Good-Bye 2012

We've had such a great final day in 2012.  We hadn't left the house for a few days so I asked Mike to plan something fun for us all to do and he chose bowling.  Nana Way came along and was at our house by 8:30am and we were on our way to the bowling alley.  You'd be surprised how many people are out bowling at that time.  It was so much fun!

 Nana Way beat us all and somehow I came in last.  Yes, Owen and Adam both beat me...pitiful.  I kept worrying that Adam would run up behind me and I'd hit him with my ball...I'll blame it on that:)

Owen and I spent more time working on his Lego ship and we're almost finished.  I'm a little addicted to Lego's.  It's very relaxing to search for the pieces and follow the directions.

We kept up with our tradition of cooking a big dinner for New Year's Eve.  We had steak, crab cakes, salmon, and I made this really good potato dish.  I got the recipe here.

Afterwards, we put on headlamps and went for a night hike on the snowy rail trail.  The boys were running and playing and loving life.  It was one of those moments that I want to freeze in my mind and always remember.

Afterwards we came home and put on jammies, played, and then snuggled on the couch and both boys got to pick a show to watch.

I loved our perfect little New Year's Eve.

Tomorrow we'll eat pork and saurkraut for good luck and try to mentally prepare ourselves to return to the real world of work, school, and day care.

I went back through my posts from 2012 and came up with some of our most memorable events from the year...
1.  Adam got his cast off
2.  Owen went skiing for the first time during our trip to Lake Arial with friends
3.  Owen played T-ball
4.  We went to Avalon and had a blast with friends
5.  Lala, Owen and I went to Mississippi to see Uncle Jesse get his naval aviator wings.  It was Owen's first time flying on an airplane.
6.  Adam was potty trained
7.  Lala, Owen and I went to New York.  It was Owen's first time!
8.  Owen started Kindergarten!
9.  Owen played soccer
10.  Mike went to China
11.  We went to St. John for Beth and Eric's wedding (Owen still asks to go back at least three times a week)

I really hate ending on an odd number, but I can't think of a 12th, so 11 it is. 

Happy New Year!!

Holiday vacation

We have been enjoying our time here at home together.  Playing games, doing puzzles, building with Legos, playing with new toys, building snowmen... staying in our PJ's for most of the day :)

Aunt Beth and Eric were visiting from Thursday until today so my boys have had loads of special play time with their aunt and uncle. 

Saturday night we celebrated Christmas at my parent's house with Beth and Eric.

 

It's hard to believe 2013 is just around the corner.  It's been almost four years since I started this little ol' blog.  So many exciting things are already planned for 2013... weddings, babies, and maybe a trip to Disney World?!  

Christmas Time

We had such a nice Christmas.  It's hard to believe it's already over.  As a kid, I remember feeling so sad Christmas night because all the fun was over.  Thankfully we still have this weekend to look forward to when Aunt Beth and Eric come home and we celebrate Christmas with them.

On Sunday, Ella got to ditch her afternoon nap to come over and bake cookies with Owen, Aunt Beth, and I.  It was so much fun :)


Yesterday I had the privilege of helping deliver gifts to children in the area.  It is a program that our church runs every year.  All the children had mothers in jail and the gifts were delivered on behalf of the moms.  The last house we went to was actually a former student of mine.  It was a wonderful experience and I hope to make it a family tradition once the boys are a little bit older.

Mike made a gingerbread train with the boys before I left to deliver the gifts.


 
Christmas Eve we went to church at 4:30.  When we walked out of church it was a winter wonderland!  Snow!!!!  We had a white Christmas.  There aren't too many of those in a lifetime- they definitely are special.

Then it was over to Uncle James and Aunt Phran's house.  It was nice seeing everyone... especially Beatrice.

 

 

Mike is making a funny face because that's normally how he looks when I take his picture.

Owen checking out Bea's tiny hands.

When we got home the boys got everything ready for Santa, but not before they ran around outside in the SNOW. 

 

Carrots for the reindeer, cookies for Santa, and Owen even sprinkled special reindeer food out his window onto the roof. While the boys were sleeping, Mike went out onto the roof and walked around so when the boys woke up the next morning they would see "Santa's" footprints.  Sadly, the snow melted and washed away his footprints. 

Owen was up at 5:30, but I made him wait to go downstairs until 6:30am.  Sam, our elf, left the boys a note saying "good bye" and reminding them to be on their best behavior ALL year, not just at Christmas.  Santa's footprints were on the brick too!  Adam was very impressed and amazed that the cookies and carrots we left out were all gone.  Owen looked at the footprints and said, "Looks like sugar to me."  Stinker.

