Christmas x Infinium: Our 2011 Holiday Fun

It's done. An eleven minute video compiling ALL of our 2011 Christmas adventures. These eleven minutes really pointed out to me just how blessed we really are. To be surrounded by such amazing family and friends. To be able to spoil our children and nephews/nieces with gifts. To laugh and play (even as grown ups!). To have the capabilities to record and document it all. God's blessings seem to never end. So I felt it was only appropriate to use Brady's term for infinity as the title of this post...

Landon Bruce Syers: Year One

Dear Landon, Landy, Lando-city, Landeesa, Lando-Bando:

It’s hard for me to believe that you are already one. This year has gone by so incredibly fast. I feel like it was just yesterday that we were bringing our 9lb. 6oz. bruiser with a full head of hair home from the hospital to sleep under the Christmas tree. How quickly you have grown into our 23 lb. bruiser with a full head of hair who now wants to pull down the Christmas tree!

You have been an absolute blessing to our family. Your smile and giggle light up the room. You are curious and get in to absolutely everything you are not supposed to…and learning how to walk only made you more dangerous! You are flexible and easy going, but you definitely enjoy getting attention. Riding high in the arms of your mom, dad, or Opa is your favorite place to be. Your hair is your trademark. We can’t go into a store without someone commenting on the color, the amount, the spike, etc. What other one year old has had five haircuts? You love balls…throwing them, chasing after them, dumping them out of baskets. Any other toys might as well be invisible. You love food. I swear there is a hole in your stomach because you would be content to eat all day every day. Milk, cheeseburgers, baby food, you name it, you devour it. You love your blankie and your paci…burying your face in your blanket is the only way to fall asleep. You have discovered your voice, although your high pitched screech doesn't exactly count as a vocabulary.

Landon, we love you so much. You complete our family, and we are blessed to call you ours. We can’t wait to see what your future holds. Happy Birthday.

Let It Snow!

It's Christmas Break. There is almost a foot of snow on the ground. The only thing to do?

Bundle

Up

And

Play

Outside

In

The

Snow!

Brooks Wesley Jansen

Saturday, December 17th was a very special day. Our newest nephew, Brooks Wesley Jansen, was born at 12:05 pm! Abby was going to be induced, so we were able to be at the hospital and wait for Brooks to arrive. The last time we were able to do this was with Nolan! When Heath was born, no kids were allowed at the hospital because of the swine flu, and Cohen was born in California. So, it was a treat to be able to be there to meet Brooks right away.

We got to the hospital around 10:00 am. The kids quickly got tired of books and games. Thank goodness Uncle Bradley arrived with his iPad!
Nolan and Payton were VERY interested in what was happening inside the delivery room. They were very good spies and kept us informed of all that was happening (they actually couldn't hear anything except muffled voices :)) Abby's mom, Pam, flew in just in time so she was at the hospital to!
Soon after the baby was born, Mark came down to the waiting room to tell us all the name. They had given us the clues that it did not end in -on, but had an o in it. We thought for sure it was Conner! We were all surprised when Mark told us it was Brooks Wesley. Here is Mark telling Wes that Brooks is named after him. I asked him how it felt to have someone named after him, he said it feels really good. :)
So, after Mark took Nolan and Heath to meet their new brother, we got a chance to go in and meet the baby. He is so cute and looks just like his big brothers, especially Heath!

Wesley and Brooks Wesley.
Payton just LOVES all her boy cousins!
And me with the little monkey.
Baby Brooks, welcome to the world. We love you so much already.

Oma Bosch

Very early on Saturday morning, my grandma, Oma Bosch, passed away. After 94 full and well-lived years, she went home to be with the Lord. And although we will miss her dearly, we will celebrate and remember the incredible lady that she was.

When I think about my memories with Oma, the list is long and joy-filled. Graduations, birthdays, holidays, weddings, births...you name it, Oma was there cheering us on with her smile. What a blessing to have grandparents that are a positive presence in so many of my life's milestones.

