November/December 2013

 Somehow I have absolutely no pictures from November - including Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping - sad!  We had a nice Thanksgiving spent at home.  My mom came up and was able to spend more time with us than normal which was so nice.  I tried a few new recipes that I got from my friend and the are keepers!  I loved the stuffing recipe especially - thanks, Erica! After we stuffed ourselves silly, I went out shopping that night with my friend Lyndi and her sister in law.  I love that tradition and can't wait to do it again next year!  I ended up getting some awesome deals on our kiddos Christmas gifts and got a new treadmill for myself! Not much else happened in November.

 

In December, we spent a lot of time preparing fro Christmas.  We started with our first trip to Bronner's - the largest Christmas store in the world.  It seriously has any type of ornament a person could ever want.  Kate picked a ballerina dancer and Blake picked a backhoe - fitting for their interests.  We also got a new tree-topper for our new tree.  It is a silver sparkly star ad I love it.  Then we waited to see Santa.  Because we went during the week one day after I picked Kate up from preschool we didn't have to wait too long which was nice.  However, Blake was not in the mood to be patient that da so to keep him occupied while we waited, I took pictures of him on my phone and then showed them to him.  He is such a ham. 

 

 

 

 

As soon as we saw Santa, both kiddos were super excited.  That is until it was time for them to sit on his lap.  Kate was read to tell Santa that she wanted more barbies and dress-up clothes but Blake, well, maybe next year!

 

 

The following week Kate had a special visitor at preschool - Santa!  After she sat on his lap she whispered to me, "I didn't know the REAL Santa was coming to my school!"  It was cute.  She was the first in her class to sit on his lap and tell him what she wanted for Christmas and was so excited to do so.  After our experience at Bronner's, when the teachers asked if Blake wanted a turn, we knew just what to say!

 

 

 

On Monday the 23rd, James' mom came into town. That was James' first day off of work for two glorious weeks.  Really, that was the best gift I could ever receive was to have James home for so long!  Because he was off we all went down to Detroit to pick her up.  As soon as Kate spotted her in the airport she took off running toward her and gave the biggest hug.  So precious!  That night on the way home we stopped in Saginaw and had Chipotle for dinner which was delicious and then headed to Freeland to see the Freeland Light Show.  It was a great way to start the week of Christmas.

 

On Christmas Eve after we acted out the Nativity, opened our Christmas Eve jammies, and got the kiddos to bed, I made footprints out of baking soda leading from our front door into our living room.  Here is Kate's reaction Christmas morning - she is too smart for her own good!

 

 

The kids loved their gifts and played with them all day!  Kate got a Barbie house and Barbie from Santa and Blake got a dump truck and marble race track.  They were spoiled rotten as the got gifts from Grandmas, Grandpa, aunts and uncles, friends etc.  It took us ALL morning to open gifts.  James ended up opening most of Blake's gifts since he was too busy playing with his dump truck and marble track.



 

 

The rest of James' mom visit was so nice.  We went sledding, bowling, took walks, and played.  It was the perfect visit and perfect two week break for James.  It has definitely been an adjustment having him return to work but someone has to bring home the bacon, right?!