. Luckily Nick and Shauntae invited us over to sled on their hill in their backyard. I have decided that this hill is the best for sledding with little kids. It is big enough to have fun yet small enough that the kids can walk up it themselves.

This last weekend we enjoyed the things that we got and the time off that we had together.

We hope that everyone had a good holiday.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Snow, Snow and more Snow

We have had quite a few days of snow here. I know that it is not as much as some places in the U.S. but it is our first snow storm that has been more that just a dusting of snow. I have already shoveled three times and it needs to be shoveled again. (Stephen and the kids have also shoveled a couple of times) The kids have loved it though and try to spend as much time as I will let them outside. Of course this means that I make hot chocolate after them come in to help them warm back up.

Yesterday the kids were outside shoveling and playing and when I looked out at them, this is what I saw...

They decided to make a snowman.

It was so cute because they did it all on their own. They were really creative with the face also. We didn't have the usual coal for the eyes and mouth and a carrot for the nose. I sent a couple of things out for them but they came looking for other things and I really like what they came up with. Can you tell what they are?

Here is a view of the entire snowman.

In case you couldn't guess, the face is two tootsie roll pops for the eyes, a candy cane stick for the nose and mini colored marshmallows for the mouth.

After a night outside our snowman isn't looking so wonderful. He is still cute but it looks like he has been punched in the face.

The candy cane stick melted in the snow.

My Dad is OLD!

I am just kidding with the title to this post. My Dad's birthday was this month and he hit a milestone. He turned 60. If you know my dad you might be surprised because I don't think that he looks as old as he is.
I had seen a cute idea in a magazine a couple of years ago and thought that it was really cute. I saved the idea until this birthday because it worked out so well. What we did was made a shirt for my dad saying "My Grandpa is this old" and then had the kids put their hand prints on it until we got 60 fingers.
Here is a picture of us making it.


My kids loved getting messy


Here is a picture of the finished shirt


Here is a picture of my dad after he opened his present.


Happy Birthday Dad!

Fun day at Hunter's school

Hunter had a Holiday program the other day. He was so excited that we got to come to school and see the songs that he had been working on. They sang all sorts of holiday songs including Christmas songs and Hanukkah songs. He did a really good job singing and the hand motions were really cute.

Here he is waiting for it to start.


After the program we got to go to his classroom and he showed us around.
I previously posted about Hunter's gingerbread house and here it is finished.

Here is a close up. The chimney kind of broke and fell a little but I love the snowman that he made.

Here is Hunter with his teacher.

Santa Visit

Every year we visit Santa at the mall. My kids tell him what they would like and sometimes they surprise us by asking for things that we didn't know they wanted.
This year I wasn't sure how Beck and Gavin would act. Beck had no problem and went up with his older brothers. Gavin was a little hesitant but as long as Kylan was holding him, he didn't cry. He wasn't sure what to make of Santa.



You can see Gavin trying to figure Santa out.


We actually went and saw Santa twice this year at the mall. The first time we were just seeing if he was there yet and there wasn't a line so we said hi. This was the second time and we had to stand in line for a little while. My kids noticed that it wasn't the same person both times. We think the first one probably must have been a helper. Santa must have been busy that first day.

Cute, Heartwarming Christmas Video of Silent Night

I really liked this video and version of this song. Hope you enjoy it.
This is Sixpence None The Richer featuring Dan Haseltine from Jars of Clay

4 Jedi

A couple of Saturdays ago one of the local toy stores were having a Toys for Tots fundraiser. They had some of the Star Wars characters there. So of course we went to go check it out. My kids love Star Wars. It was pretty cool. If you donated to Toys for Tots you got to have a picture taken with a few of the characters. I was worried that Beck and especially Gavin would be scared of the characters in masks but they loved it. We just hung out and let the kids look at the characters and talk to them. It was a win, win for all. We donated money to help someone and my kids had fun seeing some of their favorite characters.

I stole this off of another blog. The idea is to highlight the things you have done out of the 200 items on the list. Mine are in pink and Stephen's are in green! If we both had done it I put it in red! See how many you have done.

1. Touched an iceberg

2. Slept under the stars

3. Been a part of a hockey fight

4. Changed a baby's diaper

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Swam with wild dolphins

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a tarantula - are you kidding? spiders creep me out!

