Middle child syndrome...

I fully intended to share Hannah's Christmas artwork when I posted yesterday but then totally forgot. Pretty typical middle child stuff... always getting overlooked. Sorry Hannah... here is her masterpiece. She couldn't remember if Santa had hair or not! tee hee!

Two down... one to go!

It's been far too long! We have been super busy with all of the Christmas festivities as most of you have I'm sure!

Our celebrations started Christmas Eve with the six of us opening gifts! It was super fun! It is a blast to watch your kids get so excited, wouldn't you agree? Then Christmas morning the kids all emptied their stockings of goodies and trinkets. We don't do Santa here but we do try to have surprises for them on Christmas morning... isn't that the most fun of Santa anyway, the surprise?

We got Marlie a Fashion Studio kit... it is WAY cool! Too bad no one here knows how to sew! tee hee! I did talk to my grandma, though, and she is willing to give Marlie lessons! Whew. Here are some pictures of the inspiration behind our gift... Marlie LOVES to draw fashion. I wouldn't be surprised if she continues with the passion... IF she learns how to sew! And there are many more of these scattered around the house!
One of Hannah's fave gifts was her frog growing kit! It is so fitting that girl. She would grow ANYTHING if we let her! Now we are just waiting for our live tadpoles in the mail! My mom also got her a stuffed snow leopard that she has to take care of. That's been a big hit so far!

Dani was quite content with the Diamond Castle Barbie horse that my parents got her! It was "just what I wanted"!!!!!! Too cute! She's been telling everyone she sees... the nursery ladies, ladies at church, Mr. Don from King Soopers... if she made eye contact, they KNOW about her sparkling Diamond Castle horse!

And Tyler? Well, he was just happy as a little clam with the MANY toy cars and trucks that he's gotten so far!

Keven was technically working on Christmas day but was able to be home until the kids went to bed that night! The people that are contracted with the rig and such were all off so as long as things were going smoothly at the rig, he was home! That was so nice and unexpected.

Then on Saturday we went to my Aunt and Uncle's house in Sterling for a celebration with my side of the family. Keven did have to work that day but it was still really fun. It's always nice to see family that you haven't seen for a while! When you see the picture of Tyler and Kylie, keep in mind it was RIGHT before he smacked her the first time. Yes, the first time! The second time he had her under a table and repeatedly slapped her on the face while she was laying down! Don't know what that was all about! I think maybe he didn't want her all up in his business but sheesh boy! And, his fave part of the day was an Elmo that my aunt had in her toy box. He discovered it at the end of the day and loved it so much that she sent it home with him. He is still sleeping with it! We took out the "tickle me" box though! This is not our first time around this parenting block!

We are off again this coming Saturday for our celebration with Keven's family! I'll post again then!

Local Griswalds and other misc....

Hi all!

I thought I would post a couple of pics and videos from the past few days!

First is the way I found Tyler when I went in to check on him at naptime yesterday. He was obviously much more tired than I realized! He was OUT!



And, tonight we went to see "The Greeley Griswalds". It is a home famous in Greeley for it's Christmas light display that is set to music. All you have to do is go there and set your car radio to the station posted in the yard. And what a show it is. There were several cars there so we didn't stay real long but it was fun. The owner/display dude came to our Suburban and handed out candy canes to the kids. He said this is only the second year that he has set the display to music. So cool!

My FAVE Christmas song!

This is my absolute favorite Christmas song. My sweet friend Robyn posted another video of this song on her blog this morning and so I decided to share with all of you too! This version is by Kutless... they are a "harder" Christian band that I enjoy! I think they do a great job!

Whenever I hear this song I wonder what it was like for Mary. I mean, besides wondering what it must've been like raising a sinless Son... I know ALL of you moms have wondered that, right? But, was she privy to some of His knowledge as God in human flesh? Was He limited in His own knowledge of His future crucifixion until, in His humanness, He was ready for it? I know Mary knew He was the Messiah and Savior of humankind, but did she also expect Him to reign as King in that time as the rest of the Jews did? Or did she somehow know the true path that He had to take to provide our salvation? Did she worry when He fell and skinned His knee or did she not because He was God for heaven's sake? Did He get excited about losing His first tooth, when He fashioned His very first carpentry masterpiece on His own, or when He saw His newborn siblings for the first time? Surely He did all of those things as He was fully human and can sympathize with our every emotion according to Hebrews. So many questions only to be answered in heaven! What a wonderous place that will be! And, only because He was first born... and all to die as the sinless sacrifice for you and me! Thank you Jesus!!!!!!

What a difference that little "y" makes!

