Christmas 2014



 

December 25:  We had a great Christmas... when I look at these pictures, I just love my little family so much! 

Everyone's awake! 

Sadie, reading the Bible story to us.

Ready to go downstairs!

Presents from Santa...

"Santa" left a wrapped up present on our doorstop on Christmas Eve.  The kids LOVED these hot chocolate kits with mugs.  (Sadie saw our neighbor girls from across the street sneak this over to our house, but that probably doesn't surprise anyone!)

 

Presents from Mom & Dad...

Sadie got a box of art supplies for her classroom, a box of chapter books, and an under armor sweatshirt.

 

Kinnick got a Bears jersey, a remote control helicopter, and a scooter.

Macey got a Doodle Bear, a Cloud Cuckoo Land Lego set, and a Barbie Jeep.

Carver got some new puzzles, an over-the-door basketball hoop for his room, and a baby doll.  Just for the record, Marc chose the basketball hoop and I chose the baby doll and he really loves both!  The kids have a basketball game almost every night in the boys room.  Sometimes the girls are cheerleaders.  Marc also taught them how to play "pig".  (And this little boy is crying because we kept telling him to wait before he ripped open all his presents--he was on a mission!)

Macey opened one of her presents to find a card that said "Look in the garage."  She was very excited about her Barbie Jeep!

As luck would have it, Marc was the proud "winner" of a remote control helicopter at his office white elephant gift exchange.  He and Kinnick love flying their helicopters together!

The kids exchanged gifts with each other also--this year the girls bought for each other as did the boys  We offered to let them open their gifts on Christmas Eve, but they chose to wait.  Sadie picked this Doc McStuffins doctor set for Macey.  Macey got Sadie a cute trashcan for her classroom.  Kinnick got Carver an Iron Man mask and Carver got Kinnick a remote control motorcycle guy.  They all loved their presents from each other.

We always save stockings for last... Carver just could not wait!

I helped pick out Sadie's new sweatshirt but I was very surprised when Marc got me a matching one!

 

Playing with our new toys on this gorgeous Christmas day!

 

For Christmas night we have a tradition of peppermint brownie sundaes...

Christmas Miscellaneous

November 28:  Joliet Holiday Parade

November 30:  Nick (our elf) returned and he wrapped up this box of goodies for the kids...

 Christmas Pajamas and a new movie--Home Alone Collection, plus hot cocoa, marshmallows,  and brownies!  Movie Night in a box! 

December 3:  Kinnick got to "host" his class Gingerbread boy, George for the night. They built Legos together and read books.

December 5:  One of my bible study girlfriends hosted a HUGE Chistmas party for the pre-school crowd (during school time!)  Santa came and passed out gifts to the kids...

December 8: Sadie got to decorate a "Grinch" for her classroom.

This was about as adventures as Nick got this year.  But he did bring Christmas pop-tarts on the last day of school--the kids loved that!

Yep--this happened, AGAIN.  With a little help from Carver this year.  Luckily it didn't fall all the way down like last year... Guess we need to invest in a new base--or buy a smaller tree! 

December 14:  Decorating cookies at Church...

December 19:  Sadie's School Party

December 22:  "I love snuggling on the couch and playing Wii with my mom!"-Kinnick

December 23:  Nerf Wars!

December 24:  Sadie helped make our "Christmas" monkey bread!

December 24:  Opening books on Christmas Eve

December 26:  Watching the Grinch and drinking Grinch punch while we wait for Grandpa & Grandma to come...

Legoland

December 24:  We had been planning for a while to take the kids to Lego Land Discovery Center.  Our weekends in November and December were so full that Marc suggested taking the kids on Christmas Eve.  This was perfect for us because our church has service on Christmas Eve-Eve (23rd) and we don't have family close enough to be with and make it back home for our kids to be at their house on Christmas morning... so it's just us!  We were able to eat lunch together after Marc got home and after the 45 minute drive, we got there about 3:00. 

 

We had fun checking out lots of neat exhibits including:  a mini model of the Mag Mile in Chicago, an Indiana Jones jungle area, and a whole Star Wars room.  Carver was big enough to do the kingdom quest Lego ride with us--we rode through a tunnel on a little train type car and got to shoot "bad guys" with laser guns.  We had fun competing boys vs. girls.  We watched 2 different short movies in the 4-D theater (3-D glasses, plus sensory items like water & bubbles, and even smells!) We visited the Lego brick factory and got to learn about how bricks are made.  We took a "master builder" class and got to make gingerbread houses.  The girls favorite part was "Merlin's Apprentice Ride" a helicopter ride and Kinnick loved playing in the construction area.  They had tracks to race cars that you built yourself and a challenge of the day--build a snowman to get a prize.  They even had a HUGE Duplo village with a climbing area and slides.  Carver had a blast!

     

We got the kids lanyards so they could collect stamps in each area that we visited.

 

Macey got to push the button to start the brick making process.

Each kid got their very own brick after touring the "factory".  Macey's is not wrapped because she got the one out of the machine. 

I had fun building "Carver's" gingerbread house.

Kinnick literally could have spent ALL day here!

The girls rode this like 6 times!  It was not crowded so we didn't have to wait in line for anything!

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

After our fun adventure we headed home for our junk food feast and a movie.  We watched Santa Clause 3, set out cookies and milk for Santa, and each kid got to open a new Christmas book which we read before bed.