Christmas 2012

Our Christmas together as just our family is just now starting to come together. I know we have been married for almost 9 years now, but we really hadn't separated ourselves a whole lot from the families we grew up in until last year. So each year our traditons are evolving. We have chosen bits and pieces from each of our childhoods that we want to incorporate in our now household as well as added new things. One of those pieces from Tyrell's childhood that we have chosen to incorporate is opening one present on Christmas Eve. Koen and Kai have been counting down the days witha nativity calendar my mom gave us this year (this is a piece from my childhood that has given us the ability to discuss with the kids that Christmas is about giving and we celabrate because Christ was born on that day) and have been anxiously awaiting Christmas Eve for this very reason. Another piece from my childhood we have included is that each child draws a name of a sibling and then buys that sibling something for Christmas (this saves us money and teaches them how to give to someone else). On Christmas Eve we let them give their gifts to each other and those are the gifts they got to open.

 

Once we got the crazy kids to bed last night Santa got to work. Poor Santa will never bring another little tykes cozy coupe to our house because man that thing leaves battle wounds and poor Santa barely survived putting it together!

 

Now all the kids (minus Kael) got exactly what they asked for:

 

Koen: A DS







 

Kai: A castle

Havyn: A loopsy (lalaloopsy doll)

Kael: He didn't ask, but Santa is smart and you will see why.

In fact Havyn had asked so many people for a loopsy she ended up with 3!!! She now has a mommy loopsy, and little girl loopsy, and a little boy loopsy. She has taken every single loopsy to nap and bed and for a drive in Kael's coupe! The kids were all super happy and excited when they got woke up by their crazy daddy who was more excited that any kid I have ever seen on Christmas morning!

 

 

The rest of the day you saw Kael in his coupe with his flashlight from his stocking and that was really all he needed.

 

Koen hid out with his DS most of the day, but played with Kai and his castle and his new dry earse kit from Grandma Snyder a lot too!

 



 



Kai was really into that castle today, and sadly I didn't take pictures of him playing with it.

Tyrell and I got presents this year too! Yay!!! I have to say that even though I didn't mind not getting present the past 4 years or so it was nice to be able to give him something more than a pillowcase I whipped up this year. Those years we didn't have a lot weren't bad or sad or whatever else some people may think they were. We were thinking about them today, and saying that we still had awesome memories and that honestly we still had our family and had wonderful Christmas experiences, but being able to set a budget and buy for each other this year was truly a blessing! Tyrell was the recipent of some bacon flavored chapstick in his stocking (just because it was funny) and a few new items of apparel he had been wanting. One being this beard hat. Havyn says he is a monster in it and cries, but he is in love with it!

He is also sporting some Sage Valley spirit with his new shirt that he designed and I ordered later (and told him the shipping would have been $10 so he figured he didn't get).

 

I got clothes (which is all I wanted) as well as something I want to add to our traditions for Christmas as our own family. Tyrell bought me an Elf on the Shelf. I was totally not expecting this because they are so expensive. I was super excited to say the least and I can't wait to use my elf next year. Oh the fun we will have!

 

 

I have to admit that I was somewhat sad this year. Every year we have been married we have had a least a visit from some family. This year was going to be different. As we laid in bed last night I told Tyrell how I was somewhat sad about being alone. His reply was "why? I am kind of excited!" You know he was right! This year was absolutely amazing! We played games, watched movies, and ate good food (yes, I even fixed Christmas dinner) and we just loved each other! I would have to say that this day with my family was much needed! We don't see a lot of daddy and sometimes it really gets to the us all. We are so glad that he is working so hard to support us, and that he loves us enough to put in the 60+ hours of work each and every week, but we miss him!!! It was a wonderful day to be me!

 

Here is a picture of Tyrell and I that I wanted to take because we also got a new camera! Thanks mom!!! Now don't get used to see me on here because this will be a rare thing, but here ya go!

 



 

Oh MY....

 

Someone figured out how to climb right out of his crib today during nap time. Guess what that means....very cranky no nap Kael 2 1/2 hours later. I tried. I really did! He just wouldn't nap. I think he got our 5 times before I got out the pack and play and then he just screamed. I just barely got him to go to bed without milk in a sippy a week ago. Really! Now instead of getting Kai to sleep in his bed I will be traing Kael to sleep in his. Boy am I GLAD he is the last one!!!! On top of Kael not sleeping in a crib anymore I was planning to potty train an almost 3 year old girl over Christmas break. Luckily, it is Christmas breaks so I can figure out how I am going to make this work before I have babysitters here. This little dude sure does have some spirit about him though. He was laughing at my stunned face when he got out and I almost started laughing with him. Really it isn't that funny, but he is just so dang cute what's a mom to do?

Merry Christmas

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and got to see both sides of our family throughout our 4 days away. We spent Thanksgiving day with the Teeters. They are always so much fun because everyone is so laid back and silly. Our kids were terrified of their dogs, so the poor things had to be put in the garage for the couple days we were around. I don't understand Kai's severe fear for dogs. I do know though, that I had the same severe fear at his age. I guess it's pay back. I really don't know why I was so scared either. I do know that I would avoid them at all costs, though. Even if it meant hiding in the girls bathroom at recess in elementary school. Other than that, the kiddos had a blast and they wore themselves out. For some reason I didn't take any pictures while we were there, but I am hoping that the kids will have plenty of memories in the future! I did, however, take a picture of Koen's birthday cake. He got to have cake and ice cream with the Teeter crew!!! Lucky Boy!

