Happy New Year!

Are you overloaded with photos this week?  I think I've posted more photos related to my family this week then I have all year but with all of the fun celebrations, how can I not share? 

Yes, today, when you read this, it will be New Year's Day but I wanted to share our New Year's Eve Traditions and activities.

First up, today was a really nice day - it was fairly warm and the sun even peeked through the clouds.  The forecast on the horizon (Like for TODAY) is a pretty big storm coming in and bringing with it some arctic temps so we took advantage of the weather and headed outside to play take down the Christmas lights, roll up the hoses, clean out the truck and . . well. . play a little too!

 Even China the dog was enjoying the lack of snow and some play time outside.

 The boys enjoyed getting out all of their "trucks" and lining them up.

 The boys helping out Darryl put away the last of the summer things that hadn't been put away yet.

The boys begged to go for a ride in the stroller so once we were done working, we took a walk around the block and we were all cold by the time we got home!

We also played with some new toys - since we finished undecorating yesterday, I was able to put together Josh's last gift he got for Christmas.

 Papa and Nana got him this great art desk.  The best thing is that it has a light and discs that shine down on the paper so he can trace out shapes to draw and yes, he has already done it.  (Granted what he draws doesn't look like the shape but . . he's trying!)  Both boys love sitting on that little stool and drawing.  Nate also got a little desk that the boys enjoy too :-)

Then, one of the things on my wish list was a new Video Recorder.  The one we have had for about 3 years has given us some trouble including errors on disc's causing the loss of several months of video.  So, we did a little looking and then ran up to Walmart today to pick up this little cute thing:

It is so cute and small and it works like a dream!  The reviews were fantastic and it was on sale which made it perfect!  I'm so looking forward to taking more videos and even being able to share videos too! 

I don't have any other pictures of our evening but, we added a new tradition to our evening - Meatball Subs for dinner!  This happened quite by accident.  I had leftover frozen meatballs from a few weeks ago so I decided to try a recipe for Meatball subs.  Well, they were a hit so I've made a note to cook them next year for dinner :-)  After dinner, the kids pretty much begged for baths and bed (seriously, Nate was stripping off his clothes and trying to pull of his diaper saying "bath, please mama?" HA)  They went to bed and Darryl and I just relax.  We actually rented a movie  (a tradition from years past) but never watched it - we watched the Dick Clark Rocken' Eve Special instead.  We did have our typical snack fest though :-) 

We tend to be home bodies on New Year's Eve - when it doesn't fall on the weekend, Darryl has to work anyway (and I always did until I was able to stay home!) so he's usually pretty tired by the time 9:00 hits!!  We do stay up until Mid-night though :-) 

As far as plans on New Years Day - this year, we'll be watching football :-)  Otherwise, we'll just be low key. 

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year and I look forward to some wonderful things this year!  I will be posting my Theme word soon too!

Christmas Day 2011

Finally!  It's Christmas Day :-)  I know I've mentioned this before but both my dad and my brother, Ken, are pastor's.  Ken is the pastor of the church that I grew up in; My dad was the pastor there until he "retired" a few years ago and went part time.  So our Christmas day was broken up some by heading to church which was fine after all, what is the focus of the season anyway?  (With that said, lets keep it real . .. if they WEREN'T the pastor's, well, I think we would have went to the Christmas Eve Service and then enjoyed Christmas Day as a family - we aren't all together very often!) 

We got up that morning and my parents made breakfast - cinnamon rolls and Easy Ham Quiche.  It was super yummy.  After breakfast, we headed to church.   Once we got home (we had to wait FOREVER for my brother and my niece and her fiance to get there HA!) we headed to the basement to open gifts.  It was so much fun!  We decided to draw names this year for the adults and then everyone bought for the kids and for my parents.  We did set gift limits so it was fun to see how creative people could be!!  Once we had opened all of the gifts, we headed back upstairs for a great dinner.  My mom made Ham, Cheesy Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole, Corn and Caramel Apple Salad.  Plus my sister-in-law made some fantastic punch (which we are going to have on New Years Eve!) With all of that said, I'm going to post a punch of photos just to share our wonderful day :-)

