New Wheels!

Yes, it was just Christmas and yes, we have a birthday coming up for Justin.  BUT, BUT, BUT it was also the Target Toy Clearance this week and Mommy found a smoking good deal on this powerwheels jeep at 70% off.  We had been wanting to get a 2-seater so Ryan could drive around with the big kids, but we hadn't found a good craigslist deal and we just couldn't stomach the full price for one. 

At first we thought about saving this for a gift but by the time Ryan's 2nd birthday hits, he'll probably want to start driving on his own and the kids spend hours outdoors in the nice weather.  Now is really when we needed it.  This weekend was no exception as we hit 70-degrees and literally spent the entire weekend outside.  So, we brought out a surprise for everyone as a "just because".  It was a big hit and everyone was pretty excited!

 

The big kids were pretty good about letting Ryan push the gas pedal or steer and them assist him.  Ryan rode in it the majority of the day while Katelynn and Justin took turns riding with him!

Shoe Obsessed

Ryan turned 18 months old this week!  Wow, how time flies!  This is the age I have always gotten my "baby" itch because it just seems like at 18 months, they are no longer a baby.  Ryan asks to "Walk" now when we are out and about, is using sentences and making requests, and is really starting to engage in playtime much more than he ever used to.  It is fun to watch him color with Katelynn or sit side-by-side with Justin and play trucks.  He's just becoming this little boy right before my eyes!  It's both exciting and sad.. and a bit more sad than normal because he is officially my last baby.

 

 

I remember a shoe obsession with both Katelynn and Justin, but I had forgotten when it hit.  Well, here it is!  Ryan likes to try on everyone's shoes and play around.  He actually requests to wear "boots" or "shoes" on a regular basis.  Today he was trying out "Na-Na's boots"  (Na-Na= Justin)

 

Quality Time with Uncle Dan

As always seems the case, visits with family go way too fast.  Uncle Dan came for the week between Christmas and New Years so we seen him a couple times.  Still, it seems crazy that after only three visits, it was time to say goodbye.  The kids had a blast wrestling and playing around with Uncle Dan before saying Goodbye!

 

Speedway Lights Event

Christmas may be over, but we are still doing our best to make the season last as long as we can!  Tonight we hit up the Speedway Festival of Lights.  Honestly, it wasn't the greatest light show ever, but the kids enjoyed it and had fun walking around the event afterwards to pet some animals and check a few things out.

Visiting Baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the manger scene!

 Taking a break in the kid's area (Where you waited for Santa orginally but since it's after Christmas, he is back at the North Pole.)

Daddy had the most fun of all I think driving Mommy's minivan up the turns on the racetrack... and successfully making all my engine lights come on!

Christmas with the Miller's!

This Christmas was extra special- Daniel flew in from Michigan to spend Christmas with us for the first time in at least six years!  Normally we only get to spend time with him via skype on Christmas day.  This was a great change of pace.

It was a pretty low-key Christmas celebration.  We had already done the ham dinner prior to Christmas day so Jonathan wanted to switch it up for Christmas.  We ended up having lots of yummy appetizers and then having stuffed cabbage for dinner.  It continued our "change of pace" for this Christmas celebration with the Miller Family!

 Going through another annual Christmas gift for Grandparents:  Our customized picture calendar with photos from the year before!

 

(And yes, I didn't even end up putting my boys in their Christmas best.  They spent most of the day in their PJ's!)

 

So, Christmas Day is famous for breaking normal house rules, right?  We had already rode a pedal go-cart,skateboarded,  rollerbladed, and  jumped on pogo sticks all in the house today.  Why not add one more to the list:  Indoor Hockey Game!!

 

 

 

We had a great Christmas Day!

 

A GOOD Christmas Morning!

 I am not sure who is more excited about the anticipation of Christmas morning:  the kids or Jonathan and I?  It sure is fun to see their expressions each year when they enter a room full of magical surprises that Santa has brought!  Justin's top on the list this year was a pedal go-cart.  I think he opened the majority of his gifts while sitting on that go-cart!  Katelynn had asked for an American Girl bunk bed.  Santa brought her that and a special surprise.. a new friend for Caroline (her American Girl Doll), Marie-Grace (also an American Girl).  Ryan, of course, was a little too small to put in any special requests but Santa brought him a Cozy-Coupe Truck and a workbench.

 Hmm.. Opening gifts or climbing on them.. which is more fun?  It was a hard question to answer for Ryan!

 We bought the kids rollerblades to go with the hockey set Justin had wanted.  We were really surprised at how much the kids loved these!  They have lived in their rollerblades since Christmas morning (so a few days now).  They both love them, and it's amazing how much better they are getting at skating with the indoor practice.

 Our annual family Christmas PJ picture.  Almost perfect...

 

 

Merry Christmas to Everyone!!

Christmas with the Carney's!

Yay!  Christmas has finally arrived.  My favorite part of the holidays is getting together with all our family and getting to spend time together.  I love hosting the holidays!  This year was set up pretty good with the day that Christmas fell.  My parents, my brother, and my grandma were all able to make the trip to Charlotte for an extra long weekend.  I was excited to spend a day baking with my mom and grandma for a change.  Of course, the weekend always goes faster than we plan, and I wouldn't say we got to spend a day baking as I had planned, but we still had tons of yummy food, and it was nice to have some extra days with my family this year!

While making their gingerbread house, my crazy kids came up with this idea to make themselves Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer.  How do they come up with these ideas all on their own?  They thought it was the funniest thing ever!

Everyone was pretty excited about opening gifts this year.. Ryan included. Please note: The kids did not do gift opening over more than one day. My Grandma got them new shirts and they put them on halfway through opening (hence the change in clothes).

 

 We continued the tradition of handprint gifts this year for Grandparents.  This year I did plates and put them in a plate hanger.  I love the way they turned out!  I did different colors for each Grandparents to try and match their kitchens!

 Love his expression in this picture!

Uncle Jeremy got Justin this Spiderman mask (with a glove).  We came up with a super good idea to have Katelynn be Ladybug Girl, Justin be Spiderman, and Uncle Jeremy wear our black witch cape to be Batman.  Sadly, we couldn't find the cape that day.  But no worries, Uncle Jeremy, we have found the cape and will resume the superheroes game next time you are here.. with pictures of course!  :)

 Ryan seemed to think that the American Girl Doll stuff was just his size for him to ride! 

I can't believe our first Christmas celebration has come to an end so quickly!!

Great-Grandma and three of her Great-Grandkids!