I miss summer

Oh how I hate the winter. Cold and I do not get along. We had our 1st real snow of the season this past week. The kids were so excited. I got them all bundled up, which took close to an hour. John really wanted to build a snowman, but the snow was not sticky enough. We basically took one walk through the yard and they were all wanting to go back inside. All that work for 5 minutes (if that) of standing in the cold. Where the heck is this global warming? Right now I think that sounds great!

Goodbye 2009

New Year's Eve just isn't the same after kids. This year we went over to a friends house for a wild night of board games and sparkling grape juice. The girls played for a bit and then went to bed, but John and his friend actually stayed up to greet the new year. I was surprised! While the little boys were off playing, the adults played Taboo and Balderdash. Julie and I were the champions of Taboo by a mile. Balderdash got interesting as one of our friends, with no kids to drive home, was drinking quite a bit. When you play this game you make up definitions for strange words and try to get people to pick yours as the correct definition. Let's just say his were never picked. That boy has a dirty mind. As 2009 drew to a close we all gathered in front of the tv to watch the ball drop and got our New Year's kisses. Then we bundled up and went outside to let the kids bang pots and pans and watch fireworks. Yes, that is white grape juice...not champagne :)

Christmas 2009

Our Christmas festivities started off at my Grandma's house for dinner. It was delicious as always. After dinner we opened a present that our Elf on a Shelf left us before he went back to the North Pole. Pajamas for everyone and a movie to watch before heading to church for Christmas Eve service. The movie held the kids attention for about 20 minutes. At church we took the kids to the playroom, but Natalie wasn't having that. She wanted to stay with the grownups. She was so good during the service. Near the end she fell asleep in my arms which NEVER happens. I was loving every minute of it. While people stood up to sing I just stayed seated and held her. I almost had a fit of the giggles when the man behind me started using my head as a book rest for his hymnal while he stood and sang. I don't think he had any idea he was doing it, so I tried to stay as still as possible so I wouldn't jiggle his book. After service we headed home, put 3 super sleepy kids to bed in their new jammies, and got to setting up the living room with a truckload of new toys from Santa.

Christmas morning was awesome. This was the 1st year that all 3 kids really "got it." Each one got the one thing they asked for from Santa. John - a remote controlled rocket Natalie - a baby doll and Rebecca - a baby doll bed. After playing for a little while my mom, grandma, sister, brother, and someday sister in law came over. We had a little to eat and set about opening the piles and piles of gifts. John had fun with the girls jewelry...as did my brother. For lunch we went to my Dad's house. More good food (I ate WAY too much) and more presents. I think my favorite part of the day was when my dad opened my gift to him. On top of his present I had attached a couple lottery tickets. One of them was fake. When he scratched it off it said he won $20,000. He was all nervous and excited. He was a very good sport when he found out he had not actually won. He was just disappointed because he already had it spent in his mind. :)

After lunch at my Dad's we headed to Mike's parents for our final stop of the day. Everyone was in town, so it was a full house but a lot of fun. The kids played with all their cousins and the adults had time to catch up with each other's lives. More presents, more presents. We actually had to leave a few at their house because they wouldn't fit in our overstuffed sleigh, I mean car.

John is 5!!!

December 19th my little boy turned 5! He is sweet, caring, crazy, and super sassy. One minute he will come up to me out of nowhere and tell me he loves me, and the next he is emptying his glass of milk into the dogs food bowl. For his birthday party this year we had it at his Tae Kwon Do studio. This was the 1st birthday party they had ever done, so we were a little nervous, but it went great. The boys all had so much fun. They started with a warm up which was comical, as most 4-5 year olds have not been through a stretching routine.After everybody was all warmed up they went through some of the regular punching and kicking drills that they do in class. Then they brought out the pads and the big bags which the kids had a ball trying to knock over.The highlight of the day was when each kid got to decorate a board and then break it. John won't be doing this in class for quite a while, so he was pumped to get to do it on his birthday. There was quite a bit of "help" from Master George as he bent the boards a bit as the kids hit them. They were all so proud and they got to take their broken boards home as a souvenir.Instead of a cake, we had a cupcake bar. Each child got a plain, unfrosted cupcake. Then they got to go over to the bar and choose their frosting and toppings. After eating they all ran an obstacle course. I'm not sure why they had to wear a helmet, as none of it was dangerous, but they all did.

Once we came home from the Tae Kwon Do party, we set up preparations for a birthday party at home with the family. Mike braved the cold and barbecued hamburgers and hotdogs and we had present time, cake, and ice cream. I usually love making John a cake with a theme, but this year he asked for a plain circle cake. I reluctantly obliged. I made it the night before, set it in the middle of the kitchen table, and locked the dog out of the kitchen. Unfortunately at some point in the night, Mike went into the kitchen and forgot to lock the gate behind him. Arthur got in and ate the sides out of the cake. A quick trip to the grocery store resulted in a very yummy bakery made cake with pieces of candy bar on the top.