Monday, December 31, 2012

New Year's Eve

 This was the backdrop God gave us for the evening..simply breathtaking! There have been so many gorgeous sunsets this winter!

 Our traditional Chinese food for dinner
 Then we play games!  Ephram won our firt one that Kinsey picked...UNO!
 Next up was Jenga!

after it crashed we decided to see who could build the highest tower
 mommy beat daddy by one block!

 This picture cracks me up. Kinsey's taking her turn, Braden looks indifferent, Cailey is laughing, and Ephram is screaming! So funny!  Ephram was sad that he knew where a match was and it wasn't his turn.  It is fun now that we can all play games together.
 USA BINGO!

this was a first for the fam with the kiddos...Scattergories. I used to love it when I was a kid!
It was too hard for Kinsey and Ephram but the years are passing so quickly that soon enough they'll be able to join us.

 Charades thanks to an app on Brian's phone.  We all had a fun time taking turns acting and guessing.
We played this until bedtime and did a TON of laughing!
 The best actor in the family is definitely daddy but everyone did a great job. Even Ephram was great at acting things out for us to guess! 

Cailey decided that she wanted to stay up until Midnight this year and watch the ball drop so she read while daddy watched sports until right before midnight. She was able to get through a TON of her American Girl books!  Happy New Year!

December 2012

December 1- december already??, took the kiddos to the co op party and did not do the Jingle bell run:(, caden came back with us to play some more, decorated the tree and took everything out, read lots of books with the kiddos, started all of our advent fun, sang together, hot cocoa, rocked my babies, december already??

December 2- church, declined a showing b/c the house wasn't ready while we were gone!, finished decorating for Christmas, lots o' raking in the heat, outside play, choir, and fun jesse tree time.

December 3- piano lessons, kinsey's school, others school, klick's came over and did school, braden and kinsey went home with them for a playdate, first basketball practices for the girls, yummy dinner together in between practice, and outside play in the upper 70's!!

December 4- school, ran errands while the house was being shown, made crafts with the kids, kept ephram home from preschool and got tons o' snuggles because he wasn't feeling good, spelling bee practice, and grocery shopped with the kiddos.

December 5- school, FUN time of Bingo at CFA with Marsie, Braeden came home for the day and spent the night!, lots of legos/games/playing outside, jump rope class for cailey, still snuggly boy..but not feverish, awana, out with brian, FUN advent night, and good talk with my biggest girl.

December 6- school, preschool for e, errands for Christmasy clothes for C, an afternoon of creating a Christmas tree farm with lots of fun crafts together, met with Geof Gross, Usborne party at Meredith's, and clean up from crafts!:)

December 7- ran errands, school, girls to AHG, tons of crafts with the kiddos, helped the girls with their bazaar crafts, choir rehearsal, games with ephram, and great jesse tree fun:)

December 8- kids had choir rehearsal all morning, baked cookies with ephram all day, girls helped me with pizzelles, braden made his derby car with brian, braeden came with him and we all went to Journey to Bethlehem.

December 9- church (marsie came), finished up baking, cleaned the house, packed for GWL, went to the kids choir performance, secretly packed the van, and brian went to meet dennis and pick up rebecca.

December 10- piano lessons, a little school, told the kids to get in the car and after THREE hours surprised them with a trip to GREAT WOLF LODGE!!, laughing, splashing, playing, talking, screaming (happy), eating, listening to stories, snow in the lobby, friends, arcade with daddy, wolfie for ephram, and more laughing.

December 11- woke up to another fun day at GWL, packed up, enjoyed another day of rides, tornado a ton with kelly, snuggled ephram in the lazy river, slides with the kiddos, wave pool with brian and ephram, surfing, tons of sliding, left at 4:30, fun car time, quick bite, jesse tree/songs, etc.

December 12- school, laura here!! (and dennis), caught up, put together cookie plates, kids played together all day, loudness, matchy girls, lots of games played, found awana books, cookies, kids ALL went to Awana for a party, and went out to dinner with Laura and the girls!

December 13- said goodbye to friends, school, cleaned, preschool, ephram's show at the nursing home, errands, cailey to dr., braden to eye dr., eye worse, showing on the house, went to see a house.

December 14- school, no alex, helped the girls get their AHG crafts ready, AHG party, piano recital, Christmas caroling at the klick's, and the day of the terrible CT school shooting.

