More Christmas

Sunday we left and went down to do the Christmas round with all of my family. First stop, Grandpa John's (my stepdad). We got there, had a good dinner, and then all the adults left so Grandpa John could have some good one on one grandkid time. Really, we did it for his benefit! lol OK, really since it was our anniversary, we went out, but not alone. My older brother Allen and his family were in town, so we all had Caitlyn be our DD and drive us up to a small bar. We all had SOO much fun! Turner and Gavin took to each other like they'd been together every day for their whole lives! lol They are 1 year a part, and boy are they going to cause us trouble in the future. These boys get together, and you just see the mischief start to multiply. The kids had a blast and loved being around Grandpa John. And the next morning he got up with all the kids to let us sad sad bunch of adults try to recover. There were tequila shots, lots and lots of "to-kill-ya" shots...need I say more!

Such brotherly love!

Allen and Donny - my brotha from anotha mother..and father. Donny has been Allen's best friend since I can remember and he is just a part of the family by now.

Allen and Ashley

The cousins - Turner, Christopher, Mackenzie, Gavin

Dad and the kiddos - Cameron, Allen, Dad, me, Caitlyn

Don't they just look like trouble!

We finally got up and around and drove about 30 minutes to Moberly to see my dad and Grandma. Had lunch there and did Christmas. The kids always love their Grandpy, so of course that was good. Grandma is still getting around pretty good. She did tell me that she had a scare the other day when her blood pressure spiked super high and she had to be taken to the hospital. But they just gave her something to bring it down, don't know any other cause. She takes BP medicine on a daily basis, so scary that it would spike so high even on her meds. Grandma D has been such a huge part of my life. I take it for granted that she has just always been around, but I know that our time with her is limited. She is still on her own, and doing well though.

Then we left and drove another 30 minutes to my mom's. We had dinner there and did Christmas again. Nannan and Grandad were there too. Nannan seems to be doing well, but grandad isn't. Visibly he isn't doing well, and as Nannan said...he is slipping. It must be so hard to see someone who you have had around every day for almost your entire life start to fade. I'm sure it must take a lot out of Nannan to take care of him day to day. I pray that they will be ok. Otherwise the dinner was fabulous and we had a great time again.

All the kids, grandkids, in-laws - missing in action: Tyler (in jail right now for 30 days for probation violation) Uhhhh, never gets dull in our family!

Nana and her Grandbabies.

That is about all I got for ya. We are having a party tonight which is going to be a blast. Let's just say, jello shots, Rock Band, our cool neighbors - how could it not be!! Everyone have a fun and safe new year!

See ya Next Year!!

My Journal

OK, so the best part about this blog is that I have a journal of our lives captured here for years to come, so this post is going to be purely a "journal post". Just that normal stuff that I want to remember about our lives right now.

Jobs...these seem to be a big part of defining our lives at this time. Pfizer is still going good. Nothing that gets me excited, but it is still a steady constant and there is nothing wrong with that. They are a great company, I really enjoy the people I work with, and we are getting ready for some new stuff at the beginning of the year, and I always love a learning opportunity. NY&Co is still going good. I really enjoy doing retail - who would have thought. Aaron and I were talking about it last year and just how much I've changed - 5 years ago I would have hated this job. Guess I've just become more social and girlish in my old age! Last week I worked 5 days there, so it was a pretty busy week on top of my "normal" job and getting ready for Christmas, but.....wait for it, wait for it.....I'm now off for 3 day!!!! Can I get a Whoop Whoop! Ok, maybe I'm a little over excited, but Christmas day was the first day I've had off since Thanksgiving...but I'm on vacation at Pfizer now too so I have 3 whole days that I don't have to go to work! Aaron went on a ride-a-long with a company for a sales position last week, but was not impressed at all. Can you believe the guy went through McDonalds for lunch (ok that is fine), Aaron ordered a value meal, the guy a sandwich off the dollar menu -AND THEN ASKED AARON TO PAY FOR HIS LUNCH!!!! I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the job must not be paying so great if he is having to have a stranger buy his dollar lunch for him! lol So we turned that down. We are waiting for everyone at the college to return from their Christmas break (Jan 5) so that we can get more info on him going back to school. That is what we are really going to try to make happen. Even if Aaron does end up getting a job, he still plans to do school too. Things are still going really good with him being home with the kids. The last time he was home was when Mackenzie was a baby and he was in night school and I had just started at Pfizer and it did not go so well. So I've always been hesitant, but it is going good. Aaron really does a great job with the kids. Austin has been a trader, last week he cried for Aaron to take him to bed, BUT after that 1 day at home for Christmas, he is all back to be a momma's boy! Ha Ha

