Our Christmas!!

Merry Christmas a few days late!!! I just wanted to share some pictures from our Christmas celebrations. Derek and I grew up with different holiday traditions so we have been working on creating our own traditions that work for us. Beginning last year I think we figured out how it will work every year when we are at home. So, Christmas Eve we head up to my parents house to celebrate Christmas Eve with a seafood feast and open up all of our presents to each other. We leave all of our gifts for the kids and for me and Derek at home. After we have gotten full of food, dessert and all the presents are opened we slowly mosey on home. The plan is for the kids to be asleep by the time we get home so that we get them up and tucked into their beds then get everything all set up for Christmas morning.

The next morning Ethan woke up first and came into our room. We told him it was too early and that we were all going to go back to sleep. So, we grabbed him and snuggled back into bed and then Derek jumped up and said "We can't go back to sleep. It's Christmas!!" So the three of us piled downstairs and started opening presents. We went ahead and just let Addie sleep until she woke up. Alisha made us some cinnamon roles that we ate for breakfast that were extremely yummy!! Nothing like homemade breakfast!!! After breakfast we watched the kids play for awhile until it was Addie's naptime, then I took a nap. I don't know how I will deal with Christmas once Addie doesn't nap. Eeeek!! After naptime I made risotto and took it over to the neighbors for dinner and we hung out there, ate, played guitar hero and just had a good night. It was a great, successful Christmas. Here are some pictures from our christmas celebrations!!

Christmas Kisses

Grandma's little Lamb Chop

Auntie got Addie a hop-a-roo

but she needs to grow into it

Ethan loves to eat with chopsticks

Ethan had one last present that wasn't wrapped

Ethan's very own keyboard. I guess it is time for Ethan to get some lessons.

Addie thinks it is pretty cool too. I think it will have to stay in Ethan's room.

Ethan loves his skateboard

Addie really loves Ethan's toys.

We spent Christmas morning at home. So when Ethan woke up we headed on down the stairs to see what Santa brought for us.

Addie's first doll house!!

Ethan loves legos!!

Addie has her own set of wheels. Hopefully her legs will be long enough to reach the pedals by spring.

Addie helps mama

After sledding we went to Yvonne and Cristian's to make cookies. I turned my back for a minute and this is how Addie thought I needed help. I shouldn't have let her but it was too funny not to let her and to get some great pics.

More sledding pics

As I mentioned previously we got a lot of snow here recently. I think we have about 15 inches right now. It is finally starting to warm up a little bit and hopefully it will all go away. Derek and Ethan have been loving it though. I took a bunch of pics on Sunday of all of going out sledding. Addie does not like the snow but she did okay with us out there. She didn't like putting on all the layers and so we had some trouble getting out the door. Once we were out she lasted about an hour although she wanted to be held the whole time. We had fun out there though. Here's the pictures. I'm also including a video from th eother night when Ethan and Derek went out. The sledding itself is uneventful but Ethan is a funny little guy.

Santa at Cabela's

Merry Christmas everyone!! Today is Christmas Eve, which is one of my favorite days of the holiday season. Today we are going to go up to my parents house for dinner but first I have to work for a few hours. Then off we go. this is the first of a few posts today. I think there will be 3 total of the pictures I have to put up. This first one is our trip to Cabela's on Sunday to see Santa. We brought Cristian along with us so that he could also tell Santa what he wanted. Addie wanted nothing at all to do with Santa so we don't have any pictures. As soon as she saw him she started panicking and kept repeating "All done! All done!!" It was kinda cute and we didn't make her go. Afterward we went for a little walk around Cabela's and got some fun pics while we were there.

Here the kids were "camping"These pics were taken around the animal mountain

99 things

I have a bunch of pictures I want to put up but I left my pictures at home so they will go up tomorrow morning. I saw this on someone else's blog and thought it was kinda cool so I thought I would share.

THE 99 THINGS MEME
Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font
1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/world.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person.
41. Sung Karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.

Snowing in Olympia

So, the weather has hit Washington hard. At my house we have a good 6-8 inches of snow and we have 1-2 more snowstorms coming. The news said 6-12 inches in the South Sound area. What in the world? Am I still in Western Washington or did my house pick up and move itself to Cleveland. Jeez!! Craziness. We are enjoying it though. I stayed home with Ethan on Wednesday. That was a lot of fun. He was so excited for it to be just him and me all day. It was great. Thursday I decided to be brave and went to work. I left work early because it started snowing again. That night the neighbor and I rode the kids bikes in snow. It was pretty funny. I fell. Bikes don't move through the snow very well. Addie is not a big fan of the snow. I guess at daycare they took the kids outside for a little bit. She went out, touched the snow then stood by the door with her hands across her chest wanting nothing to do with the snow. I got to stay home with the kiddos today. Ethan and I wrapped some presents. He had fun learning how to wrap. You can definately tell which presents he wrapped but it is so darn cute. It was great to spend the day with them today. I have some pics of Ethan, the neighbor kids and his friend Cristian playing in the snow.

This first picture is my favorite. Ethan had a fundraiser for school and he set himself a goal to sell enough to go out to lunch for pizza in a limo. He had a pretty easy time of it and made about $30 more than he needed and got to go. So the morning of the limo ride I got up to him getting dressed in his best clothes. He didn't want to change anything so I had to convince him how much cooler it would be if I ironed his shirt. He cracks me up. Here's the picture I took before he left for school. I also thought I would brave it and let him take a camera to school to take pictures. He took pictures of everything but the limo ride. That he forgot to take the camera to. Crazy kid.

Ethan is trying to decide where to start with snow activities. The kids having a snowball fight

Ethan tries to save himself

Olivia, Cristian, Ethan and Gabby

See! It really does snow in Olympia!!

This is what I had to drive in. Yucky!!

I love snow skies.