christmas

Christmas this year was full of friends and family celebrating our blessings.  Even though we were all sick at one point or another during the last few weeks we still enjoyed a wonderful holiday.  We celebrated with Grandpa and Grammie and our friends Tim and Nikki last weekend.  

 

Grandpa made Emma the best kitchen ever.  She (well, Mason too) loves to cook up all sorts of dishes.  Emma was completely put out that there was not real water coming out of the faucet.  She kept asking both me and daddy to "come....come" and she would bring us to the sink and say "on...water."  We would pretend to turn it on and she would exclaim "Noooooo!  Water!"  It took her a while to accept that you had to pretend.  She does love it though.  Good job, Grandpa! 

 Then it was off to my sister's house to celebrate with all our aunts, uncles, and cousins.  She was quite the hostess with all sorts of goodies and drinks.  We played cards, watched football, and enjoyed all the kids opening their presents. 

 

 We came home on Christmas Eve.  Nana came back with us and spent the week at our house.  Ryan and I were sick for a couple days and the kids relished in playing with Nana.  They made hot chocolate, played with their new toys and read books. 

 Mason wasn't so sure about leaving milk out for Santa because he was worried that it would get warm.  I guess he isn't a fan of warm milk. 

 He loved his workbooks from Nana.  He would go get a pencil and run up to Nana saying, "come on we have a lot of work to do!"  Emma loved playing with her new kitchen and little babies with her new beautiful cradle made by uncle Bruce.  Between all the playing, mom and I squeezed in a little shopping trip.  On the hour drive home, Mason was getting a little restless.  I told him that if he closed his eyes and fell asleep it would go faster.  He replied with, "mom, the only way it will go faster is if the car goes faster" in his serious, matter of fact way.  Love that kid.

 

Somehow my 12 days of Christmas recipes turned in to 3 days.  I did plenty of baking.  Even snapped a few photos, but it just didn't happen.  Maybe I should have had my little chef-in-training help me out.

 

We're busy finishing up some house projects before we start a new list for the new year.  We've been organizing, moving furniture and cleaning.  Two closets and some serious drawer issues have been taken care of.  Paint is drying on a new shelf in my craft room and the huge space where our stackable washer and dryer used to be is filled with a pretty cabinet (free to us from some friends) full of baskets holding our towels and linens.   I have another week at home, looking forward to some more major family time.