Christmas: Part 2 & 3

We've had so many Christmas celebrations, we were afraid the kids were going to start thinking they were entitled to presents and pie everyday at the end of the year.

We've slowly been getting back to normal around here, although how normal can it be when Dad has two full weeks of vacation? And why is it everytime Jonathan has vacation, we all get sick?

Most of us are mostly recovered now. Two years ago when Jude was a wee baby, we spent a week long vacation sick, on the couch watching "LOST". This week was like and extended deja vu.

Before we were under the weather, we were able to celebrate Christmas morning at home with the kids. We also gave Ezra a hair cut. He no longer looks like a poor, unkempt, homeless boy.

I don't want a hair cut, Mom.

Well now...this is interesting.

My head feels so light!

Jan and Alan came over Christmas evening and gave the boys some NERF shotguns. Oh boy howdy, were those a hit. Jude can barely load his gun and pull the trigger, but he still enjoys holding us at gun point during diaper changes.

He also enjoys his very loud whistle from Grandpa Rick. All the kids enjoy those whistles, but hopefully since I confiscated them immediately, they'll forget about them until oh....let's say May.

We celebrated Christmas with my dad and sisters and their boyfriends, on the 26th. Alan and Jan joined us and helped bunches with food prep and clean up. It was the first time hosting Christmas at our house, and it was fun! A lot of work...but very fun.

I love this loud, LOUD whistle.

Look, MOM! It's that candy filled plastic phone from the closet!

This is cool, but where are the LEGOS?

Do angels have cold sores? Yes, indeed.

Sadie was an angel in our church's Christmas play. It was so stinkin' cute to see all the small chillun's singing "Away in a Manger". And then to cap it all off, Joey B. announced loudly during the silence at the end of the song "MINE DOESN'T WORK" (talking about his fully functioning microphone).

Christmas night.

(sorry for poor photo quality...scanner is broken)

Another year has come and gone. The days go soooo slooow, but the years are just flying.

Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas: Part 1

We had a fun time celebrating an early Christmas at Alan and Jan's house during Thanksgiving week.

David and Hillary stopped by our house on their way there. The weather was surprisingly nice for most of the week, so there were lots of chances to play outside.

Can you believe that 6 of 8 cousins fit on this swing?

One of the few quiet moments at the house. This is what zombies look like.

Okay, so this was taken today, but I had to include it. She loves her some shake.

Here's Jude playing "Grandma".

Here's Sadie as "Grandpa" and Grace as "Grandma. Hannah is an amish flamingo keeper.

Sadie takes a shot at the pinata.

Grace takes a swing.

To Hannah, this is serious business.

We also got a chance to visit the Milton House in Milton, Wisconsin. Home to many Crandall family relics and much Crandall family history. It was fun, although I nearly had an embolism trying to stop my kids from touching everything, and yelling....and stomping all over the old creaky wood floors and stairs.

They all thought the Underground railroad room and tunnel was cool. Sadie was pretty disturbed by the poster depicting slaves being abused and at auction.
It'll be fun to go back in a few years.

We visited Jonathan's Papa and Mimi's grave.