Happy New Year 2012

We did this last year for the first time and the kids loved it so much we did it again.  This year I passed on the cheese and stuck with the chocolate and fruit.  Jeremy added in some last minute marshmellows that were a huge hit! 

Addi basically had chocolate from ear to ear.  Luke really only wants a couple of pieces with chocolate then he just wants the fruit on a poker. 

I love the fact that New Year's is pretty mellow.  We watch some football and eat what we can find until fondue time at night.  What a great way to kick off a new year!

New Year's Eve

This year we kept it pretty simple, at least that was the idea, for New Year's.  We get along so very well with our neighbors we did a progressive dinner.  I hosted the main course section.

Here are our neighbors Susan and Bret on the left and Jill and Larry on the right.

 For the first time ever I cooked a crown pork loin.  It tasted good but the best part was for sure the gravy that went along with it from the drippings of the meat.  This is for sure on the list to make again!

I can't believe I never posted about Christmas.  I think it is because it all happens so fast!  Then there was that irritating issue with my camera not wanting to upload my pictures onto the computer, but never fail....we had a very Merry Christmas!

We started off Christmas with Nana and Papa Clay and then a couple of days later had Aunt Carrie and gang over for tacos and presents!  Oh the presents.  It is almost more fun to make the kids wait to open their gifts then the actual gifts themselves. Well almost...

Mike got Addi a Bedazzler.  Oh the fun we are going to have around here.  Addi would like to bedazzle about 800 shirts 200 pants and her walls.  I would like to say Mike did write on the gift tag, Sorry Beth.  I think we are going to have to Bedazzle something special for Mike!

 I love how Addi is so excited for everyone to open their gifts.  Sometimes she remembers what is inside, others it is just excitement!!

 Hailey got clothes, and more clothes.  She really appreciates clothes and I love to give a girl clothes she appreciates!!

 Hunter got a bat cave.  He said he has been wanting it his entire life.  Can you believe that his entire life.  Talk about make my night!

 Love to see someone really enjoy what you give them.

It is then off to Christmas Eve.  This is always at the farm.  It is blast all day.  This year we did have one slight issue of dumping the soup and other goodies on the gravel road after the shifted in the truck, we won't dwell on that.  Instead Presents. 

 We always open gifts in the evening.  You can see the kids go through these stages where they are beside themselves before lunch then start to cope that it will be a while before we  open gifts but then one they put their pj's on it is all those 4 walls can do to contain us!

 Annual pj picture.  This year they were penguin with stereos.  I shows how they are all getting older.  Cute little pj's are not just going to work anymore.

 This is the crazy picture.

 Some of our elves.

 She almost gets lost in all the piles of presents. 

 OH MY GOSH IT IS A GLOW DOME.  Addi did not sit close to me this year.  All of a sudden I hear this I got a glow in the dark.  MOM I GOT IT, I REALLY REALLY GOT IT.  Oh thank goodness cause she has played with it almost everyday since then!  You use these stencils to outline a design on the dome and then turn on the light and it turns around.  Addi is adament you use the stencil and not just color on it.  That is unless she is writing her name on there.  She sits in her closet for hours drawing and then turning off the lights to watch it go around and around.

 The "big people" do a white elephant game instead of exchange presents.  This is what Grandma Jan got this year.

 CHRISTMAS MORNING

Santa came yet again.  Addi got a Barbie Rv.  Santa thought he got off easy this year with the assembly but this one turned out to be a little tricky.

 Luke got a Texas light that flashes like a stopsign.  He was so very happy.  They both got a couple pieces of clothes that make them more fun to wear since Santa game them to him and a pair of cowboy boots. 

 Addi was very into opening presents!!  Very into opening.  It is also important to her though that everything end up in its correct pile after opening and since Grandma Char saves bows we must all save bows.

Luke got his camo paint.  It has a mirror inside it and he was so very happy about this stocking gift because now he can see what he is doing in the duck blind.  Oh that goodness cause who wants a messy painted face?

