6 days of Christmas

This year we had a full week of christmas celebrations with each of our different family groups...we were a bit anxious about how the kids would hold up through so many get-togethers and travels but they did great!-thank you God! on the way home from the last day Will asked me "what kind of exciting things are going to happen tomorrow??" i said "nothing" and began to prepare myself for the let-down. :)

Day 1- Celebrations with my sis and brother-in law at mom's house

3 little cousins

 

 

Day 2- Celebrations with Andrew's immediate family

 

 

 

this is our "sock" picture- each year we all get a new pair of smart wools and then try to see if we and all of our feet can make it in the picture!

 

silly madeline and her new reindeer

Day 3- Celebration with my Dad at our house

 

Day 4 (Christmas eve) Celebration with mom and Rex

 

 

Will made the announcement that he plans on becoming a knight when he grows up AND he informed us that dad will stop flying and also become a knight when he grows up.

Day 5- Christmas Day - at home and then Celebrating with A's extended family

 

Day 6- Celebration in Sterling with my extended family- Andrew had to fly out on the afternoon of the 25th so the kids and i went by on our own. thankfully, my brother decided to ride with us. he was great at fetching pacifiers, sippy cups and bunnies during the car ride!

*pictures to come

nana time

Annual Ginger Bread House construction with Nana

 wonder why he loves this tradition so much? 1) the craft involves tons of candy and 2)he's making it with nana who first buys him a happy meal for lunch and then doesn't mind if he eats the building materials before they go on the house

Will with his candy of choice

cuties

I promise that we think Will is wonderful and super cute and really does get lots of attention around here but recently the girls have just been extra cute and therefore have more camera time! ;)  jk

 

 

taking a little winter walk over to aunt "dee-dee's" (my sis's) house

this pic just cracks me up. this is exactly how i found sophie the other day. she had brought her blanket downstairs, put Will's slippers on and flopped herself down on the ground to read a Shrek book of all things...

pigtails!

we put the girls' hair into pigtails today for the first time. and somehow those pigtails gave the girls such a mischievous air. i took a ton of pictures so had to share several with ya all. :)

 

yikes Madeline!!   :)

 

we thought sophie's pigtails made her look quite grown-up ;)

 

poor will- ha!

 

oh never mind, he's crazy too

 

birthday party with the monahan fam

Here are a few pictures from my Grandma's bday celebration in denver last week!

 

Aunt susan , Grandma and Rex

  

 Aunt melissa and my cousin Tess!

 

 cute boys

 

sophie and i

 

and Madelinny- as i like to call her

thanksgiving time

This was our first Thanksgiving with Cailan and Josh since they've been married...i think. It's definitely been a LONG time, either way! :) We had a nice, crazy, kid-filled afternoon.

 

3 Cooks in the kitchen

1 cute little brother Rex!

 

2 sisters taking pictures instead of helping the head chef......

2 boys escaping the chaos indoors while waiting for dinner to be served

 

uncle josh with 3 clingy children on the couch.

6 adults and 6 kids having a great time!

Here's a picture of the some of the thanksgiving preschool activities we did this month. His favorite by far was the turkey with the "thankful feathers" we added each day. Here are a few of Will's contributions:

"I am thankful for Madeline and sophie and for pears, apples, blueberries and strawberries."

" I am thankful that my slippers can move around on the wood floor"

" I am thankful for my two playmobile guys, and my dinosaur playmobiles, T.rex, 'bone guys' (ie fossils), volcano and map AND triceratops."

"I am thankful that mommy went shopping and the girls went to quiet time so daddy and i could play together today"

"I am thankful because we don't have to sleep in the coldness"

pictures

We finally got some family photos taken last week! Getting 5 people coordinated AND happy at the same time was quite an effort but worth it. :) Here are a few of the results-( i saved back our favorite family shot for our Christmas picture!) :)