Christmas: Christmas morning the kids woke up about 7:45. The night before we read to the kids out of the Christmas book when we were putting them to bed. Mackenzie said "mom, can you even really believe that tomorrow is Christmas, I can't even stop thinking about it!" I love the magic of Christmas. And nothing is better than seeing it all through the eyes of a little child. Oh if I could just bottle that up and keep it forever. I sure hope she still has a couple years of believing left, but even when she gets her suspicions...mom will never admit anything different! They had such a great time opening gifts. Turner kept wanting us to undo each toy that he got. His favorites: his train table, Splinter, T-Rex, foam disk gun, and his Hungry Hungry Hippos - oh yes, we did it. But doesn't every child have to experience Hungry Hungry Hippos - and doesn't every parent have to endure it! Actually I'm not sure who was having more fun playing it, the kids, or Aaron and Cameron! Which reminds me, both Uncle Cameron and Aunt Caitlyn were with us Christmas morning - AND they were both up here with us for all the morning fun. Mackenzie loved all of her stuff to. Right now she is playing with her Barbie stuff. But I think her favorite thing right now is her Leap Frog Word Launch that she can hook up to the TV. She is loving exploring how to make words - and is getting better every day with reading. (STILL don't have my head wrapped around that yet!). And she loves her swimming puppy dog - so glad that Santa was able to hunt it down. Now he did not get her her bible, but she didn't put that on her list until Christmas morning, so Santa must have already left the North Pole to start delivering presents before he got the request. So I'm thinking that may be a birthday gift. She was so sweet...I have to admit, I do get caught up in the Santa portion of Christmas a little more than I should, but leave it to Mackenzie to bring it all back to the true meaning - when we sat down for breakfast she wanted to make sure we all thanked Baby Jesus! Austin loved just going around to everyone else's presents. He liked the paper and thankfully wasn't trying to eat any of it, just tearing and scrunching. I made an awesome (if I must say so myself) breakfast of egg casserole and monkey bread - both of which turned out perfectly! We all sat down together and ate - Christmas morning breakfast is kind of becoming a tradition around here.

I can't believe that Austin's birthday is so soon. He now has 7 teeth, has for a while. Yesterday he really took off walking and is making it across the room at times, wobbly still, but he just takes off on his own. He has been talking up a storm, sure it is all in baby talk, but he loves to talk. Aaron can get him to wave his finger and say "no no no". Which reminds me, the other day I asked Mackenzie what she was going to name her swimming puppy, and she decided on naming him "No No" since that is what she is always having to say to him anyways! I told her maybe I should have just named her that then! lol I LOVE to hear what kids are naming things - I think it is so telling to what the scope of their world is and what is important to them.

And for the big deal.....today is mine and Aaron's 6 year anniversary. Last night we just hung out together and drank by ourselves after the kids went to bed and just talked and talked. It is so nice that we can still have so much fine all by ourselves. I mean, we were laughing and just being silly. It was a nice reminder that I did marry my best friend. We have had such a wonderful life together. I think the next 6 years will be very different from the last. We will be entering a new phase in our lives. We talked last night about where we both are on having more kids, and neither of us wants another right now. We are jsut very content with our lives and our children. I think this is the first time in my life since I was like 16 that I haven't been thinking about when I would be getting pregnant and having a baby. But the idea isn't locked out, the doors are just shut right now. I think that we may end up having more kids in a non-traditional way - not necessarily adoption, but I could just see us helping kids that need a good family around. And who knows, maybe we would be one of those crazy people that decides on more kids in 10 years! Basically - we don't have a plan, haven't shut any door permenantly, and are open for whatever life brings us. I wouldn't do a single thing in our past differently, we've followed our hearts and things have worked out beautifully, so I think we'll just keep on trusting ourselves.
I'm getting summoned by Mackenzie to start making daddy is breakfast so we can go wake him up, so I'd better go for now....

6 years ago

was it really only 6 years ago that I was asleep in my hotel room waiting for my wedding day....and now we have had 2 house, 3 cars, 3 kids, 2 roomates, 4 jobs later, and here we are. Time flies when you are having fun. 1 phrase sums it all up..."I'd do it all over again!".

Santa, a Ninja, and Hanna Montana came to visit!!

I'll have to come back and add some more text. We've been fighting our internet all day so I haven't had time to post and now it is time for me to go to work. But here are some pictures to hold you over. We had a wonderful Christmas. The kids must have been VERY good because Santa sure did drop off a lot of stuff.

Mackenzie making cookies last Tuesday. This was a batch she made all by herself. This was her first time getting to hold the mixer all by herself - she felt so grown up!!

Christmas Eve - maybe it was the cookies that got Santa to leave so many presents!!!

Christmas morning in front of all the loot - can you tell momma hadn't had her coffee yet. Daddy must have realized by now that is a deadly combintation because I got a coffee maker!

There are no words for this picture!!

Turner and his BIG T-Rex (aka Sharp tooth...ROOOAAARRRR)

Mackenzie will be all ready for baking next year! This goes with her Easy Bake Oven...

The kids with all their loot...hopefully Santa won't get ALL the credit.

Future Santa????? Isn't this just soo adorable. My baby's first Christmas!

"Mom, Santa forgot a few cookies, don't worry I'll finish them off!" Caught in the act while everyone else was focused on presents.

A Ninja swept through - that must have been who made this mess!

Austin riding his Zebra (mommy's $5 garage sale find from this summer!)

And Hanna Montana stopped by to strut her stuff.

Christmas Letter

If you click on the images, it will open them bigger so you can read.

Just a short post today. I'm exhausted. Left the house yesterday at 6am, didn't get home until 10 pm. long day, no kids, not much husband.....I'm ready to go home, lay down on the floor and just let the kids climb all over me. I need to feel them, touch them, hear them, kiss them, hug them....

But I did get to see them all this morning, make them breakfast and take Mackenzie to her Christmas Party at school. Here is a pic of Me and my Baby Girl.

So I've always thought that Austin looked just like Aaron, but after another look, I think he does take after his momma!

When i take picture like these, I totally think of how they will look on a big screen at his high school sports award banquet or wedding video. I know, I'm such a mean mommy! lol Better be nice to your momma kids, I've got some dirt on you!!!

This is a picture of Turner yesterday when I got home. Austin's pants, Mackenzie's mittens, and 1 sock - I guess I don't have to remind everyone that they are home with daddy during the day! lol

And this is a picture I took of Turner last night in the bath - this is such a classic Turner face - see the sweet mischievous look there?!

And for the Grand Finale for this post......Drum Roll Please......Look Who's WALKING!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com