A Bajillion Christmas Lights

During the summer, Storybook Island is a wonderful place to play with your children. And the best part is that it is free! I posted our pictures from our trip their this summer. The kids just loved it! But in the winter they turn it into a magical world of Christmas lights! This is their annual fund raise to keep the park going. It cost $2 a person to walk through and look at all the lights. It is a lot of fun....even if it is cold!

This year we went with Auntie Kelly and Caden, Uncle Jordan and Ryan too! Caleb and Emma had a blast. I am not sure my little kids just don't seem to notice the cold. It helped that the temperature that day was above 50. So it didn't seem so cold during our visit.

Emma, Caden and Caleb in front of "Little Boy Blue"

One of the best parts of the park is the train ride they have for the kids. It cost $1 for a ride. Caleb and Emma just LOVED it this summer and remember it. So they got to ride with cousin Caden just 1 time. I thought for sure there was going to be a fit about only going once, but they got off no problem and were ready to see more lights!

Emma ready for the train ride!

Caleb on the train!

My sister, Kelly and I, while the kids were on the train ride.

The rest of the walk through the park was wonderful. The lights made everything so beautiful. Caleb and Emma were in total awe over the great lights! They were so excited about getting to see them all.

Caleb and Emma in front of the whale!

Noah's Ark all lit up!

The Reason for the Season!

ARRRGG! Caden, Caleb and Emma in front of the pirate ship.

Two Days of Christmas

Our family Christmas traditions have always been something I look forward to. I am so glad that I get to pass them on to my kids. Christmas Eve was always a big spaghetti dinner. When I was little it was always at my Grandma's house and now it is at my mom's house. I can remember wanting to eat really fast to get to the presents. No such luck, we had to wait for dishes to be done and a plate of goodies to be set out for everyone to snack on. Once all that was complete we then got to gather around the tree and start passing out presents. It was not a mad dash to open all the gifts. Everyone took turns. That way you could see what they got. I loved that! After the gifts were done, we would clean up the paper and boxes. Play with the new gifts for awhile before it was time to get ready for bed. After pj's were on and teeth we brushed it was quick to put out cookies and milk for Santa. The next day, we would get up very early to see what Santa had left in our stocking and under the tree. I always enjoyed this because we got two days of presents instead of just one! The rest of Christmas day was lazy, we played with our new toys and watched Christmas movies on TV. Late afternoon was our big Christmas dinner! So yummy, ham and all the fixings!

Of course, this year was much the same. Christmas Eve brought a wonderful Spaghetti dinner and the huge plate of Christmas goodies! Presents of course, which I was sure that my nephew Caden would not see! I think he almost died in anticipation of.

Emma and cousin Caden ready to open presents!

Caleb and Emma had so much fun opening presents! I think that this has been my favorite Christmas with them yet. The expressions and excitement that they had was truly unforgettable!

Every kid in the house this year seemed to have a theme that went a long with their gifts. No one planned that, but I suppose it happens when they are totally into certain things. Caden had a very Lego Christmas, Caleb had a very Toy Story Christmas and little Miss Emma had a very Barbie and Disney Princess Christmas! They were all in heaven with all their new toys!

Caleb and his first baseball set from Uncle Jordan (the baseball nut himself)!

Caleb in his Buzz Lightyear costume and holding his new Buzz Lightyear!

If you remember, Caleb had asked Santa for a big Buzz Lightyear. Well, my mom had already gotten him the big one for Christmas. So Santa had to come up with something else Toy Story. So Santa ended up getting Caleb, Woody, Buzz and Jess action figures...which were a really big hit also. Then Auntie Kelly got him the costume. It was so funny when he realized what it was. Rick took the costume out of the packaging and unfolded it. Caleb's eyes got huge and he said, "Oh My Goodness!!!" Then of course he had to put it on for the rest of opening gifts. We were afraid that we would never get it off of him either! Caleb got a big tool set from Uncle Ron and Auntie Karin. Ryan says that all he needs now is a tool bench! He got a new game, Going Fishing. Plus lots of new movies to watch!

Emma and the Barbie and horse from Grandma Renee.

The fancy Barbie from Grandma Renee...it sings and lights up! Emma is in heaven!

Emma was very into opening presents this year. So much that when she was done with hers she opened all of mommy's too! Mommy was glad to share, so it was all good. Emma was in Barbie and Disney Princess heaven this Christmas! Everything a little girlie-girl could ask for. Santa brought her the "swimming Darbie" or Mermaid Barbie that she asked him for. That was a big hit. She also got two Barbies from Grandma Renee. She received a couple princess books and coloring books. Emma was really excited about the 2 ZuZu (spelling?) Pets that she got! She named them Lisa and Rocky. I thought this was so funny. I am not sure where these names came from, but they are named and they have stuck! She also got a wonderful new baby doll from Uncle Ron and Auntie Karin. It giggles and cries, plus it has a bottle, crib, and clothes! What fun she has had with all the new toys!

Kelly and Ryan opening gifts and visting with everyone.

Ryan, Caleb and Emma after all the gifts were opened!

It was so great that Ryan got to fly in for almost a week. He had not been back to Rapid City to see that side of the family in four or five years we figured. We surprise Grandma Renee and work after we picked him up. It was wonderful! I know she really enjoyed getting to have us all together this year! What a blessing! Caleb and Emma are always glad to see Ryan. They have such a blast with him.

