Christmas Eve 2013

Moving to Golden has been a blessing in so many ways, the biggest being the amazing people that we have met.  

We love the Heinemans and we love that they invited us to spend Christmas eve with them and their family.  Their son Owen and our son Oliver met at school and we have all been friends ever since.  We started off Christmas Eve with a very nice church service.  We all filed down to the church an hour early, even though we may have thought Jennie was a bit nuts for getting there so early.  Immediately, we were all proven wrong as there was barely a seat left in the house!  We loved sitting with their whole family to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the reason of the season.

Immediately following the service, we moved the party to Jennie's parent house where we enjoyed a great dinner an unbeatable company.  Before the party got too crazy, I herded the boys together for a quick photo.  Can you tell how excited Kellan was to stop for a photo instead of explore all of the fun to be had?

Oliver, Owen and Kellan

Looking back, I'm noticing that Oliver is a bit disheveled.  Odds are good that a wresting or football session (or two) had already occurred before I could get my camera on them.

Kellan, Owen and Oliver

Being as it was Christmas Eve, there were a few gifts to exchange.

A few more photos to take while we were dressed up for the occasion.

Carrie and Keith, loving being in love on Christmas.

Then... the real fun began!

The kids busted out Head Bandz!!

Kellan busted out some blue lips to go with his Blue Hippo.

Yes, he has quickly figured out that this is a Grandma House and in a Grandma House is a lot of Grandma things... like popsicles.  While at their house, we have noticed that Kellan is not shy to call out for "Owen's Grandma" and ask for help or a tasty treat.  I'm sure that he has learned that she always responds with a loving Grandma response, which usually includes the word "yes".  If he ever threatens to run away from home (not that he will), we may find him pedaling his bike over to Gamma's (Owen's Grandma) house.

Oliver and Owen's game faces.

Owen's Aunt Nancy (Jennie's Sister) was in town and we all really enjoyed her company.  We may adopt her as our Aunt Nancy too.

Even Mommy got a kick out of playing Head Bandz.

THANK YOU To the Heinemans (and Scotts) for inviting us to crash your families Christmas Eve celebration.  We truly enjoyed ourselves and we are so thankful that our boys have brought us together.

After a full evening of fun on Christmas Eve, we trucked home to get ready for Santa to arrive.  The boys quickly put on their PJ's and set out cookies and milk.  They were SO excited and that they practically threw the cookies on the plate and called it good since they knew that they just had to go to sleep so that the Big Man could deliver the goods.  They were also quite tired, as demonstrated by Kellan's leg up on the coffee table.

Most Christmas Eve's, we have a nice and relaxing reading for The Night Before Christmas.  This year, the story was practically over by the time Mommy could take a photo, then, they were off to bed.  The boys were tired and anxious to get the pomp and circumstance complete with so that we could get the sleeping part over with.

Before Mommy and Daddy could go to sleep, Santa had pre-shipped a special gift that needed some Tender Loving Care by the man of the house.

Finally, Christmas Eve was a wrap, and everything was ready for the next day.

As a side note on this Fourth Day of Christmas:

Upon return of Carrie running errands, Keith expressed that he wasn't feeling well.  This was one hour before our expected departure for Christmas Eve Service.  With Keith now not feeling well and Kellan still battling a cold, the debate was on if we were going to make it to the Heineman/Scott Christmas Eve celebration, if only Oliver and Mommy would make it or if we would rally and see how far we could all go.  Obviously, Keith and Kellan opted to rally.  We are so thankful that they did because we had a magnificent evening.  However, this was now 50% of the family that had some sort of bug on the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Wrapping it up

On the fourth day of Christmas, it was Christmas Eve!!  The final hours had arrived to prepare for our Christmas celebration and in those final hours, the boys needed to wrap their gifts to Daddy.

This year, Kellan learned how to use scissors, so he got to cut his own paper.

After some time, he asked his brother for some assistance from the other side.

Again, notice the PJ's and bed head.  Yes... we're sleeping in and lounging in PJ's until late in the day.  Ahhh!!!

Oliver went right after his gift.

He was SO excited to give this gift to his Daddy.  This was exactly what Daddy had asked for and Oliver spotted it in the store.  He couldn't wait!

Before I knew it, Oliver had this gift under wraps. I was blown away with how well he did.  He only took a few pointers from Mommy on how to get the corners tight and he delivered the rest.  I made note and complimented him on his skills, which far exceeded his Daddy's wrapping skills.

Kellan was so proud of his package and the perfect placement of his green bow.

Oliver was beaming with pride (and bed head) as well.

(I can't believe how big this guy is getting.  Be still my beating heart.)

Oliver even labeled his own gift.

It's not every moment of every photo op that the boys beam with smiles and bright eyes when Mommy says, "stand here and hold up your gift for a photo".  Even though, these are some of my favorites.  The true emotion that is forever captured.  Life isn't always smiles and glad tidings, sometimes it it short of patience for Mommy's photos, but you know you should just get it over with because she's a persistent one.

Or, maybe life just hands you a battle wound, known as a paper cut.  

Hey, no workman's comp here, buddy.

Just band aids, neosporin and endless kisses.

Kellan posed with his gift to.

Like Oliver's earlier photo, this is one of my favorites of Kellan.  These candid faces make me smile.  Maybe because whether they beam with smiles or give me the grumps, I love them to pieces.

Don't be fooled, grump poses or not, they loved wrapping gifts.  Sometimes Mommy just likes to capture raw emotion.

As we cleaned up the wrap up, the boys worked on their writing skills.  Kellan is learning his letters and numbers and he is really quite good at them.  Sometimes, he stumbles a bit and that's where a big brother comes in handy.

After some time, Kellan asked Oliver for more help.  Oliver was more than happy to oblige and Kellan watched in wonder.

I love seeing these two working together, one learning from the other.

It was official, Christmas Eve morning (or mid-day) was a wrap.

Let the festivities begin!

Grandmas Famous Sugar Cookies

On the third day of Christmas and New Year, it was finally time to make cookies!!  Kellan was a little under the weather, so while he took a monster afternoon nap (which he never does anymore) and Keith worked, Oliver and Mommy whipped up Christmas Cookies!!

Our goal was to make Grandmas Famous Sugar Cookies, as close to Grandmas as possible.  If you've had Grandmas Famous Sugar Cookies, you know this is a tall order.  Fortunately, I had the best helper ever.  Really, it doesn't get much better than a cutie pie six year old with bed head, PJ's and his Daddy's moose apron from Aunt Patty.

Oliver is really learning to love to cook.  LOVE IT!

Cutting out cookies with precision.

Oliver learning how to match up the shapes to get the most our of your cookie roll.

Measure twice...

...cut once.

Finally, it was time to add some sprinkles.  Oliver was 100% in charge of sprinkles this year.

Then... the sprinkle cookies were cooked.

One fine cookie was selected.

That very fine cookie was samples, and deemed DELICIOUS!!

In between, we whipped up some of Mommy's Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Chocolate Chip Cookies tend to get neglected at Christmas, so we decided to show them some love.

As the final step, we frosted.

We had our operation set up, and we were ready to decorate.

A few of Oliver's masterpieces

A final photo of Oliver's work of art.

Take note of the frosting dripping off of the corner.  Ooey, Gooey, Good!

I dare say, Oliver and Mommy may have mastered Grandmas Sugar Cookies with sprinkles.  Oliver mastered the frosting.  Nice Job Big Guy!