MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours! We hope you all had a great holiday and enjoy your New Year's festivities!

We had a great Christmas weekend at our house! We enjoyed the company of my mom, Josh and his and Liz's dog, Parker, and my dad. We missed Liz, as she went to her family in Colorado and we missed Lee's family as they were all together in Ohio.

This has been the most fun Christmas yet! Tyler was really excited for Santa and Rudolf to visit our house. We have read a Christmas book every night for the past month. He now knows everything and every character ever having anything to do with Christmas. Brady only knows Santa and Frosty. He loves this Frosty the Snowman stuffed character that my mom got for them and he knows Santa because he has a 'Santa Rocks' T-shirt and when he wears it he always points to Santa. Both of them were, of course, extremely excited to open the presents that were under the tree and to see the presents that Santa was going to bring.

We celebrated with my mom and Josh on Christmas eve and then my dad and Josh on Christmas day, leaving us with Christmas morning and Christmas night to celebrate as just our family of four.

After church on Christmas Eve we were able to get a decent family picture in front of the tree. The boys both have new presents in hand and not a smile from Brady, but we think this is a great picture!
One of many, new presents for Tyler. A remote control powered backhoe loader.

One of many, new presents for Brady. A new Vtech helicopter that he can walk in front of and pull around the house.

A Leapster for Tyler. He calls this his DS. A 4 year old (almost 5) at daycare, wanted a DS for Christmas, so that's all he had been hearing about the month of December. He thinks he's big stuff since he now has his DS (Leapster).

Daddy and Tyler on Christmas Eve.

Brady loves guns or anything that is shaped as a gun. These are two new tools that they got for Christmas. Brady walks around with them like they are guns and he's shooting things.

Santa brought a gift for Tyler to Grandma Mary's house. She delivered it to him. He was excited to see that Santa brought him a Buzz Lightyear! However, when he found out that he wasn't going to fly out his window, he was a little disappointed. He now has that behind him and is enjoying his new Buzz Lightyear. He also got the movies Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and Toy Story 3!

After opening all these new presents, they play in this box!

In the box. Brady loves this stethoscope! He has it on at all times!

Uncle Josh, Tyler, Grandma Mary, and Brady.

Brady liked it when Josh blew on his stomach because of his beard.

I had to get Lee an Iowa snuggie. For the past month he has wanted to buy anyone and everyone a snuggie, so I bought him one as a little joke. It turns out, he really likes it and wears it while on the couch watching TV! :)

Tyler putting cookies and milk under the tree for Santa.

Mom and Brady on Christmas morning.

Tyler opened up a huge dinosaur!

Brady got some silly books.

Christmas morning. Lee (behind the camera), Darcey, Tyler, and Brady.

I love this book and couldn't pass it up! It's called, This Little Prayer of Mine. I think it gives kids a different perspective and understanding on why we pray every night. We have read it every night since! Tyler loves it!

Christmas day with Grandpa Freese. Tyler did get his Remote Control Train for his train set from Santa Christmas morning. It has not had a break! We've already had to change the batteries out!

Brady eating a chocolate star cookie. He really only eats the chocolate star and then leaves the rest for me!

Brady LOVES to wear any spare slippers that are around the house.

Tyler with his train tracks and remote control.

Now in the laying down position, but still moving that train around the tracks! Brady is just watching his big brother play and taking the chance to play with Tyler's other toys, like the big dinosaur!

Shh! Don't tell Tyler that I'm playing with his Dinosaur!

WHAT A GREAT CHRISTMAS! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

DECEMBER PICTURES

December was a great month for us with Christmas and all the Christmas festivities! We took the kids to see Santa at the beginning of the month. Both of them did awesome! They sat on his lap at the same time. Tyler sat there and talked to him like he was just another guy. He told him that he wanted a "Buzz Lightyear that can fly out my window," and "a remote control train for my train tracks." Brady sat there and stared! We got great pictures and it was a fun activity!

