Preparing for Santa...

This year has been especially fun to prepare for Christmas.  ET is remembering traditions from years past, and I absolutely love hearing his requests!  This year his #1 reguest was that I make gingerbread cookies. :)

On Christmas Eve I asked ET if he wanted to set out cookies for Santa.  He was so excited!  He had quite a plan in mind for him.  He told me exactly what he needed from the cupboard to make treats that look like Rudolph (he remembered making these two years ago).

Here was what he set out:

A note from ET and Nate
A glass of Egg Nog
A plate of Rudolph crackers
A balloon tied to the end table for him to get some exercise and play with (just in case he needed a break)
A penil specially wrapped in a piece of paper for a gift
His Yo-Yo he received from an elf earlier in the week (he wanted Santa to see he is taking good care of it)

"Santa I hope you like this present.  Love, Emmett"

December 24th

Being that we celebrated Christmas early with both sides of family we were free to attend church for the first time on Christmas Eve.  Jay played at two services, and we attended the 4:30 candlelit service.  I was so happy we could do this!

After church we headed over to Jay's parents home for Darlyn's traditional meatball dinner.  It was delicious as usual!


Nate is in a t-shirt because he gagged up his jello at dinner.  (As of yet, he has not liked any Jello I have made in the past.)   We teased him that Santa will put Jello in his stocking if he isn't good. :)

The boys with a few of their gifts...

 Silly faces...

 Thank you Darlyn and Bob for a wonderful Christmas Eve together!!!

December 22: Christmas at Aunt Tammy and Uncle Scott's!

We headed for Wisconsin on Saturday morning.  We didn't need to get to Tammy's house until later in the afternoon.  We had fun shopping at Scheel's and the Leine Lodge along the way!

We had another terrific year eating well and catching up.  Unfortunately, this was the first year Mary's family was not able to make it.


Enjoying appetizers before the big feast...

 YUM!  What a feast!

 Enjoying a Christmas cookie!

 We played games until late.  It was a lot of fun!

 The boys in their Christmas jammies...

 Sometimes it is hard for Bob to stop laughing.   Hee hee!

 We got a room at the nearby hotel again.

Thank you Tammy and Scott for another wonderful Christmas together!

December 21: ET's School Program & Our 1st Christmas Celebration

This year Jay and I have 12 days off (including weekends).  Because of the way the holidays fell, we were able to have December 21-January 1 off!  It has been a wonderful break so far!

We started off our break by attending ET's school Christmas program.  ET was so excited to show us what he has been working on, and we were just as excited to watch him!  Jay's parents came to support ET as well.

The kids sang about seven songs.  We were shocked with how many movements and lyrics they had to memorize!

After the program we headed back to his classroom for a craft and snack.  We introduced ourselves to a couple new parents and talked with many others.  Jay and I both feel so happy with where and who ET has been placed with for Kindergarten!  He is with a truly great group of kids!

Friday night we drove to my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Jack's house for our 1st Christmas celebration.  Everyone was there except for my sister Twyla's family and Tyler.  We ate the traditional potluck and exchanged gifts while playing the dice game.

Being that the boys are not a part of the adult gift exchange, I brought them a present from Jay and I to open.

 A talking Hulk action figure...

 Nate got a few new wooden trains....

 So proud of this little man...He got up and sang two songs for everyone!!!

 A couple of the newbies had to sing the traditional "We Three Kings."

 This prompted Aunt Nancy to say "it was the best she has ever heard!"  Which then resulted in a redo for the "Oooold Masters!"  Of course, Uncle Rick had to stand on a chair to fit in a little more. :)

BIG NEWS this year:  Stacy and Taylor are engaged!!! Congratulations!!!

December 9: First Big Snow Fall & Church Christmas Program

The day we got our first big snowfall the boys begged to go outside the instant they woke up.  They both played until it was time to go to church.  They never even ate breakfast.

Here are a few adorable pics of ET performing in this years church program.  He said he wants to sign up next year for a speaking part.  Being that I am his Sunday School teacher this year it has been fun to see him practice and prepare for this program.

Visit with Santa

We visited Santa this weekend!  This was the first year Nate did not cry!!!!!  ET asked for a large shooting Thor hammer, and Nate asked for a car (surprise, surprise).

Nate is potty trained!!!!

Sing with me now:

He's a Super Duper Pooper!

He can potty with the best.

No more diapers to get in his way,

I bet you are impressed!

He's a Super Duper Pooper!

He knows when he has to go.

Take a bow,

He's a big kid now,

He's the best pooper that you know!

A little over the top?  No way!  We have been waiting for this moment for quite a while now, and our hearts are soaring with pride!!!  Nate has been pee trained for about a month now.  He was just afraid to make a BM in the potty.  On Sunday this week he had a bit of the runs.   He literally accidentally pooped in the potty.  That was all he needed to realize that pooping was not a scary thing.  I promised him I would take him shopping right away if he went poopy.  He held me to that, and we ran to Target at 7:45 pm on a Sunday night.  He picked out a big car that moves and makes lots of noises.  He had one poopy accident the morning after and I took his car away.  He was so upset by this that he finally decided that pooping in the potty isn't so bad after all.  He has been dry and in underwear ever since!  YAY!!!!  I realize he is getting bigger before our eyes, but this is one milestone I am not at all emotional about.  I am so happy to kiss those diapers goodbye!!! Woo hoo!

Thanksgiving 2012

On the weekend before Thanksgiving we headed up to the cabin for a pre-Thanksgiving celebration with my parents.  We had such a great time!  We left early Saturday morning and arrived in time for lunch.  We ate out and then my Mom and I dropped the men off at the house, and we went back out to do some shopping!  We had such a great time!
With the help of the men, we made it back in time to piece together a Thanksgiving feast!  We stayed up late talking and playing with the boys.
In the morning, my Mom made us a very filling brunch  and she painted my nails! :)  We set off by noon, and were home by 4:00pm.

 ET and Grandpa breaking the wishbone!

 Of course ET won. :)

Jay and I worked for two days and then we were off until the following Monday.  We left on Thanksgiving morning and headed over to Jay's Grandma's place for an incredible Thanksgiving meal!  Everything was homemade and wonderful!  We left around 3:00, and then headed over to my Aunt Diane's house for the remainder of the evening.  We did not get home until almost 9 pm.  It was a busy day, but time well spent!  I am so bummed I forgot my camera, so I was not able to capture any memories!  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day celebrating family and God's abundant love!

A brief update on ET...

ET has been doing great at school!  According to him, a girl at school wants to marry him!  Her name is Lilly and I guess she even kissed him on his shoulder once.  I try not to pay too much attention to it because I really don't want him focusing on it so much, but he fills me in with little details every so often.

ET still plans on moving to Mars when he is a grown-up so that he can fight bad guys with the Star Wars people.  Apparently, "those people" really do exist on Mars!  He promises to come back and visit us from time to time though.  Phew!

ET has been taking enormous strides on the piano lately!  He knocked the socks off his teacher last week by learning three new songs!  She gave him a Christmas piano book as a reward!  He fights us tooth and nail when it is time to sit down for a lesson, but he is bursting with pride when he gets through it.   

ET started basketball!!!  He is built for the game, but he still has a lot to learn.  He is very motivated and very competitive, so we believe he will learn fast.