After opening gifts here at our house and eating Nana Way's delicious cinnamon rolls. we went over to Papa and Finney's for gifts and lunch.  The boys are so lucky to be so loved and spoiled by all their grandparents.  After a yummy lunch we came home for naps.  Well, 1/4 of us napped.  Owen was too excited to nap.

During nap time Mike went over to spend time with Papa Doc.  He gave him a haircut, then his nurse gave him a shower, they played Christmas music and he ate some leftovers from Finney's lunch.  He said he felt like royalty.  Mike was able to convince him to come over to our house for a little while.

Right before our guests arrived, Maddie, Below, Uncle Boo and Aunt Judy stopped over to share some super exciting news.  Maddie and Below got engaged this morning.  We are so excited for them!! I bet during their college years, Mike and Below never thought they would marry cousins and be (semi) related one day.  

I love having all the kids over to our house.  They are loud, sweaty, messy, excited, and we have to remind them to stop running a million times until we give up and just let them run all over the place.  I know in a few years they will just sit like lumps in the basement watching TV or playing video games so I'm sure to enjoy every minute of it now.

I forgot to wipe Adam's face...oops! 

Round 2 of desserts.  Candy apples :)

We had a dance party and Sam and Adam were the stars of the show.  I took some priceless video that I'll have to post separately.

It was pretty low key and planned last minute, but sometimes those are the best kind of get-togethers.

And tonight once everyone left Owen said he was really happy and "felt so alive".  Adam said he loved having everyone to our house.  And that to me is a successful Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Not the best scan job, but it will do :)

Owenisms

It was just Owen and I in the car yesterday so we were able to have some deep conversations.  That boy is always thinking!  Here's some of the things he said...

"I'm starting to think there are more trees in this world than there are people.  What do you think mommy?"

"So, Santa delivers presents to every little boy and girl in the entire world?  How does he do that in one night?"  I brought of the whole time zone thing and he said, "I know about the time zones, but I just don't get how he goes to every single house in 24 hours."  This boy is a hair away from not believing and I'm doing everything I can to keep him hanging on :(

"Mommy, who was the first person that ever lived?"  I told him I wasn't exactly sure that there are a lot of different ideas.  He insists it was God.  Then he asked, "Is God the world?"  No lie.  He's so philosophical!

Mike and I call him a religious sponge.  The other night he was talking about Zachariah and Mike said, "I remember him from Sunday school... He was stuck in the tree."  Owen told him that he was wrong.  He said it was Zacchaeus that was stuck in the tree and Zachariah was made unable to talk because he said bad words.  Mike was sure HE was right so he looked it up Online and sure enough, Owen was correct. 

Heart ache

My heart aches so much for the families of the little ones and adults that died in Friday's school shooting. I just can't imagine.

I wanted to be at home with my boys all weekend.  They got an extra dose of hugs, kisses, and "I love yous".  I really struggled with whether or not to tell Owen about it.  We don't ever watch the news here at our house because we don't want the boys seeing/hearing all the awfulness that goes on in the world.  If he wasn't in Kindergarten I would not have said anything to him, but I'm afraid other kids might talk about it.  I didn't want him to hear about it from another student and feel scared about being at school.  So Mike and I talked to him about it very briefly. We told him something bad happened at a school really far away and people were hurt.  We told him someone that wasn't well in his head got into a school and did horrible things.  We also told him that his school is really safe and there's a police station right across the street so he has nothing to worry about.... I pray.  His response..."I would just run fast like a Ninja".  He thinks he has super powers and could take on the world right now. 

I went into school briefly today and it felt so eerie.  I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions and comments from my 2nd graders tomorrow.  It's such a shame.

Here's a picture of my two sweethearts before Sunday School today.  Adam was very excited to wear his reindeer sweater.

Proud

Adam was VERY proud of the Christmas tree ornament he made in Sunday School.  Mike went with him so I could go to church and he took this picture.  Adam loves "school".  As soon as we get to church he can hardly contain himself.  He tells everyone that passes that he's going to "school" and "I see my teacher".  He didn't even want to eat his donut because he was so excited to get to class.  He is really well-behaved too, which is a relief.  This little guy adds so much laughter to our family!

Breakfast with Santa

Our local police department has a breakfast with Santa every year.

 They offer breakfast, a gift for each child, they have a DJ, they had the balloon man this year, but most of all... the kids get to spend time with Santa!  It's completely free and many community members volunteer (like Aunt Judy:)

The boys were sooooo excited for this day!!  Adam couldn't WAIT to see Santa, but then got a little shy when it came time to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what he wanted for Christmas.  By the end he really warmed up to him.  Owen wants Ninjago guys and Adam wants a blue choo choo.  I think he's talking about the Little Blue Engine (that could), but I can't find it anywhere.

 
This is another holiday tradition that we look forward to each year!