The past two weeks or so...

We always celebrate Christmas separately with a big dinner with our good friends the Morris family, and with the kids' Grandpa Gabriel. This year, due to scheduling changes we decided to have a Christmas breakfast party instead, and it was a blast! I think it was more fun than just another big dinner, so we might just do it this way from now on!


On Christmas Eve we had a visit from Santa himself, and apparently we have all been very good this year! Aunt Kathy & family sent us a ton of new board games, which we were in desperate need of - we had quite the collection of incomplete board games before, and now we are ready for lots of fun family game nights. Thanks Kathy! Santa must have really loved the cookies because he brought me a new professional model Kitchenaid mixer which I have wanted for awhile now!



The kids held off on their attack till about 8:15 or so, and then there was no holding them back!



Savannah was very excited that she will now be playing her new electric guitar for her biggest fans at our house! She and Shelby have been taking acoustic guitar lessons lately & it's really fun for them, but Savannah wanted to make the jump to an electric guitar. Future rock star? We will all be able to say we knew her when...




Small Paul's favorite gift may have been his stuffed Elmo that he can chew on, but Mommy's favorite was this "bumbo" chair... I can put him down!!!! He was so happy sitting in the middle of the chaos watching the insanity of Christmas morning & has been sitting & watching me do lots of other things ever since. This is my new "go to gift" for all future baby showers - what a life saver! Why didn't they have these things 19 years ago when I started the mommy game??? And speaking of 19 years ago.....





Mikey came home to visit! He is here this week, then Saturday he flies back to Maryland where he is playing soldier for real! It is so much fun to see him, although he's changed alot! He looks great! It's been awhile since we've seen him so we are all really enjoying our time with him. He looks so grown up! Now, speaking of grown up...



Look at this handsome boy! Shawn turned 7 yesterday, so we celebrated with the Morris family, a couple of Shawn's friends, his Uncle Berk, Aunt Erica, Auntie Anita, and his cousins Cami and Tanner. It was alot of fun. Shawn is such a great boy, and this past year he has really grown up so much in so many ways! He is enjoying school so much more this year, he just loves his teacher Mrs. Knittle, and really likes to read to his Grandma Mathews every time we go have Sunday dinner with her.


We've been so blessed this year, and have had such an amazing holiday season so far. We love all of the great family time we've been able to get in, it's been such a happy time. We are looking forward to all that 2010 holds for us. We are so blessed as a family and are so greatful to have each other. Life is good!