Christmas

Every Christmas is nice, but I think this might have been my most favorite Christmas to date. The fact it was Heidi's 1st Christmas, and I'm soaking up her babyness, may have added to it being my favorite Christmas.

7 Months Old...wrapping paper was her favorite gift

The Gretna Elementary 1st Graders get to perform the Christmas Program. It makes for a nice start to the Holiday break...So did the 1st snowstorm of the year, which gave us 2 extra days and really disappointed my kids. They didn't get to have movie day, and Polar Express day, and their school parties, and give their teachers their presents, and I felt a little bad...but it was a super crazy day without School, I'm not sure how I would have packed everything into it if I'd had to be "Room Mom too!"

Nerves caused Grant's hands to disappear! Performing is not his thing.

Christmas spirit isn't an issue with Molly. 

Molly's dance group performed their routine's for the parents. Austin showed everyone he isn't shy as he ran back and forth on the dance floor, he kept trying to wrestle his brother who patiently waited, and took cookies off the table and threw them in the trash.

ALL my favorite little people

Saturday brought Christmas with the "Framily" (that is short for Friends who are more like Family)! We planned a picturesque evening with a Balsamic Roast and carrots for dinner and Hot Cocoa and Popcorn in the "Party bus" (an airport shuttle our friends own!) for some time spent looking at Christmas lights while we enjoyed the festive sounds of Holiday music. We would then return back to Jessica's to open presents and get our annual "kids group photo." Instead, the kids ran around playing while the adults ate dinner, which was delicious, and  then the kids decided to eat!! HA, one of them made a face with each bite he tried, one of them didn't want to eat anything and had to hear a lecture on how you will have to have a tube put in your stomach (because she never seems to want to eat anything not made from pure Cane Sugar). The others ate bird size amounts and were done. Crazy how I don't remember EVER complaining about my food when I was a kid...sure I didn't like alot of it, but you didn't dare say anything! When the mention of going to Linden Estates to look at lights came up the guys said they'd stay back and clean up dinner! I said I would definitely need earplugs and then Kim who has the 1 year old said staying close to home would be the best. Thank goodness! We decided to skip the Hot Cocoa (too much work). We weren't even out of the driveway when one of the kids started repeating the request for "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas." I think he said it about 18 times before someone listened! The windows fogged up so fast you couldn't see out very well. I started a game about finding Santa and his sleigh or the manager scene, which caused yelling and shouting and "I saw it first," from the kids. Whoops, sounded fun in my head! Popcorn got dumped on the floor, the 1 year old was persistent to get to the drivers seat, 2 of the kids could hardly stay awake, and Molly started complaining her butt was soaked (guess the window wasn't closed all the way during snowstorm)! We had to make a stop to turn off Kim's glue gun so her house wouldn't burn down and then it was right back to Jessica's. I think it was about a 30 minute ride that felt much longer! It is things like that which make for the most memorable memories! Christmas with the "Framily" is my favorite next to Christmas morning with Don and the kids.

I think Lily is happy with the Barbie!

These boys are exactly a year apart! They played together for the first time tonight. Austin hollered "No! and Mine!" and pushed Kamden down. Probably won't be the first time for that either!

These boys are so sweet and kind to each other. I try and remember that when they are very obnoxious...which was evident in the group photo above!

These women define "Best Friend"

We spent Sunday with the Zeleny clan at Mahoney State Park. We rent the Riverview Lodge so it can accomodate the big family...Grant got a lecture in not complaining about a gift you don't like after his 14 year old cousin overheard him open his snowman ornament and state, "this is stupid." Thankfully Grandma didn't hear him (nor will she ever read this). There seems to always be a lesson with Grant in not speaking out loud what your thinking in your head! I think he gets that from the Zeleny side of the family!!!!

The product of 9 Kids...32 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. 

Christmas Eve brings the exact opposite of Don's side of the family. Time spent with each of my parents, where there are no cousins and no Aunts to teach coloring tricks or play blocks on the floor. Instead my children learn how to sit through a meal, pass the food to the right, talk about the weather and how well business was that year, and have every adult giving them attention with each present they open!

My mom and her husband Ric

Christmas at my Dads

We put our church's Christmas Eve service in between the festivities of the day. Austin entertained the Family behind us playing peek-a-boo, half choking on the apple he was eating and ringing his bells for them. All of this after he insisted on taking his slice of bread with him to the front of church to sing with all the children, where he got mad at Grant and Molly (I had no idea what was happening up there) and an adult had to grab him. Then he kept saying "Amen" the entire time the Pastor was sharing! Fortunately the service is geared around the kids, the music is beautiful, and it is all done in a hour!

Kids make Holidays SO much Fun!

I told Molly and Grant they could not come downstairs before 6am. At 5:30am I hear Heidi fussing so I go up to put in her binky. I run into Grant coming down the stairs. "It is not 6am Grant Mitchel." "Oh, my clock said it was." Really??? I follow him to his room where his digital clock says 6:01am. I look at him, "did you change the time?" (I had to reset it after our power went out with the snowstorm, so I knew it had been set correctly!). Grant gave me the wide eyed look. I swear the boy thinks I have super powers as I ALWAYS catch him in his fibs. He nodded his head yes. Little stinker. He was all worried the night before about Santa..."I'm scared Santa will come to my room. What if I hear him. What if he is on the roof. Will his reindeer know to eat the food I left. Santa might want to give me a hug, cause he sent me a letter." Me, "Santa is a busy man tonight. He might have time to respond to letters from children, but he doesn't have time to stop and hug each one of them on Christmas Eve!" The boy put a stamped envelope in the mailbox to Santa. Much to everyones surprise he sent a letter back! It has caused Grant's infatuation with Santa to be taken to another level!

Santa brought Grant an elaborate Lego set. He does most of the building of it all on his own!

Austin's older sister and brother shower him with attention.  Too bad this present didn't go over like I thought...Austin just wants to press "Jingle's" on/off switch over and over. So when I'm reading the book the voice activation gets all thrown off. I don't recommend for 2 year olds!

Everyone kissing on this little one meant a bath was needed on Christmas Day!

Every year for as long as I can remember I celebrate Christmas with my Grandparents on my Moms side. Grandma is one of those amazing host. Each person is welcomed and hugged and the table is set with all the silver and a cloth Christmas placemat and wine and the roast is something I look forward to every year! The fire is going and the lights dimmed and the presents have never fit under the tree! My Uncle has started playing his guitar and the little kids sing.

Grandma is often seen smiling, but the minute a camera is put on her she gets all serious! One of these days I'm going to have to sneak candids of her! She looks like my "little Grandma" next to my tall brother (who is super squating)!

Kids singing...there are 7 great grandchildren

It was a nice kind of busy this Christmas. We had just enough downtime at home to rest and gear up for the next celebration. All in all Don and I were overwhelmed by how much more "stuff" we had this year with the addition of another child! A white Christmas and everyone healthy makes me overwhelmed at God's goodness. As I packed up the small trees in my kids' rooms I had the sense of sadness that it is over. As a mom I spent so much time preparing and there was so much fun leading up to the day. I'm exhausted. I don't want to think about next year...even though my kids do...Molly got a lecture on what the word "greedy" means when she tried to tell me what she wants next year. Grant stated that next year he is going to ask for a picture of Santa with Mrs. Claus and Rudolph in a nice frame. Kids truly make Christmas a Holiday to remember!

My boys being VERY BOY!

The picture I got after I yelled at Grant to stop it and worked on getting Austin to stop saying "cheese,"....