Decorating the tree!
The official tree decoraters this year! Every year, I decide to be involved in decorating the tree. Every year I poop out and go rest. And every year, I love what the rest of the family creates with it.
All seven stockings hung up and ready!
Decorating cookies!
I baked the cookies (without help, because that’s the way I roll) and handed the cookies and frosting over to the kids to finish!
Cookie time!
Maggie with her cookies on the plate she designed.
Anna!
Hard at work.
Anna’s masterpieces!
Carolyn’s cookies.
Loading the dishwasher before frosting.
Watching the Nutcracker with friends. No pictures.
Carolyn’s date – Watching the Grinch and going out for ice cream. There were incredible tales of the amount of sweets consumed.
Daddy-daughter date!
Christmas Eve.
We opened all the gifts that the kids bought or made for each other…. and gifts from friends and the pajamas I bought this year on Christmas eve. 75% of the gifts were made by Anna. She worked hard for months!
Gathered in the living room.
Ready to start!
What’s funny to me, is that Anna has never seen a phone booth being used… maybe never one at all?
Anna made a transformer/time-traveler!
Obligatory photo
Sunrise or sunset?
Playing checkers!
Chocolate milk with unbelieveable amounts of marshmallow seemed like the right thing to do.
Love.
Anna made Daniel a drum set!
To remember the adorable spelling.
Thanks, Diane!
Big kiddo!
So proud of my gift-giving girls!
Daniel was excited about presents!
Christmas Day.
We dug candy out of stockings and opened Christmas gifts from us this morning.
The night before:
We set up everything after the kids (and cat) went to bed.
So many goodies!
Sorted and ready to open. 🙂
Christmas morning
Sunny morning.
Race track!
Special morning.
Happy!
Neither of the boys made it through the gift-giving, but they both stayed a long time!
The cousins visit with all the kids and then the girls sleep over at the Mellinger’s house afterward!
I can’t find pictures. Ah well. It was good!
Grandma and Grandpa come over and bring the girls back.
Here’s a favorite and familiar view. <3
Grandma C’s house for New Year’s party with the girls!
Grandma D’s house for a holiday visit with the girls! Surprise birthday for Grandma and Kevin.
Dauna pulled off a really nice birthday party at the end of Kevin hosting lunch!
Evening arrival
Gorgeous view
Kevin’s in-home theater
Grandma’s short-term memory is very bad now – she kept being surprised when she saw us there and didn’t remember her birthday party the next day. But it was good and special and she remembers who we all are.
Daniel gets his new power wheels!
Jordan can even do it!!!!
Daniel is tiny in it – taking up less than half its width. And he’s very hesitant to get in. But he is nervously interested! Going to be awesome to get him in it outside as it warms up.
Cheer team!
I’m often out walking or jogging!
Sunrise from Pilot Butte.
I even managed to sneak a walk in with Lysa while in Bend!
Sunset on the willows.
Frost at sunrise.
Maggie’s date was a tarp, some McDonald’s and some fire at a campground for the afternoon! They roasted apples and lunchmeat over the fire. 😀
Anna’s date was a trip to the ice skating rink, then a coffee shop and a stop at the mall and library.
Well, we wrapped up the holidays with lots of drawing of floor plans and sweet notes and have started up the new year with medical cares, starting with Jordan’s teeth under anesthesia. It’s been a great December! One for the books!
Been drawing floor plans
This little note is so special, I put it as my cell phone background.
Other:
Brian builds a popsicle stick cobra:
Daniel practices standing today (January 14, 2019):
Thanks for posting Rachel! Love love seeing all the photos.
loved all of the Christmas pictures. looks like every one had a good time and lots of presents.
Thanks again for all the pictures Rachel! Looks like lots of fun was had by all!