Christmas Eve we went to my Dad's house where the boys got a bike and were super excited.
Christmas Day we opened gifts here at the house and then went to my Mom's house for yummy food.
My mom, granny, and sibling and thier spouses and kids.
My step-brother, My two sisters, me and my brother.
I found out that my shirt appeared see-thru only after Jimmy took a photo of me in it. Seriously, how did I not notice this? Thankfully I didn't leave the house today, but I did have some family over. Sheesh, sorry guys. I will not be wearing that shirt again.
Christmas photos to come in the next day or so, when I can weed through them.
Is is just my kids who get totally besides themselves with joy when they make a huge mess? I'm talking belly laughs, squealing and running around like crazies.
Thank you everyone who visited and commented on the Holiday Tour. I thought that was fun and I spent way to much time looking at other people's blogs. I like to see in other people's houses, I like to see how they decorate and what their stuff looks like. And now I have several new blogs I will be visiting.
We have still been sick. Not only is everyone in this house sick but my mom has the same thing. Hopefully the rest of the family will not get it but we were all together at a funeral the other day.
I have choir practice tomorrow and I feel much like Phoebe did on that Friends episode when she was sick and her voice changed, although I don't think I sound better like she did and I won't be singing Smelly Cat, but dangit now that song is stuck in my head. I suppose I will go to practice tomorrow, see what happens and then decide if I can still participate in the actual program. I don't want my squeaky voice messing things up.
Christmas is getting closer and I still have a few things to get and I have it all to wrap. I can't wait to get with family and see all the kids play and eat yummy holiday food.
Oh and several post back Jennifer commented on one of my posts. Jennifer are you still reading this? Jennifer was one of our favorite nurses while the boys were in the NICU, she took excellent care of them. Jennifer, I just wanted to let you know how nice it was to hear from you. I still think about all you guys, it's nice to know you haven't forgotten us either. Thank you for the NICU address I will be sending a Christmas Card. I've said this so many times but even though the Nurses in the NICU are just doing their jobs they really make a huge impact on so many lives. Thank you so much for taking such good care our our babies while in the hospital.
Here's a picture of Kolton taking his nap a few days ago. This was when he felt at his worse. He wanted to wear these gloves and he wore them all day.
While visiting Angie's I found a link to BooMama's blog. She's having a holiday tour and has evidently been doing it for several years. I though, how fun, I want to join in and so I am. Here's a tour of our decorated house this year.
This year we did not do outside lights. Having moved to our new house just this summer we are still a bit unorganized. Basically we don't have enough outside lights so we will have to wait until we can get some more next year or when they go on sale after Christmas. We still have a house on the market and I don't feel like buying more lights at this time is a necessity so it shall wait.
I did however put this pretty wreath up on the front door.
In side the front door and to your left is the formal dinning room, only we don't use it for that, we use it for a sitting room and the dogs sleep in there. Eventually, it will be a beautiful family room.
(here's one of the dogs now. This is Zeeo our 9 year old Great Dane. It's very cold out today and Zeeo hates the cold.)
BooMama asked that we share a snack with you so I'd like to offer you a peanut butter cookies. I found the recipe in one of my Parenting magazines.
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 egg
mix all together, form 1in balls, roll cookie ball in sugar, place on cookie sheet, smash cookie in criss cross pattern with fork. Bake 10 mins at 375. I skipped rolling them in sugar and instead placed a Hershey kiss on at the end.
As you leave you will see Santa sitting above the door.
I love Christmas and Santa is great but let us not forget the true meaning of Christmas. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(Sorry you can't read this and I don't have time to fix it at the moment but it reads:)
And you shall have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth
Luke 1:14
After I made my header for December I decided that I would make our Christmas cards this year as well.
Everyone's in the mail if I've forgotten anyone let me know and I'll send you one. And yes it does look very similar to my blog header.
I signed up for the Christmas Church Choir, we have had 2 practices so far. I always go into new things feeling insecure and unsure of my abilities but I trudge on knowing that in the end I will be glad I moved forward. With that said last night really tested those insecurities. We were placed in our respective groups, Men in men section, women divided up into alto's and soprano's, I can sing both but was put into the soprano's. I haven't sang in public or in a group setting for years. The first practice was good, no one really knew what was going or or what was expected.
The second practice was better until the person beside me got up and moved. She actually moved to another seat two rows behind me. Now, here is where my insecurities kick in. I admit I was listening to her to hear our part mostly because I was sitting in between her and the beginning of the alto's. I could hear both parts and wanted to make sure I was singing the right keys. And then she moved, leaving a seat empty between the lady next to her and me. After about 10 mins or so the lady on the other side of her voiced her concern that it was her that had made the lady move. Really, who knows why she moved. Maybe it was me, maybe it was the lady on her other side and maybe it was neither of us, but I was surprised at how quickly I assumed it was me.
I felt much like those American Idol contestants who just know they can sing and then are told quit frankly that they cannot only sing, but they sing horrible, the worst they have ever heard. And here's where I get a little confident. I know I can sing. It has been confirmed many times by credible sources. Not just my parents and friends, but a college establishment who gave me a scholarship for my first two years of college to sing in their college contemporary band. A college won't just give you money for their school and tell you to represent them if you can't sing.
So I will continue knowing I can sing but being insecure and unsure of myself right until the Christmas choir is over.
Last night while I was in Kolton's room with the boys playing I asked him if he was ready to sleep in a big boy bed. Usually he says no, but this time he said yes and went to the rail of his crib and said take it off. Karter also said he was ready too and joined his brother in the chant of "take this rail off".
