Christmas 2007!

Christmas Eve we had a lot of fun with the Youngs. We spend the afternoon hanging out at their house eating and talking about family and traditions. We had a really yummy dinner thanks to Shannon and then we went to a Christmas Eve Methodist Church Service. It was mostly music which we loved! It was really nice to be able to show the kids how other people celebrate and a wonderful way to teach them about the true meaning of Christmas. After the church service we went back to the Youngs to help clean up the dinner mess and ended up staying for ice cream sundays. The kids got to exchange gifts and then we headed home to make cookies for Santa and the kids got to open their Christmas Pajamas & we talked about why we give and get presents on Christmas by explaining the 3 wisemen bringing gifts to baby jesus & then they went to bed watching The Christmas Story!.........

Because of the layout of our house we told the kids they were not allowed out of their rooms so if they needed us they needed to yell for us and we could come to them. 1:00 am Ali starts yelling for me(we were asleep which is the first time ever that we have been asleep by 1 on Christmas Eve)I went up to see what she needed and both of the kids had woken up and were ready to see if Santa had come.
Santa has not come yet I told them and after 15 minutes or so they went back to sleep.
Finally, 7:30 they woke up and yelled again. After I got the cameras ready and turned on our favorite Amy Grant Christmas CD, Brandon escorted them downstaris and the fun began!!!!! Santa left for Mitchie a bike and new golf clubs & Ali got an IPOD Nano and an American Girl Doll, they loved the Pool table from mom and dad and yes Mitch was still excited when he finally got to play on it. It was a great morning, thanks to all who sent gifts, we know it is a pain and costly as well, it is very much appreicated!!!
We finished off our day by making homemade pizza and eating ice crean and watch the new Santa Clause 3 movie that the kids got for Christmas. It was a wonderful day and fun to spend it together.

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

A bad decision!

Have you ever been so mad that you want to hit something? That is how I felt today! Brandon found a good deal on a pool table so we decided we would get it for the kids for Christmas. We had it delivered and set it up and then put up a door at the top of the stairs so that the kids could not go down to the basement. The door did not have a lock so I decided to buy a new door knob with a key lock. Well, after trying a few different doorknobs that would not work in the door I gave up and we just let the kids know the basement was off limits. Two weeks have gone by since we got the table and there have not even been any attempts by the kids to go downstairs until.......I left the kids home alone for 15 minutes this morning (I know, bad mom award)and while I was gone Mitch decided he needed to get an x-box game. He said he tried to go down with his eyes closed but they opened and he saw the pool table. UGGGGG !!! We have really been trying to teach the kids the difference between making right and wrong choices. But I don't think it's working because he obviously made the wrong choice by going downstairs and trying to get Ali to go with him (we still aren't sure if she actually went all the way down or not). The most frustrating part is that Christmas is only 2 days away. They went so long without going into the basement,, 2 days left they could have made it if it weren't for that darn x-box that he hasn't even played for the last 2 months and all of a sudden...!!!! Then of course I feel bad because I gave up on finding the right doorknob, if I would have just kept trying we would have found one that worked and this would not have happened!!UGGGG!!!I said to B, I guess it's really my fault because I should have found the right lock, and he said " "this is not your fault, we have been trying to teach Mitch about making right choices and he chose to something that he knew was not right. Brandon did thank Mitch for telling us the truth when we asked him if he went down and what he saw!
Hopefully, the kids will still be excited when they actually get to go downstairs Christmas Morning and play pool but until then, even though one of them knows what is down there, the basement is still off limits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A new week, a new PARTY!

Last night I went to a neighborhood Christmas party (for girls only) while the dads & kids hung out at another neighbors house (i found out later that my family never made it)! It was lot of fun eating,dancing,talking,exchanging gifts. Here are just a few pictures I took. I am not a very good photographer but you will get the point!

Charlies angels!

gift exchange!

Shannon,Pauline & Kate

Mandy,Shelley,Kandice,Stacee,Maureen

terrible picture but had to show the "BIG BOW"

(does it reimind you of anyone?)

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL THE GIRLS IN THE "HOOD"!!!

Our little Charlie Brown tree...

When the day after Thanksgiving comes around my kids are very ready for Christmas. They know that it is the day for putting up decorations and decorating the Christmas tree. Many years ago just after B and I were married my Aunt gave us an artificial tree that she had used for one year and then decided to buy a pre-lit tree. We have used the tree every year since then.

When they day after Thanksgiving came around this year, we got out the decorations and started on the tree and when we went to put on the top section it was broken. Brandon tried many times to fix it but just couldn't get it to stay together.

The kids were so anxious to decorate the tree that I finally took them to a little tree that I put in the corner (Brandon calls it the Charlie Brown tree) of the family room and let them decorate that one.


It looks like Brandon may have fixed the big tree last night but it is still leaning a little bit so until we get it to look right, we will have to do with the "Charlie Brown Tree".