Merry, Merry Christmas

I love Christmas.

If I had to list the reasons...I am not sure my list would ever end...and yet at the same time...not even sure I could start it.

How do you put into words that FEELING.
It is an indescribable mix, of the love that parents have for their children when seeing them giddy with excitement, AND that pure magic in one of the few times, as adults that we can whole-heartedly feel a little like a kid again.

I think it became real to me...when my world shifted, and I was finally much more excited to see my kids open their gifts and play off of their excitement, then I was to open mine.

Like I said...
Describing it...is next to impossible.
There is just a room-thickening warmth across the house.
I could sit and breathe it in forever.

2010, Christmas Morning Picture.
Karman just turned 18, Tyler 7, Makylie 4.

I adore when the kids, all of them, get excited about little tiny things.
Santa brought Makylie the same CO Bigelow Lemon lipstick that mommy has. She was THRILLED. He also brought her a little bottle of her very first body spray...Sweat Pea.
Of everything...those were her favorites...they were the first things she told people about.

Opening stockings while watching A Christmas Story is our tradition.
Stockings first...
Then breakfast....which consists, ALWAYS, of a big huge homemade egg casserole, and homemade sticky buns. Then when we are all done...we start with presents.

Silly Bandz were really big this year.
Santa brought Maky and Ty each two packages.
They split each package between themselves...so, in the end, they had a TON of them!

Also big this year.....just like last year...
like every minute, of everyday....
LEGOS

Ty is all about Legos. That set was HUGE!

Karman's computer stopped working. Out of nowhere.

She really needed one for school,

So she got a new CPU to replace her old one.
She was SO excited.

Santa brought Makylie the Dolphin Pillow Pet she wanted.

Ty got an MP3 player.

He LOVES music.

He sings ALL.OF.THE.TIME!

Seriously.

He was so happy, and so excited to get HIS favorite music put on it!

One of Makylie's Favorites, were these Cowboy Boots, from her grandma and grandpa Porter.

She thinks they are high heels....

She wore them all day long...WITH the nightgown!

I got Karman this really gorgeous, cowl-neck sweater in her school colors.

She really loved it, and it looked really nice on her.

Tyler's Puppy Pillow Pet.

Seriously....could that be a cuter picture?

Makylie got these fake Disney Princess nails.

Oh my goodness,

Yet another example of a little thing being so exciting!

She filled her hands with them.

I think she wishes they were permanant...but she still loves them! :)

Finally, Karman's BIG gift for the year....

Her first cell phone!

Yes, we had a teenager with no phone....*GASP*

But, she doesn't drive, and we always told her...she could get a phone when she could pay for a phone.

However, as time has passed...and she spends more time away from home, with other commitments, VERY late nights with debate, and out with her friends etc...we felt that it was time.

After everything that has gone on, SHE TOTALLY DIDN'T EXPECT IT!!!!

It was awesome.

She was SOOOOO excited.

She really loves music and listens to it, as a distraction, most of the time...so we got her an LG Chocolate....which is an AWESOME phone for a first phone, and it's main selling point is its MP3 quality speakers!
Anyway...Her excitement could be felt all around the neighborhood, I am certain!

I just love him.

He works so hard for our family, and never ever complains about any of it.

I couldn't ask for a better man to teach our kids about what a daddy, a man, a person should be.

I cherish our time that we get to spend together...

I am so thankful, not only to be his wife, but to have the privledge of knowing him.

Spending Christmas together, as a family, and also as a couple...

Just Makes Me HAPPY!
As per normal, Christmas came and went...and there are no pictures of me.

I promise kids, I really was there!

Soaking in every single minute of being fortunate enough to be the mommy to this family.

Cookies for all...

Cookies...Cookies...Cookies.

Cookies...
Frosting...
Sprinkles...
Toss in a couple kids....
And a lot of mess.

Get....some of THIS....

And a lot of THIS.
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And a lifetime of memories.

A Little Comfort.

I firmly believe...

There isn't much...

That the PERFECT HOMEMADE sugar cookie....

Can't make, at least a little bit, better!

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Even if you just stare at it.

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I love Christmas.

A Visit with the Man in Red!

Molbak's Nursery.
Best thing EVER!
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We discovered Molbak's last year from a friend.
Santa just hangs out by this huge Poinsetta tree in the middle of the building.
He stands there and smiles and waves.
The kids can go talk to him...he gives them a candy cane...and then he will sit with a picture with them.
You get to take your own pictures.
You can do pictures of just the kids...or do a family shot. People even bring animals.
There hasn't EVER been a line...and Santa is simply not scary when you can approach it like that.

