Proud Parents of Eight

(January is taking it's toll on this blog. I just feel like doing nothing. Have you noticed? If you saw my house you would. I have not finished 2012 yet. I need to get it done so that I can finish our book for the year. So here goes.)

As soon as the party of Christmas and Brielle's birthday were over, we had one day to clean up and get it together before a new party started. Alan and Laura were off on a week long vacation in Hawaii and we got to have their four kids with us for three days. I was a little nervous about how this would all go, but I could tell in the first 5 minutes that all would be good. They are honestly the easiest kids I have ever come across. They were so happy and helpful with each other and just fun to have around. We had a great time. 

Our day of relaxing before the fun started again began with the Easy Cheese from our stockings. Of course.

And trying out the new umbrellas that Santa brought.

And playing the new games we got for Christmas. I love Headbanz.

Zachary playing Headbanz - "Ummm, you Ketchup!"

Finally! Chowing on all the hard, stale candy from the gingerbread house.

And playing on the new Ipad!

Then . . . . they arrived. The cousins - Connor, Abby, Andrew and Hannah. Our three days of fun started.

Connor showed Zachary just what boys are in to. Beyblades and iPhones. He already had the iPhone thing down.

While Kate showed Hannah just what she is in to.

We took all the kids to Classic Fun Center for skating, roller blading and riding scooters. It was the perfect thing for our group of eight kids. We were there for three hours! They just rode around and around and around. We ate pizza, drank root beer and had a great time. I managed the babies while Scott managed the kids on the floor.

Scott and his gaggle of children. What a man!

What a good time! Woot. Woot.

The next morning was breakfast for everyone followed by snow pants, gloves, hats, boots and sleds for everyone. They headed out to go sledding.

And then home to decorate all the snow in our front yard with the new snow art kit they got us for Christmas. You can tell by Andrew's picture just what jokes came out of "painting" the snow. 

To warm up, they all came back inside and got busy with Just Dance 4.

That evening it was time to get out of the house again so we went to see Ice Age 3 at the dollar theater while Scott took the babies to visit Grandma. You may notice Zachary's stylin' red skinny jeans. Funny story: I let him go to the bathroom with Connor and Andrew because he was so excited to go in the boy's bathroom with the "big boys". He walked out with soaking pants and yelling out to me, "Mom, I peed all over!" The "big boys" put him up to a urinal and turns out this boy hasn't quite figured that out yet. I was laughing and quite glad to find Ava's jeans still in the van.

On our last day together, the kinder watched a show while we packed them up and cleaned up. Then we were off again to Fat Cats for pizza and bowling.

A couple of people around us asked, "Are those all your kids?" Now I know how my parents felt.

The kids discussing their strategy.

The end. Good bye to our cousins. We sent them off with their other cousins. It sure was fun while it lasted!!!

Brielle's Birthday

Our Christmas party quickly turned to a Birthday party to celebrate Brielle's 7th birthday on December 25. She had been trying all day to be patient saying, "When do we do my birthday? When can I open birthday presents? Is it time for birthday cake yet?" Poor girl. She did get quite a party though with all of her cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents that are in town. Actually a very lucky girl, I would say.

We had everyone gather around to sing Happy Birthday and watch her blow out her candles on her big Christmas themed birthday cake.

Singing was followed by, you guessed it, more presents! This girl gets it all in one day. She opened presents from cousins, said good bye to all those cousins and grandparents and then opened presents from us. Landon, Sarah and kids had joined us for cake and presents too.

Dad, turn away. She got new earrings!

A carrier for her American Girl doll, which Evan and Dad say looks like a coffin.

Earlier that week Grandma and Grandpa Allred surprised her with what she had been wanting for her birthday the very most. A build-a-bear of Rudolph. Grandma Allred took her to Build-a-Bear a couple of years ago on her birthday to make Clarice (Rudolph's girlfriend) and she has been wanting Rudolph to make the pair complete ever since. We got a package in the mail and this girl was jumping up and down excited when she saw who was inside. 

The next day was Polar Express Christmas party at school. Brie won in her classroom for being the most dressed in pajamas (something like that - slippers, robe, pjs, etc.) She had talked to us about how some of her friends get to go out to lunch with their parents on their birthday, so along with her party, she also had mom and dad pick her up from school for a little lunch date to Wendy's. So fun.

After school the whole family went to the mall to, in Brielle's own words, "bring Rudolph to life".

Together at last - Clarice and Rudolph. The have had "dinner dates" together, had a romantic moment sitting together in front of the fireplace and spent a few nights together under the Christmas tree. Until I told them to "get a room" and now they live up on Brielle's bed. She is so happy with this present. Thank you Grandma!

