Semi-decent Christmas pics.

Each year for the past few years we get dressed up one day in dec. and take some family pics. (it's just too expensive to get professional ones) I think we do an ok job. (maybe next year we'll have a better camera) But boy oh boy I have the best lookin' kids :)

Christmas Eve

This year we started Chrsitmas Eve off with a yummy breakfast at IHOP. (gingerbread pancakes.....holy moly just like candy....deeelicious! hope they have em next year)Took us some doing to get there but we finally made it and the kids had a good time, they were so exicted for Santa. It was such a beautiful day out that when we got home and Emma layed down we went to the park to play on the "slippery slide". (No we didn't leave her home alone Danny stayed. We've only done that once ;) wink wink)
For the rest of the afternoon we just sat around, watched a muppet Christmas carol and relaxed. It seems like no matter how hard I try not to go out on Christmas Eve I always end up doing it (not for gifts thankefully cause its a mad house but for groceries) The kids had their special pizza dinner (thanks to kid cuisine :)) and mom and dad had their yummy fondue! Brocolli and hollandaise....oh yeah!! Once the kids were in bed Santa came and left all kinds of presents and filled their stockings. Danny and I also set up an art area for the kids downstairs. Then we capped the night off with the Christmas classic A Christmas Carol. What fun to see the kids in the morning!





When I was younger we always got a new pair of Christmas pajams on Christmas Eve and I always looked forward to my new pajamas....another tradition starting this year....the kids all got a new set of pajamas




I think Santa went a little overboard this year!

Holiday fun!

I always try to do some fun activities in dec. with the kids. (there's never enough time!) There's so many cute little crafts and things to do with kids dec. needs to be longer! We did make our window clingies which we make all year round. They are so fun...I think I enjoy them more than the kids :) We also painted some Christmas pots and made a Christmas collage for the front door. This year we bought one of those gingerbread kits to try (as I picked it up I heard someone say "ya those are cute, but they never work out). Yep didn't quite work out....almost though! the roof just kept slipping cause it was to heavy (probably from all the icing and candy we heaped on :)) Anyways it was fun. We'll probably do that every year as I'm certainly not ambitious enough to make my own gingerbread house. :) Ethan's kindergarden class made little graham cracker houses (which I ALWAYS did when I was a kid....I think my mom has made about a thousand of those) Then of course we had to do the sugar cookies. Well actually this was the first year (cause I couldn't find my cookie cutters that I purposefully put in a place so I wouldn't lose them :)) It was fun and will definately be a tradition. The kids really enjoyed decorating them with their smarties and m&ms. Ethan, Aria and I enjoyed taking a few "night walks" around the neighborhood to see the lights and we did make it downtown to see the lights (with only one fit near the end....not bad for the first time) but boy was it cold the night we went!! There's always so much more you wanna do before Christmas.....there's always next year!!

Snow Angels

Well today is the first day I decided to bundle the kids up and let them play in the snow. They love the snow I just wish it wasn't so nippy so they could play outside more; but being all bundled up they don't seem to mind. Personally I love the snow and with snow there has to be some cold. I have many fond memories of being buried in feet of snow, making snow forts, and just laying in the snow looking up at the night sky. Many times I'd just bundle up and go crawling around in the many feet of snow we had. LET IT SNOW!!!!!

Christmas oranges with my babes

My little Emma just took off on the stairs this morning! She had gone up one before but always kinda whined cause she couldn't get down. But this morning she did all 7 and no hestitating or anything, just took off! We took her down a couple of times and she came right back up. So now we'll have to work on the down part. :)


Ethan was so excited to see Emma coming up the stairs. Emma had just mastered her up stairs and we were all sitting on the bed so what would make it better but Christmas Oranges!! Ethan suggested it (he loves them) and he ran downstairs and got three for us to share and we enjoyed them in the kids cozy room with their tree. Enjoying Christmas oranges with my three beautiful, precious babes. Tell me how does life get any better than that?! (too bad that feeling doesn't always last :))

Christmas Breakfast

Ethan and Aria were so excited for this year's Christmas Breakfast with Santa so despite not having a voice I had to take them. Danny and Emma weren't feeling good either so they stayed home. And tonight the kids get to visit Santa again at Danny's family Christmas party! Of course my two shy kids were the first ones to jump up on Santa's lap!!

Trick or Treat!

Halloween came and Halloween went. I must say I am glad its over. I'm really not a Halloween person. But Halloween is for the kids and they had a blast. It was fun going to the pumpkin patch, making window decorations, making and decorating cookies, carving the pumpkins. I am always glad when its over though and its time for the more "meaningful" holidays. :)
The kids had so much fun trick or treating. Aria was so excited and so cute! She'd go up to a house say trick or treat and thankyou and then she'd giggle and go off running and saying let's so get some more treats! She was even more excited than Ethan. What a change from last year when we could barely get her costume on her let alone go out.

Goin' out to see the witches on Halloween (what a zoo couldn't get many pictures)






Getting ready for the big night!






The Fireman, Clown and Cat Oh My!