10. Said "I love you" and meant it

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise

15. Seen the Northern Lights

16. Gone to a huge sports game

17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Bet on a winning horse

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Taken an ice cold bath

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Ridden a roller coaster

31. Hit a home run

32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking

33. Adopted an accent for fun

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment

36. Loved your job 90% of the time

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Watched wild whales

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach

41. Gone sky diving

42. Visited Ireland

43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited India

45. Bench-pressed your own weight

46. Milked a cow

47. Alphabetized your personal files

48. Ever worn a superhero costume

49. Sung karaoke

50. Lounged around in bed all day

51. Gone scuba diving

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Done something you should regret, but don't

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Been in a movie

60. Gone without food for 3 days

61. Made cookies from scratch

62. Won first prize in a costume contest

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Been in a combat zone

65. Spoken more than one language fluently

66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone

67. Bounced a check

68. Read - and understood - your credit report

69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy

70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did

71. Called or written your Congress person

72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

74. Helped an animal give birth

75. Been fired or laid off from a job

76. Won money

77. Broken a bone

78. Ridden a motorcycle

79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph

80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

83. Eaten sushi

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read The Bible cover to cover

86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions

88. Gone back to school

89. Changed your name

90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes

92. Read The Iliad

93. Taught yourself an art from scratch

94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt

96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

97. Been elected to public office

98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream

99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair

102. Dyed your hair

103. Been a DJ

104. Rocked a baby to sleep

105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four

106. Raked your carpet

107. Brought out the best in people

108. Brought out the worst in people

109. Worn a mood ring

110. Ridden a horse

111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap

112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe

113. Buried a child

114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play

115. Been inside the pyramids

116. Shot a basketball into a basket

117. Danced at a disco

118. Played in a band

119. Shot a bird

120. Gone to an arboretum

121. Tutored someone

122. Ridden a train

123. Brought an old fad back into style

124. Eaten caviar

125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant

127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt

129. Lived in an historic place

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage

131. Asked for a raise

132. Made a hole-in-one

133. Gone deep sea fishing

134. Gone roller skating

135. Run a marathon

136. Learned to surf

137. Invented something

138. Flown first class

139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite

140. Flown in a helicopter

141. Visited Africa

142. Sang a solo

143. Gone spelunking

144. Learned how to take a compliment

145. Written a love-story

146. Seen Michelangelo’s David

147. Had your portrait painted

148. Written a fan letter

149. Spent the night in something haunted

150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane

151. Ran away

152. Learned to juggle

153. Been a boss

154. Sat on a jury

155. Lied about your weight

156. Gone on a diet

157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget

158. Written a poem (doesn't mean it was a good one!)

159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox

160. Gotten food poisoning

161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission

162. Hiked the Grand Canyon

163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks

164. Gone to the opera

165. Gotten a letter from someone famous

166. Worn knickers

167. Ridden in a limousine

168. Attended the Olympics

169. Can hula or waltz

170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books

171. Been stuck in an elevator

172. Had a revelatory dream

173. Thought you might crash in an airplane

174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert

175. Saved someone’s life

176. Eaten raw whale

177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint

178. Laughed till your side hurt

179. Straddled the equator

180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing

181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival

182. Sent a message in a bottle

183. Spent the night in a hostel

184. Been a cashier

185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

186. Joined a union

187. Donated blood or plasma

188. Built a camp fire

189. Kept a blog

190. Had hives

191. Worn custom made shoes or boots

192. Made a PowerPoint presentation

193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course

194. Served at a soup kitchen

195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube

196. Know CPR

197. Ridden in or owned a convertible

198. Found a long lost friend

199. Helped solve a crime

200. Responded to a NJP newsletter posted by Sissamom

Kindergarten is so hard!

Hunter is in kindergarten this year and loving it. I have not heard one complaint all year. Kylan is a little jealous of how much fun Hunter seems to have at school.

Here is a cute Santa that he brought home the other day. He had fun telling us how he made it. I like the beard. Kylan says that it looks like he had a shaving accident.


Then Thursday Beck, Gavin and I got to go help his class make their "Gingerbread houses" I thought that using milk cartons was a good idea for these little kids. His class had fun making the houses but they had a hard time putting the candy on their houses and not in their mouths.


If you look closely, you can see Santa getting ready to go down the chimney.


After the houses were done Beck got to sit with Hunter on the rug and listen to a story.


Then Hunter came home with this homework. He had to cut out the money amounts, attach it to different things and then play store. This was perfect for Hunter because he does this all the time.

We are Cookie Monsters

We all love cookies at our house. And homemade is the best. We decided to make some cookies for our treat on Monday.

After we cooked the cookies, Stephen frosted them.


Then the kids decorated them.


Don't they look so good? How many sprinkles can you get onto one cookie?


Here is the group with their creations. They were so good.