Ready for the Holidays

We've enjoyed getting all ready for the holidays this year, quilts are up and everywhere, you don't realize how many you have until you gather them, but every night they come into use covering us up!The stockings are hung....Noah a new one awaits your arrival!

The village and train are up and have many miles around that track already by some little boys!Tree is decorated, our tree is adorned with all sorts of loving ornaments....not a beautifully decorated one but beautiful in our hearts as each has a meaning. This year 3 foot down is all stuffed animals so little hands can enjoy! I did put up the tree in my bedroom as I love it's twinkly lights at night. Christmas dishes are all in use, so fun to change those out come December and look at something new!
A few things are wrapped, shopping is on the downslide ( thanks to amazon...my best friend) The lights are up outside.... rather homely too as it was whatever I could reach but adds to our festive neighborhood. Ken's been addressing the holiday cards and so those will be ready to mail soon. Still lots to do, a few more trips to the store, much wrapping, a few gifts to still make ( yep I'm crazy), a few more grandsons to take shopping for their families, but we look forward to parties and fun family times!

One more Christmas celebration

Our family always seems to win the prize for delayed Christmas celebrations. So we did it again this year. Due to illness over the holidays we cancelled our Christmas Day dinner prime rib celebration with Ken's folks and had it this weekend. It worked much better to have everyone here than cook that for the 3 people that were well enough to come! So these photo's are of Gene with Baby Bode and Chris. Delores wasn't feeling well enough to come so we missed her.
Bode got his first ride in the big boy swing on the patio. It was lovely out so we had some appetizers out there while the meat cooked on the grill. Garrett and Aiden had fun giving their cousin a ride in the swing they all loved.
then we got to skype with Jeremy and Jamie too. Their Christmas box was hanging out somewhere other than here for a month while it traveled the slow boat from Mississippi, so we had fun opening their gifts with them. Here they are talking to Bode.
They sent the boys these cute gliders so they were having a blast with them. Here is Ethan.
After dinner we had coffee with our pies that Gene brought and we had stuff to make ice cream sundaes too.
The boys had fun making their own!
It was fun to have a late celebration to enjoy each other again.

Wonderful Dinner!

Chris and MB have a wonderful Christmas tradition of inviting us over after Christmas along with her parents and they make a wonderful home made meal for the 6 of us to enjoy! Of coures we were all enjoying Bode . MB's parents have had some good time catching up with him since they live so far away. And what did he get for Christmas but his first tooth! It was fun to get to see what Santa had brought to Bode, have a great meal and enjoy each other.MB and Marie had been cooking all day and made this wonderful Lasagna, homemade foccacia bread and spinach salad.
Here is Chris serving it up, Bode's looking like he'd like to dig in!
Here are Steve and Marie,it was a very nice dinner to be a part of and share with them all.

Christmas Eve Celebration!

We had a great time celebrating Christmas Eve this year, it was so nice to have everyone have enough time to spend the day. We sure were missing Jeremy and Jamie, but hope to have a Christmas skyping time with them tomorrow. We started early with b-fast and lots of fun for the day! Here are Aiden, Garrett and Ethan all patiently waiting to open up their presents. I put a quilt down for each boy to sit on, their stockings were on their quilt and that worked pretty good with the chaos ! Here is little Bode with his.
Chris helping Aiden with his new lego truck.
Bode was so cute at Breakfast!
Aiden
Bode loved the paper!
Ethan got his own Buzz lightyear! He came with the superman cape on and wore it the entire day! He kept telling me he could fly!
Here is Amy putting Ethan's name on Buzz's foot just like Andy in the movie. Garrett has one too at home.
Chris and MB
My Mom, Chris and Bode
Here is Bode with his new little musical girrafe.
It was fun to have time to play, Garrett got to start learning to drive the train.
We played our new game Wits and Wagers with everyone, lots of fun.
My Mom, Ethan and Amy
Yep Ethan can fly!
Ethan and Amy
Here is Amy, my Dad and Chris...
Mom and Dad
Here's Garrett, all clean, jammied up and trying out his new robe!
So what a wonderful day it was to share with everyone, all are a bit tired, but went home happy and content....even little Ethan who runs at full throttle all day (and yes the super man cape is still on)and then during dinner, clocked out! Pretty tired to fall asleep sitting up! Good night all and Merry Christmas!

Christmas Spirit!

Well if you are lacking in any Christmas spirit this week, just check out our Bode. He's all decked out and happy and squealing and ready for the big day! Actually we got to have him over for a couple evenings this week, what fun! Cereal time, baths, bottles, time for play, Bode we had such fun with you and you definitely look like you are ready for Santa!

Christmas Zoo Lights

What a great evening had by all at the zoo lights this year. Thanks Chris and Amy for treating us to it. We met for pizza and contemplated whether to go or not as the California rain is on it's way here and it was starting to drizzle out. But off we went and we hardly had one sprinkle on us the whole time. Rather balmy out with the clouds, actually our warmest zoo lights yet. It's been so fun over the years to get to do this with everyone. They've added different features and lights over the years and it's quite the show now.
Lots and lots of animals along the way that are lit, some move, dancing lights, trees with so many lights in them it's hard to look at them, amazing.
What a great time with everyone, so glad we could go!
And I think Bode liked his first Christmas Zoo Lights!

Family Christmas Party

We had our annual family Christmas party this past weekend. We do it early so that all can attend and still do everything they need to do with their own families on the holiday. My sister Marcy and Husband Vince hosted us this year.Their house just looked beautiful. Here are all their stockings up the stairway, I've made them over the years for them and it's fun to see them hang. We seem to need to add a new one every few years as my nieces and nephew have married and now the babies are coming!
We all had a great time, here is Ken, my oldest son Chris with Bode and my Dad.
Here is my nephew Mike with his daughter Cailyn and my Mom. We all had such a blast watching Cailyn!
Here is my daughter Amy with niece Corissa, Cailyn's got a new brother coming soon!
The tables were set so pretty, all ready for our wonderful dinner. Everyone brought such great food to share.
Bode the newest addition to the family was having fun with his new "football"
MB started reading Bode a story and Cailyn got so interested. It was fun to see how intrigued she was with "a baby" since there will be a new one in their house soon! She had to watch the diaper changing and was very interested in it all!
We had time for presents, here is Aiden.
And then a special visitor just happened to stop in! Here is Santa! and he brought along his lovely helper! I think she's really an elf in disguise!
Santa had presents for all, here is Garrett with his.... all decked out in tools ready to work. Aiden got the same thing and asked Ken if he was going to be at the shop tomorrow so he could come and help....how cute is that!
Cailyn wasn't afraid but didn't want to get to close either! She got a that cute bear from Santa.
Here is MB and Bode with Santa.
We tried to get a photo of all the kids, but since 2 of them wouldn't really get very close we opted for one with them on the couch and Santa could stand behind. one straggler there on the floor! Oh well!
Aiden and Garrett got to help Santa pass out gifts. He had certificates for them all to see if they made the "good List", whew they all did!
Here is Bode on Santa's lap, I wonder if next year he'll want to do that?!?!? Seems to be 3 before they are ready to get close again.
Aiden and Garrett were all grins!
Here are a couple videos to enjoy! Sorry Santa is sideways, just had to put it on as it's so cute at the beginning to hear Garrett say, Mom! It's santa!

And here is Bode, having a silly time at dinner! What happy giggles and squeals!