Busy busy busy busy busy!!!
Did I mention we've been busy?!?
I used to blog in beautiful sentences, littered with adjectives and details. Last year I resorted to bullet points. And, we're sticking with the bullets:
*I went Black Friday shopping with Mandy (unsuccessfully) until midnight. Then I stayed out until 7 am alone and got most of the shopping done!
*My parents invited all of us girls to NYC to see the Rockettes. It was a really nice, relaxibg, fun day! I'm glad Jaylee went on the Toys R Us indoor Ferris wheel because the closed their doors for good on Dec 26th! The Rockettes were amazingly in time with each other. Our Italian dinner was absolutely delicious!!! We took the scariest taxi ride to Macy's to see Santa... BIKE TAXIES that kept pulling out in front of buses. I cried... Surprise, surprise.
*We were up to our annual Shananigans but didn't pick a particular family this year. We ended up at the hospital where I had Jimmy. Things always work out the way they're supposed to! (Jack tried to give away his unopened present from the Strubghams but we didn't think that was right to do- it's the thought that counts though!)
*When we got home there were four Christmas gifts sitting at our front fridge - we have NO idea who put them there. Boy, did it make us feel special!!!
*The Liounis girls spent a day baking and Pinterest-making!! Jimmy joined us in decorating at the very end. Of course he only painted green Hulks! Jaylee and Jenni were very creative this year...
*Of course , we needed a Christmas PJ picture of the kids. Jimmy really detests taking pictures!
My whole heart...
*Our house looks beautiful again the wreaths, red bows and spotlights. We put the tree up on NOVEMBER 15!!! I think it might get earlier each year!!!
*Jason took each boy to work with him for 4hours to hand out candy.
*Jennibelle got to perform with 3 of her friends at Bonfield Elementary's Christmas program. She did excellent.
(With Grace, Madison and Alison)
***And then, even though I wanted to stop it, Christmas Eve arrived!!! It was 70' out and sunny... It did not FEEL like Christmas:(. We did our Nativity picture outside!! We ate at my parents and the cousins got to exchange gifts. Jaylee got to be Rudolph's bells this year! We were on the road home by 5:30. The kids were sound asleep by 8, right after we opened the Stringham presents, wrote Thank you notes to Santa, and left out cookies. Jason and I were asleep by nine and the tree looked very pretty!
Jenni got her Snackee, after 2 years of asking!!
8:03 pm...
Jack woke up at 1230 but it was just too early to wake everyone. Then I was up every 1/2 hour. Finally, at 0530, Jason agreed to wake the kids. In reality, he just got sick of me waking him every thirty minutes!! Our "Christmas morning stair picture" was by the front door because they headed down too soon...
The kids were a lot of fun. It took almost 3 hours to open everything. The girls were so excited to give gifts (like usual). Jimmy was perfectly content after his first gift! I thought Jaylee would be difficult to shop for this year, but I couldn't get her everything I wanted. Jennibelle was totally surprised with an iPod. Jacks list kept changing. All Jimmy wanted was superheroes for the Disney Infinity.
And (drum roll) my favorite Each year...
(Minus me, barely dressed)
Nan and Poppop always stop by to give their gifts on Christmas afternoon. Jaylee is taller than Nan!!
The day after Poppop took us to see Elf at the Fulton in Lancaster. It was funny!! Where they found a 6'7" tap dancing man, I have no idea!! Jimmy (luckily) slept thru the first half.
* The totals:
Jason: VFW membership x 1 year, high end shaving and beard care, coffee mug x 2, MMA fighting gloves, Army tie, circular saw
Jenn: 2 small dresses from Jason, blue purse, red pots and pans, earring backs, TKD class at the Rec x 2 months, kitchen glasses, cow butter dish, Apple TV
Jaylee: old Navy clothes, fuzzy boots, adult coloring book with Sharpies, OCNJ sweatshirt, boutique soaps, adidas soccer bag, personalized Goalkeeper jersey, goalie gloves, Nike headbands, Seahawks bracelet, Journalling Bible
Jennibelle: Snackeeze, iPod with case,
Hair trimmer, fuzzy blanket, Stuffies (elephant), bike helmet, Stitch for Infinity,
Jackson: Disney Infinity 3.0, Seahawks Tackle Buddy, Nerf Gun and arrow, Iron Man outfit, Venom doll, Iron Man Fathead, TRex with castle
Jimmy: Infinty characters, Spiderman/Venom masks, Avenger & Spiderman figurines, big Hulk fists, Dinosaurs, Hulk Fathead
And then I treated myself...
