Sorry for the delay...

I tried to post the day after Christmas but I think the internet was just getting too much activity and I couldn't upload any pictures or make a post. I gave up and decided to wait it out a few days before I put up all the pictures from Christmas! I posted 4 or 5 new entries today and so happy reading!! Happy New Year to you all!

Christmas Day!!

What a fun Christmas this was! Samuel was the first one up at 5:05 am and came in and said "Mommy, I'm ready" and I promptly told him that "I'm not, it's too early, go back to bed" and believe it or not, he listened! So the second time he woke up was around 7:45 am and that, we could deal with! The kids rushed down stairs with screams and excitement and while they all opened their stockings, we got some coffee brewing!

Santa came through this year and the boys each got their Nintendo DS game systems that they had just been "dying" for and Isabella got her baby dolls, which she can't get enough of! Below are a few of the pictures taken Christmas morning!

This is what the kids saw when they came down the stairs...lots & lots of presents!!

Samuel opening his Dallas Cowboy's Tony Romo figurine! A boy after his father's heart!

Caden taking inventory of all the Nintendo DS games he had received thus far and checking out his new Wall-E oversize coloring book!

Isabella and her first American Girl baby doll! I foresee a lot of these in our future!

Isabella playing with the guitar that Uncle Roy and Aunt Jo-Jo sent!

Quilt for my Dad!!

As promised, here's a picture of my father opening his quilt on Christmas Day! At first, he thought that it was store-bought and we had to explain to him that I had been working on it for a few months!! I think he liked it!

Santa AND The Tooth Fairy!

This year, we had BIG activity going on in our house because we had BOTH Santa and the Tooth Fairy visit within a 24-hour time frame! Because Samuel lost his tooth on Christmas Day, The Tooth Fairy made it a special occasion by leaving $5!!

Christmas Eve at The Children's Museum

Christmas Eve, I had the day off of work and the kids were out of school and daycare. The Children's Museum was offering free admission that day and so my mother and I dared to go among the crowd and keep the children busy! As soon as we arrived, the boys were excited because there was a cutout of a "Lego Construction Man" warning everyone of the construction that is currently underway! The boys LOVE lego's and I'm sure somewhere in the house, we have a Lego man that just looks like the one they are standing next to!

Once inside, we managed to spend 2-1/2 hours looking around at all the exhibits the museum offers but we especially spent quite a bit of time in the "dinosaur" portion of the museum. My mother was helping put together a magnetic puzzle of dinosaur fossils while Isabella tried on a costume that she wasn't too happy with!

After the museum, we met my sister for lunch and enjoyed time visiting and exchanging presents with my mother!

The Elf on the Shelf

Meet "Eddie"...our very own elf! Santa delivered him to us last night... I opened the front door to plug in the outdoor Christmas lights and there sat the packaged "delivered from the North Pole". The boys were instantly curious as to what could be in the box and once I told them that it was from the "North Pole"...their little eyes lit up with excitement and curiosity! To explain what The Elf on the Shelf is, when you order this, you get a box set containing one "vintage" looking elf and a book explaining what the elf is for. He has a job. During the holiday season, this elf is assigned to watch over your family and report back to Santa each night about who has been naughty or nice that day. By morning, he's back, but he's usually in a different place in the house for a daily hide-and-seek ritual. As a family, we decided on his name of "Eddie" as that is one of the instructions in the book and at the back of the book, there is a space to write the family name, the elf name and the date the family tradition began! Sooo cute! After the boys went to bed last night, Kevin moved him to the top of the curtain rod in the living room and this morning when the boys woke up, they instantly jumped out of bed and went looking!!

Christmas Cookies

This past Sunday, the boys wanted to make Christmas cookies and so out came the dough and flour! The boys had a lot of fun making trees, crosses, hearts, stars and a horrible, horrible mess but as well all know, nothing that a broom, soap and water can't clean up! Isabella just sat in the chair and watched all the excitement as the boys cut out their cookies but she took her turn at playing with the baking utensils after the boys were finished. We didn't end up icing the cookies...by the time they were done baking, the boys were on to bigger and better things, such as Playstation, but they still tasted good just as a plain ol' sugar cookie!

Con"grad"ulations Kevin!!

I'm so proud and happy for Kevin!...he received his Bachelor's Degree last week in the mail! I'm so proud of him at age 35, to make his dream come true of getting his degree and being an inspiration for his children by showing them if you have a goal and work hard, you can obtain it! Kevin started school at the University of Phoenix about 3 years ago but took a year off...that pesky thing called "life" sometimes tends to get in the way! But, he didn't that stop him and he went back and finished the classes he needed and achieved his goal and dream! Congratulations Kevin!

Bows for Isabella!

I've been wanting to try to make bows for Isabella's hair myself, instead of paying outrageous amounts for each of them, and so today, I put my crafting skills to the test! I had already bought some ribbons and flowers and so I downloaded some instructions on-line, grabbed my glue gun and supplies and made 5 of them (shown above). While they aren't the greatest, I am pleased with my first-time in making them. I have a lot more ribbon and so I'm sure with practice, I'll get better!

Christmas Quilt for Dad: Update #4

I am happy to report that the quilt I am making for my father as a Christmas gift is FINALLY FINISHED! Below are a couple of pics of the finished product with one being a closeup to show you how the edges get the "rag" name. I am so happy with the way that the quilt and the edges turned out and can't wait to give it to him come Christmas! I'll make sure to post a couple of pictures opening/holding the quilt!

Christmas ~ 1970

This is a picture of my sister and I many years ago! We are thinking that it was 1970, where I would have been 1-1/2 and Wendy would have been been 6. Look how sweet and innocent Wendy looks — it makes me chuckle every time I look at this picture! If you look at the post below of Isabella's reaction when she saw Santa, I think she gets that from her mama!