December 15- up all night:(, went to the birthday party for Jesus at Open Door, kids played outside, family time, and lots of reading.


 i LOVE LOVE LOVE that ephram says 'bratworst' instead of starburst (every.single.time), and "robock" instead of robot, and my latest favorite, "snocking" instead of stocking.

December 16- church, free time, appetizers made YUM, polar express party at Klick's house!

December 17- school, piano lessons, eye apt for braden, errands, more school, GREAT day for Cailey!, girls played outside, crafts, Jj things with ephram, and basketball for the girls.

December 18- quick school day, lots of free time, games together, crafts, outside play (since it's SO HOT out!), family game night (state bingo), and lots of laughing.

December 19- school, molly's for gingerbread house fun, kids played outside together, cailey to jump rope class, cleaned, last minute showing, took the kids to the park, went to CFA for Santa Cow night, family Christmas movie night (Rudolph) and had jesse tree fun singing together!

December 20- school, braden to eye dr., ephram to preschool (brought him home from the party early b/c he had a fever), lots of snuggles, another showing, kids DEVOURED the gingerbread house, went shopping as a fam, jesse tree fun, lots of outside play for kinsey, and more snuggling with e.

December 21- met marsie at the mall, ephram started not feeling good there and got a fever, had a very sad boy, dr to find out it wasn't the flu, had to cancel our night of Chili's and Sleigh Ride/gift exchange with the klick's, family movie night (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas), let ephram sleep with me, played games with Braden and Kinsey, enjoyed listening to carols by the kids, and laughed a lot with the oldest three.

December 22- oldest two slept in, ephram was lethargic and wanted to be rocked by mommy most of the day, 12 loads of laundry, made people chow for brian, cleaned the house, caught up on a month of blogging, stayed home with my sick baby boy giving him LOTS of snuggles, brian took the oldest three out to shop, and kids had a fun time playing together.

December 23- Christmas Adam!, Brian took the oldest three to church while I stayed home with sickie Ephram, Christmas food shopping done, outside play, kiddos played together, Jesus presents wrapped, watched a movie together (Charlie Brown), sang songs, snuggled my  boy tons, and had a showing.

December 24-church, ephram still wasn't feeling great, went to Granny's to celebrate together, family time, excitement, pondering, cooked yummy food traditions, music, dancing, a VERY excited braden boy about his sharing his Jesus present, fun nightly traditions one last time, and sang extra songs.

December 25- MERRY Christmas!, girls were up before 5am because they were so excited but went back to sleep, made monkey bread, waited for ephram to wake up, stockings, breakfast, gifts together, nonny and poppy came, more gifts, Lynch family came, more gifts, lots of playing with cousins, cooked all day, everyone slept over, cookie crumbs in sheets, and games.

December 26- said goodbye to the cousins, brian was sick in bed all day, cleaned up gifts, more playing, went to see Parental Guidance with mom and shopping at Kohl's, mom and dad went out to dinner, leftovers, cailey started feeling PFAPA symptoms, cleaned up, watched Rizzoli and Isles with mom.

December 27- Brian still felt sick, said goodbye to Nonny and Poppy, had a great jammie day, cailey was sick, everyone relaxed, games played, Little House watched, played with ephram, Pente with the olders, and caught up with L.

December 28- met up with Katherine (YAY!!), chatted with Cheryl S, made a yummy dessert, played games, straightened, had the Corbett's over for dinner (YAY!!), caught up with friends, watched Kena and Cailey bond, kids played hide n seek in the dark, lots of laughter.

December 29- cleaned for THREE house showings, ran errands together, lots of outside after the rain, play, girls danced, read a ton of Ephram's bible to him, cleaned up part of Christmas, and laughed a lot!

December 30- out of the house for two showings again!, church, checked out a house, treated the kids to McD's, looked inside the house with Geof and loved it, stopped by the Klick's to hang out, dropped Braden off at Marsie's for a sleepover, outside play, games with the three who were home.

December 31- two showings, picked braden up from his sleepover, Monkey Joe's all day:), fun and laughter, lots o' jumping, call from Geof about possible offer,  nap, chinese food, games together!!, and cailey stayed up with brian to watch the ball drop. So...22 showings in 2 months. Craziness.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Corbett Visit

The Corbett's came over for dinner during Christmas break and I kept it a surprise!  They knew that someone was coming but they didn't know who...and guessed all sorts of people but thankfully never figured it out. The kids were SO very excited to see each other!