Kolton's bed
Karter's bed
The boys didn't nap today. Kolton didn't nap yesterday either. Both Jimmy and I were tired today. The boys were overtired so they were super hyper and neither one acted as if their ears worked at times. Both went to timeout for opening the back door and running outside and then not minding me when I told them to get into the house. Jimmy normally says on Sunday's "hmm back to work on Monday" clearly not wanting to go, but today he said "back to work on Monday" said with a much more optimistic tone.
Every time I see the Polar Express I wonder why they made Tom Hanks charactor the Conductor so harsh at times. He speaks harshly to the kids. Why? What is the point in that, why isn't he all happy go lucky. Also Santa looks kinda scary at times. Especially, when he hands the bell back to the little boy, who's name escapes me at the time. Anyway I like my Santa's jolly, ya know, like the song says. Jolly ole Saint Nick.
Secondly, what is up with the whole Denny/Izzy thing on Gray's Anatomy. I don't really like that whole story line. Once again what's the point. I'm confused and why can she touch him much less uhh have sex with him. That's just weird. I really like the show but not liking that story line so much. I'll be glad when it's over. Oh and I'm not digging Torres being a lesbian all the sudden either.
Thirdly, why did they take Journey Man off? I loved that show it was much like Quantum Leap, which I also loved. However, the leading guy on journey man now plays Christina's boyfriend on Gray's Anatomy.
And this is totally off the subject of tv shows, but I just discovered these, the cherry cordial kind. They are delish and so not going to help me lose the weight. I did however get on the elliptical today and the day before yesterday.
It's that time again folks. Time to get your dance on.
You have a choice this year. You can watch us dance a country dance(top one) or you can watch us dance the Charlston(bottom one) these always make me laught. Enjoy!
"Karter don't wipe your nose on the couch"
"Kolton don't wipe your nose on my shirt"
Today on his way to work Jimmy called me and said he found a quarter sticking out of his CD player in his car. He then tried to put a CD in and it wouldn't go. He discovered that one of the boys has stuffed change in his CD player. We assume it happened this weekend when they were playing in the car as daddy cleaned the garage. So now he has to take the CD player out and get the change out.
This morning on my way to take a shower. Kolton came and was telling me something about the TV cable in our room. He had pulled on it and disconnected it not only from the wall but from the little thing that screws into the wall.
Then this evening before I cleaned the toys up. I was sitting on the couch and I noticed something in the fireplace keyhole. On closer inspection Jimmy found out it was a piece of cheese that the boys had just been eating. We were sitting right there and neither one of us saw them do it.
I've been in a blogger slump for the past week or so. I have some pictures that I need to go through that I have taken over the Thanksgiving holiday. I hope to do that tonight and maybe they will prompt me to have a decent post. Until then know we're here and fine.
Being that it's close to Thanksgiving and Christmas I have been busy. Too busy to update lately. I hosted Thanksgiving that was also a surprise birthday party for my mom at my house last night. It was nice to have the family all together.
While doing all my cooking I listened to Mark Driscoll a lot. I like his approach, it's straight to the point and he covers a lot of things that we have everyday questions to.
The other day while I was vacuuming the never ending crumbs from under the couch cushions, the boys figured out they could jump from one cushion to the next. They had such fun and played like this for 30 mins or more. My first reaction was not to let them do it because they might ruin the cushions. Then I remembered I was vacuuming food particles out from under them, I must not be too concerned about my cushions in the first place. So I decided to let them have at it.
When your husband gets on your computer and see what you are getting him for your anniversary and when you exclaim in excitement that you have the perfect gift picked out for him, he looks back at you and tells YOU what you are getting him. Yeah, takes the fun right out of it.
Jimmy is so, so hard to buy for. He literally has every single thing he ever wanted. We are blessed but he is a doodie head for ruining my surprise for him.
I should add, he doesn't care that he already knows what it is, but because I have never really been able to surprise him I thought I had pulled it off this time. Basically the excitement is for me, I love to give gifts that I know someone will love and watch them open it.
And I should also add that he has done this twice not once, but twice. Silly husbands!
While looking through yesterday's paper I found the Target toy book. As I was thumbing through Kolton saw this.
He started out saying "I want dis" then it moved to "I wanna ride dis". I tried to explain to him that it's in a book, that we don't have one. He just kept on insisting. He became more and more distressed and finally broke out into a fit. No amount of trying to explain was working he was just getting more worked up and saying over and over while pointing at the picture "I wanna ride dis". Jimmy tried to distract him and take the paper away that didn't work he got even more upset, somewhere in there the paper ripped a little and he came unglued. I ended up having to sit him in the time out chair for him to calm down.
That's the first time he has seen some sort of advertising and wanted it. I'm sure there will be more to come over the next years.
Notice the missing keys on the keyboard. Karter did this when he was a baby.
This boy loves him some electronics.
As a side note I hate that table cloth and the mismatched table and chairs. Alas, I am waiting until our old house sells before I spend any extra money. I'm just thankful I have a table to eat at.
Kolton and Karter don't like eggs, spaghetti, putting their clothes on, having their diapers changed(most of the time), Karter dosen't like to get in his car seat, he would rather try to climb to the front of the car and push, turn and spin every button in the car. Kolton does not like hamburgers.They also don't like boxed Kraft macaroni and cheese. I can't really get them to eat very many vegetables either. Oh and breakfast, I can't get either one of them to eat it.
