Family Christmas Parties

At the Gastaldo party we convinced Mom to play the accordion (I’ll try to post the video).   Then the big boys helped the little boys put together the Green Eggs and Ham puzzle form Aunt Caroline & Uncle Kent.

Cori read her fairytale book from cousin Lee over and over.  She also loves dressing her Mini Mouse from Aunt Glenda and Uncle Sam.

Eli loves his pop-up book from Aunt Mary and Cori is super cool in her bird jammies from Joey and Madison and light-up shades from David and Becka.

Cori and Jana, her new doll from Grandma and Papa, are very proud of their matching outfits. In the other pic, she is trying to feel baby Isaac kick.

All of us kids got together and got my parents a cruise.  It was a bit of a mess because Dad decided to take a job and come out of retirement the day before he was supposed to leave on the cruise.  Unbeknownst to him, it through a kink in the plan, but we changed the date and hopefully they will have fun! 

I got a new basketball goal from Mom and Dad, so now I can teach these kids to ball.

As always, we enjoyed spending time with family during Christmas.  The kids were spoiled rotten by all the people that love them.  We are also grateful for the technology that allowed us to skype with the Willson’s in New Zealand and Hardgrave’s in Guam.

Christmas fun all December long

On December 1st we loaded up our Christmas tree in Daddy’s new truck, and from then on it was non-stop Christmas fun!  Oliver, our shelf elf, came to report the kids behavior back to Santa.  One day he used an army guy hang glider to fly into the tree.  The kids loved finding him each day.

The Santa beards ended up being our Christmas card.

Eli got to ride on the Polar Express at school and one evening we acted out the Nativity with the Southwards.

One night we went to Rheema and Bass Pro Shop, which was lots of fun.  The lights were amazing and the kids were super excited to see Santa.  Eli asked for legos and a bow & arrow.  Cori asked for a polka dot sheet (because hers has a stain on it). 

We also had fun making ginger bread houses, treats for the neighbors, and homemade wrapping paper.

The Primary gave all the kids an advent calendar with scriptures to go along with each night, so that helped us all remember to true reason for the season.  When I got out the Christmas decorations, the kids were excited to set up the small nativity set on the coffee table.  While I was doing some other decorating, they set it up with a small Christmas train around it.  Not exactly traditional, but I thought it was cute, so we left it like that.  I’m just realizing that I should have taken a picture of that.

Thanksgiving

Eli and I made leaf rub place cards for Thanksgiving dinner at Mom and Dads.  Everyone contributed to a great meal, but I didn’t get any pics of that.  I was too busy eating : )

After we ate, we went for a walk/ride at the boardwalk and visited the Lackey and Warden clans.

Eli decided this was the first Thanksgiving table, where the Pilgrims and Indians ate.

Sunshine State Getaway

Derek had to do some training in LA in November, so I went with him.  He had to go to his training every day, so we didn’t have too much time to site see, but we managed to squeeze in Santa Monica Pier, Rodeo Drive, the Walk of Fame, and the LA temple.

While he was working, I had a very relaxing week.  I slept in, ran, shopped, read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and spent a whole day doing family history.  Then on Friday I got to do all the temple work for my great great grandmother, Cora Staggs.

The kids had a great time with Nana and Poppy while we were gone.  We had a great time, but it also made us grateful to be Oklahomans!

Robot Wars & Leaf Blowers

For one of Derek’s classes, they were put into groups and tasked with creating and building a robot that could get control of a bowling ball before the other teams’ robots.  There were 9 teams in the class and Derek’s team was undefeated and victorious.  Go Team 2!  It worked out great that the competition was when his parents were in town.  We all enjoyed watching. 

Derek had promised the kids that they could drive the thing, so they each got a short turn after the competition.

 

Nana and Poppy bought a leaf blower when they were here and Eli was first in line to use it.  Poppy taught him what to do and he managed to blow all the sand off the driveway. 

Halloween

We played musical costumes again this year. For trick-or treating in the neighborhood Cori was a water melon and Eli was superman again. Eli wore his ring master costume to school and Batman is his friend Christian.

I helped with Eli’s party at school which was lots of fun, but I was busy helping, so I didn’t get many pics.  This is the mummy pizza he made.  Cori is enjoying the huge lollypop that our neighbor Debbie gave her.

For the playgroup party they wore their original ring master and lion costumes.

Nana and Poppy were in town for Halloween and it was a beautiful day, so we all went together to the pumpkin patch.

The kids love riding the ponies.  They were grinning ear to ear the whole time.  Eli rode lucky for the third year in a row.  Cori decided ahead of time she wanted to ride a pony named Santa (completely made up by her).  So, we just told her her pony was named Santa.

Feeding the animals is lots of fun too.