 The little boys sat at the stools while the other kiddos filled the table. We've decided that next time the kids get the dining room and we'll take the kitchen since they need so much seating!

Oh.my.Kena. I loved this girl before I knew her and it
was a blessing to hold her for a brief 30 seconds, lol!
Kena and Cailey adored each other and spent the evening laughing and playing
together.What a joy!

 These guys spent most of their after dinner time outside playing in the dark! Yup...they love the outdoors so much that cold and dark don't deter them:).  I had a bunch of glow sticks left over from Cailey's birthday party so they had fun with those too.
 How great it was to catch up with a dear friend!
 Sweet Jay and Ephram went out and in playing with the other kids and each other. We sure do wish we could see them more often but are thankful for times like this!

Saturday, December 29, 2012

precious

 Listening to these two play Christmas songs both separately and together just warmed my heart!  What a privilege it was to listen to them!



 I love books. I have a TON of Christmas books...and they always enjoy reading them over and over again.  This year I caught by biggest girl reading them the most...LOVED it!  She read to Ephram almost everyday...on her own.  And was so sweet about it.  I love these tender moments...such a blessing!



Friday, December 28, 2012

Christmasy Clothes




 I didn't do nearly as well with pictures this December...probably because someone seemed to always be sick but here's a few moments of Christmasy pics I got:)

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Decmeber traditions



12 days of Christmas..plus Carols which the kids can play on the piano now
 jesse tree

 the last night
 jesus gifts
 magnet advent calendar

andes mints for each day

hot cocoa, popcorn, and Christmas movies

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

wrapping...

 After making their wrapping paper the kids each wrapped their gifts for Jesus.  They always have fun doing this...making it fancy with ribbons and paints.
 each wrapping them their own way

 the outcome...gorgeous gifts each lovingly chosen by the kids to give to Jesus. 

Cailey chose to adopt a 10 year old girl from Ethiopia
Braden chose bibles
Kinsey chose school books, bibles, and food
Ephram chose food and clean water
love this tradition.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas 2012

We had monkey bread (the RIGHT way:) and sausage balls for breakfast.

 we always do stockings while the breakfast is cooking. (or snockings, as Ephram calls them)

 After breakfast the kids took turns opening their gifts.
 her favs were books and her Anne of Green Gables movies.
 His fav's were LEGOS
 Her fav was a bunk bed for her American Girl Dolls]
 gifts for daddy:)

 cailey pulled out all the gifts...ephram decided this was a prime opportunity for a horsey ride!



 Ephram's favorite was a tie...between the pirate ship his siblings INSISTED on buying him (Cailey's idea:), and a sword Brian and I got him while we were in San Francisco.




 After opening the gifts the kids could be found all over the downstairs quietly playing with something new (or reading new books). Cailey asked for earphones like this because the buds hurt her ears.  She's LOVED using them!

 After the turkey was in, the gifts were opened, and tummies were full they put on their 'handsome' and 'fancy' clothes (according to E)


 then came the scavenger hunt for the last gift. i wrote a TON of clues to keep them going a while. they LOVED searching and it was a great way to make Christmas fun last even longer.



 after about 15 clues they found their gift...a pogo stick! it was a BIG hit:)


 Cailey got this wall hanging kit from the neighbor and it was gorgeous!  When it was opened she decided right then and there she was going to make it as a gift to give to Abby.  She worked SO hard on it...and really loved how it turned out. She is SO generous and giving!  She also painted Nicky a wall hanging.
 The cousins arrived in time to join in on some outside play and coloring fun.
 the girls changed into jammies before dinner:).  braden and cailey played Christmas music for us.
 I actually didn't take many pictures on Christmas day after the gifts were opened because I was playing with the kids or cooking dinner. This is the only picture I got with everyone (and you can't even tell)
 Cailey and Poppy playing piano after dinner while Nonny, Brian and I were cleaning and Matt and Leigh were walking the dog.
 This is a special picture for a lot of reasons...and happens to be the only one I bothered the cousins with this trip.  The kids spent the whole evening playing school and this was their 'class picture' with the principal:).  They had a lot of fun together!

The cousins left the next day but Nonny and Poppy stayed a while longer. We played a lot of games together including this one from Aunt Stefi and Uncle Dave..it was hilarious to watch! 

Mom and I also got to go to the movies together!  It was a Christmas filled with family!