HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This we stayed home to celebrate New Year's Eve!  We decided to invite some friends and their kids over and have a nice dinner. We had such a great time that I didn't even take that many pictures!  The adults had a great time eating and playing a hilarious game, while the kids had a blast just running around and being kids!

 One of my favorite things about Christmas and New Year's in decorating my table just like my mother used to do.

And of course the kids table needed to be decorated too!

I did my best to get a group shot of all of the children.  I still can't believe that all of these little people belong to us.  It all started with a group of girls becoming friends in high school and college and now we have all this.  Isn't it great?!

These two chickens are my favorite though.

It was a wonderful New Year's celebration! I loved being with my closest friends and family.  I don't make resolutions due to the fact that I never keep them.  But every year I do think of things about myself that I don't necessarily want to change about myself, just better about myself.  This year I would like to work on my photography (specifically infant photography) and blog more.  This time with my family is so precious and I want to remember it all.  I love looking back on my previous blog posts and remembering all the wonderful things that have taken place.  I also love to see how much the children have grown.  So I want to make sure that I keep this up so that in the future we will have all of this to look back on and laugh at all of our great memories.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!!!!!!!

Christmas Day 2013

After a wonderful Christmas Eve we had an even better Christmas Day!

Claire was the first one downstairs, well I was the first one downstairs.  I had to turn on all the Christmas lights, start the fireplace, and take my place for picture taking.  But Claire was the first kid downstairs and man was she surprised to see what a mess the reindeer had made!

Oliver was amazed as well.

And they could not believe that the reindeer left them each an ornament (a "C" for Claire and an "O" for Oliver).

Oliver went right for his stocking!  He was thrilled with his pirate gear.

Claire and Oliver loved all of their treats in the stockings.

I loved the treats in my stocking too.

The kids were especially thrilled with the family gift this year.  They finally got a Wii.

Claire couldn't wait to get started!!

Most of the morning was spent playing the Wii!

After we opened all of our presents we headed over to Auntie Rose's house to have a nice dinner and get some more presents!  Fran got the kids adorable gifts and they had the BEST wrapping!

Oliver's present had amazing dinosaurs decorating his gift.

And Claire's gift looked adorable with princess and Hello Kitty pens!  Claire was thrilled enough with just the pens!

Oliver loved his book, "Whose Butt?"!  

Then Oliver nosed his way into helping Uncle Dave open his gift!

Claire and Oliver got the most adorable Doctor Kit from Auntie Rose!  They loved it!  While Claire sat seriously and played with everything, Oliver walked around and entertained everyone by being "Dr. Oliver".

Oliver loved it when Chris would yell out, "Paging Dr. Oliver!"

Lauren and Chris also got engaged this Christmas!!!!  We are all so happy for them and excited for another beautiful wedding!

After a lot of fun at Auntie Rose's we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's to see the rest of the family.  Claire couldn't wait to see her buddy Owen.

Kayden had a blast being passed around and spoiled by everyone.  He is such a good baby!!!

We all had a great time playing "Shut The Box"!  Even the kids got into it!

It was another incredible Christmas!!!!  But as usual I always get sad on Christmas day night because it is all over.  All the planning, shopping, searching, wrapping, and fun is all over til next year!  But it was amazing while it lasted.  The kids had so much fun this year.  They are both at perfect ages for the magic of Christmas.  I loved doing all of the fun Christmasy stuff with them.  It was also so fun to see their amazement that they got everything that was on their lists this year.  We are so lucky to be able to have such a wonderful Christmas!  I think that this Christmas was so special because I didn't take any of it for granted this year.  I spent a lot of time looking around, enjoying it all, and being thankful for all of it.  I was thankful for every gift given and received.  I was thankful for every conversation, every laugh, and every wonderful moment that I think I have taken for granted during previous holidays.  Soon enough the kids will be older and not so into hanging out with their old Mom and Dad (or maybe not but let's be serious).  But this year my kids just wanted to be with me and Mark.  They wanted to snuggle in their Christmas jammies and they wanted to us to play with all of their toys with them all day long.  Soon enough they won't rush down the stairs anymore and I will have to wait for them to text their friends and all that good teenager stuff.  But this year they were all ours.  I loved seeing their faces as they ran down the stairs and tore open their presents.  I loved playing with every single toy with them. I loved that they needed our help opening everything.  I loved that they needed us to show them how everything worked (because we all know that as you get older your knowledge of technology goes waaayyyy down).  I loved that they just wanted us as much as we wanted them.  I will never take that for granted again.  Their childhoods are too short and I will enjoy every second while I got it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Christmas Eve 2013

This year we had yet another wonderful Christmas Eve!  The family came over to eat, drink, and be merry!  And we even had a visit from Santa!

Claire looked so beautiful in her Christmas dress.

And Oliver looked so handsome in his Christmas outfit.

Mark did a great job making dinner for everyone.

After a delicious dinner we had a special visitor.....SANTA!!

The kids were so excited that Santa stopped over before his big night.

Oliver couldn't wait to peek into Santa's bag.

They were even more thrilled when Santa gave them each a present that was on their list!

And we even got a nice family picture with Santa.

All the cousins enjoyed seeing Santa.

And the Grandmas.

And Uncle Greg and Aunt Sue.

After Santa left to get started on his big night, Oliver went upstairs and put on his Santa costume and took a seat in Santa's chair.

And made everyone sit on HIS lap.
Here are some pictures of everyone sitting on Santa's lap.

When Greg asked "Santa" if he was on the good list, "Santa" told him, "Hmmm I am gonna need to check it again."

But he told Aunt Susie, "You are on the nice list, I checked it twice."

Oliver told Nana all about how he was getting his reindeer ready for the big night.

Uncle Johnny asked for a raise but "Santa" wasn't really sure that was so he told Uncle Johnny, "Maybe next year."

After Santa had everyone from the party sit on his lap he decided to play with some of his toys, in his Santa suit of course.

After a great time spent with the family, it was time to get the cookies and veggies ready for Santa.

Once the house was cleaned up and the children were nestled all snug in their beds, Santa came :)
And he filled the stockings that were hung with care.

Daddy's stocking was a little light this year because Santa couldn't fit his equipment for the Ironman in there.  

Even Cozy left a few special presents for the kids.

It was another perfect Christmas Eve filled with family, friends, fun, and love.