There were too many...

... cute pictures from Christmas. Here are few more. Enjoy!

Anna excited about some earrings she got in her stocking. he he

Me and Catherine

Padriac enjoying his new sled, inside

Catherine hanging out with daddy

Grandparents and their grandchildren

On Christmas day, my parents really wanted to get a picture of them with their three grandchildren... it was really hard to get a picture of all the kiddos happy AND looking at the camera. In fact, it didn't happened. The succession of the photos are fairly humerous:

It was a good thought, anyway!

Our Christmas #2

Yes, we did have two "Christmases." After leaving my parents house on Friday, we opened yet MORE gifts at our house... Jonathan and Catherine had a good time getting more new toys and adorable clothes.

Again, so many great pictures... hard to choose which ones to post

Catherine and I opening a gift for her

Jonathan enjoying one is his gifts from Aunt Amy

Catherine having "fun" with one her new toys from Santa

Jonathan's big gift from Grammy and Granddaddy, was a train set with a table! He loves it!

Chris's big gift was a poker table... he can't wait to host a poker game! My parents got him some matching folding chairs. All he needs now is players! Anyone game??

Christmas

Merry Christmas, family and friends! What a GREAT season!! Christmas is my favorite time of year... and what a wonderful time we have had the past several days.

On Christmas Eve day we drove down to Colorado Springs to spend a couple of days with my family. We continued our 8+ year tradition of going to a local Chinese restaurant with another family after Christmas Eve Mass... Chris and I were very nervous about bringing the kids to a nicer restaurant after their bedtime for an extended meal. It was pretty amazing how good the kids were! Jonathan literally sat, very happily, in a high chair for a little over 2 hours! Then, our friend put Catherine to sleep right before our food showed up. It was a wonderful evening of joyful celebration of the birth of Our Savior.

The following morning my brother and his family came down for the day... we opened gifts, ate lots of food and played Wii. Again, another wonderful day of celebration.

Here are few fun pictures of the time down with my family. There were so many great pictures, it was hard to choose!!

Jonathan and I enjoying one of his new books, from Santa.

Quinn opening her stocking

Chris and Quinn playing Wii

Catherine hanging out while we were opening gifts

The whole clan (minus Justin, the soon-to-be son/brother-in-law)

Preparing for Christmas 2

A tradition that I grew up with around Christmas, was decorating the Tree as a family. It was a big to do. My mom would make lots of appetizers and have quite a few sweets for the evening. Together as a family we would eat, hang ornaments, listen to Christmas music, sing songs and have a few laughs. Dispite the strong opinions I may have had as to where I thought which ornaments should be hung where, it was always a nice evening with the family.

So, with the few ornaments that Chris and I have we decorated our tree on Sunday. Overall, we had a great time! Though we soon found out that ornament hooks are imperative to the process. he he

Jonathan had fun taking the ornaments out of the boxes and wrapping, and pulling off the ones already hung.

I am confident as the years progress our tradition will only get more and more fun.

Have a blessed remainder of Advent!

Our tree with no ornamentsWe are close to finished!Snack time for Chris...... and for Jonathan

And, we are done!

Preparing for Christmas

One of the traditions that Chris's family has during any holiday- especially Christmas- is making sugar cookies. By the time we were married I had received close to 200 cookie cutters from his side of the family. It was apparent that I was to follow closely the tradition of the making of the sugar cookie. :-)

Chris's late grandmother, Grandma Bea, had an incredible recipe for a 'melt in your mouth cookie.'


So, when a holiday rolls up, we are rolling out... dough that is. Today was the big extravaganza for the making of the Christmas sugar cookies! We might even frost them tonight!

Rollin', rollin', rollin'. And cutting, cutting, cutting.

In the oven for 10 minutes.

Don't they look scrumptious??

Too good to be true...

... I don't think that I will have to be vaccuuming again anytime soon! YIPPPEEE!