The Day After

Christmas is way to exciting for the little ones. Caleb woke up found a spot on the couch and sat there all morning only to move when forced to get dressed.

Christmas Morning

On Christmas morning we were up before the kids. It was great we talked about Christmas when we were kids (of course over the past 12 years we've heard them all) when all of a sudden Ethan came running into our room yelling and jumping up and down he couldn't believe that Santa really came. Caleb was a pro he loved opening gifts until he got to his favorite. We would try to give him another gift but he would just say "NO." It was cute.

Ethan's favorite gift was his DS

Daddy's favorite was Ethan's DS

Caleb's favorite was his razor scuttle bug.

Favorite Gift

In my Christmas meme I listed my worst gift as a gift from Eric he laughed but was a little upset, he said he put so much time into finding the perfect sweater. So I want to change my best gift ever: Since I can remember I always had a sketch pad and pencil in my hand I would draw anything my shoe, toe, hand anything I could see. It's been years since I have drawn anything and really miss the opportunity to just sit and find the beauty in the world around me even if it is my own foot. Eric bought me art lessons. So THANK YOU ERIC for the opportunity not only to draw, paint and brush up on my rusty art skills but also for listening I can't express how much it means to me.

Ward Christmas Party

Saturday night was our ward Christmas party. Ethan was so excited to see Santa and asked for a Nintendo DS.Caleb screamed his head off when I walked near Santa to get him a candy cane. Saturday morning I whipped up two shepherds costumes for the primary. It was so cute the Bishop read the story of Christ's birth while the kids acted it out. We had a few shepherds, three wise men, Mary, Joseph and a ton of angels. The kids did such a great job!

Sunday Fun

Due to a noreaster we had no church. We missed going to church but had fun spending the day together baking gingerbread cookies, making masks, snowflakes, and stringing popcorn for the tree.

Storm Alexander

The first named storm of the year came and left 13 inches of snow behind
These two photos are the view from my front window

Two things I'm grateful for when it snows,

1. studded snows on all four tires

2. the beast to keep us warm

Gingerbread Workshop

Today we went to the gingerbread workshop! All last week Ethan and his classmates turned their classroom into a gingerbread workshop. They all made giant candies and a paper chain to hang from the ceiling and painted gingerbread men. They have also been reading different versions of the gingerbread man story so they can compare the differences between them.Today the parents were invited to come to school to make gingerbread houses with our kids. We started out by reading Gingerbread Baby then we went on to make our paper bag gingerbread houses. (This is Lucas his mom couldn't come so he worked with us)

After we finished our houses we decorated gingerbread cookies for snack.

YUM!

Enjoying the Tree

Shortly after the boys got up this morning I found them laying under the tree enjoying the view. The coolest thing about them doing this is that Eric and Bobby used to do the same thing.

Christmas Tree

Sunday we put up our tree. It was fun to watch Caleb get so excited to decorate he put every ornament on the same branch(we moved them later) Ethan had fun finding the ornaments with his name on them. It was a great way to spend the afternoon.

The Party

Saturday we had Ethan's Birthday party. We only had family which means my house was full with 16 adults and 9 kids. I was so glad to have the family room finished(I'll post pics later). I do love having my house full of people so I had a great time and by the noise level so did all the kids.

Usually Ethan asks for a spiderman cake or some other superhero but this year he wanted a Christmas cake.

Uncle Bobby got him the scooter he wanted.

Reader

Happy Birthday Ethan

Ethan turned Five today!

He came home from school with this great crown. He was so excited and so was Caleb. Caleb really wanted to wear Ethan's crown he was crying and Ethan said "Caleb do you want to be five" he took the crown off his head and put it on Caleb's.

He is such a kind and loving person he's always ready for a hug and always has a kind thing to say especially to his brother.

Ethan you are a great kid we love you so much!

Christmas Meme

Christmas Meme
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper.


2. Real tree or Artificial? Real.

3. When do you put up the tree? The day after we have Ethan's Birthday party

4. When do you take the tree down? The day after Christmas

5. Do you like eggnog? only vanilla eggnog which tastes nothing like eggnog.

6. Favorite gift received as a child ? Tickets to a White Snake concert. I was sure that I wasn't going, I begged for at least a month and my mom kept telling me that I couldn't go we opened all the gifts and then my Mom handed me a card stuck way in the tree! I was super siked!

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. my favorite is the one we make on the first FHE in December.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Julie-she returns everything we buy.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Ethan he's always telling me what he wants for Christmas.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A sweater that Eric bought for me the first Christmas we started dating. He still talks about how hard he looked for the perfect gift. It was a men's sweater.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The Santa Claus Movie not the Santa Claus with Tim Allen but the one with Dudley Moore.


13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Black Friday

14. Ever recycled a Christmas present? No.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Fudge and snowball cookies.


16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear.


17. Favorite Christmas song ? I don't know I love them all. I've been listening to an all Christmas music channel since Thanksgiving.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes

20. Angel on the tree top or a star ? I like both but this year we will have a star


21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The crowds

23. Favorite ornament, theme, or color? I really love silver and gold.

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? More time with my sweetheart and a pedicure.

My new Look

I loved Kim's new look so I decided to try it myself. I loved all the designs and was so excited to change my look without losing all my links. Check out Cutest Blog on the Block It's in my link list!

It's Coming!!!!

Ethan and Ellie were playing Santa and Rudolf. When they were asked where they were going they both said "TRUMAN'S HOUSE"

The Eyes!!

Poor Caleb has been screaming and shaking with terror at night. He's been yelling EYES, EYES. We couldn't figure it out until I watched him look at the picture of a tree frog I had hanging on the wall near his bed

After I took them down he kept saying all gone, eyes all gone.

Black Friday

After shopping all morning with Eric's mom and brother the kids and I went with them to constitution plaza in Hartford to see the huge Christmas tree. It was a lot of fun. It is a special place for me. When Eric and I started dating he took me to see the lights it was my favorite date. The lights were beautiful it was flurrying and there was not another person there.

Thanksgiving

I was exhausted but I really enjoyed the day. Eric's family came over around noon and our last guests left around 10:00 pm. The turkey only 17lbs (last year was 28lbs) was delicious and after years of trying to make turnips as good as my uncle Al's I finally DID IT(only because he let me in on his secret when I was in Florida) !! After dinner the kids wrestled with Poppy, then we all went to the family room to look at the slides that poppy brought which was the high light of the day.

Caleb in Poppy's hat

Centerpiece

Using an idea from the freind magazine we made a centerpiece for our thanksgiving table.

Ethan wrote the things we are thankful for on the turkey's tail feathers.