Our day....

On New Year's Eve day the kids and I had a busy morning adventuring around the down town area of our little town.
Of course, I snapped a few pictures along the way!

Ha! Look at Ben's face! He didn't want to get his picture taken so I bribed him with a little spray of the candy spray Connor had just bought at the candy store. Little did I realize, it was a sour spray!

I didn't get any great pictures of the four kids together but I did get some great pictures of a little one that just got a spray of sour candy!

The weather was beautiful that afternoon and we all had some fun playing outside!

"Punky, don't you even think about throwing that snowball at me when I am taking pictures!"

Ben liked being outside but wasn't too thrilled with all the outside gear, especially the snow suit and mittens.

Connor stood still and let me take a picture because I told him the quicker he did the quicker I could put the camera down and resume our snowball fight.

A great end to a great year!

Cast is off

Look at this sweet babe. So exhausted he couldn't keep his little eyes open. Why, you wonder. Because today he had his cast taken off! I have never had it done but I can't imagine how emotionally exhausting it is to watch a big, strange man come at you with a loud saw. Ben did great though. He couldn't figure it out and went back and forth between crying a little and laughing a little...
So, once we got into the van to head home this little guy just zonked out. Well, not to mention it was also well past nap time!
Oh, and notice the different colored socks? That's because I forgot to pack the match to the sock he had on. Luckily I had a spare sock, yep just one, in the diaper bag. He didn't seem to care much that they didn't match.
And boy was it nice to see this adorable guy wearing the "Christmas jammies" (not actually Christmas jammies, just the jammies that I bought for him to wear Christmas Eve) that he couldn't wear on Christmas Eve. I missed seeing him in footie jammies! (That was quite a paragraph!)

What I don't miss seeing however, is this big red cast on my babe's leg!

One broken bone in 2009, two broken bones in 2010, let's hope none in 2011!

The first snowfall...

We have officially had the first snowfall of the year and the kids are thrilled! They were begging to get out into it before 8am! Finally at about 8:30am I had them fed and outside playing.

As you can tell by the grass still peaking up through we didn't get hit too hard.

Just enough for the kids to get all bundled up, sleds out and whooshing down the hill.

Glad the kids had so much fun even though it was COLD out! This is just the beginning of the snowy season for sure.

Christmas

It's hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone already! We have had some great days with family and have more to come.
Christmas in the Monkey house was a wonderful time. Here are a few pictures of our Christmas Eve and day.

Katelyn's Christmas Tree

Connor giving me a goofy look to show me how excited he is.
Katelyn loving on Coco, her cousin's guinea pig.

Maggie in her adorable tights!

Ben is playing on a farm animal blanket that Grammy and Grampy sent for him. I figured he would want it in his bed but nope, he wants to play on it with his farm animals.

Santa came and gobbled up the cookies we left along with sharing some carrots with the reindeer.

Maggie really likes the horse treasure chest that I made for her. I would have to say the guitar that she got from Santa was the definite favorite though.

Taking some time out on Christmas morning to give a big hug to his sister!

Katelyn's favorite gifts are the horse clock from Uncle Drew, the piano from Nana and pa, and the jewelry box Santa brought her.

Connor's favorite gift was the "weasel ball" that Santa brought him!

Ben, of course, got some farm animals and loved them.

What a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas Eve Mass

For the very first year Katelyn sang in our church choir and did a wonderful job. She was nervous but did great, head held high, and big smiles!

(This was taken before Mass began.)

I did use my flip camera to record a little but sadly the only thing you can hear is MY TERRIBLE SINGING! Oh man, that was funny to listen to! Oh well.

Oh, my girl, she looked so beautiful on the eve of Jesus' birthday!

Maggie and Connor came with me to mass but Ben stayed home with Chris. It was just too late and too long for him to be out for. But, the three that did join me for Mass did a great job even though it is past their bed time.

Then we got home, quickly in jammies, read the "Polar Express" and they all climbed into bed in anticipation of Santa coming during the night!

Random Snuggles...

I love it

I love it when I walk into a room and see two or more of my children doing some random snuggling with each other.... Just hanging out together, with each other, being siblings that love one another... I love it...

Merry Christmas

A Silver Tree

I seem...

to be


slightly


obsessed

with

taking picturesof this

simple yet

beautiful

Silver Christmas tree....

Remember our military...

This weekend as you spend the Christmas holidays with family and friends remember all of our military men and women who are away from their family and friends.

The men and women who are giving their precious time to protect our country and our right to celebrate in peace.

Thank you, military men and women who are fighting for our country. Thank you, family and friends of these military men and women, for your sacrifice also.

May God bless you and keep you safe this holiday season.

(Side note: I took these pictures and am in awe of how beautiful they came out! I love it when that happens!)

Wordless Wednesday

Just one picture

Please guys!

Just one picture!

Just stay still and smile for 30 seconds, I will get the picture and you can run and play.

Please, just one!!!!

Never mind...