Thursday, December 30, 2010

our christmas adventures....

....started christmas eve eve :)

(i decided before switching over to the new blog i wanted to finish out the year with this blog....you know, with the hopes of actually having this printed out one day into a book....hopes, hopes!...so i finally got my act together and went through the pics!)

the cousins came up to spend the night so we started some of our christmas eve stuff early....but first, brett had to crank up the new fire pit...LOVE it!!....what a fun thing to have....the kids wanted to roast marshmellows...all i could muster up were the minis...oh well, they loved it and that was all that matters!

next up....baking cookies!!

umm....i think it is safe to say that brother enjoyed baking cookies!
the kiddos getting ready for bed...
...but first a snack!....chocolate truffles or more affectionately known as doo-doo balls in our family :)

christmas eve morning....what a fun day we have in store!!
first up.....decorating ornaments...
then outside for some playtime and of course, brett had to fire it up again!



...some adult craft time too!..

yup, it's all about the experience...right?!?
pin the hat on the santa that sissy thought of and aunt lisa created....AWESOME!
and the winner is....
the mommas were pooped by this point (oh yeah, there was also lots of cooking going on during all this too!) so we put the dads in charge of the gingerbread house....interesting, very interesting!
well....ummm....yeah, there just aren't words....
time to decorate the cookies!!




sisterly love :)

...and now the traditional christmas eve, in front of the tree pics...
after everyone left we relaxed for a few moments and then got ready for church....thank you self timer, thank you!
oh my goodness....i LOVE these christmas babes!
almost ready for bed!!
writing our letters to santa...and leaving the cookies & milk!

...the adventure continues

...christmas morning!
and the BEST part of the entire holiday was when sis was giving us our christmas morning hugs she exclaimed, so excited, Happy Birthday Jesus!.....melt . my . heart...






and when it is too cold outside to try out the new bike?!?!....just ride it around the house :)

sis and her new love....she even took it to the bathroom with her!
our traditional christmas breakfast....
monkey bread & hot chocolate (coffee for me!)
...yum-o!


Christmas at Grams with all the Aunts, Uncles & Cousins!!
Christmas Kids!
he's a jolly ol' elf...
donner & blitzen...
we LOVE our pillow pets!!


these are HILARIOUS!!....goggles from his new despicable me movie...awesome, just awesome :)
as dinner was finishing up i looked out the windows to find a *winter wonderland* starting...our first white christmas!!....what an AMAZING end to an AMAZING day :)
...brother was too worried about sissy's snowball to look at the camera!




the next day we came home to welcome mimi, pops & uncle blake for another round of christmas!! it was so, so fun to have them at our home and being able to host them....i got lots of good cooking in too :)


the kids waiting patiently for brother's big reveal...
his john deere gator!!!


thanks again mimi & pops for coming to visit us!!