Christmas Weekend

My kitchen is full of bags filled with wrapping paper and boxes.  They're waiting patiently for their trip to the recycling center.  We had an awesome weekend starting with supper and opening presents at my in law's on Friday night.  We ate dinner with my parents and family on Christmas day and back again to my in law's house Christmas night.  I was spoiled beyond imagination this year, again.  The kind of spoiled where your eyes tear up and you think - wow, do I really deserve all this?  I, undoubtedly, have the very best family and friends.  This crazy girl is some kind of lucky to have the people in her life that she does. 

Heads up...tons of pics coming your way.

Kaleigh (my niece) and Conner

Whitney and Kaleigh (my nieces) with Conner

Adorable Whitney

Whitney and Mike (my brother in law)

Whitney and Madison hanging out on the couch.

T-Ma and Kaleigh

Mitch opening presents

Alison (my sister in law) with Madison and Whitney

My little cutie Conner with his new truck

Conner with T-Ma

Madison with her new Dora Window Surprises Dollhouse.

Santa came to our house! Madison's bike and Conner's Inchworm were in the barn still.

Conner opening a present Christmas morning.  For the most part he couldn't care less about opening presents.

Madison hard at work opening presents.

Mitch with his Ipod Touch.

 Conner and Daddy outside playing - Conner didn't care about his Inchworm bike.

 Madison trying to ride her Dora bike.

 Mitch loves Star Wars Legos.

 Totally adorable

 Sleepy heads

 Madison with her "Strawberry Cupcake Toy" as she calls it.

Wendell (my brother) playing with the kiddos.

 Madison with Gina (my sister in law)

 Daddy with Conner

 My little baby boy.

Conner Rockin' Out.

 Madison has slept in her new Princess Tent since Christmas morning - even naps.

We ended our Christmas weekend with snow and enough of it to stick.  This is the second time this year that it's happened and it's the second time since the 1980's that it's happened in this area.  Having it happen twice in one year here is almost like Hell freezing over.  Let me say before I show pics that I am a total dork when it comes to snow.  We don't get alot of it around here so when we do I'm like a little kid cracked out on candy.  I think that snow is romantic.  When it starts coming down I head out to the firewood pile and lug some logs into the house.  It's fire time.  Time to snuggle with my baby.  I couldn't live without a fireplace.  And the funny thing is I hate wintertime.  I am very much a summer and beach girl.  What can I say?  I'm a complicated sort...

 

Jingle Bells

I've been busy chasing the kids through the house because this time of year I turn into the Grinch (at request of the kids.)  The kids run through the house and hide from me all the while claiming to save Christmas.  They're all loaded down with jingle bell necklaces.  I should let them wear them all year because I know exactly where they are at all times...kinda like a cow bell.  We've been jamming to Vampire Weekend's "Holiday."  So much so that I am beginning to tire of it.  With all the dancing and running around the house I've gotten a year's worth of exercise in 2 days.  Impressive.

I've also been baking like Betty.  "Betty who" you ask?  Why, Betty Crocker baby!  My kitchen is covered in Gold Medal Flour and sugar and smells like candy canes.  It's a mess, but a beautiful mess.  I keep telling the kids we have to clean up because Santa doesn't like to go into dirty houses, but for some reason they don't care...nor do I really.  Cleaning can wait.  Right now I am enjoying every minute of being the Grinch and playing with the kids.  I'm sure Santa has seen worse anyway. ;o)

We've also been spending time with the fam.  We found out last night that Conner likes to sing.  We're going to have to get him a karaoke machine.  And I have a new stash of homemade ornaments to adorn my Charlie Brown tree with. 

Conner singing.

Mitch singing.

Baking like Betty!

Well, I'm off to make a new batch of hot cocoa and I still have some wrapping to do.

Christmas Came Early!

I'm a happy girl!  I've been wanting a new camera for awhile now, but since I have to learn EVERYTHING about something before I buy it,  it has taken some time for me to make up my mind which one I wanted.  I had first set my heart on a Canon 50D, but soon changed it to the Canon EOS Rebel T2i after comparing the two.  And it's really weird that the Rebel T2i has most in common with the Canon 7D which is twice the price...

Anyway, I had planned on saving all my Amazon credits starting after Christmas and planned on making the purchase around March or April - depending on how many surveys I get.  Well....my absolutely adorable hubby totally surprised me with my new Canon EOS Rebel T2i today.  He had planned on giving it to me on Christmas, but thought that I might want to play around with it before Christmas.  He got the kit which included an EF-S 18-55 IS lens.  He said that I could just use my credits to get more lens to go along with it.  I love that man - more than words can say.

So here are some pics that I've been taking. I haven't started playing around with the editing software yet.

Total Cuteness

I'm in the bed today sick with a cold.  Yay.  And even though I feel like I've been drug through the mud and hung out to dry I still find the kiddos ransacking the place kinda cute.  Madison has been "doctoring" me with her medical kit and Mitch has been bringing me some "yummy" medicinal drinks.  I absolutely HATE laying in the bed.  It makes me feel like a bum.  But today I welcome my comfy bed. 

I was laying here about to pass out when Madison came in and said "What do you call it, mommy?"  I said "What do you call what?"  She said "The TV."  I smiled and said "A TV."  She smiled real big and said "Good job, mommy.  That's right." 

I love my life.  :o)

This Cracks Me Up

Mitch loads his door down with signs that are supposed to keep Madison and Conner out.  His door is covered.  So the other day I finally asked "Why do you have all those keep out signs on your door?"  He says "So Madison and Conner know not to come in."  And I said "And you know that they can't read, right?"  And he says to me "Well, how else are they going to learn?"

Once again I have no response.