Christmas is my favorite time of year. Not because of the gifts...no because of family! I love being with my family! I am so blessed to have a great family! I cherish my time with them since it is so rare. Being back in Rapid City makes me miss living there. It is such a great place to raise kids and the people are so kind and friendly. Sigh...some day I will be back there....some day!

Happy Birthday Jesus!!

This year Rick and I made a big push for the kids to understand that Christmas is the birthday of Jesus.

It started when we decorated the house for Christmas right after Thanksgiving. We put up the tree, some Santa decorations, and most importantly the Nativity set. We talked to Caleb and Emma about Mary and Joseph, the Shepards, the Angels and Wisemen. We talked about how no one had any room for the them to sleep/stay and because of that baby Jesus was born in a stable. The both gave baby Jesus a kiss before we put him in the manger.

November 27, 2010 - Shhhh, baby Jesus is sleeping at our house!

Throughout the preparation for Christmas time, we talked about the big birthday and I also taught Caleb and Emma the song, Happy Birthday Jesus. Caleb and Emma both love to sing this song. They might not get all the words right yet, but they love it just the same. It is so sweet!

Out of the blue one day Caleb was asking about Jesus' birthday and making a cake at Grandma's house for Christmas. I was not following at first. But then he said that Jesus needed a birthday cake for Christmas. So I told Caleb that was a great idea! So this year we started a new tradition. Christmas day we made a birthday cake for baby Jesus!

Grandma baked the cake, mommy frosted the cake and Emma and Caleb put on the sprinkles! It was a lot of fun! Before we all ate birthday cake we sang Happy Birthday. Caleb and Emma were so excited about that! They were all smiles. Caleb, the cake loving boy that he is, enjoyed his cake the most!

"Happy Birthday to you..."

"...Happy Birthday baby Jesus! Happy Birthday to you!"

Little Lambs

Oh how I love church Christmas programs! They are so much fun!! The kids are always so sweet and funny. I just enjoy so much watching them tell the story of Jesus and his birth.

This year our church had a more traditional Christmas program with Mary, Joseph, angels, shepards, and of course, lambs. The songs were more traditional Christmas songs like Away In A Manger, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and Joy To The World. For Caleb and Emma this was their very first Christmas program that they got to be a part of! Maybe mommy was more excited then them, but they had fun too!

Caleb and Emma and the other 2 and 3 year old kids at church got to be the little lambs. They all made the cutest lambs I have ever seen!

Caleb and Emma with they church friends ready to be the best lambs ever!


Caleb and Emma all dressed up in their lamb costumes!

Caleb the lamb

Emma the lamb

It was so fun to watch the kids up on stage with the bigger kids. They watched in awe as the older kids sang and did their lines. The little lambs did a really good job on stage, but towards the end they started to get antsy. Caleb was even yawning a few times! Emma was smiling and waving to daddy for part of the program. It was so cute. Toward the end of the program the lambs started to wander around on stage.

Caleb and Emma on stage for the Christmas program

Visiting Santa!

This was officially Caleb and Emma's first visit to Santa Claus that they would remember.
We talked about going Friday night and they got really excited! So we decided to take them today.
Friday evening we went to Target to look at the toy section, so they would have something to ask Santa for. It didn't take very long and they both had an idea!
So tonight, we went to the Karcher Mall to talk to Santa!
It was like they were looking at the most famous person in the world! They got so excited when they saw him. Caleb was dancing around and Emma started jumping around. It was so funny to watch.
Once they got up to Santa, I thought they might get a little shy, but they climbed right up and took their picture. Then they told Santa what they wanted for Christmas. Emma said she wanted a "swimming Darbie" (a swimming Barbie) which is actually a Mermaid Barbie. And Caleb asked for a Buzz Lightyear! Santa told him that they were very popular this year! He told Caleb and Emma her would let the elves know and see what he could do!
Caleb and Emma are so excited! They can't wait for Santa to come and leave presents! They also love the fact they have a picture with Santa now! They have not stopped looking at it since we got home!

Snow Day

Making tracks...

Caleb all bundled up!

So excited about the snow!

My little snow bunny!

There is nothing better than getting a phone call at 4:30AM!!! Okay, well the phone call at 4:30AM usually would tick me off, I hate being woke up....UNLESS it is a phone call telling us that it is a SNOW DAY!!! Today, we got just that! A wonderful, glorious SNOW DAY!! It is very rare for this part of Idaho. We don't tend to get a lot of snow, so it is ALWAYS excited to get a snow day!

Our day was a lot of fun! We slept in until about 8:30AM. Then we just took our time doing everything! With no place to go...that is what we do! It was still snowing a lot when we woke up. I made the family pancakes, a favorite around here. Then we all got dressed.

We enjoyed snuggling and watching Christmas cartoons most of the morning. Then before lunch, we decided that we better go outside and shovel/play in the snow! Caleb and Emma were so thrilled!

The snow was very heavy and wet! Rick and I took turns shoveling. I even shoveled the neighors sidewalk to our joint mail boxes.

Caleb and Emma made trails through the snow, climbed on the piles that Rick and I made with the shovels, threw snowballs and got themselves stuck in all kinds of spots! Ha! It was so much fun! And of course, this mommy had the camera ready!

After we played outside, for over an hour, we went inside and I made Wild Rice and Turkey soup with grilled cheese sandwiches! There is nothing better on a cold snow day than soup!!! YUM!!!

We all took naps after lunch! And were lazy around the house the rest of the day! It was such a great day! I wish we had more snow days so I could just be with my family!