Sitting on Santa's lap. 2010
Tyler talking. Brady staring.

I had my staff x-mas party at the beginning of December that Lee and I were able to go to while my mom stayed at our house with the kids. We had a great night out, just the two of us!

Tyler's first snow angel!!! Tyler had been talking about wanting to make a snow angel, but we had no snow! While we were up in Wisconsin, for Matt's wedding, he kept talking about it with my mom and Michelle. Finally, the weekend before Christmas, he was able to go outside to play in the snow and make a snow angel! He had such a fun time playing outside in the snow with his dad.

They were making snowballs and throwing them at the window where I was at. The playground still getting use this winter. Tyler liked going down the slide into the snow.

Tyler and Dad making snow angels.

Licking the snow off of his mitten.

I had some hot chocolate with marshmallows ready for them when they got in. Yumm!

Brady playing his new piano from Uncle Matt and Aunt Laura. We actually forgot this piano in the lobby at the hotel in WI. We had to get it shipped back home to us.

Our silly boys.

Some random night, Tyler wanted me to take pictures of him in front of the Christmas tree. At the moment, he was not wearing a shirt. I realized that while he was willing to take pictures, I better put him in something nice, so I ran upstairs to get a sweater.

Lee made him pose. Pointing and staring off??? Deep in thought???

He does look cute!

Lee's mom got him this WI cheesehead Fireman's hat. Not because we're Packers fans (Go Bears!), but because Tyler loves Firefighters.

This is a few minutes in the morning where I can sit and take at least a couple drinks of coffee before one of them needs something or needs to get dressed. This is both of my boys in their PJs, drinking their juice, and enjoying a morning snack, while watching Mickey Mouse. Love it!

WISCONSIN TRIP

Lee's brother, Matt and his now wife, Laura, got married last Saturday, December 11, in Green Bay, WI. We left for the trip on Thursday morning with my mom, her friend, Michelle, Lee, myself, Tyler, Brady, and an extremely packed van! My mom and Michelle came along to help with the boys! They were amazing!!! We stayed the night at my mom's on Wednesday night, therefore we left from her house Thursday morning to cut an 1.5 hrs. from our trip. It took us 5.5 hrs. to get to Green Bay on Thursday. Not too bad! The roads were fine and the trip actually went pretty smoothly.

We had a great weekend with Lee's family and extended family. It was great to spend so much time with all of them.

The hotel was great and had a swimming pool, hot tub, and sprinkler area that was loved by us all! We spent every day at the pool!

Tyler spent most of the trip with his head phones on, watching new movies that Grandma Mary bought him for the drive.
This is a picture of Brady doing his fake whine. We heard and saw alot of this on the trip. It's so hard for Brady to be in the carseat these days, when all he wants to do is run around! So, his way of telling us that he was upset and wanted out of his seat, was with a fake whine.

Our nannies for the weekend, Michelle and Grandma Mary. We definately couldn't have done this trip without them! They let Lee and I have a good time and spend time with the family and our friends when the boys were sleeping or if the boys just needed a break from everybody. Tyler took some rest time up in the hotel room often. He was into laying on the couch and watching cartoons. Maybe this weekend we can actually try to get caught up on lost sleep!

Fish #2, Brady with Sarah. Brady got the hang of this by the end of the weekend. This child is fearless!!! He's going to cause me alot of stress!

Fish #1, Tyler. He could have swam the entire time we were there. With no breaks!

Brady having some quiet time in the hotel room, painting with Grandma Mary and Michelle.

Nap time. They didn't sleep terrible while we were away for 5 nights, but they also didn't sleep as their usual. They did take good naps!

Tyler napping. (with a box of crackers!)

The rehearsal attire was favorite pro team wear.
Luke and Jessica got in town Friday night to party with us!

The reason for fav. pro wear, is because Matt is a bears fan and Laura is a Packers fan.

Me and Jessica.