Welcoming in a New Year

We had a pretty low key New Years Eve.  We invited my parents over for dinner and then we ate and played and ate and played some more! 

The kids loved having all their grandparents at their disposal!  We had a small fondu after dinner and I ate way too many wontons.  So yummy!  We pulled out a bunch of games and had fun just sitting and visiting most of the night.  The kids were in bed by about 9:00 and my parents left about 10:00.  We’re such party animals!

Happy New Year!  It will be fun to see what 2015 brings us!

More Christmas!

We made a quick trip in to Lethbridge today.  We’d got a call last night that there was a package for us at the Greyhound so it was a good excuse to get out of the house!  We’re all still coughing, but at least the flu part is done with (we hope!).  Lennard took the chance to look at a few different stores at some shotguns.  Not sure why… but it’s fun looking… right?! 

When we got home and the kids discovered that the box we’d picked up was actually gifts for them, they were more than a little excited!  I had about half an hour before I was leaving to go back in to Lethbridge with my parents for a sibling fondu party, so we opened the box so that I could see them open everything.

They go SO spoiled!  It was Christmas all over again!  We can’t thank B&T enough for all the gifts!  The kids loved every single thing!

Boxing Day

Our annual Murray Boxing Day dinner started at 1:00 this afternoon.  Amazingly, every single person was in attendance!  My mom and dad with their 7 children, 7 spouses, 22 grandkids, 2 more grandkids announced, and 2 extras (Grandpa Nichols and Matt’s mom).  Wow!  40 people to feed and there was even food left over!

The kids had fun being able to run around in the gym with their cousins and the adults enjoyed sitting and visiting with each other.

After dinner was done and everything cleaned up, the fish pond started!  This year, mom made the same gift for one boy in each family.  Spencer, Mason, Levi, Lucas, Gideon, Ben and Jeffrey all got custom made corrals!

It’s so fun to see traditions continue year after year.  I loved getting to fish for my present when I was little.

Emma got a cute little pink puppy in a purse, a necklace and bracelet set and a sparkly brush.

Brooke had fun playing in this box for quite a long time.  She is getting so big!  Emma loved brushing grandpa’s hair with her new brush.

Lennard took his dad and the kids home shortly afterwards.  We’d brought both vehicles so that I could stay longer.  I was able to spend the rest of the evening at my parents house visiting and playing games.  When I got home, this was what I found.  I think the corrals are a hit!

Christmas Day

We were shocked when the kids didn’t wake up until 7:15!  They would have raced right out to the tree, but we made them wait until Grandpa got up and dressed.  It wasn’t too long thankfully because they were really excited!  After opening their stockings, we had family prayer and then the fun began.

The only thing Ben asked for for this Christmas was a remote control car.  Every present he opened was a bit of a disappointment until he found his remote control truck!  Then everything was right in the world.  He just about vibrated!  Guess we should have clued in that the rechargeable batteries would need to be charged for 8 hours!  Oops! 

It was fun having Grandpa here for Christmas.  The kids were excited when he got a present to open!

Lennard had seen a beautiful foosball table in Costco and commented on how nice it would be to have it.  Unfortunately, it was also over $400!  When I was Christmas shopping I ended up finding this tabletop foosball table, so that’s what Lennard got for Christmas!  He got a good laugh out of it.

The kids got spoiled (as usual).  It was such a nice relaxing day.  We were able to just hang out and play with games/toys all afternoon.

I had to laugh as I took this photo.  Ben sitting on Lennard and Emma laying right beside them and mess all around.  Totally perfect Christmas afternoon!  The only thing that would have made it a bit better is if I’d managed to get in even one photo…  Once again, I am the phantom mom… always behind the camera and rarely in front of it!

Ben got Nerf guns and I think Lennard has as much fun (or more) with them than Ben did!  He taught the kids how to lick the ends of the suction cups so that they would stick on the wall.  We ended up with darts everywhere!  Of course, they thought it was hilarious to shoot me too!

Truly, this has been a wonderful day.  I wish we hadn’t all been sick this past week, but thankfully everyone did well today and had lots of fun.

We went out to my parents house for dinner tonight and enjoyed spending time there too.

Christmas Eve

These pictures are really dark, but it’s the best I have.  We went out to my parents for Christmas Eve.  Lennard’s dad wasn’t feeling great, so he stayed home.  There was our family, Mike & Melissa, Rachel & Cub and Roger & Trisha.  We sang songs, had a little mini talent show with Mason and Makenna playing the piano and Emma & Ben singing a song.  Mom told us about their 12 days of Christmas that they’d been given.  There were lots of snacks to eat too.  I don’t think it would feel like Christmas Eve if we weren’t at my mom & dad’s place.

The entire way home from my parents, Emma asked questions.  “Will there be something under the tree?  Did elves sneak in to our house?  Will Santa give us pajamas?”  She was SO incredibly excited!  It was all I could do to grab my camera when we got in to the house before they had their presents unwrapped!

Emma squealed so loudly that I’m shocked Lennard’s dad didn’t wake up!  She got pink bunny slippers!!!  Ben got shark slippers and they both got fuzzy pajamas.

Thankfully, they went to bed really well (since it was already 9:00).  We were able to get the presents loaded under the tree and head to bed soon afterwards.  It will be fun to see their expressions in the morning!

Emma at 5 Years Old

Happy 5th Birthday!

Emma turned five years old today!  Wow.  Wasn’t it just yesterday that we held her for the very first time?!  She is growing up so fast.  Way TOO fast!  She was SO excited to turn five.  It was fun watching her excitement.  I’m still not feeling great and spent most of the day in bed, but that didn’t stop us from having her birthday dinner with Grandma & Grandpa and Grandpa Nichols (somehow missed getting a picture of him).  At Emma’s request, we had Chinese food for dinner and then, as soon as we were done, she wanted to open presents!

Emma loved her cake – pink and purple with princesses!  (She would have like Anna & Elsa from Frozen, but DQ didn’t have any).  Look at the joy in this picture.  We can’t imagine what our lives would be like without our Emma. 

Happy Birthday, Emma!  We sure love you.