Happy Birthday to our fun, energetic, friendly and happy seven year old girl. It is so hard to believe that she is as grown up as she is. Our lives changed forever that Christmas morning seven years ago. I couldn't be happier to have become her mother that day or love this baby girl any more. Happy Birthday Baby Brie!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas Eve

We had a Christmas Eve spent cleaning the house and getting ourselves ready for the next day's Christmas and Birthday celebrations. We were finally ready at about dinner time when Tawna showed up (after driving in a lot of snow) for our Christmas Eve dinner of ham, funeral potatoes, artichokes, rolls, raspberries and Martinellis. I looked at the meal and thought how I wished we had more people with us. Just then, Evan surprised us by walking through the door. They let him leave work early and he didn't die driving up through the snow. Miracle of miracles!!! Hooray.

Slicing our BIG ham. Oh, P.S. Scott made the whole dinner. So nice.

After our festive dinner, the kids got to open one present each and surprise, surprise . . . they got their Christmas pajamas. Yeah!! They looked so cute.

We tried our hardest to have an evening of reflection on the true meaning of Christmas. We wanted our kids to feel the spirit, to learn about Jesus Christ, to talk about his birth and life. We got a lot of dancing, running around and pretty much bouncing off of the walls excited while we read in the Bible and sang Christmas hymns.

We finally ended and let it go.

That meant it was time for egg nog and cookies and then off to bed to wait for Santa to come. There was a lot of excitement in the air.

Brielle's letter to Santa and his very sweet letter back. She left him shortbread, egg nog and carrots for the reindeer. 

We had some special elf helpers wrap up last minute presents, which thankfully meant Scott and I were in bed by about 11pm. A new record. Wahoo!!!

Christmas Morning

At about 4:30am Brielle and Ava came into our room giggling with excitement and asking if it was time to go see if Santa came yet. We tried to put them off, but they couldn't stand the anticipation. Scott took them down to have a peek and then they were able to go back to bed for a couple more hours. When we all came down, this is what we saw.

These were downstairs in the basement waiting for them. (Thank you DownEast and Jeni Hendrix! Only $30.)

Brielle has asked for an American Girl doll for three years now. She first got a Costco knock off, then a Cabbage Patch Kid and then finally this year Santa brought her the American Girl Doll she had been asking and hoping for. It looks just like her.

Ava and her Dream Lite.

New umbrellas!

Zachy was underwhelmed by the bike (no pedals) Santa brought, but overjoyed with a new Handy Manny book that he had been crying for ever since he saw it in the store.

Katers woke up late and was quite confused by all the chaos she found downstairs. It took her a minute to figure out this new ball bouncing toy. She thought it was nothing but fun once she woke up a bit though.

After the toys from Santa and checking out everything in their stockings, we turned to opening all of the presents under the tree. It was so very fun to watch our kids be so excited about it all. I felt very happy and so very blessed to be able to have such a nice Christmas for our family.

Tearing into the presents Grandma and Grandpa Allred sent. Thank you!

Cabbage Patch Kid doll that has the same brown eyes and straight blonde hair as Ava. Turns out that is very hard to find.

Matching nightgowns for Brie and her American Girl doll. 

Batman Cave for Zachary.

Um, she really does love walking around like a big girl with this new stroller, but not in this moment apparently.

New matching ties for Scott and Zachary. 

And possibly THE most exciting present received Christmas morning . . . . a Costco container of Nesquik for chocolate milk. From Ava to Zachary. He opened it and jumped two feet off of the ground fist pumping and cheering! Ava was so excited for him she was lifting him in the air and spinning him around! We love us some chocolate milk.

They went down to find their very own chairs.

And then . . . . the mayhem of the morning was over. We were left with this.

The mess didn't seem to bother these two. We sat for awhile reading the book my Dad wrote and published for us. It was such a loving gift.

Christmas morning was only made complete by Tawna making us Mom's Christmas quiche for breakfast. A few slices of that quiche and a full cup of egg nog to wash it down - nothing says Christmas more than that.

Waahoo!!! 

Christmas Afternoon

The fun of the morning was over and it was time to get ready to host the Buchanan Clan. We packed up all the presents into boxes and put them in our room. We picked up, cleaned up, showered, dressed, started preparing food, etc. At 1pm everyone arrived. We had what we called a "Super Bowl" spread of food laid out - ham, rolls, cheese, fruit bowl, veggie tray, teriyaki chicken wings, mini corn dogs, spinach artichoke dip, cherry jalepeno dip, chips and salsa, ceasar salad, clementines, clam chowder, etc.

Everyone ate and talked while the kids played with new Christmas presents. We then gathered to follow my Dad's program for acting out the nativity and played Christmas songs on the chimes.

A wide eyed Joseph. Don't know if he was overly excited or nervous. And don't bother Brielle, she was very in to her part as Mary.

Angels and shepherds - Ella, Clara, Connor, Ava and Annabelle.

Scott directing Jingle Bells on the chimes.

And then . . . the moment they had been waiting for . . . presents! We gave Brian and Rachel's kids HUGE kites.

And Laura and Alan gave us the sleds we had been wanting for snow sledding. Awesome! (That is some wrapping job by the way, Laura.)

Happy cousins!