Tis The Season...Christmas 2009

We had another wonderful Christmas holiday. As you can see from the video, we are blessed to be surrounded by such amazing family and friends. We missed you Brad and Jayne, but we will see you in a few weeks!

Sledding 101

Today we made use of one of the best parts of our lovely neighborhood...the sledding hill. Located in the park just a block up the street, the "hill" is jam packed each and every time it snows. It's incredibly steep and icy. So steep and icy, in fact, that snow plows have to uncover a strip of grass near the bottom to prevent people from sledding straight into the street. The kiddos (ok, us too) had a great time flying down the hill...see the action below.

The mountain awaits...
Our shadows tremble in fear :)

Click here if you want to be a part of the sledding action...

Click here if you'd rather just watch...

Zoo Lights

A fun and snowy evening at the zoo. Can you find PR and Brady in the peacock feathers?

Christmas Swamp Cookies

Payton and her friend Rosalind helped me bake Christmas cookies this afternoon...we made a gigantic mess but the girls had a blast. They made full use of every sprinkle found in the pantry...on each and every cookie. At one point, I told Payton that people might get sick from too much sugar and encouraged her to use just one kind of sprinkle from that point on. She took a long and thoughtful glance at her creations and replied, "yeah, they do kind of look like swamp cookies."

Come On Ring Those Bells!

At church yesterday, Payton participated in her third Christmas Program. As most of you know from previous posts, we do not have the best track record for making it successfully through programs. So, as the children filed up to the front of the church yesterday morning, I had just a few butterflies in my stomach. The music started and the kids rang colored bells matching the color the teacher was holding up. They did a great job...even the boy whose bell flew out of his hands down on to the floor, and even the little girl who brought herself to tears as she cracked her own head with her vigorous bell ringing. But, Christmas came a few days early as neither of those children was Payton! Congrats daughter, you did a great job. :)

Ringing bells is very serious business...

Family Room Remodel...A Family Project

For the last 5 years, this is what our family room looked like. Well, my mom and dad weren't always there playing guitar hero, but this pic showed the room pretty well! Notice the popcorn ceiling, gigantic white plastic lights, painted white bricks, non-sliding door to the backyard, and of course, the lovely forest green carpet. It certainly wasn't what we would have picked out if given the choice, but it wasn't horrible so we lived with it for 1825 days, but who's counting?
The day after we got back from the Notre Dame/USC game (October 17ish), this is what took place:

Then Wes ripped out the old door and put in a slider. Then he ripped out the old lights and put in some new ones. Then we got rid of the popcorn ceiling and got new texture. Then he picked up our new gas fireplace and installed it in front of the old one. And then he built some cabinets to go on either side of the fireplace. And then, and then, and then...here's what the room looked like a few weeks later:
The Monday after Thanksgiving, we welcomed three men from Home Depot into our house. They proceeded to pile everything we own into our bedroom. If you've ever wondered just how much "stuff" you have, try piling it to one room...
God bless those men. They ripped out our dark green carpet (along with the even uglier blue upstairs carpet) and put in some awesome new, clean, and not-green-not-blue taupe carpet.
So, here we are on December 15, approximately 8 weeks later, and this is what the room looks like.
Let's just say that we are extremely glad to be done. It was a LOT of work (I would consider myself a semi-professional painter/stainer/polyeurethaner), but we are so glad we did it. I am so proud of my husband for his amazing skills and talents (even if I get a little frustrated mid-project) :) We are so excited to spend the holidays relaxing in our new room!

HO HO HO!

Mark & Abby took Nolan, Heath, Payton, and Brady to see Santa this weekend. Brady had told me for several days that after crying last year, he would be brave to tell Santa what he wanted. He asked for a ball popper, Payton wants some Puppy In My Pocket stuff. Nolan? I think all he wants for Christmas is to get away from Santa! And Heath? Well, I think he actually granted Santa's Christmas Wish...

Dads & Donuts

This morning Payton got to bring her dad to a special breakfast before school. She sent him an invitation with a drawing of the two of them playing basketball. They get to go and eat donuts to start the morning!After school update: Here is a picture that Payton and Wes drew during breakfast...

How Lovely Are Your Branches (When Adorned With 10 Strands Of Lights & A Ton Of Ornaments!)

Last night we put up our Christmas tree. Because we were the last of the three families to find their tree on Saturday, Wes felt pressured to "settle" on a tree he wasn't 100% sold on. I think this one is just fine. A Colorado tree for sure, but nothing 10 strands of lights and every ornament we own can't fix...and as long as you're decorating it with your family, it doesn't really matter what it looks like...

Sleepover!

Payton invited her friend Addie over for their very first sleepover. The girls had a great time playing, eating dinner, and watching a Tinkerbell movie before going to bed. I asked if I could snap their picture, and they struck this pose and told me they were best friends. They both fell asleep in Payton's big bed with no hassle. A great night for everyone!

Timber! Christmas Tree Cutting Take Five

Saturday after Thanksgiving we took our annual trip up to the mountains to cut down our Christmas tree. We had a great day...about 40 degrees and sunny, but just enough snow on the ground to get us into the Christmas spirit! We have a few finishing touches to put on our family room, then we can decorate our tree. Those pictures to come soon!

The crew that trekked out in search of trees...Kyle (Gwen's little bro) was visiting from Chicago and joined in the fun.Mom and Dad's Winning Selection...Gwen and Tim's Winning Selection...Our Winning Selection...PR & Brady had a great time climbing rocks and exploring.Some family shots...

Gotta love our "Charlie Brown" trees!

Turkey Day 2009

We celebrated Thanksgiving this year at my mom and dad's house. We had a big crowd (about 20!), but what a fun and relaxing day to give thanks for family and friends!

Pre-Meal Appetizers and Beverages...
Giving thanks for our new nephew Heath Tyler...PR and Brady LOVE their new cousin!
The whole gang...not a great pic, but my mom, my dad, Oma Bosch, Sue, Dave, Gwen, Tim, Rylan, Kyle, Mark, Abby, Nolan, Tammy, Inge, Brent, Wes, Payton, Brady, and myself ALL fit at one table! (Heath stuck to the bouncy seat at the end of the table...)
Sue's traditional turkey racing game. Roll the dice to see who's turkey crosses the finish line first! Loser wears the turkey...
Winner gets a lotto ticket and some wine!
And there's nothing like topping off an already exploding stomach with some homemade pie!

What a wonderful day. Thanks mom and dad for hosting such a giant feast. We are truly blessed and very thankful...