The boys were showered with tons of great gifts.  They got some awesome Doug and Melissa trucks and toys.  Plus some great learning toys too.  Not to mention trains and trucks!  Nate got a Sing-a-ma-Jig and he LOVES it!  He'll bring it to me and say "Tummy Mom" because he wants me to make it sing!  They also got a Thomas the Train bath toy - they now ask to get in the bath and they play there forever.  It is so much fun to watch.  Of course, they also got loud toys because some of my sister-in-laws feel the need to give us loud toys - I don't mind at all though.  The louder the better :-) HA! 
Darryl and I didn't do too poorly either - I got a Kindle Touch as well as some great kitchen stuff and Darryl got a back pack and gift cards for a coat :-) 

Our original plan had been for Darryl to leave since he had to get up at 12:30 and head home while I stayed the night with the boys to enjoy the family but the boys had other plans.  By about 4:30 they were DONE!  Josh stood outside the my parents front door (yes, outside) and cried that he wanted to go home!!  They had had enough!!! I guess the late night on Christmas Eve, an early morning on Christmas after a rough night of sleeping somewhere strange, so many gifts and so many people just caught up with them.  So we loaded up and headed home; both boys were asleep before too long and went right to bed when we got home. 

Over all it was a fabulous Christmas - just a great time with family!!!

Weekly Menu - It's the start of New Year!

Can you believe that a new year is starting in just a few days?  How crazy is that??  I figure that there is nothing like starting off a new year right with planning the menu, right? 

Saturday:  Today is New Years Eve!  We are having Frozen Pizza for lunch.  Then, for dinner we are having Meatball Subs and chips.  Then, after the kids go to bed Darryl and I will have our New Years Eve snacks :-)  On the menu is Warm Bacon Dip, Shrimp Cocktail, Fruit Dip and Fruit (I'll share this recipe soon!), Inside-out Carrot Cake Cupcakes, and Lime Sherbet Punch. 

Sunday:  New Years Day!!  We are planning on a simple brunch of Eggs, Bacon, Toast and Cinnamon Rolls; Then for dinner we are planning on Beef Drips, and Fries

Monday:  Hot Dogs and Fries

Tuesday: Homemade Hamburger Helper (Mac and Cheese with Ground Hamburger), Twice Baked Potatoes, and Corn

Wednesday: Crock-Pot Parmesan Chicken (a new recipe - we'll see how it goes!), Roasted Cabbage (another new recipe!), Garlic Bread

Thursday: BBQ Chicken, Savory Rice, Peas, Rolls

Friday: Pork Loin, Orzo, Green Beans, Rolls

Enjoy! 

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve morning, we got up and packed up.  I had a goal of leaving by 9:00 . . .we were on the road by 9:30 which I will say was pretty good.  Trying to get 2 kids and 2 adults out the door by 9:00 is asking alot when you throw in packing and gathering food!! 

My poor parents.  Their sewer system backed up Saturday morning into the basement bathroom.  When we got to their house, Darryl headed to the basement to help my dad try to snake out the problem while the rest of us headed over to my brother's house for lunch.  The one thing on the plan for Saturday afternoon was taking family photos - due to the sewer issue (which did get resolved once the plumber showed up!) it pushed back from 2:00 until 4:00 but we still got them in!  Check out these great photos :-)

This is the whole clan - acting crazy which is what we do best HA! 

This is all of us for real :-) 

 My brother Ken and his family.

 My brother Kel and his family.

 My brother Jeff and his family.

 My brothers and I (and yes, they are all older!!).  They kept trying to do a serious picture but they are such goof balls that at least one of them would smile every time!

My parents with my brothers and I. 

 Josh with Nana

 After finishing up photos, we headed back to my parents house to watch the Lions game before the Christmas Eve Service. 

 After the service, we went back to my parents house for some snacks and fun.  My brother was a little tired - he's the pastor of the church and had to speak at the Christmas Eve Service.  :-)

 We had a contest for the snacks called "Who's the Biggest Dip".  Each family made their favorite dip (or dips) and my parents judged them all.  We were all STARVING and had to watch my parents snack away HA!

 And the biggest dip is . . .. my brother Kelly! HA!  The funny thing is the rest of us were working on our dips for like 30 minutes.  Kel walked in and threw his together in 5 minutes and still won!

 Here comes the judges!! 

 Micah trying to sway the judge :-)

 Breadon trying to get Grandma to make a decision!

It wasn't long after this that we divided and went to our "homes" (some of us at my parents and some at my brothers house).  Time to get ready for Christmas morning!!