Saturday, December 31, 2011

Ah, to be young again...

Ok. I know I'm not that old,
but I'm referring to the feeling of being a kid around Christmas time...
starting off with going to Christmas Eve mass.
The girls were running around so excited to be able to wear their Christmas dresses!

When we got back from mass,
everyone went to bed and awoke to this site...

Each of the kids opened there one present that Santa brings. 
They each got exactly what they wanted.
My oldest- hot wheels wall tracks

My little princess- Baby doll with hair

My big girl- A Baby doll

Do you think I could get one normal picture of my big girl?
But then again, she's my comedian and what's normal anyway?:)

The sleds were Zach idea and a huge hit,
 despite the fact that we have no snow on the ground.

My big girls has breaks as the handles, which makes me feel a little better.
Although, just because she has them, it doesn't mean she'll use them.

My little princess was so excited because hers was blue...
her favorite color aside from Pink, of course.

My wonderful husband always picks out perfect gifts around holiday time...
like this mirror for our little princess.
It gets used everyday:)

Even though we don't have snow outside on the ground yet...at least not enough to sled on,
it doesn't stop the kids from "sledding" inside:)
Oh well, they get more energy used up this way anyway.
I'm just happy we haven't replaced the carpet yet.
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Celebrations

Well, this week has been filled with lots of goody making.

 This one is a favorite from my past and easy to make.
Yes, my big girls' shirt does say demolition expert!

 White chocolate over pretzels topped with a yellow M&M...
Eggs and bacon:)

 Of course, I couldn't resist making some cherry pies.
They were  delicious...sorry Meg(cherry is my sister's favorite pie),
I would have shared if you lived closer.

A little rest and recuperation.

The big event this week was my oldest Christmas pageant at school.
The girls couldn't wait to see their big brother.

 Dad and our big girl needed a better look.

Oh, was the Christmas concert adorable!

My little man looked so grown up.

And he recited his line perfectly! 
Apparently, I was mouthing the words as he said or so my husband says.
Not that I don't believe it, we practiced and practiced and practiced...
"So onward they went, all the animals together, following the star that led to Bethlehem."
What a wonderful Christmas week it has been...
We are blessed!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

'Tis the Season

We are headed to the doctors today for some more medication to add to the window sill.
I am definitely taking a nap today.
Last night, memories surfaced of the days with a newborn,
although I remember getting more sleep then than I did last night...
my littlest threw up all night long.
This year all I want for Christmas is good health for my family and friends.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Oh Christmas Tree

Well, this Thursday, we went in search of our annual Christmas tree in our backyard.
This year my oldest was a little confused
why we don't just buy a Christmas tree from a tree farm,
because they are "fancy, have lots of branches, and perfect"
This of course made me smile.
Our trees tend to be bigger versions of Charlie Browns' tree.
My response was that it's about tradition, the searching, and doing it as a family. 

Once we got outside, he agreed that getting our tree was fun too. 
Although, I'm sure my little perfectionist might appreciate
if we would plant some pines and prune them a bit for years to come.
The boy likes symmetry.
My little princess had lots of fun playing in the snow.

Here I am with my helper, Frosty, cutting down the tree.

Yes, it was light enough to carry over my shoulder.

We decided that we would buy a tree stand this year in stead of Zach building one.
He sent me into the store so I could pick it out. 
I did pick out the biggest one they had only because it was the sturdiest,
but after putting the tree in it,
I realized I probably didn't need to worry about that.
We tightened the screws the farthest we could...it just fits.


Then to decorating...here's my little man.

They kids wanted to hang every ornament on the tree.
My oldest assisted my little girl on how to hang an ornament.

Zach helped the kids get to the top.

My little girl didn't realize that she was suppose to spread them around. 
All of her ornaments, ended up on the same branch.

Here it is.
Our imperfect Christmas tree
and I love it!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Christmas Season

Here's the last of the Florida vacation pictures...
of course, there had to be presents on the first night.

Little Matti's favorite past time...dressing up:)

Look out for Aunt Mae Mae, she gets pretty competitive.
The game trouble was a hit!

Speaking of hits... my oldests' new Cyclaws.

Once we figured out the wheels turning into claws, no one was safe.

Auntie Mae Mae showing the girls how it's done.

These girls had so much fun.

We couldn't forget the cookie decorating contest!
The kids had one of their own, which was pretty entertaining.
Some concentrated, some ate theirs' right away,
and some wanted to see how many sprinkles would fit on one cookie.

But everyone had a blast.

Well, here are some of this years winners with new categories including:
-Crabbiest
-Best Under the Sea
-Most Ethnic
-Best use of single color
-Brett Farve cookie (hence the profanity)
-Best Hair and Makeup
-Most like Bacon
-Most Edible
-Most traditional
-Best Post Modern

I know I'm missing a few categories, but I think I covered most of them.
Hours of fun, creativity flowed, titles given, and confidence boosted/deflated...
just another cookie contest to add to the books.
And now everyone is back home, safe and sound, trying to recombobulate.
This sign was posted after the security check point in the Milwaukee airport and
we all got a kick out of it.

The kid,s after being awake for 3 hours in the truck,
 fell asleep when we turned onto our road...

that's just physics.
We had a wonderful time in Florida
and would all like to thank Meg, Brian, and Tilli 
for the hospitality.
We would also like say congrats on your gorgeous new home.
How blessed we all are!

Santa Stop

We lucked out again this year,
by picking the same weekend as the Santa Stop.

 The Santa stop is a toy drive that runs the length of two streets.
At every sign along the way, Santa and his helpers come to collect toys.

The kids end up getting to see Santa and get a candy cane from the North Pole.

Santa is very pleased with my big girl.

And what's a visit with Santa without a high-five?

By the way, Santa doesn't fly with reindeer in Florida because there's no snow
so he uses his 4-wheel drive sleigh powered by Ford:)