There are a few memories and traditions, however, that are my favorite. Memories that, even if I live to be 94 years old, will stay fresh in my mind and cause me to smile. I want to share a few of those with you today.

1) Church & Coffee on Sundays. Every Sunday morning, we would pile in the station wagon and head over to Hillcrest for church. The process was always the same....say hello to Aunt Meena (who sat in the red velvet chairs at the back of the church) and get our weekly ration of Smarties. Next, slide in to the wooden pew next to Oma and Opa and flash our best and most well-behaved smile at Oma. She would open her purse and pass three small packs of Lifesavers down our way. Those red, green, yellow, and orange rings would be enough to keep us quiet through the sermon and the rest of church. After church was Sunday School. When I got old enough, I was able to walk by myself from church to Oma's house. When we got there, as most of you probably know, it was time for coffee. Cheese, crackers, coffee cake, and tuna fish were staples on the weekly menu. On special occasions, a plate of donuts--cut in half--would also be added to the table. I would eat, read the comics, and when it was time to go, ask Oma if we could have just one more piece of candy. (Looking back at it now, I think Oma may be partially responsible for my incredible sweet tooth!) So, we would dig into her dresser drawer for a mento. If the mentos were gone, we would settle for a red throat lozenge, because let's face it, those are as good as candy. On our way out, we would thank Oma. Without fail, she would say "You're welcome, come again." And we did, each and every Sunday for as long as I can remember.

2) Easter. Most families on Easter plan some sort of Easter Egg Hunt for the children. You know, throw a few eggs filled with candy around in the grass so the little ones can fill up their baskets. That's not exactly how we did things. After church, we headed over to Oma and Opa's house for brunch. Apparently, food must connect with memories in your brain because the menus are a significant part of each of my memories! Egg casserole, ham with pineapple rings, asparagus, and croissants ensured that we were properly fueled up for the day's main event. Every single person, no matter their age, received a handled paper bag. Oma, the master of ceremonies, sat in a chair in the middle of the backyard. We would wait on pins and needles for Oma to call out a color. "Yellow," she would say, and we would bolt around that yard frantically trying to find a yellow plastic egg filled with jelly beans, snickers, and hopefully not a peep. We would race back to Oma hoping to avoid being last, because last place earned you a special prize--the Dumb Bunny Ears. Those ears, worn for the entire next round, were a symbol of your poor egg hunting skills. In fact, I have a scar on my shin from tripping on a metal pole while trying to race Todd for an egg! This would continue for 10 - 12 rounds (do the math, that's A LOT of eggs!) until there were a few lonely eggs still hidden somewhere in the yard. So, we would fill up all the cartons to get a count of exactly how many eggs were missing. We would search and search, but inevitably Opa or Uncle Dave would find the eggs while gardening a few weeks later. Usually they were chewed up by the squirrels! We would wrap up the day by dyeing some eggs then head home with our bags full of candy. "Thanks Oma!" "You're welcome, come again." And we did, each and every Easter for as long as I can remember.

3) Christmas Eve. Around 5:00 on the night before Christmas, we would get all dressed up and once again, head over to Oma and Opa's house. If you ever drove by their house around Christmas time, you know that it was hard to miss. The lights were spectacular. Garlands lined the summer house, homemade candles adorned the flower beds. And let's not forget the elves, Frosty, Santa, and carolers placed neatly around the yard. It was truly a winter wonderland. First on the Christmas Eve party schedule? Dinner, of course. Aunt Bev's chicken casserole, little mini-hot dogs, punch, and potato chips with french onion dip will always remind me of Christmas Eve. Next it was time for singing. We all gathered in a circle in the living room and passed out the music books. I think those books might have been as old as Oma! Jane Van Zytveld or my mom would sit down at the piano and lead us all through our favorite Christmas Carols...We Wish-Schuitt a Merry Christmas, I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day (singing all the verses because it tells a story), and Away In A Manger (complete with motions from the child who had learned them for their school program). After a half hour or so of singing, all the kids would start requesting page 17. Jingle Bells. For whatever reason, Santa seemed to know that we were anxiously awaiting his visit and would pop in to say hello. We would sit on his lap, snap a quick picture, and give us each one present as a teaser for the next morning. Santa would say goodbye, we would pass around a massive plate of Christmas cookies, and then it was time to head home. "Thanks Oma." "You're welcome, come again." And we did, each and every year for as long as I can remember.

