Before Christmas

Happy 35th Jared!

Our December birthday boy!  Jared went to Tucanos with his office pals and siblings the day before his birthday so all he wanted for breakfast was a smoothie. The kids made him cards, and Savanna made him bacon and pancakes later, and Jared and I went to see the hobbit and went to dinner later. He said it was a nice birthday.

Jesse helped me compile all our video clips onto one great DVD

Weston made this awesome pop up origami card for Jared for his bday

At the movie theater seeing "The Hobbit"

  The next day was Sunday dinner at the Barretts and they always make a nice dessert and sing for the person whose birthday it was that week. Jared requested his mom's famous mint oreo ice cream cake.

The Happy Birthday Cake

On the 21st the kids went to Wendy Snow's for the annual Grandma Sandy Christmas Party for the grandkids.  It was a Polar Express party!  The kids enjoyed making crafts, having snacks, listening to the story, playing boola boola, and having a visit from Santa!  Thanks Wendy.  Weston got some magnets and played with those non stop for 2 days.

Savanna, Bailey, Sandra, Ethan, Wendy, Lexi, Fiora, Austin, Weston, Ashlyn

Fiora's snowflake

Hugging the train conductor, Wendy

Savanna and Lexi doing their activities

Weston's magnets

Christmas Eve I motivated the kids to help me clean the house extra well by giving the option of opening their Christmas Eve gift during the day instead of at bedtime.  It was footie pajamas!  And they loved them so much they put them on at noon and didn't take them off until Christmas was over!  They looked super cute of course.

Weston was wearing fake glasses

 

footie jammies!

At 4:00 Christmas Eve we had our annual progressive dinner with the Schauers.  Every family has a food assignment and shares a talent, and all the Schauers are excellent cooks so its all very yummy.  It was blizzarding that day so luckily no one slipped on the icy roads. Savanna sang "Snow Ball Fight", Weston played "Angels we have heard on high" and Fiora won "Santa Says."  The kids got to beat the smitherines out of a pinata at the end, it never did open!  Aaron had to cut it open after everyone had tried their best to beat it open.

my kids with Ashlyn, Sandy, and Austin Snow

Keith Snow and Jared

The Snows and us

Grabbing grub

Shawna Schauers and me

Trying to break Uncle Todd's pinata

Sav Holding her 1st cousin once removed, Ali Sandra

Jared and I had such a crazy busy December we didn't have a lot of time to connect, but we love each other so much we managed to help and care for each other despite the busyness.  I saw this picture on facebook and loved it so much I had to add it, kind of sums up our marriage this month.  I love Jared.