The kids told Santa their lists...and he chatted with them for a few minutes...

Then we got these AWESOME shots!

This is the first picture of Makylie with a genuine smile with Santa.

The first year she was not uneasy AT ALL.
It was also the VERY first year that Karman wasn't in the Santa photo. I had wanted her to be in the yearly photo through high school...but this year that wasn't possible.

Then he chatted with the kids again.

Tyler, was in a little bit of heaven.

To him, Santa is a superhero...so I think he could have sat there with Santa all day...

Just to be in the presence of Greatness! :)
The other nice thing about the nursery...is that there are all kinds of beautiful backdrops to take pictures in front of.

It would be a wonderful place to bring people for a photoshoot.

Usually, there are huge gorgeous Christmas trees to take pictures in front of as well...but we ended up going late enough in the season this year, that they were all gone.
The kids were kind of not feeling super cooperative, at the point of random pictures.

I was having to bribe smiles out of them. :)

Considering what was going on in our lives at this very point...

It was a VERY nice day spent enjoying each other and focusing just on what needed to be focused on.

Definately, one of the highlights of the season.

Especially for the kids! :)

Merry Christmas!

Second grade party

Lots of planning....lots of ideas and time putting it all together...
But it was all worth it.
The kids always have so much fun!

Although I forgot my camera for the actual party...it wouldn't have mattered.

There was so much to do, and not enough hands to do it all...so I was busy the whole time.

I did however, want to show the craft and treat that we made.

It was really cute.

The theme was a "snowman party".

We decided to do a melted snowman theme.

The kids made snowman bookmarks as one craft...(I don't know why I don't have a picture of one)

they made melted snowman decorations...

and melted snowman cookies

and they played toss the snowball....

where they tossed snowballs made from looped yarn balls, into a top hat.

It was a great day!

The kids had so much fun.

A little Wii

We got a Wii for Christmas.

It is sooooo great! We have never let our kids watch much TV, or play the computer or video games much at all. That, hasn't changed....but I have to say, something that can entertain, two adults, a teenager and two little kids is pretty awesome!

So one of our new years resolutions for the year (for the umpteenth time) was to lose some weight and gain back some strength etc....so I really wanted to get the Wii and the Wii fit for us. It is amazing! It acts as accountability as you weight-in on it, and also gets you up off the couch and moving :) Plus, and this is the best part...it is FUN! So you want to do it again!

Plus, the kids love it. Tyler has the most interest. Makylie is still too young, to really "get it"...and Karman had already played it many times before we ever got it, so it isn't as exciting to her...but she still enjoys it. We still limit to about 1/2 hour a day...but it is so fun to watch everyone play it and learn the skills and the coordination. Plus, it is a great bargaining tool...for cleaning up, studying and staying in bed at night. :)

Merry Christmas to all!!!

What a beautiful day. We don't often get White Christmas' around here. We all normally long for it, but to no avail. This year however, we have at least a foot of snow on the ground, and it was snowing ALL DAY. It was so gorgeous!

We got up in the morning...and I had made an egg casserole, and Kevin made his traditional cinnamon rolls, both the night before...we threw those in the oven while the kids ripped through their stockings...

Then we ate...which Kevin and I LOVE...but for the kids...it is the LONGEST BREAKFAST EVER!!!! :) Patience is a virtue, right?

Then on to presents.

(lovin' the shoes...over the jammies)

It has been nice because for the last couple of years, Christmas has been all ours. We do the big extended family dinner on Christmas Eve...but now, on Christmas, we do our thing...go say some Merry Christmas'/thank you's, if we so choose, (this year, there was so much snow we couldn't have) and then we have dinner in the crock pot at home. A big ole' ham! It is really nice. It gives us a chance to ~ just enjoy ~ and the kids a chance to play like crazy!

And that they did.

Santa even remembered the dog...and she played and played.

Christmas is just in the air...
This was a great year. Karman has relaxed about it all...she doesn't get so insane about everything like she used to I mean she still gets that look of wonder in her eyes, but it isn't the same...so it takes some of the fun out...but finally, Tyler is at the age where he truly GETS it....and LOVES it. He believes in EVERY aspect of Santa Claus (which only last a couple of years, really) and he just has that magic in his eyes!! He was so excited! Yet, through all of the excitement, he was so thankful for every single little thing. Makylie, still doesn't really understand...but she did sit on Santas lap...and remembered ALL season what she braved herself up to ask for. This morning, she really played off of Ty's excitement.

It was an amazing day.

Full of love....family.....and of course, new toys.

Merry, Merry Christmas...

from our HOUSE FULL OF BEANS!