Our Family Life: This is embarassing...

Merry Christmas? Yeah I know, I keep slipping further and further into oblivion. My sister even beat me to the Christmas post! {Sorry Sis, didn't mean to throw ya under the bus, but I blog more than you do lately, and that doesn't say much...}

Ready for my excuses? Issac HATES when I am upstairs during the day, especially if I sit at the computer. Thank goodness for iPhones or I'd never see the Internet again. When I do get time to do it, there are other things on the list that I'd rather do, or have to get done. Or ya know, I have yet to upload any pictures, let alone edit them.

So here we go... Christmas... what did we do again??? What did everyone get? Thank goodness for pictures to refresh a little memory. {This is exactly why I hate waiting so long to blog, but I'm swamped!}

Christmas was Sunday - 9am Church. Yeah didn't happen. Donavon's Mom has this tradition that the Sunday BEFORE Christmas is her day for the family Christmas shindig. Well, at some point in time everyone failed to mention to me in the almost 5 years of marriage that when Christmas lands on Sunday, its her day. So I was planning on the Sunday before. Nope wrong. Needless to say I was not down for rushing Christmas morning so we could scurry out the door pissed off at each other for being late just so we could make it to Church across town. Sure if my kids where 16 I might be OK with it. BUT, this year, this was the year that Issac was psyched out of his mind about Santa, and it was my baby girls 1st Christmas. Nope sorry, not rushing it. This only happens ONCE and I want to enjoy every minute of it. Selfish? Yes. But I'll never get my baby girl's 1st Christmas again, nor that 1st year where he "gets it" and is over the moon about everything. Sure next year he'll be excited too, but there is something exciting about that "ah ha" moment in a kid.

Over the course of the month I did an advent calendar with Issac. Good thing that is over because it turned into candy for breakfast every morning. Bleh. Actually to be honest we skipped the last week. Why? Issac was barfing all week. Just when we thought he was better he'd spew some more. He ended up in the ER at one point and they gave him some medicine to stop the nausea, with a script large enough for the whole family. "Because you will get it." I guess we are lucky because no one else got it. Phew. I cant tell you how many freaking times we've barfed our brains out this year. Its disgusting, and Merry freaking Christmas, who wants to barf on Christmas?! It was bad enough our Christmas eve plans were kaboshed due to the fear of spreading it.

OK, onward. Well since Issac was sicker than a dog all of my last minute shopping was thrown out the window. I had shopped for everyone, but myself. Who shops for themselves?! Oh that's right... women do... *ahem*. So everyone was covered but me. Its a good thing I could careless and just watching my babies and their excitement was more than enough. Oh wait, I take that back, I did buy myself some new socks at Costco that week. Yay for socks... -Wait- I just remembered, thanks to the pictures! I did get one special gift. My Aunt Julie is a fabulous artist and she did a painting awhile ago of some hydrangeas out of my mom's yard. Its been a hot item for awhile and so my Grandma had some prints made of it for all of her Grand kids to have. I had a teeny one that my Mom had given me when she framed hers but now I have a larger one that will go beautifully in my living room.

Donavon got a gun cleaning kit. Fun? Not my idea of fun anyway.

Issac got quite a bit. Daddy made him a work bench that Mommy found plans for in Pinterest. {See Pinterest isn't THAT bad}. To go along with the work bench he got a real tool box and a tool kit {not real, I'm not stupid}. He also got a dirt bike set, complete with a track that you can configure a million ways, and 4 bikes and riders. This wasn't on the original list but we saw it at Sam's when we were getting formula and I knew he would just die for it. Issac LOVES his dirt bikes and 4 wheelers. It did turn out to be the biggest hit of course. A Tonka police car, he'd been asking forever for one of the big trucks that they strategically place at the entrance of Walmart, thanks Walmart. It made every single one of my grocery trips this season a real joy. In his stocking there was a barrel of monkeys, what kid doesn't have a barrel of monkeys?! A few matchbox cars and of course, candy. Katie got him a 4 wheeler and another guy to go with it. He got 2 Mater's one from Jim & Julie and another from Grandma & Grandpa Strain. Oh cant forget the fishing pole for the bath tub. Anything to entice the stinker {literally} to get in the water. And yes, it did work.

Little missy moo got all girl things. The poor girl has been playing with all boy stuff. It was time to glam it up. She got a new purse, that came complete with some crinkle cash, a cell phone, a mirror and keys. She also got her very first baby doll. She is so intrigued by babies that I figured she might like it. She got a tea set, complete with little cakes {and ironically Issac enjoys this tea set more than she does. We have "cocoa parties" when Dad is at work - the 3 of us.}. She also got a remote, since she loves to steal the real deal and piss off brother while he's trying to watch his shows. In her stocking she had some snacks, the girl loves to eat, along with some sippy cups, she no longer has to suck on brothers leftovers, and some hair do-dads. For the tub she got a fountain, the coolest thing since sliced bread. Its this little starfish, you push the button and it sucks the water up and squirts it out and has a blue LED light to make it even cooler. She got a diamond ring, OK not a real one, but its a rattle that is a giant diamond ring, and a pink purse rattle to go with it. Issac and Katie have shared a few baths since and they both love it and scream when it floats their way. Cant forget the new shoes! Its a really good thing she really enjoys wearing socks, let alone shoes. {she flings her socks out of her car seat while I shop, if I put shoes on her she takes them off before I can even get her in her car seat and out the door. I am constantly putting her socks back on her. I wonder who she gets it from.... certainly not her mother who wears flip flops in snow and ice, and cant remember the last time she wore socks unless it was for working out}. She also got a talking leapfrog dog from Aunt Julie & Uncle Jim.

Once we were all dressed and had something to eat we went on our merry way up to Donavon's parents house. We did the typical Christmas party up there, presents for all the kids, the white elephant party, and dinner. This year we got to have Donavon's Grandpa with us though. Since his Grandma passed recently no one wanted Grandpa to be alone. I don't think he really wanted to venture all the way up to our chaos, but he has a daughter that doesn't take no for an answer, so she drug him up. Thank goodness the kids toned it down a bit for him. I was impressed.

Phew OK. Done. Now onto the million other posts! Ack. Oh wait... I suppose you're going to want to see pictures huh?! UGH. Needy needy!

{Pre Christmas}

{Excited about the stockings}

{One of the typical looks I get all too often}

{This is another one...}

{The living room looks so nice! And not naked! I was sad to have to take it down! PS - I made those pillows on the couch.}

{Katie never learned how to crawl, but she made do with the skills she had. Who needs a tree skirt anyway?}

{Ohhhhh shiney and sparkly!!}

{Alllllmost got it... just a bit further!!!}

{GOT IT! You're mine sparkly little ball!}

{Horrible action shot - but you get the point. Eat it and then swing it around and chuck it!}

{The tree - I got the ribbon from Tai Pan and I'm in LOVE with it - and I bought silver ornaments to go with my Red, Green & Silver/White theme. I used to not be a fan of my tree, now I want it up all year!}