Cabin… ALMOST DONE!!!!

We were so excited when New Years Eve around 3pm, Ron and Judy called and asked if we wanted to come spend the night there with them.  They both have spent so much time there building it, it’s incredible.  18 months later it’s almost done.

We got there pretty late.  This was the next morning.  We were having so much fun, we decided to stay another night.

The kids’ favorite part of staying at the cabin was playing in all the patches of ice everywhere.  They cracked every last bit of every last patch before they all melted away in the sun.

We drove in the razors awhile and stopped for some ice cream along the way.

 

Ron started building a snowman and soon everyone was helping out.  He turned out pretty cute, wouldn’t you say?

And then Ron thought it’d be fun to knock it down, which Jaidyn was very opposed to.  So funny.  She wasn’t that upset over it, just a little.

The kids wanted to get out and run alongside the razor to the cabin.  It would have been about 1/2 a mile run. They didn’t make it very far before hopping back in.

VERY, VERY EXCITED!

Christmas 2011

The toys the kids were really “into” this year, and really wanted, were Monster High Dolls, Lalaloopsy Dolls, and Legos.  We blocked off the hallway like every Christmas Eve, so there was no possible way to peek at presents in the middle of the night or in the morning, before Mom and Dad were awake.  A baby monitor was set up in the hall so the kids could shout to us that they were awake and that Christmas needed to begin.

First things first: 

The kids all run to the family room to see what Santa has brought them. 

THEN we head into the living room to open gifts.

The kids all insisted Christmas Eve, that we put out a stocking for Bella, our hamster.  Well… Santa delivered.  There was food inside Bella’s stocking.

When everyone’s ready to open gifts, the kids make a pile for each person and then we take turns opening.  It DOES take awhile to get through them all, but what’s the hurry, right?  This way the kids know exactly who gave what and it doesn’t get too crazy.

I love all the face expressions the kids make all morning.  Probably my most favorite part of Christmas.

Grandma and Grandpa came early and spent Christmas morning with us.  It was nice to have ‘em.

Here are a few “funnies” captured. 

The belly button brushes were to Mike, from his parents.  Dagen walked around with wrapping paper stuck to her butt most of the morning without knowing.  And Dagen… with her “twisties” she does.  I thank Mike for teaching her this.  (heavy on the sarcasm)

And what husband asks for an ADDITIONAL vacuum to the one we already have and gets WAY excited about it. 

Mine, that’s who.

This is what the boys are trading in school right now.  They buy these mystery packs of Lego guys and bring them to school.  Isaac came home with a handful one time, in exchange for one rare one he had.

And here’s some drama thrown into everything. 

Poor Kallie.  After opening a couple gifts, she noticed her ear was dripping blood and freaked!  I mean freaked!  She gets so scared.  She wouldn’t even let me look at it to see what was wrong.  So I took her into the bathroom and wrestled with her trying to calm her down.  Her ear had been recently pierced, about 2 months earlier and it had gotten infected without us knowing.  There was a HUGE purple bump, dripping blood out from it, like a leaky faucet.  Drip… drip… drip.  Trying not to freak out myself, I start whispering in her ear to see if she has any hearing loss!  hahahaha.  I didn’t know how long the infections had gone for and it looked grossly bad.  She said the pain was only on the bump, not IN the ear.  We continued to watch it and put peroxide on it.  It was looking better and her other ear looked fine.  Until a week later when the other ear started to look just like her gross one!  So now it was both ears!

Anyway, long story short, Dr. said she needed an antibiotic, and to  clean it daily with the ear care stuff from the mall.

Oh yeah, do you guys remember how she was set on NEVER getting her ears pierced and then one day, out of the blue, decided on it.  WHY, oh, why, did it have to be THIS child that gets the infection?  She is back to telling everyone she will NEVER get her ears pierced again, which I don’t blame her.  And if she wanted to, Dr said she’d have to wait 6 more months.

I thought this was so cute.  Jaidyn wrote this: 

To My Strong Brother

on her present to Isaac.

And Dagen just HAD to get Isaac a pink pig for his present from her.  When I asked her why, she said, “Because he’s my brother, and he will love it!”

Of ‘course.

Kallie got him deodorant.

Isaac got Jaidyn nails.

And we were saving this one for last.  It had no name written on it, so the kids had no clue who it belonged to.   And the only thing written on it in big, black, permanent marker was: 

THIS SIDE UP!  DON’T TOUCH!

We got him 10lbs of random Legos off Craigslist to get his crave satisfied. 

This boy has since become Isaac, the Lego Maniac.