Merry Christmas Santa came…

First of all Merry Christmas to all!!  

Well, we had a very excited 2 year old over here as SANTA arrived last night!  She couldn't figure out how he would get her motorcycle to the house but low and behold he did!  Her list had many checks on it, motorcycle, scooter, and baby stuff!! All things she managed to receive for Christmas this year.  Here are some fun pics of our Christmas day excitement.

 SANTA came…look at all the goodies for the kiddos! 

 Since we sleep on the other side of the house we had to sneak H past the loot…to the others! 

 Checking out all her goodies! 

 G got this awesome train from Santa…so H hitched a ride!  This is how they spent the rest of our trip.

 Dad and sweet baby M just watching it all as the screaming and joy went on! 

 She loves her ergo….and now she has her own! 

 Our sweet family all in our jammies..

Nursing her baby….my sweet sister got her this adorable hooter hider just like mine! 

My sweet niece didn't give an actually gift this year!  Instead she gave us all a family experience and man was it fun.  She bought supplies for us all to do a little family painting project.  I love how her sweet heart is.  The babies loved this like not other, but lets be honest everyone in the family did.  Not only was it fun but I think we will now make a new family tradition for Christmas day! 

She put snowflakes on the canvases before the event and everyone just painted away!  They turned out pretty good if you ask me! 

 everyone is getting the info on what to do! 

 let the painting begin, and yes being naked was a must in this project

 Here they are after drying and the tape was removed.

Happy Holidays

So yeah I got a little behind…but now I am back trying to catch up on life!  Story of our life over here! The holidays are always so busy and we don't get a break till after Miss H's birthday in Jan!  Oh gosh and now we are adding Tiger in Feb!  Looks like we will be busy for a while :-)

Hope everyone had a wonderful end to their 2014 we sure did.  As always we took off to good old A-town for our Christmas break!  We love going there and being surrounded by family and friends.  Plus my mom and dad have been working really hard on the remodel of my grandparents house.  They stopped sending my sister and I pictures about 4 months ago so we were dying to see the progress!  They are almost done!!!  It looks amazing and I love that soon we will be staying in my grandparents house when we visit from now on.  I mean my grandpa built that house and we have such memories there!!  Of course my sister and I are thrilled to share and begin memories for our kiddos there!!

The day we arrived it was snowing a bit! Miss H was excited about that.  The past 3 Christmas' have been white ones…this year it was not but we did get a little before and a little after.  Enough to say it did it but not enough to play so all the kiddos were a bit sad!  Our typical Christmas trip went as planned for the most part!  We arrived the day before Christmas eve and just hung out.

Nothing says welcome to Atown like a huge DUST storm

Christmas Eve we were up early for our annual Santa picture!  Yes, every year for my ENTIRE life I have been taking this Santa pictures.  My mom forced my sister and I to do it…even through our teen age and college years when we  protested!!  My grandma always loved this pictures so it was on tradition that never stopped! Now that we have kiddos we continue it on, even thought my sweet niece is at the family Santa pic isn't cool phase!  Don't worry I showed her all the pics I took when I thought it wasn't cool to prove it wasn't a choice lol.  But it was funny to see my sister and I at 15 and 20 on Santa's lap :-)

We followed Santa up with traditional Christmas cookie making!!!  This year it was extra fun because all the babies (minus baby M who is 4 months) were actually big enough to cut and decorate on their own.  Dad was the roller (normally my job, but he enjoyed doing it for the kids) and I supervised cutting out..you know making sure your cutter was on the dough and the edge so we could get the most out of it!  The kiddos were our cutters!!  I can honestly say I think this is the first year I have not been stuck decorating majority of the cookies on my own!  My sister used to always sneak out on that part somehow and leave me to do it…not bitter here at all :-)  The cookies turned out great and we had the perfect ones to leave for Santa of course!!

We ended our evening with a yummy Turkey dinner feast!  This is our little Thanksgiving fun since we all do Thanksgiving else where.  After dinner the kiddos of course had to get ready for bed and Santa.  Cookies were picked, carrots were thrown out for the reindeer, and then sung in the bed they all went!  Miss H was so cute this year asking questions about Santa.  She was very concerned about how he would come and go and put everything.  She is finally getting to the fun Santa age I think next year will be a blast.  Who knows we may even get to see an elf on the shelf since she understands it more!!

 Cookies for Santa and the Night Before Christmas being read! 

Sweet baby M watching over the gifts as the bigs throw carrots out!

Mom and Miss H dropping carrots….

Christmas week & photo dump

We went to my parents for Christmas as always.  Of course we had a blast there with all of our family!  My sister and co go too…making for a busy house but man what a blast. I really loved this year as Miss H was big enough to understand more and participate in things.  Our drive there was fine until the last hour… as they were getting snow all day.

However minus the roll over beside us and car sliding around a corner we made it fine.  Plus the snow gave the kiddos great fun the next morning.  This is the 3rd year in a row that it has snowed on Christmas/or the trip there.

After fun out in the cold it was time to warm up.  What better way to warm up than by making Christmas cookies!!!  My sister and I have been making Christmas cookies together since I can remember.  We always went to my grandma's and did it.  This is a family tradition that will NEVER go away! We even use the same cookie cutters and chat about memories from her house.  I can't wait till my mom and dad finish remodeling my grandparents house and move in…then we will be in the same kitchen with our tradition again!

Oh the traditions…they don't end with cookies! Of course we have to have our annual Christmas picture with Santa!  Yes we take a picture with Santa every year, my grandma loved it.  Since her passing we have continued this as well…but now its not just Abby and I! Both our families take the picture together…Santa has to clear a big space for all of us!

Once Christmas Eve arrived all the kiddos were excited! B kept asking all day how long till Santa comes, it was 8 am when he began asking! Having Miss H's cousins there really adds to the fun.  Each kiddo picked out a cookie for Santa.  We left him milk and water (Because Ems thinks he may get sick of milk after all those house).  Then they got the carrots out for the reindeer…and placed them in the driveway!  They also go to open a book and jambes!! We were prepared for Santa and off to bed the kiddos went.  Of course much excitement and giggling went with bed time…needless to say they managed to get to sleep at some point.

The next morning was CHRISTMAS!! Everyone was excited and ready to tear into the living room.  Thankfully we have a little gate we put up to hold the kiddos back till mommy's and daddy's get their camera ready! The joy and excitement went on and on…Miss H wanted a horse and man did she get one plus so much more! 

Needless to say Christmas was over the top as always! We loved spending time with our family and friends.  Miss H is sad to be back home without Uncle B and her cousins…she really loved Uncle B this trip :-)  Hope your Christmas was as Merry as ours!