Christmas Eve

With Christmas being in the middle of the week, Christmas Eve was a work day for both Josh and I. I worked in the morning and Josh worked that night. This meant little time to do all the Christmas-related things I had wanted to do...like take Christmas tree pics of the boys. So before I went to work Christmas eve morning I tried to get pictures of the boys in front of the tree. Nothing like being pressed for time, poor lighting, and very unwilling subjects for this photo shoot. I had great hopes for these pictures...but I really didn't get anything good. I don't know why my hopes were high, the boys have never been very participatory when I pull out my camera. As usual, I have a lot of funny ones.

 

One is very, very mad; the other is just plain goofy.

Then I had the bright idea to give the boys giant candy canes to play with...my idea was quickly put to rest when the candy canes became swords. That's my own fault...I should have known this would happen.

So I gave them little candy canes to eat. Great idea to keep them still...but not great for pics. Oh well, I tried.

So I left the boys with Josh and went and saw a patient of mine. She is a fantastic lady who I have really enjoyed getting to know. She had a little present for me...well, for the boys: she hand-made two pillows! She asked about my boys daily and we would talk about their interests and so she found Thomas and Cars fabric and made them pillows. What a surprise!! And they loved them!

And because I lost a bunch of cookies during a torrential rain storm right before Christmas (water came in from a can light in the ceiling and drenched a bunch of my sugar cookies on the counter...grrr) I decided to make another batch. Because my hips needed them. HA! Oh well...once a year.

 I hope to get a Christmas Day post in before 2014...but no promises!

Merry Christmas Card and Santa pics

This year I had big plans not to send out Christmas cards. But then I took the boys to have their picture made with Santa for a fundraiser (ROK photography did these) and loved the results. Of course, the Finn cried the whole time and Keagan did his signature "smile" but these are my boys. And after I purchased the digital images I figured I had better turn them into a Christmas card. So I again put a lot of time, energy and money into my annual Christmas card. But I enjoy sharing these kiddos with everyone! And now the blog world, too!

Here are the rest of the images that I purchased. I felt bad for Santa....it was gonna be a long day for him! We were the third family in line...and there were a lot more criers after Finn :)

Hope you all had a VERY Merry Christmas! We certainly did! Will get some pictures up on here as soon as I sit down again...have been cleaning the house from the Christmas toy-bomb that went off yesterday!

Christmasing

I am still in denial that Christmas is 3 days away...or really two days, because this day is nearly complete. I think I am ready...Christmas presents purchased and wrapped. Christmas cookies and candies made. Stockings hung and ready for ol' Saint Nick to fill. The only think that I can think of that is left to do is to put together all the boys' toys...and I may or may not be leaving this for Josh to do. (hint hint!)

As I've been getting ready for this Christmas, which is sure to be awesome because the boys are so much fun this year with their innocent expressions of excitement, I've snapped a few pictures here and there. Nothing special by any means. But pictures that represent "a day in the life" of our family...because setting up a tree, having decorations around, and wrapping paraphernalia strewn everywhere is definitely a recipe for disaster with inquisitive boys. Mainly that littlest one...he is beyond-busy. Keagan has learned to keep away from the presents, décor, and ornaments and for the most part obeys. But Finley will actually look at you while he touches/pulls/destroys something "valuable."

The child needs a haircut. But I just can't do it...I am certain these wispies are the beginning of something great...like ginger curls! On good hair days, he has lots of little curls around his neck...



Do you spy the little feet under the tree? He knows he isn't supposed to touch the tree...and clearly thinks I can't see him from where I'm sitting!

The obligatory Christmas tree picture. We have a 12-foot tree...but I don't have a camera lens to get it all in!

Finley thinks he's helping. But he is not at all. In fact, my curling ribbon is now a tangled mess in a bag. My mantra: they're only little for a little while...deep breath...repeat.

Last night Stacey and I had our annual Christmas get together. We have typically done an ornament exchange and then gift-exchange with the kids. But this year we decided a wine exchange would be fun! We have both been looking forward to this for weeks...and it was a lot of fun! Of course, it wasn't drama-free. We had been having unusually high temps for the first day of Winter...70 degrees...and that brought lots of rain and storms. And while we were in Stacey's kitchen preparing to eat, Jarrett glanced up at the ceiling and said a few choice words...they had a 3 foot long area where the roof was leaking! So he and Josh got to work taking care of the ceiling while we fed the kids and then our own faces. I mean, what could we do? So we opened a bottle of wine and worried. When the guys came back in they informed us that we were under a tornado warning! What?!! Drink a couple more glasses of wine...and eat more yummy food. Oh well. After food, and tornado warning, we opened gifts and tried to get the kids to sit still to take pictures. The kids loved their gifts and had so much fun! Our Christmas exchange has changed a bit over the years...from no kids to three kids! And even though we ended the party at 8pm (it was bedtime...my children were rapidly melting down) we had a blast! One of these days we will be able to "stay up" later...  :)

Watching their daddies do guy stuff and try and figure out why the ceiling is leaking.