you better watch out...

Let's face it...I'm kind of a mean mommy.  However the tactic had a lot of impact!  

christmas morn

For the first time ever we had Christmas morning at home, just our family of 5.  Later in the day we had time to celebrate with all the family out at Sunriver.  Except for Matt, who spent the afternoon in urgent care getting tested and drugged up for strep throat.  It will go down in infamy in our family stories about the year I was so mean for not believing he had strep.  Not my finest moment.  But it was a lovely Christmas none the less and Christmas with babies is just so much fun!  

christmas eve

advent preparations and elving

cousin lovin'

Is this Dutch baby not the cutest thing ever?  Look at his eyes!!  

Fritz loves babies!! 

ice skating afternoon

Measurable improvement since last year! 

ski day with Grandaddy

elfsky returns

Watching for the naughty and nice list.  

learning to do god's work

Shopping for the food pantry at Christmas time.  

a CEO who sews

Daddy had a homework assignment this weekend from the ladies at work.  Keep and eye on Connecting Threads for his installment of "Gifty Galore", a Christmas gift ideas sew-a-long that you can read about on the Notions Blog.  

(Tana and Matt's project hasn't been featured yet...check back later in August.)

to the rink we go

family ski day

Oops!  This one is out of order.  Here we are on a fun family ski day before Christmas.  We have some fun videos of the boys skiing with Auntie Bridget, Uncle Michael and Grandaddy, but I can't seem to get them to load. 

rosca de reyes

In celebration of Dia de Reyes (the end of Christmas season, three kings day, or Epiphany), we joined our Mexican compatriots in the delicious tradition of Rosca de Reyes y chocolate.  I picked the smallest size out of the enormous stacks at the Mega (they came 3 times this big), found one of the last packages on the decimated chocolate (Mexican hot cocoa) aisle and headed home to enjoy with the boys.

Fritz found both of the figurines in his pieces of pan.  Traditionally that means he is responsible for throwing a family party of tamales and mole on February 2nd; Dia de la Candelaria-Candlemass day...not being Catholic, I don't know much about that one!  But I love a tamale party!  

It is really a blessing to me to have the opportunity (through Bob and Kelley-thank you!) to share in these cultural learning experiences with my boys in a country I love so dearly.  

My favorite part is the chocolate.  Tana completely agrees.  I brought the remaining 4 bars of Mexican hot chocolate home in my suitcase.  Sneaky dog found them and ate them ALL, including the wrappers, when I wasn't looking.  

presents with family, take 2

 I was a pretty pathetic keeper of family memories this Christmas season.  We were just too busy and really trying to enjoy the moments together with family rather than obsess about pictures.  Nevermind...I was just lazy.  

Case in point.  Fritz and Wally played owls with Mara and Jon the whole time we were together.  Mara and Jon have a very magical owl named Walden that made quite an impression on the boys.  Here Fritz is showing off Baby McKenzie, a.k.a. Owlette, wearing his new magic headband.  

 Sweet Ryan letting his cousins open even his presents!  

Check out Wally's silly bandz, rockin both arms loaded up.  

A drill set and bean bag toss from Ryan, Auntie Ali and Uncle Steve.  

Darling alpaca hats and ornaments from Mara and Uncle Jonny.  

Santa mugs, tortilla press and Playmobile figures from Grandmere.  

And probably some other wonderful things I've already forgotten!  

sprinkles

 If you look closely at the reflection in the window, you'll see that Tana (still in her elf jammies) was very much apart of this cookie decorating session.  She loves to participate in cookie time!  

So does Wally!  

presents under the tree

All kinds of wonderful things arrived in the dark of night on Christmas eve.  When we woke up (after stalling a long time upstairs with shows on the iPad), we came down to find Santa's bounty under the tree.  Too many wonderful things to list, but most importantly walking sticks from Santa, Hungry Hippo from Auntie Bridget and Uncle Michael and watches from Gramma and Grandaddy.  Wally just could not be swayed from his walking stick request, so with a Christmas eve trip to Joann's and glue gun in hand, Santa made it happen at the last minute.  Later in the afternoon we all went for a short hike on the Deschutes and gave the walking sticks a spin.  

Christmas eve "pa-jammies"

The three little elves, waiting for Santa to arrive in "pa-jammies" from Gramma.