Our Christmas

I have to start with Christmas Eve evening.  We came home from Pauli Christmas at about 8:30 and both kids stayed awake on the way home.  We prepared the cookies and milk for Santa and the carrots for the reindeer.  The carrots for the reindeer are a little bit of a joke because last year we have a video of Elizabeth putting the carrots out and she would say "that's enough" and then add a few more.  She did this several times until the bag of carrots was gone!  This year daddy suggested that maybe we only leave a few cookies and carrots since Santa and the reindeer probably get a lot of food from other houses too!  She seemed to agree and only two carrots were set out. 

Next is daddy's traditional reading of The Night Before Christmas.

Grant really enjoyed the story! Haha - he made musical background noise!

We tucked them into bed and told them Santa wouldn't come until they feel asleep.  Then we tucked them into bed again and again!! I can't until the day they insist on sleeping by the tree to wait for Santa, like my bro and I used to do ;)  About an hour an a half later they were both sound asleep.  As Brandon and I were turning in ourselves he says, "So what do we do if she wakes up at 4 am?"  I jokingly respond, "The kids are exhausted, they will sleep until 7!"  (JINX )  5 o'clock am we hear our door knob turn, "Mommy can I see if Santa came?" Well sure, it's Christmas!  Brandon and roll out of bed, cameras in hand to capture these precious early morning Christmas moments.  We walk downstairs for her to find that Santa brought her the McDonald's Drive-Thru that she had asked for! 
 
We then got her a cup of milk and told her we were going back to bed!!  She piled in between us.  I think Brandon did manage to fall back asleep.  Elizabeth and I chatted and tossed and turned for the next two hours until Grant woke up.  Then we did it all over again with him.  Santa brought him a work bench. 

He was more interested in the drive-thru, until Elizabeth started playing with the work bench and then he decided he liked that too!!

We opened stockings and rest of the presents.  Grant is particularly fond of his new power drill that came with his work bench! Elizabeth's ornament this year was a Hello Kitty figurine and Grant's was a pretzel, to represent his love of food!  Brandon got a hamburger ornament...I couldn't find a Camaro.

Elizabeth got a new bike

Jack got a special treat that Elizabeth picked out with Pops

The kids got new Crocs

My mom took Elizabeth to the mall to do "Secret Santa" shopping.  She shopped for Brandon, me, Grant, Ima and Pops.  We all received some lovely, very thoughtful gifts. She got me matching mother/daughter bracelets.  Brandon got a Bears blimp that hangs with a suction cup.  Grant got a monkey key chain and a red monster truck.  She asked the next day if Grant ever said thank you for his key chain!! Ima and Pop's gifts are pictured below:

Pops is "Gone Fishing"

Ima has a beautiful butterfly necklace

I took a risk and made a new french toast casserole for breakfast.  It was a Pioneer Woman recipe and it turned out really good.  My parent's joined us for breakfast and had brought the kids new Harley Davidson t-shirts.

Mimi surprised the kids with outfits for the new drive-thru that she thought Santa might be bringing.  She actually made them from scratch!!

"Would you like fries with that?"

A few things that I learned from Christmas this year.  First, I really need to shower and get ready before we start the day (well that is if the kids can make it past 5 am!). Because as I get older it is becoming harder to pull off the "au natural" look!  Second, I guess I need to lay out clothes for B otherwise you get an old softball t-shirt with "I'd Hit That" in all of your xmas pictures!! Haha

The kids were able to play with their toys and take good naps before we headed over to the Schoch family Xmas.  It was nice to have the morning to just relax and enjoy! 

Pauli Christmas

Grant Ryan

Lizzie B

Stella Bella

Let me just start by saying it took all I had not to title this post, "Alison Finds the Pickle!" This really was the hi-light of Christmas!  More about the pickle later. The kids received lots of wonderful gifts.  Grant has a new gas station and grill and Elizabeth has a new take along playhouse and a Minnie Mouse with snap on clothes! Grant got a Woody doll too and we told him he would have to keep it forever! We took all day to open gifts and it was just fun to sit back and watch the kids play.

