CHRISTMAS 2011

We had a wonderful holiday season this year at our home.  We were blessed enough to have 3 full days of Christmas' at our house.  My family realizes how much more difficult it is for us to travel than for them, so they all come to us.  This is a huge benefit for us!  My Dad, Josh, and Liz joined us on Friday, the 23rd to celebrate Christmas.  We did some presents, ate plenty of food, and played some cards while the boys were napping.  Josh and Liz stayed the night Friday night, so we played more cards after the boys went to bed.  My mom joined us early Saturday morning to celebrate.  Again, we did presents and ate more food!  Josh and Liz left Saturday afternoon to head to another celebration and we went to church.  The boys did well in church and Brady made me laugh a time or two.  Every time that I sang in church, he would say, "No, Mommy, No!" and then he would put his finger up to his lips and and shoosh me.  Tyler went up with the other kids at the end of mass to listen to Father read a Christmas story.  He was proud of himself for sitting through the book and then receiving a Candy Cane from Father.  Typically when we go to church on Sundays, the kids spend their time in the nursery, so it made for a long hour for them, with Tyler asking, "how much longer, Grandma?"

Christmas Eve before the kids went to bed, they put cookies and milk out for Santa, and some carrots for the reindeer.

They woke up on Christmas Day full of excitement and ready to run down the stairs to see what Santa brought them.  The kids had a lot of fun and have enjoyed playing with their new presents.  Along with their new game system, grill, drum, CD player, and sleds, each of them got a new digital camera, slippers, and hooded bath towel.  Tyler got a Hawkeye shirt and angry bird stuffed animal.  Brady got a Bears shirt and a sock monkey.  Santa filled their stockings with a Winnie the Pooh movie, Smurfs movie, socks, candy, new toothbrushes, and Pez dispensers.  LOTS of new things and fun!  Lee and I enjoyed spending time with my family and feel blessed to have spent those three days in our home with family.  My mom headed to my Grandma's on Christmas morning, which gave us the rest of the day with just the four of us.

Cali, Tyler, and I actually enjoyed a couple walks outside on Christmas Day.  It was a beautiful day and was great to have spent it the way we did.  It's so strange that there is no snow here (at all!) for Christmas, but we are enjoying it and spending more time outside than we usually get to in December.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas as much as we did! 

 Tyler and Brady opening up a present together.

 Tyler and Brady got sleeping bags from Grandma Mary.  They really like them.  Tyler has his on top of his bed and has been sleeping in it since he opened it up.

 Grandma Mary received a pencil drawn picture of the two boys from Josh and Liz.  It is awesome!

 I got some new Rachael Ray dishes from my mom.  I love them!

 Tyler and Brady got a new grill and food from Grandma Mary.  They spend a lot of time grilling us some hot dogs and hamburgers.

 Tyler wanted me to take a picture of him in front of the tree in his Chrismas outfit.  So handsome!

 Grandma with the boys having fun!

 Tyler got his own CD player, headphones, and a couple CDs from Santa.  He thinks he's big stuff!

 Brady got a drum that was filled with other musical instruments from Santa.  Our house was never quiet before, but now it's really not quiet.  Both boys love these instruments.

 Both Tyler and Brady got sleds from Santa.  Too bad there is no snow!

 Brady helping Lee open his hedge trimmer.  We counted on Brady to help us with opening all our presents.

 The boys also received a game system from Santa.  Here's Brady playing it. 

 Liz, Josh, My dad, Me, and Lee.  {and dog cousins--Cali and Parker.}
Tyler took this picture, by the way.  He did pretty good, right?!

This is Tyler playing the game system.  He has played this a lot!  I'm glad we found them some technology that they can use and keep busy with over these winter months!

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011!

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011

FROM THE REYNOLDS FAMILY!

AN AMAZING PERFORMANCE!

On Wednesday, December 21st, Tyler had his first preschool Christmas program.  It turned out that Grandma Mary had Wednesday off from work, so she came to our house Tuesday night, stayed home with the boys on Wednesday, and was able to go to Tyler's program.  Lee left work for that hour and a half and my awesome principal covered my 20 kiddos at school and let me go to the program.  It was such a great program and Tyler did amazing!  He sang all the words to every song and did all the actions that he was supposed to do.  And he did every action with spunk!  He was awesome!  I know that he made us very proud!  I also know that Brady was proud of his big brother, because when Tyler came down from the stage, Brady walked right up to him to give him a hug and kiss!  We got video of the program, but haven't figured out yet on how to get the video onto the computer.  Words can't do it justice--but it was great and brought plenty of smiles and a warm heart to see Tyler up on that stage doing exactly what he was supposed to do.  It was nice to know that he wasn't "that kid" who was stomping on the stage, or the one laying on the stage, or the one hiding behind all the other kids!  We'll wait 'til Brady puts on his first Christmas program and I'm sure it will be a whole different ball game than the one we just saw yesterday!  :)

 All of us after the program.  I forgot to mention that Tyler had a smile on his face throughout the entire program.  He was so happy!

