Christmas!

We had a wonderful time spending Christmas together.  We were lucky enough to have Andrew home for 4 days straight (from Sunday through Wednesday).

On Christmas Eve morning we did our traditional Christmas Tree french toast. 

We made some very yummy cookies for Santa.  This year we made soft Gingerbread cookies with dark chocolate chips which we then dipped in white Chocolate.

That night we had Candy Cane and Christmas tree pizza.  We then attempted to drive around and look at Christmas lights which we will probably won't be trying to do again for a few years, unfortunately.  You see last year with my parents visiting we loaded up in the car on Christmas Even and drove around looking at light.  As we were about to pull into our driveway, Keagan threw up everywhere. 

So this year we try again.  We are driving around looking at lights.  Everybody is having fun.  Then Deker gets really quite.  All of a sudden I hear "I think I am going to throw up".  Andrew stops the van and just as we get Deker out, he throws up on the street.  We get back in and give each boy a bowl we have stored in the van from a previous experience.  And decide we better do one more neighborhood on our way home.  After two streets.  Keagan is throwing up in his bowl.  We say nevermind and head straight home.  We did have fun for the first 10 minutes though.... 

We opened our traditional homemade Christmas PJ's.  The boys loved that we all have our names on our PJ's. 

 The presents Santa left out.

The Stockings all filled up

For Breakfast, we had our traditional Santa Pancakes. 

Keagan with his loot. 

Deker with his loot which included LOTS of tractors!

Bauer who was too buys playing with his semi to look at the camera. 

My sister Vera had these shirts made for all the kids which has a very true saying on it.  It says "If at first I don't succeed...I just got as my Aunt Vera."  My kids love their shirts.  I will even hear Deker say once in a while "if I don't succeed I just ask Aunt Vera." 

Needless to say...We all had a wonderful Christmas.  But now we are ready for the new year to begin!

Winter Garden A Glow & Santa

As has become a Christmas Tradition, we took the kids to the Botanical Garden for their Winter Garden A Glow.  We love going there each year.  This year, we decided to visit Santa while we were there. 

Here is Keagan telling him that he wants Markers for Christmas.

Deker asked for a swather, a concrete pumper truck and a trackhoe.  Just a little side note.  Andrew and I explained to Deker that sometimes Santa can't get you what you ask for but that Santa will bring him something that he knows he will like.  Deker then told us "As long as he doesn't bring me a doll or any GIRL things!!"

I LOVE this picture of Bauer.  As soon as he sat on his lap, he leaned right on him.  His request this year...a blue car.  Nice and simple!

Meeting one of Santa's reindeer.  This one is Prancer and he it 5 years old. 

Little of This, Little of That

I am quite behind.  I kept thinking I needed to update, but just never got around to doing it.  For Thanksgiving this year, we headed to Battle Mountain, Nevada where my brother and his wife hosted us all for a wonderful Thanksgiving.  My boys had a lot of fun playing with my brothers boys (they have 3 boys that are similar ages to my boys).  Bauer at one point, pulled out all the firetrucks for this firetruck round-up. 

It snowed a little one day in December, so I sent the boys out to play in the snow.  They all decided they needed to "mow" the snow.  Here are Keagan and Deker playing with the mowers. 

Then it was Bauer's turn to play with a mower.

He decided it needed a wash and used the little water falling from the gutter spout to clean it off. 

In October, my kids got to play with the toy kitchen my sister, Vera, made our nieces.  A week later while I was at the store Deker said to me "Mom I wish I had a toy kitchen".  A call was placed to Aunt Vera and when we saw each other for Thanksgiving she gave them their new kitchen.  Deker was so excited and there were a few times on the drive home when I would hear him say "Mom, I am so excited for my new kitchen."  They LOVE playing with it!