I hope this posts finds everyone well rested after your holiday break, and that you had a Merry Christmas. The kids were happy with what they received, and aside from it being too much to add to our already full house, everyone seems happy! We celebrated with Chad's family at our house on Saturday and my family at the farm on Wednesday which meant we were able to have our family Christmas on Christmas Eve after church with Santa's goodies to be opened on Christmas morning. The timing was great this year...hard to get back into a routine a few days later!
Braxton and Harper are only two months apart so they have moments when they don't see eye to eye, but when they play together it is pretty cute! It never ends with two 3 year old boys in the house...
Grandpa Bob getting his exercise...
balancing, balancing, balancing...
Grandma & Grandpa got all the kids new PJ's and the boys were excited to get them on right away!
t-r-o-u-b-l-e
Harper was most excited about this "real tools" he got from the Busselman's...he spent the rest of the night working on and fixing things around the house. The next day Chad said he actually got bolts loose on the snow blower Excellent.
Uncle Brad won the favorite uncle of the night award by putting Charli's new hot wheels track together for her right away!
Harper got his own race track from grandma & grandpa...which was easier and smaller to fabricate! Love this little thing!
Charli * Harper * Braxton
silly face!
silly face!
loving her new track - can't get enough hot wheels!
Thank you Kindergarten for teaching Charli so many things. However, a few things I would like to shelter her from. For example, last weekend she informed Chad that someone from school told her that Santa is not real. When Chad asked her who else would deliver all those gifts - she replied "God". Looking for that little extra magic, Santa mysteriously called her and said 'I heard you were wondering if I was real....now where would your elf fly to each night if I wasn't real?'. He asked her to leave an orange with her cookie, and to make sure to remind all of her friends that when the believe it gives him more magic to fly! She was pretty amazed to randomly see a picture of Santa pop up on my phone and "Santa Claus" appear on the caller ID. I think it got us through this year...
It was no surprise that getting Charli in a dress this year would be a challenge. We compromised with wearing boots, which was good enough a few weeks ago. However when the day got closer, it was not going to fly. So she and Chad worked out their own deal. If Charli wore a dress Chad would wear a tie...neither of these things happen...so it WAS an amazing day full of miracles!
handsome boys!
TRYING to wait patiently to open gifts!
excited to have a new solar system to put in her room!
art supplies are always a big hit in this house!
This is my beautiful necklace from Chad and the kids. Charli and Harper went to Kelly's Jewelry (their favorite spot!) to work on my gift this year. Chad said the woman working was great with them - she took them around the store and let them pick out anything that caught their eye to take out of the case and investigate on the floor. It sounds like they had a hard time agreeing until Charli spotted this one and said she KNEW it was THE one because it is an upside down ribbon. AND, she later told me 'it's a real diamondy thingy in there'!
Charli's new game!
Harper's new toy!
Captain America (Chad), IronMan (Harper), and the Hulk (Charli) came to visit courtesy of Santa!
Aunt Rachelle (my older sister) squeezing into Charli's shoes! Charli is in a size 1.5 or 2 and Rachelle has teeny-tiny feet and shoved her little piggies into Charli's shoes without much work!
We were missing one grandchild this year, Andrew (the oldest) had to work. It's never the same when we are missing someone...
The highlight of MY Christmas. My mom made this shadowbox for my dad with many of his Vietnam medals of honor. Dad was overwhelmed and filled with appreciation and pride when he opened this from Mom. Vietnam was a hard time for both of them. Dad was a member of the Green Beret, which was a position of prestige and difficulty for obvious reasons...but mom was home, alone, pregnant and gave birth to my oldest sister while dad was overseas....so as one can imagine memories of the war can be overwhelming and sensitive for everyone! We are all so proud of dad and I am glad I was there to witness his joy in this special gift from mom!
Harper specifically asked for a bucket of sticks for Christmas, and this picture does not do it justice...he was thrilled to learn this wish was not forgotten!
along with the farm set Santa brought Harper also rolled in the farm goodies from his cousin Bry at the Borg Christmas too!
Ryen & Macye have a 4-wheeler now too...so they kids enjoyed time on the farm riding together. I can see lots of hours on these things when the weather is nice and warm! These girls will ride until the sun goes down I bet!
I tried to sneak up on Charli working on an 'art project'...and this is what I found! ahhh!!
Charli was excited to get her red skateboard from Santa, and also SO excited to get this ninjago alarm clock from Grandma & Grandpa Borg!
Charli got "metly beads" and we worked on them last night as a family! The kids each made their own creation...
Harper made a circle...
Charli rocked a husker piece!
I am sure there are lots of other stories to share from the past few days, but I was anxious to get pictures up before I let it slip my mind! Hoping the new year brings great things for everyone!