 For Luke's white elephant gift he stole a donut maker.  He was kind enough to make us donuts Christmas morning.  I have to admit they are very very tasty!

 Every chef must taste before they serve.

 Well this is the only "snow" we had for Christmas.  So far we have not had enough snow to cover up the grass.  It is the end of January, lets get with it!!

 Luke got his x-box.  Can you beleive it.  An x-box.  He was super happy though.

 They also got a movie sac.  It is like a bean bag but made of memory foam so it is super comfortable.  It is large enough the two of them can sit together without touching.

 Oh yeah, an x-box!

This week's pictures

Here are the pictures we took on my phone last week.  Luke has a good basketball game, he scored the first two points and then another a free throw.  He really is doing good.  Grandma Jan and I were talking yesterday about how it is impressive that regardless of the sport he is playing he can see a play break down and understands exactly what needs to happen, even if he can't get it done he understands what needs to happen.

 One of the things I love about Luke is that regardless of him opinion of his play he is a great sport.  He is a good teammate!  That makes a happy mommy.

On Saturday afternoon we went to the local bike show.  This was certainly Addi and Dad's pick.  I am not a lover of the bike show.  Too many skulls and angry words for me.  Luke is getting to be an age where seeing girls wearing things with more parts missing then included bother him.  Don't worry I know the stage where he will enjoy that is far too close.

Addi loves a motorcyle.  I am not sure why, but she loves a motorcycle.

 This was her favorite of the day.  Yeah, that's a skull on the back but she did not care at all cause it was P-I-N-K.

 On Monday the kids were out of school due to MLK birthday.  First we went to Beauty and the Beast in 3D.  B&B is my favorite Disney movie.  I just love Belle.  A girl that loves books, did not always know what she wanted, brings a special touch to a not so perfect place to live (let's be honest we don't all start out living in our dream home)  The kids loved it. 

Then we went roller skating.  I tried to get them to go ice skating but they were not so much into that.  Luke just knew he was going to break a leg out there and oh my gosh do you know how hard frozen ice is?  You would of though I recommended sky diving the way they went on about that.  Luke thought it would be a better idea to roller skate.  To what I said oh my gosh do you know hard concete is :)??  They were open due to school closures so off we go.

Addi thought she would know how to skate as soon as she hit the floor.  Which means, hit the floor she did!  She went so fast after I tied her last lace I could not grab her. 

 After a few laps around holding onto the wall and a total melt down because her body did not know how to skate she calmed down and was able to start understanding how center her balance and move her skates. 

 Luke taking a break.  He goes around and around so fast it is hard for me to take a picture if he is not sitting!

 Ha, got one!

 Her she is making her move for the center.  Somehow she was able to skate with her legs apart like this most of the way. 

 And back to the wall

 Addi can't wait to go back.  She has asked everyday if they are open.  We are going to have to find a time to get back out there!

Phone Pictures

So I am starting to take a lot of pictures on my phone. Part of the problem is that I sometimes forget my camera, another is I currently cannot download pictures from my camera and then other times it just does not work to take a camera with you. Sometimes I think these pictures on the fly will give you a better view of what we have going on then certain events. I am going to give it a whirl every week.

Happy New Year. This year we tried something new, we did progressive dinner with the neighbors. Jill and Larry did appetizers and soup. I did the dinner portion, mainly because it was my idea. Also because it takes that much longer to come back around to me! We had dessert at Bret and Susans. Susan is know for NOT cooking so this was actually a challenge for her.
She did great though. She made baked alaska! Can you beleive it, I have dessert next year and I actually have my work cut out for me!

Luke needed a haircut BAD, so Addi and I took him up for Sports Clips. You will be able to see a lot of pictures from Addi in the weeks to come!!

Here is Jeremy getting ready for 2012.

Chrissy and Kalon got puppies after Christmas! Luke and Addi love them!!!

Here is Addi with Snow

Here is Crazy Brenna on Christmas Eve at the farm. Jeremy rubbed her tummy until se fell asleep.