Snow!!!!

Last year we had basically no snow.  Allie didn't even really know what it was when we were talking about it this year!   But boy did we get some snow this week!  It snowed the day after Christmas, and we played and went sledding twice.  It snowed again today, even more, and the boys spend several hours out sledding!  All 3 of them unfortunately have no fear of hills or speed...

 

These pics are from snowy day #1. 

 

A whole lotta joy!

Allie's new dressup clothes were enjoyed by all.  Sorry boys, had to share!!!

Santa Came!!

Christmas was really magical this year.  We can't help but wonder if our new little one will be home with us by next Christmas!!!

 

Christmas Eve

We had a lovely Christmas Eve with the Colemans.  Kids were thrilled with their gifts, including the headlamps from Uncle Matt, an idea which came from our trip to the caves a few months back.  Their little faces were literally glowing with excitement for the next day to come!   We took time to remember the true meaning of Christmas.  The boys wrote Jesus thank you notes for what he has done for us and we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.  They are truly full of joy this year, they are at wonderful ages to truly experience the joy of the season!

 

Countdown to Christmas

Hectic but fun December with Christmas celebrations!  The kids each had a class party (and I got to go to ALL of them, how lucky am I!), Sam had a Christmas program, Ben had a Fine Arts night, and the boys performed Joy to the World with their classes at church during service.  Lots of excitement and things to look forward to this month.  Here's a few other highlights.

 

 

 

 

Zoo lights with Jer's fam.  It was a balmy night, the best kind!

 

 

 

 

Christmas in our little town with best buddies... and lots of blue cotton candy!

 

 

 

 

Had to literally SHOVE the boys into the picture with Santa... they wouldn't touch him, talk to him or look at him!  Allie wasn't there, which was probably best, she would have been petrified!

 

 

 

A big part of our build-up to Christmas this year was being in charge of distributing luminaries to our neighbors for Christmas Eve.  With over 300 houses to keep track of, it was a big job!  But we enjoyed doing it as a family and the kids were a big "help"!  :)  It was all worth it on Christmas Eve when we got to ride around the neighborhood enjoying the beautiful lights.

 

 

This is the way the kids enjoy Santa.... by video!  He sent each of them a personal video... they each made the "nice" list.  They were all talking to him on the computer screen!

Ethan is TWELVE

 

 

Our sweet little nephew has turned TWELVE (going on 16).  He was born my first year of teaching, which seems like a million years ago, and yet we can't believe how old he is.  He's hilarious and truly my boys' hero.  We love you E!

Make Room for One More!!!

Always an Adventure

 

When your kids are 2, 4 and 6...even a one-day overnight to the next state over is an adventure.  The amount of stuff it takes to pack and get ready to spend one night in a hotel is overwhelming!  But worth it, since we got to visit Great Grandma Dot and stay in a hotel with a pool!!

 

Hard to tell in the pic, but on the way home Ben struggled to get comfortable enough to sleep.  He finally settled in with his head bent over resting in the bin of books.