 Brady was also very proud of Tyler!

 They have (or they are supposed to have) their lips up in the air because they are catching snowflakes on their lips.

 Smiled throughout the whole thing!

 Brady played on the "DS" aka Fisher Price IXL while we waited for the program to begin.

 Proud Grandma Mary and Tyler after the program.

I am so very proud of Tyler.  He is one extremely smart and amazing boy!

TN CHRISTMAS 2011

We took a trip down to TN last weekend.  It was a short trip, long drive, but we were able to see all the Reynolds family and celebrate Christmas.  Our trip didn't start out the best.  On Tuesday, Brady was diagnosed with croup and was put on steroids.  {By the way, Croup = very scary!  I could go without one of them ever getting that again!}  Wednesday was our day to leave and I got a call Wednesday afternoon from our daycare provider, just as I finished packing up the van, to tell me that Tyler was throwing up everywhere!  I quickly grabbed a change of clothes for him and headed over to pick them up.  As we were driving to Grinnell to pick up Lee, Tyler threw up all over himself in the van.  At that point, I just wanted to cry, stop driving, and forget the whole trip!  But, as planned, we stopped in Iowa City at my mom's on Wednesday to eat dinner and hang out for a bit.  We ended up hanging out a bit longer, as we really wanted to make sure that Tyler was feeling better.  So, at about 8:00 p.m. we left Iowa City to travel to TN with one child with croup and one child with the stomach flu!  We actually made it there fine.  They didn't sleep the best through that night, but that was to be expected, since they were both sick.

While we were there, we ate, caught up, played cards, opened presents, ate, opened presents, and ate some more!  The boys enjoyed getting rides on the "tractors."  We enjoyed hanging out with Lee's family and celebrating Christmas!   

The boys are much healthier now.  Brady had his last dose of steroids just today and Tyler had only gotten sick those two times.  Thank God!  The ride home went much better!

 Here's the Reynolds clan.  Mitch, Eula, Laura, Matt, Grandma Patty, Sam, Tyler, Pops, Lee, Myself, and Brady.

 Mitch, Sam, Pops, and Lee playing cards.

Tyler and Brady down on the dock checking out Grandpa Reynolds' toys.

CHRISTMAS COOKIE MAKING

This past Saturday, Lee and Tyler made some almond bark pretzels and on Sunday, Tyler and I made some cutout sugar cookies.  Tyler really gets into helping out in the kitchen, which is great.  He did a wonderful job at helping us and was easily taught on how to do a good job!  What a great baker!  Brady wanted nothing to do with it, which was all right with me this year.  Maybe next year, he'll join us with making Christmas cookies.

After Lee put the pretzels down, Tyler did all the sprinkling.

Tyler did pretty much everything except put the frosting on.  He did awesome!

CHRISTMAS PARTY FUN!

 Lee and I got to join our friends at a Christmas party this past Saturday night.  We had an absolutely great adult night out!  We really danced the night away and had a blast!

The group of us.  We definately brought the party!  :)

Just the ladies.

This might show you just how much fun was had.

 Of course when Outkast's hit, Hey Ya, was played Lee had to bring out the spinning ball.  It was a hit!  Good job, honey!

GRANDMA'S GOODY BAG

Each time that my mom comes to visit us, she brings a bag of goodies for the boys.  Lee and I are always wondering what she could possibly get them next, but are still usually excited to see what comes out of her "goody bag."  Most of the time it's clothes, holiday items, movies, or a toy.  Last week she had Thursday off from work, so she came Wednesday night and then kept the boys home on Thursday.  She brought them some Christmas shirts, Snowman pajamas, new stocking hats, and new Christmas movies.  The boys loved everything! 

 Here's Grandma Mary with Tyler and Brady.  Brady showing off his new Christmas shirt and Tyler is showing his new hat and also his new sweater.

 Tyler and Grandma having fun.

 Brady wasn't wanting to smile for the camera, but he sure looks comfy in his new jammies!

 Tyler in his new jammies and still wearing the hat.

My mom also came back on Saturday night to stay with the boys so that Lee and I could go to a Christmas Party.  This time she brought them each a Chippey doll that they can sleep with.  It's a plush doll.  These ones don't lose their magic if you touch them...they are made to sleep with.  The boys are in heaven!

 Brady sleeping with his Chippey.

Tyler would never lose sight of his Chippey!