These traditions are an integral part of my life. They have become an integral part of my husband and children's lives. And, if you got to experience any of these same traditions, I'm sure they are an integral part of your life as well. Now that Oma is gone, these traditions will not quite be the same. But, we can take the joy, love, faith, and generosity we experienced from Oma for so many years and make those the foundation of our new family traditions. And by doing so, we will honor Oma and the amazing life she lived.

As I said at the beginning, we will miss Oma dearly. But today, I will rejoice in the fact that she is in heaven with the Lord. And I can only imagine that when they met face to face, God looked at the life she lived and said "Thanks Oma." And Oma responded with a smile "You're welcome."

Hark The Herald "Angels" Sing...

Brady finished his first semester of four year old preschool today with his Christmas program. Last year, in case you forgot, Brady really sang his heart out. So, heading in to this year's program, we had no idea what to expect.

Apparently, turning four years old upped Brady's cool factor by infinity, or infinium as he likes to say. Brady simply stood still, sang the songs, and did a few of the motions. At one point, Wes looked over and whispered "Wow, he's actually opening his mouth and singing. Oh, wait. That was just a yawn." Brady was asked by his teacher, Mrs. Croshal, to be a shepherd. He absolutely refused, stating to her that he would NOT wear a dress! He has already expressed his disdain for the graduations "dresses" he will have to wear come May...sounds a little like his father don't you think?!

Oma, Opa, Wes, and Landon all came to watch. The Craigs were also there to watch Drew.

After the program, they hopped back on to the school bus and headed back to their classroom for a party.

This is Eli, Brady's buddy. And Mrs. Croshal, Brady's teacher. Her kids went to Arapahoe, so it's fun to have that connection. On the left is Adelyn, Brady's best girl friend.
All in all, Brady did a great job. He has had a great semester of preschool and we are excited for our Christmas vacation!

Happy Holidays!

♥ ♥ ♥

The Trek For The Tree

Last Saturday marked our ninth annual trek up to mountains to cut down our Christmas tree. This year, my mom and dad and Gwen, Tim, Rylan, and Reagan joined us for the fun.

The weather has varied drastically from year to year...hot (last year), freezing cold, snowy, dry as a bone. This year was a little bit of both. Certainly no snow (as you can see from the pics below), but chilly enough for hats and coats.

