Black Friday was a SUCCESS!!!! Mandy and I hit Walmart, at 8 and got everything we needed, then picked up Jenni and hit the mall for 1 hour and then we were home by 1 am!!!
We made 5 batches of Christmas candy this year... 2 batches too many, so we still have tons left!!! Every batch was yummy! After I burnt the first two batches of almonds, I found some already roasted at the store... whew!
After some contemplation... Jack decided that he LIKED it!!! Add that to his list of 10 foods to eat!
Ice (snow) remains one of his favorite foods, right behind Pediasure!
3 snow storms before Christmas, and even a few flurries on Christmas.
Christmas Picturess (Even though I was too cheap to mail out cards again this year):
We whipped up some Snicker Doodles for the Annual Cookie Bake. Last year, I was in the hospital, so I was very happy to make it this year. Jack and Cole even joined the girls this year! Again... we made way too many!!!
We whipped up some Snicker Doodles for the Annual Cookie Bake. Last year, I was in the hospital, so I was very happy to make it this year. Jack and Cole even joined the girls this year! Again... we made way too many!!!
We chose Mandy and her kids as our Christmas Jar Family this year... we snuck the jar into her car... but on Dec 29th, she returned the jar to me, thinking it was Jenni's piggy bank. Hahaha. So, I had to explain our tradition to her. Silly Mandy...
Our celebrations always begin with gifts from Gma and Gpa on Christmas Eve morning...Usually I work the night before, but Jimmy had RSV and sick sick sick, so I took off and was his nurse instead. We were up most of the night, and back to the Drs office at 7:30 in the morning, poor kid! We didn't even get to see Nick this year, b/c Jimmy was a hand full :(
Gifts from Gma and Gpa!!
!!!!!!!!!!MONSTER HIGH!!!!!!!!
Jaylee FINALLY got her train for around the tree...
Jimmy quickly got the hang of things..
Nan and Poppop Liounis both had surgery in the past few weeks, so Christmas Eve dinner was at our place. We go to open up the dining room table and all eat together. Mandy was just a little late b/c she was at work. Brian isn't there either b/c they've been separated for a few months. I bought all the kids matching PJs so we could take a portrait... maybe we'll try again another day for a frame-worthy shot! This year we started just buying for 1 family, like the Stringhams do. We had Mandy and Meg had us.
Both babies got the hang of it!
Jaylee made a game for us to play...
This is the FIRST of the 40 pictures we took on the stairs. It's the best we got!
Boys will be boys...
The whole crew.
Mandy made chocolate cake with peanut butter icing!
The Bouncing Snowman survived another year. He no longer bounces though, just sings.
Cole and "Aunt Yenn's Hone"...
Be careful out there... Santa CLAWS is coming tonight!! ;)
The kids were ASLEEP by 9 on Christmas Eve. They opened their gifts from the Mendenhalls right before bed... NOT a good idea b/c Jack got a football and started running all over the house, in character, like he always does. It was a (Russel) "Wawa Wilson" football!!
Jason and I had a relaxing time getting the tree ready and got to bead by midnight. For the first time ever, the kids woke us at 5:30... with horns and hollering... we both JUMPED out of bed!!!! Luckily, Santa had arrived by then, handed out gifts AND filled out the questionnaires Jennibelle left for him...
My favorite sight on Christmas. I know it should probably be a nativity scene or something, but it is all the trash from the presents under the tree... it brings me such joy planning out their gifts, finding the best deals, wrapping and hiding them, presenting them under the tree, and watching them open them. I'd be lying if I said that I liked giving them as much as I do getting them, but let's not lie to ourself... See my refrigerator door in the back ground?!?!?! Oh yeah!!!!
Jaylee got a bike, alarm clock/cd player, rainbow loom holder and tablet
Jennibelle got a bike, Monster High School, Pickle Underwear and tablet
Jackson got a bike, Seahawk helmet, 3 super hero action figures (NOT dolls), and costumes
Jimmy got a walker, jumperoo, music box for his crib, and a piggy bank
Jason got a piece of art that I commissioned, an XBOX 360 and hot sauce
I GOT MY FRIDGE!! and a coaching outfit
Nan and Poppop stopped by in the afternoon to give the kids their gifts. Jaylee is thrilled to have a bean bag big enough for her, Jenni loves her American girl carrier and outfits, Jackson played with his Batcave for the est of the day (And proceeded to wake up at 3 am and 5 am to play with it some more) and Jimmy got clothes. We even got a Dehumidifier for the basement!! Thanks guys!
Jaylee decided to celebrate her HALF birthday this year... she'll take a few friends to the beach for a day in the summer. So, Poppop and Nan took us all to The Christmas Show at American Music Theater, and then we had dinner and cake for her back at their house. She was super stoked about the two frogs her aunts go her as a gift...
Jaylee got a bike, alarm clock/cd player, rainbow loom holder and tablet
Jennibelle got a bike, Monster High School, Pickle Underwear and tablet
Jackson got a bike, Seahawk helmet, 3 super hero action figures (NOT dolls), and costumes
Jimmy got a walker, jumperoo, music box for his crib, and a piggy bank
Jason got a piece of art that I commissioned, an XBOX 360 and hot sauce
I GOT MY FRIDGE!! and a coaching outfit
Nan and Poppop stopped by in the afternoon to give the kids their gifts. Jaylee is thrilled to have a bean bag big enough for her, Jenni loves her American girl carrier and outfits, Jackson played with his Batcave for the est of the day (And proceeded to wake up at 3 am and 5 am to play with it some more) and Jimmy got clothes. We even got a Dehumidifier for the basement!! Thanks guys!
Jaylee decided to celebrate her HALF birthday this year... she'll take a few friends to the beach for a day in the summer. So, Poppop and Nan took us all to The Christmas Show at American Music Theater, and then we had dinner and cake for her back at their house. She was super stoked about the two frogs her aunts go her as a gift...
here we go again!!! We can't keep animals alive more than a few days!
I'll "soon" add pix from the Ipad and cell phones..