Are you saying to yourself..."Huh?" Girls have the "xx" chromosome and boys have the "xy", right? I am still amazed at the vast differences between girls and boys. Tyler is so stinkin' much fun! He is at a fun age anyway, but the fact that he is a boy after three girls makes all that much more fun! I think God waited to give me an energetic, "all boy" last for a very good reason! I appreciate his differences more than if he were our firstborn I think.

Anyway, the child is naturally drawn to boy things. If he goes in the playroom, which is full to the brim with girly toys, he will pick out the only two cars (which are Barbie-involved somehow) and bring them out into the family room to drive around the uncluttered floor. He loves to stack and build too. He has small wooden blocks that he will just stack and stack for what seems like forever. And some big, plastic lego-like blocks are his fave too.

Well, he just started getting really excited the higher and higher that he can stack the blocks. And he is just as emphatic when his creations fall! Here are a few videos of the event.









I LOVE that boy!

Ornaments & Gingerbread

Today I did a couple of quick but fun things with my kiddos! Mom sent us some ornaments to make in one of her recent packages so we got to put those together. Tyler's was pre-made... thanks Mom! And, the other day a gingerbread train kit caught my eye at the grocery store and I just couldn't resist. We had fun! Oh, and Hannah's class made little gingerbread houses out of their empty milk cartons and grahams crackers. Too cute!

My son made this endeavor a smidge difficult in that he whined about not being able to participate! He quickly made himself busy reaching on his very tippy toes to reach a bowl of candy and dump it, scoot a chair from the dining room to the kitchen counter to try and get into some other candy we have left over from something, and then scooting the same chair to another part of the counter to open the silverware drawer, take all of the utensils out and onto the counter and bang and clang them. It's amazing how much more relaxed a mother will get with time. I just let him be and he had a ball!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Tonight, my neighbor Tara and I (well former neighbor - boo hoo), had our very first neighborhood birthday party for Jesus. I thought of the idea last year but it was too close to Christmas to plan anything. So, you know me, I marked my then new 2008 planner right then and there to start planning early. Thankfully, Tara agreed to help! Thanks Tara! And, the best part is that we thought to use the HOA clubhouse so neither of our houses got trashed! Smart mamas we are! ;)

We started out with a really cute book called "The Light of Christmas" which I would highly recommend. It takes you through the story of Jesus from when God made the world, to the fall, to Jesus' birth, Jesus' ministry and His resurrection. And, it's a picture book that is interesting. Very good! Then we stuck nativity stickers on a manger background, Tara went through the "colors of salvation" with them as they assembled their own color booklets, and we ended with birthday cake and ice cream! It was really quite fun and we hope to make it an annual tradition and pray that even more unchurched kids will be able to come!

Christmas Celebration

Last night, the girls were in their very first school Christmas program. Can I just say again how much we love their school... that they can proclaim the name of Jesus there proudly! We are so thankful.

The theme of the program was a Christmas County Spelling Bee and the spelling words were all of the names of Jesus. Too cute!

Marlie & Hannah before the program with their contestant numbers on!

Hannah with some of her classmates waiting to start.

Hannah's teacher, Mrs. Anderson, using one of her many ingenius tricks to get the kids to settle down!

And, of course I have to add videos. Please bear with me as I include ALL of them for the sake of distant grandparents! ;) In the first two Hannah is smack dab in the middle and Marlie is above her head kinda behind the microphone stand.

Merry Tossmas!

A friend of mine shared this on her blog and I just couldn't resist! Enjoy!

Decorating fun!

Since Keven went back to work on Thursday and we had no plans until Saturday, the kids and I decorated for Christmas! It was fun (although a little stressful!) and turned out cute! Now if I could only get my husband in the spirit to decorate! You think after ten years it will ever happen? ;)

Fun at Chuck E. Cheese

The kids didn't have school last Wednesday and it was Keven's last day off before going back to work for a week so we thought it would be fun to do something as a family. We thought of a couple of fun places that we've never been to but one was closed on Wednesdays and the other was closed until January so... we were left with the good ole standby... Chuck E. Cheese. It was fun because we met Keven's brother Dave and his wife and two kids. What was even more fun was teasing the kids on the way and telling them we were going to another place to eat, one they don't care for. When we got the Chuck E. Cheese, there was a tool store next door so Keven told the girls we had to stop in and get some tools for the rig real fast. He went to the door to Chuck E. Cheese and said, "Is this the right door?" Hannah, just looked at him and turned around saying "Nope this is Chuck E. Cheese!". So funny! They had a ball!

And of course, Tyler had to get his groove on!





Fun times!