Mimi and Elizabeth with her new playhouse

This was the only way we could Grant in the picture!

"I'm not sure I want to sit in this chair with you!"

The kids thought it was hilarious to act like they were filling up their ears with gas at Grant's new Gas Station!

Now for the traditional Pauli Pickle hunt.  As the tradition goes, a pickle ornament is hid on the tree and the child that finds it get an extra present.  They have a large pickle, a tiny pickle (the one hid for big kids) and a special Hallmark talking pickle for the grand-kids.  Amber usually finds the pickle and if she doesn't Brandon does.  Brian and I have never found the pickle...until this year! After a few restarts (Kenny wasn't watching, Amber spilled a drink, the lights went out on the tree, Elizabeth's new camcorder kept powering down and she insisted on us pausing, although we didn't!) and over eight minutes of four adults looking for a small ceramic green pickle, I found it in the back of a felt gingerbread man!  It was quite the victory.  Then the little ones were up.  We took them into the other room and gave them their pep talk.  "It's go time! We have been training all year for this.  Go find the pickle!" Come to find out, some had been practicing more than others - like Amber bought the Hallmark pickle for practicing purposes!  Well, her efforts didn't really pay off as Stella sat on her lap and cried the whole time.  I suggested that perhaps we should take a break, but a moment later a little blonde from behind the tree shouted, "I found the pickle!" Good times, good times!!

The kids surprised us with stepping stones they had made while we were on vacation.

Hey? Is he smiling? Stella, where are your pants?!

Grandma Louise's Chrismtas

Dressed in her Christmas stripes!

Dressed in his Christmas argyle!

It was so wonderful that we could all be together! The kids had so much fun playing together and this night kicks off the beginning of going to bed late and learning to sleep in!

We do a gift exchange and Brandon, for the past few years, has brought a holiday "spirits" gift pack.  This year a few others had the same idea and I think there were five bottles of various alcohols to swap! I took the "Skookie" (not to be confused with Snookie) which is a set of skillets to make chocolate chip monster skillet cookies - like the kind you get at Cheddars and Alexanders - yummy! I stole my own gift and brought it home.  I am thinking we may try it out for our own special New Years Eve celebration.

The kids got a lot of really nice gifts (walking baby dolls, Little Tikes Trike).  I think the rest of the evening is best told in pictures.

Elizabeth holding baby Kaidence

That's cute...but Grant's missing

Where did Stella go?

There she is!! What a great pic of the Great Grand-kids!

Well that was fun - let's get Grandma with the kids now!

Where did Grant go?

Grant and Stella are not into this picture thing!

Elizabeth: "Grandma, forget the picture, just let me help you open your stocking!"

Aunt Cori is making sure Kaidence looks perfect

Grant, we want you in the picture!

Forget the pictures, we need a drink! We love our sippies!

Tis The Season

Let the holiday gatherings begin!! This is our Christmas schedule.

Thursday night - Amber, Brian & Stella arrive - yah!!!
Friday night - Grandma Louise's Christmas
Christmas Eve - Pauli Christmas
Christmas - Our Christmas in the morning & Schoch Christmas in the afternoon/evening
Monday - a slight breather, the boy's get haircuts & David and Sara arrive late that night
Tuesday - Heller family pictures
Wednesday - Heller Christmas (Grandma & Grandpa Briggs join us!)
Thursday - We de-Christmas the house and celebrate with a Heller Fondue

Now for the details.....

New Do

 One day Brandon looked at me said, "have you noticed Elizabeth's hair is kind of straggly?" Well yes, I had, but we waited so long for hair, you have to grow it out, right?! Well, maybe not! I consulted Mimi for advice.  Her advice was to talk to our neighbor, who is a hairdresser and our good friend.  The decision was made....a major trim was in order.  In the middle of our play-date with Elizabeth's "bud-bud" Lauren (Mandi's daughter) we played beauty shop!  Mandi gave her the five star treatment!  We are very pleased with the results.  She looks a little more grown-up, which I hadn't prepared myself for, but she once again has "pretty hair" so it is worth it!! Thanks Mandi, you did an awesome job and we can't thank you enough!