As per usual, the holidays seem like one giant blur as I look back on it! It's January 11th and I still can't even fathom that we're past Thanksgiving. But here we are, and even though it passed fast, I am so grateful for all the fun we got to have this year. We really got a lot of miles (and a little magic too) out of our holiday season! It's so fun to have kids that are old enough to grasp and participate in everything going on...but they aren't too old yet, heck...are you ever???!!!
The boys both added to our turkey day prep, with decor of their own....
We spent actual Thanksgiving at the lake this year! It was lovely and low key. Ryan & I even ran in the Grand Beach turkey trot, which turned out to be a very formal title for people who know each other and might jog a street or two;)...but we carved our own route and loved getting to run together, something we rarely get to do!
And while we were there we started to prep for the Christmas season by debuting our jammies and having a photo shoot...the kids were absolutely delighted as you can tell...
The kids saw (Crosbi hugged) Santa twice...one at the Oswego tree lighting and the other at the Breakfast with Santa at the Y. They all told him what they wanted this year, although in very hushed tones. They still aren't quite sure what to think.
Decoration at our house was in full swing by the time we got home from the lake the weekend after Thanksgiving. We picked out our tree all together and even dressed up Fred and Ethel, our resident reindeer!
Got our peppernuts made...and I probably ate 3/4s of them myself.
Kids decorated in their rooms....
And Crosbi & I even got in on the action!
One of my favorite decorations to put up is a string of our Christmas cards. This year there were 10! total! I absolutely love to walk by it every year and think about how far God has brought us and expanded our family.
I couldn't leave out this photo of Sawyer, who after eating a Christmas peanut M & M came over to show me he discovered where peanuts came from...melted my heart!
We had so much fun leading up Christmas, it seems there was something else to do every time we turned the corner.
Joe & Crosbi having some hot coco on a playdate
Gigi & Wayne took the boys, Ryan & I to their first play, Mary Poppins. It was so great and the boys both loved it!
Crosbi got a Christmas mani from daddy, red sparkles of course!
And all 3 of them brought home more homemade decore which we love! This was my favorite this year...Sawyer's snow globe...such a cute idea!
We had our family Christmas in the middle of the month, super early but it was a fun way to kick off the celebrations and have a little time just us 5!
We ate Noodles take out and built a gingerbread house per request of the kids!
Crosbi with her favorites...a new baby & "Frozen" cell phone, which she incessantly calls Gigi from (and know matter what Ryan says, I have no idea where she got that idea from)!
And the boys playing with their barrel 'o army guys.
They tried to all sneakily stuff into our bed at the end of the night, which we allowed...for one story!
We did 2 chilly Jingle Bell Jogs, one at the Y in which we pushed the 2 littles and Sawyer threw up in the jogging stroller...and one downtown Chicago for the Arthritis Foundation with Ali, in which we did not push anyone (lesson learned!!)
Sawyer had an adorable sing along at his preschool and they let Crosbi join the class to sing. She got right up on stage and sang, even though she had no idea what the songs were. I sure love that girl!
They also had a live nativity one night at the church where he goes to preschool and the kids loved it. Sawyer wanted to know if it was the real baby Jesus and Crosbi wanted to know what we could do about bringing some of the animals home with us. Both questions got a NO!
And to wrap up our season of celebrating before the actual holiday we had our annual
Bows & Bow ties party...
The usual suspects were there and we had a blast...in fact this year may go down as
"remember that year..."
We wrapped up school and delivering Christmas cards and all that and headed to Nebraska to celebrate with our families!
At Ryan's grandparents on Christmas Eve
At my Grandparents on Christmas Eve
Crosbi in baby heaven with sweet cousin Hayes!
And, the price of riding home in a van for several hours with Beanie...a nice ball 'o gum to the hair!
Last celebration was with my parents and siblings in Naperville!
It was a great way to wrap things up!
Lunch with the big kids
and crazy time with these little kiddos!
NYE at the Micks watching Blaze with Joe!
Here's to 2015!!!!
