christmas 2010

we had an interesting, memorable christmas. emery got pneumonia and we were in the emergency room twice the night of the 23rd and then again on christmas day. she was almost admitted to the hospital and so sick. you'll notice there are not many pictures of my sick baby girl. my dad (grampy) is trying to recover from hip surgery and has had many complications since the surgery and was having a really rough day on christmas. we made the best of it and celebrated together but it was hard with emery so sick. here are some highlights from christmas week! i love this first picture of kinkade taking lucia out to spread reindeer food on the lawn christmas eve. emery LOVES to pray i took this quick photo during prayer. she loves to say "amen" at the end and loves holding hands.
aaron led worship at christmas eve service. he has not done this in a while and it was wonderful to have him rehearsing the few days before and filling the house with chrismas worship songs.
we have an ornament tradition on christmas eve morning when we hide four ornaments and the kids find them and then open the matching gift.
this is how i spent most of the week snuggled on the couch with a sick baby girl cuddled up and lucia watching "frosty" you might notice my third girl always came over and snuggled on my lap.
daddy and lucia reading "the night before christmas." i just love her sweet face in this picture.
grammy always gives the kids super hero jammies on christmas eve. lucia loved getting spider man. emery was home in bed she was so sick this night.
janny and ryan came over to celebrate and exchange gifts on the 22rd and we had chocolate fondue. the girls dove in it literally! emery just started taking handfulls!
santa always comes and visits on christmas eve. lucia was so surprised and happy to see him!
the kids love doing the "player piano" at grammy's house and playing christmas music. it is always a highlight christmas eve.
love this sweet sassy smart little girl!
mrs. clause who always makes life so fun!
sweet faces christmas morning. . .
all ready for christmas!
we drove to oregon the morning of the 26th to celebrate with the mcmurrays! lucia got a radio flyer bike from papa and grandma that she can reach the pedals she was thrilled emery got one too but she was in bed still sick.
oregon shirts, zags fuzzy blankets, and new zags basketball balls these boys are set!
my sweet nieces in their new hats.
it started snowing in oregon and the girls ran out to see. emery was finally starting to feel a little bit better.
it was a memorable christmas and we have so much to be thankful for!

christmas music

keagan played in his christmas recital! grammy took him . . .mom and dad were gone on date/business weekend. grammy and keagan!
all of keagan's fans came to listen to the recital! we are so blessed to have so many dear friends who love our kids. . it truly takes a village. . since mom and dad were nowhere to be found:)
grammy and keagan decorated animals for the reception afterwards to celebrate.
here are all four ready for the boys second grade concert "the incredible reindeer!" the girls were mesmerized watching and i love how the boys still wave the whole time! they knew every one's part and put on a private show for the girls the next morning.
excited to go!
lucia in her first big christmas preschool concert! we had no idea how it would go. . but she was pretty stinkin cute even though she didn't sing one word. just twirled a lot, smiled and giggled. oh, she did a few hand motions! i love all three of her siblings cheering for her and blowing her kisses from the balcony. the boys were so proud of her and emery was thrilled to see her sister down there. she kept yelling " hi lulu!!"
emery watching and trying to do the hand motions. .
my baby girl is getting to big!
there is lulu with her head down praying in the front row. . black and white dress!
hugging or tackling before we left. . . .lucia fell dead asleep in the car on the way down since 6:30 is her bedtime and the concert was at 7:00.
all pretty and ready to go!
the music of christmas it just puts you in the spirit!

santa!

here it is the santa photo from 2010. . i love how kinkade is watching his sisters. . . .he is such a thoughtful protective brother! it is a family tradition to go see santa every year! in fact we have a collage up of all the santa pictures since the boys first month of life! i never imagined we would have four kids on santa's lap. . but i wouldn't change it for anything. we thought this would be the "scary santa year" for emery. . . from past experience 1-3 have been the crying years to go see santa. but. . . emery is not scared of ANYTHING! she is our bravest, toughest, messiest kid yet. yep she is more "boy" than twin boys were! she jumped on his lap with no problem and then proceeded to tell him she wanted a baby doll. lucia asked for a purple music wand since the one uncle bryan gave her broke. keagan wants a ipod shuffle. . . wasn't it just last year he asked for a 9.00$ webkin. . . oh keagan! kinkade asked for super mario Olympic sports wii game. kinkade never knows what he wants so keagan usually tells him what to ask for so they can share. kinkade cracks me up he is just happy with people, snow, leaves and the natural joys of life! we hit starbucks afterwards for polar bear cookies it was so cute with them all sitting at a table eating their cookies. . the magic of Christmas is alive and well here!

i love everything about christmas trees!

i love the hunt, the adventure, the trek, the christmas music, the smell, the lights, the ornaments each with their own story, and there is nothing like snuggling on the couch with only the tree lit up!! it was a beautiful snowy day with big flakes! cutting down the christmas tree is one of my favorite traditions we have. we had a blast. . zero meltdowns and so much fun and we found the perfect tree! this day always marks the beginning of the christmas season. . .
emery was amazing we did not bring a backpack or anything and she trudged through the snow as happy as can be. she is such a tough little cookie.


on the way home we always have to go a little out of our way so lucia can see the biggest blow up snowman ever. . .
let the christmas season begin!

thankful 2010

we had the most wonderful thanksgiving. . . we desperatly needed some family time with nowhere to go. we have had the craziest fall. i went back to work half time teaching, coached volleyball and continued tutoring. aaron has been super busy at work. the boys have had such a great fall with football, soccer, second grade, piano and taekwondo. lucia loves preschool and emery has adjusted well. we have been blessed to have two gals live with us again and grampy and grammy help us all the time. the kids are always at home with someone who loves them! i am home by 12:30 everyday. we have been looking forward to thanksgiving to just be home and be together. it was a great day of cuddling, movies, cooking, eating, hot tubbing and games! grammy and grampy were here and uncle bryan came for dinner. i took way too many pictures of the day forgive me. . . i just could not stop snapping pictures. . .it snowed all day it was so beautiful. . . there is nothing like hot tubbing in the snow.
the table this year. . .my mom always knocks the ball out of the park with the table setting.
lulu added to the decor this year with such a darling turkey.
this morning emery was so precious. . . i think she was just so excited we were all here cuddling in the living room just being together. she kept hugging and kissing the boys. it was the sweetest thing we have ever seen. i love this picture of her and kinkade watching the macy's day parade.
so sweet. . .
a pyramid in the living room. .happy and healthy kids . . so thankful.
these two of the most special bond with each other.
our sweet baby girl. loves the hot tub! i got a little carried away taking hot tub pictures. the snow made it so fun!


my favorite dish at thanksgiving cranberry sauce!
the pies! aaron made the pies this year. . .what a guy!
the girls ended the day with rudolf the red nose reindeer. after the girls went to bed we all watched "elf" what a great movie. i love listening to the boys laugh during this movie. let the christmas season begin! off to cut down the tree tomorrow. love this time of year.
grammy brought a table gift for each one of the kids. . . silly bands and wind of toys. emery got a flip it monkey and was in aw!
enjoying her dinner.
we went around the table at dinner and said the top three things we were all thankful for. . . i love to keep a record of each year. here it goes. . .

mommy - family, healthy kids, a great volleyball season

daddy - great smart fun kids, i don't always get what i want, a thoughtful fun wife

keagan - kinkade, his bike, grammy

kinkade - his sisters, brother, and grampy

lucia - mommy, daddy, brothers, and my sister

grammy - 4 great grandchildren, christmas decorations,

grampy - great cross country season, grandkids, wonderful wife

we are so blessed. . .