We tried a new off roading trail this year which was much more open. So, we parked our matching cars (my dad's is a highlander but in this pic, it looks exactly like the other two dark green pilots!) and began our trek.
Gwenda and I got the pleasure of hauling around the babes in backpacks. This is actually much better than Wes and Tim's job of cutting down the trees and hauling them back to the car.
We did the same exact thing with the boys in 2007! A little snowier (and blonder!) that year...
Here's what Reagan and her cheeks did the entire time, so cute!
My mom and dad actually found their tree within the first five minutes. It was just up from where we parked. They looked around for anything better but didn't find it. Pretty good looking grandparents don't you think?!
I love this pic...Brady is not in it because he basically sprints down the mountain shouting, breaking sticks, throwing rocks, and doing whatever his dad and Uncle Tim are doing. Rylan and Payton are much slower. They explore, point out interesting plant life, pick up long sticks, and find dead bones from deer carcasses (yes, we brought them home for PR in a ziploc bag!)
Brady decided to cut down his own little tree (again, he wants to use the saw like his dad.)At one point, I asked Payton if she liked a tree and if we should cut it down. She immediately said, "no, that's horrible." I was kind of shocked at her quick and negative response. When I pushed a little further, we realized that she thought I was pointing at this lovely tree! So funny.After nine years, we have learned a few things. If you take the top section of a tree and cut off the dead bottom, the tree is narrower and has less droopy saggy branches at the bottom. If you take a tree standing alone by itself, it's fuller, rounder, and doesn't have a completely bare side. So, we found this year's tree...standing all alone and dead on the bottom five feet...perfect :)
Wes and the kiddos cut it down, and as I stated earlier, Wes (and Tim) hauled it back to the car. Success.
Tim is either super strong, or the tree wasn't that heavy!And of course, no tree cutting adventure is complete without a tailgate party. This pic is terrible, but what do you expect with three kids, hot chocolate, turkey sandwiches, and banana bread? Some things are just more important than smiling pretty for the camera...We headed home, took some naps, and got busy decorating the tree. As I looked back through all the years of our trees, they pretty much look identical. But, this is the first one in our new house, so we love it. Wes bought a new Christmas train on Black Friday so he and the kids set it up. I think it's a perfect addition to the tree. And, so does Landon.

A Time To Give Thanks

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1.

This year's Thanksgiving was definitely a season for giving thanks...

Because we are now neighbors with my mom and dad, we decided to tag team this year's dinner. We hosted the meal at our place and used my mom and dad's oven to cook the turkey down the street.

My mom came over on Wednesday afternoon and we set the table. I searched online and saw this idea for a cute centerpiece. I bought everything on clearance and spray painted it to match my colors. We kept the candy filled cornucopias and set them on leaves from Oma Bosch's yard. It was fun to blend both old and new traditions. I think it turned out great!

Brady made this headdress in school and was excited to be Chief Brady!

Thursday was an absolutely beautiful day. Sunny and about 60 degrees...you would have never known it was the end of November! Mark and Abby and Gwen and Tim and all of their kiddos came over around 1:00 so the little ones could nap while we hung out. But, before we put them down, we held a quick photo shoot. 11 months is such a fun age. Still babies, but happy little squirts who are developing their own personalities.

While the little ones slept, the big kids (and by this I mean kids and grown ups!) played with toys. Tim has gotten in to "flipping" atv's. He pretty much has the corner on the Craig's List market. So, Brady and Rylan took turns driving Grave Digger.

The big boys played with our newest toy in the basement--Ping Pong! It was actually really fun to have a lot of different places to hang out and a lot of different things to do!

Gwen (and all the rest of the girls for that matter) played with their version of toys...the Black Friday Ads!

Just before dinner, we attempted to snap some family photos. This, however, was what Brady was doing on the couch 5 minutes before pics. That will explain his super happy poses in the pics to come :)

Grandma Inge and just a few of her Great Grand Kids.

I like this pic a lot. The ladies are usually the ones taking the pics, so it was fun to get one of all of us together!

My mom, dad, and Grandma Inge took care of the turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes. Thank goodness, as hosting would have been way more stressful if I was in charge!

Sitting down to eat. There were 19 of us total. 11 adults at the "grown up" table with the "little kids"--Heath, Cohen, Landon, and Reagan--in the four corners.

The four "big kids"--Nolan, Rylan, Payton, and Brady--had their very own table. Not much eating happened at this table, but they enjoyed themselves for sure!

Landon ate absolutely everything we put on his tray. Not surprising. He definitely enjoyed his first Thanksgiving!

After an awesome meal, it was time to clean up. The men decided to give the women something to be thankful for and took dish duty. With music blaring on the iPod, they certainly made it fun.
And finally, it was time for dessert. We are always in charge of pies so it's fun to made the old favorites and a few new things. This year's selections? Pumpkin, Cherry, and a Lemon Tart.
We had a wonderful day. It was great to relax, enjoy each other's company, and give thanks for the many blessings in our lives.