The day after Thanksgiving we headed to my parent's for the night. It was a quick, but good trip. It's always nice to my Grandma and siblings that are around. Plus now there is baby Bryken to love on! I took one picture on our adventures there because I just couldn't resist. We went to lunch with Grandma Snyder on Saturday and not a one of our kids wanted to sit at our table. They surrounded grandma instead.

Christmas Tree 2012

The kids were beyond excited to put up the tree last night! I really want to teach them that it is for looking at and not touching or playing in. All I can say is we have a LONG, VERY LONG way to go. Kael just threw the ornaments, and then when I showed him what we should do with them, he started taking the ones with no hooks and stuffing them all on the same spot of the tree. Kai thought hanging about 12 on the same branch was the way to go, Havyn was more into licking them and breaking them than hanging them, and Koen did  well (maybe it happens with age). As soon as we got the tree somewhat decent looking we struggled to keep the ornaments on it because Kael is just sooooo tempted to use them as balls, and they are just so pretty he can't help but touch them with his pointed index finger while he looks right at mom or dad waiting for what he knows he is going to hear. This morning I thought I could out smart him, or at least block him, by placing the love seat in front of the doorway to the living room. Well, it keeps him out as long as Kai, Havyn, or Koen don't help him over the sofa. They are all too smart for their own good and have figured out that they can indeed go over instead of around.  After a long day of telling them to stay out of my tree, and chasing them away from it, I'd had enough and I put both Havyn and Kael in a time out in their rooms for using ornaments as balls. Neither one of them has touched it since, but I doubt that will continue tomorrow. I think I know why I gave up last year and had a half naked tree by Christmas.

 

New stockings

I didn't have a stocking for Kael yet (last year he was too little) so I decided to  try making some new ones this year. I wanted to be brave and make some quilted ones, but decided that they would be far too time consuming, and what if I wasn't time and money on them and they didn't turn out? I settled for this cute little things, and I think they turned out amazing!

When Mom Isn't Feeling Well

The other day I wasn't feeling so well. I had been up half the night, and gone to the ER thanks to a bladder infection. Tyrell had to work a double that day so I sat back and watched the kids make memories all day. I found out that I miss out on so many things when I am busy mom all day long. It was nice to observe my silly kiddos and watch their little imaginations work. Havyn and Kael especially were fun to watch. They carried around pieces of Kael's pack and play and used it for many different things. One being a bed.

Koen and Kai were super heros fighting Woody (from toy story). They made a good team.

 Oh and we had Havyn the fairy most of the day too! She was good at leading Kael around and being a big sister, as long as he did whatever she said. They held hands, they danced, and they found trouble toether.

 

 Then to finish the day off they all got together and had some sort of picnic on the living room floor.

Kone Havyn pretended to sleep in it occasionally.Oh

Family Picture Sneek Peak

The photographer that took these just emailed me that our sneek peak is posted. Here are the pictures. I am sure there are way more on the disc I should be getting in the mail.

Tinkerbell

So this story isn't really about Tinkerbell, but I thought the name fit. Yesterday at breakfast the three little ones and I were discussing names and what a name is. I asked Kai what my name was and he replied "mom" and I told him what my real name is and he and Havyn can't pronounce it correctly for the life of them. They say "weesha". I think it is funny! This morning Tyrell was trying to get them to say his name and Havyn kept calling him Tinkerbell.  I  guess Tyrell is Tinkerbell because even when we tried correcting her she still called him Tinkerbell.

Halloween 2012

This was the first year we have ever been able to go trick or treating at night as an entire family. Last year Tyrell was here in Nampa and I was still in Shelley. I would have to say that it wasn't Tyrell's most favorite year ever. I believe I remember some tears over the phone. It wasn't the ideal situation, but I am so thankful we made it through it, and that Tyrell got the job he did here. When we lived in Pocatello we always just took the boys to downtown and did the businesses in the afternoon. So this year was much different than all the rest. We started trick or treating at about 5 and soon returned home because no one else was out and no one was home. We got to one house and he had to dig out the candy. Havyn also just walked right on in and started looking for the candy. This is when we decided it was time to head home and wait while we had a little discussion about how to be polite. The kids weren't too thrilled, but we waited another hour. They got lots of candy, and now mom had to hide it. Kael already spit bubblegum in the carpet and he was king of lick a candy then throw it down to lick the next. He wouldn't even take his bag to the door because he planned to eat what he got between houses and if it wasn't gone it was going on the lawn, street, or sidewalk. Havyn was slow (like always). She got distracted easily and kept watching all the other kids instead of keeping up so she and I ended up behind a lot, and she lost out on some candy :( Kai was his normal self and when Tyrell asked him to stay out of the street so he didn't get run over he replied "I won't get run over. I am Captain America. I will stop that car." Koen knew exactly what was happening and enjoyed every minute of getting candy. He is getting too old to do the funny things the little ones do so I don't have any funny comments about him. He was just amazingly good and obiedient because he wanted candy.