Christmas at Our House

Shane's brother Steve and his family came from Florida for Christmas this year. The kids had a BLAST...did I say the kids had fun? I mean a BLAST!! Stevie is 4 just like Chase and Aidan is 8, just old enough to tolerate and enjoy Gabe!! ;) Stevie and Chase immediately took off and were joined at the hip the entire time! The first few days were yucky cold and wet, so we were confined to the house until the kids went to a bounce house place while Landis (my SIL) and I made Chex Mix! (which was supposed to be given to friends and neighbors, but we ate it all!) We all went to Christmas Eve candlelight service and then to Pappasito's for dinner. (a restaurant that every major event has been celebrated at in most of our lives) We heated the hot tub on Christmas day, cranked the Christmas music on the patio and let the kids swim! (We adults hit the hot tub later that night!) The weather cleared up and we LIVED outside. Kids played street hockey with their new gear, rode bikes, drove remote control trucks and rode scooters. It was a great time and sad when we had to say goodbye. Kids are bored now!! :)

Aidan's 8th Birthday

My niece was in town for Christmas and her bday is Dec 22nd, so I took her to get a mani/pedi! She kept saying "this is the life!" They learn fast! ;)

 

 

 

 

Gabe's Christmas Party

Gabe had his "Winter Party" aka Christmas party at school with 5 fun stations, making reindeer food, decorating a cookie, christmas bingo, making christmas cards and making an ornament!



Gabe making a Christmas Card.


Gabe eating his decorated cookie


Gabe with me at the ornament station.



Gabe making reindeer food

Pajama Day at School

Gabe got to wear his LEGO Star Wars pajamas with his robe as a jacket to school! He didn't want to fix his hair either because "you know you dont fix your hair when you are in your pajamas!" What was I thinking?

 

 

 

 

Chase's Christmas Program

 

 

Chase had a part in his Christmas program that we all know so well due to his excessive practicing, "Look in the sky, there's a star!" that he said BEAUTIFULLY! ;)

Santa's Village

Santa's Village is a group of about 12 mini-houses (sheds turned into mini homes) that are turned into a village, there was Santa's house where the kids sat on Santa's lap, Mrs. Claus' bakery where she handed them a cookie, The North Pole Fire Station, where they could dress up like a fireman, and lots of others. It is really a neat place. Santa also is brought in on a firetruck with sirens blaring!! Pretty cool! We went with some good friends Jaime and Jared, and their kids Jenna and Jonah.

 

Gabe, Jonah and Chase climbing on the nutcracker that almost tipped over...hey! they were quiet!! ;)

 

The kids waiting impatiently in line to see Santa.

 

Jenna and Chase looking through the window of Santa's house. Seriously, these two were seperated at birth!

 

Breakfast with Santa

 

 

 

Gabe's school had a breakfast with Santa where all the dads show up and make pancakes and Santa comes. Grandma Wanda and Nana came too! Gabe got to eat with all his friends and Chase even saw some of his buddies! In the gym there was also a store set up for the kids to shop for their family. Elf Land had tons of gifts for the kids to buy. Gabe was SOO excited to shop. We gave him some money and he shopped away. He came out with a gift for everyone wrapped with a gift tag. He then went over it step by step adding at the end that he "felt cheer shopping." Now he understands why I like to shop!! The funniest thing too! Chase went and sat on Santa's lap and Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas, he looked at him and said "I told you last week in Atlanta!!!" Santa recovered well asking Chase to remind him again!! :)