GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Our 2nd Annual Gingerbread House Day!

We started a wonderful tradition last year of decorating our very own Gingerbread House.

What a fun, messy, memorable tradition we have started!  We all love this time!

SNOW!

Instead of driving home from Cedar Falls in the snow on Sunday, we were already home and got to play in the snow!  We walked over to the YMCA and went sledding down some hills.  It was the first sledding event of the season and the boys had a great time!

And when we got back home, we got to warm up with some hot chocolate!

FREESE CHRISTMAS 2013

We had great Christmas celebrations at Josh and Liz’s house the weekend before Christmas.

We had originally planned to go up to Cedar Falls on Saturday, the 21st.  However, with the ice that we had gotten that Thursday night before, we thought we’d be better to leave Friday afternoon rather than Saturday morning after everything would re-freeze.  So, shortly after Tyler and I got home from school that Friday afternoon, we quickly packed up the van, and drove to Cedar Falls.  We were all in our van and Mom followed behind.  It was a drive full of stress, but we made it there okay. 

Friday night we ordered in dinner and then Mom and I ran to the grocery store to get groceries for the next couple of days.  Again, our original plan was to have a Saturday Christmas with my mom and then a Sunday Christmas with my Dad, all at Josh and Liz’s.

Saturday morning, we woke up, had breakfast and opened presents.  After all the excitement and opening presents, the boys actually went down for a nap before lunch!  While they were sleeping, we enjoyed a wonderful steak meal. 

After watching the news Saturday, we found out that there was going to be a large snow storm moving through Saturday evening.  So….we changed plans again, and had Dad come over to do a quick Christmas before leaving Saturday afternoon.  We got Mom on the road shortly after lunch, as the main part of the storm was supposed to be in her direction.  We spent some quality time with my Dad and opened more presents.

It was a very rushed Christmas with my family, but we are all so lucky to be able to just spend that small time all together.  The most important thing is to all be together---and then to be able to travel back home safely!

I would have loved to spend some more time with them all, but I also knew that we needed to beat that snow storm and get home safely.  Knowing that Liz’s due date for the baby was just a couple weeks away, we knew we’d be seeing them all again very soon!!!

Friday night the boys snuggled up together.  So cute!

The boys were very happy with their gifts this year; Sully, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Gear, Under Armor & Michael Jordan Apparel, Bed Bugs Game, Doc McStuffins Operation, and Despicable Me 2 Operation.

Tyler and Brady helped everyone else open their gifts as well.

We all got new Kuerigs and boxes and boxes of coffee!

Lee and Josh were pretty focused on their scratch off tickets.

Lee, Josh, Tyler, and Brady playing Doc McStuffins Operation.

The boys playing Bed Bugs.

And from Grandpa, Josh, and Liz they each got their very own Stuffies!  This gift has actually turned out to be one of their favorites!  They love those things so much and carry them everywhere!

SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS

Both Tyler and Brady put on great Christmas Programs this Holiday Season!

Tyler’s Christmas Program.

Tyler’s program was on the night of Thursday, December 12th.  He, along with the hundred and some other Kindergartners, performed on the stage in the auditorium at the High School.  In the weeks leading up to the program, we had heard him sing most of his songs at home.  He had one performance with red and green scarves, when he stood in front and raised his scarves proudly!

We only have one Christmas program left for Tyler, as after 1st grade, they put on a Spring Program.  These Christmas programs are so special and sweet!

With a little over one-hundred Kindergartners, there were many great things to watch!  Lee was actually laughing so hard that he was crying.  Tyler did amazing as always; sang all the words, did all the actions, smiled, and stood proper.  However, there were certain kids that did not follow these ‘rules’ and gave everyone quite a show!  :)

After Tyler’s show, we enjoyed a nice evening out to dinner with Grandma Mary, who was here to watch Tyler’s performance.

Our handsome Kindergartner.

(Guess I probably should have taken the tatoos off before he got all dressed up.)

He was so happy!  A smile was glued on his face!!!

Tyler with two of his best buds—Caden and Micah.

Out to dinner after his performance with Grandma.

Brady’s Christmas Program

Brady’s Christmas Program was on the morning of Friday, Dec. 20th.  This was his very first school program and he was beyond excited! 

That Friday morning was a bad weather morning.  We had gotten ice, lots of ice, and our roads were like glass!  Our District schools were on a 2-hour delay, but Brady’s school was still on time so that they could still put their performance on at 10 a.m.  As this was the last day before Christmas break, everyone was really wanting the performance to still go on! 

I had somebody cover my classroom while I was at Brady’s program and Tyler got out of a bit of school as well, so that he could come cheer his brother on.  I made Lee drive everywhere that morning, including taking me and Tyler to school after the program and then picking us up from school a whole 2 hours later when school dismissed.

We were so glad that this preschool program happened, because it was one of the better ones that we have seen.  We laughed, and laughed, and laughed!

Brady did AMAZING!!!  We were so proud of him!  He, as Tyler does, stood proper, sang every word, did every action, and smiled throughout the whole show!  He was awesome and had so much fun doing it!!!

And, he as well, sang and sang and sang all of his songs at home in the weeks leading up to the program.

He was lucky enough to stand beside his girlfriend, Camryn, throughout the whole program!

Brady played his little heart out on that triangle! 

Some of Brady’s cheering section—Grandma and Tyler.

Brady taking a little rest before the next song begins.

Tyler actually jumped out of his chair and ran toward Brady to give him a hug when Brady got down from the stage.  It was a huge shock, but oh so sweet!

Brady with Grandma.

Brady and Camryn after the program.

         

I love these little ‘BIG’ Christmas Programs and I wouldn’t miss them for anything!  They are some pretty great and happy memories!

CHIPPY

The love for this Elf can not be put into words.

The excitement EACH morning when the boys wake up is excitement that I love witnessing.  This little Elf is the first thing that they think about when they wake up and one of the last things they think about before going to bed. 

This year, Brady’s daycare Elf has been doing some funny things, so the boys had asked Chippy if he could look silly like ‘Eddie.’  Well, when Chippy started to do some silly things, Brady’s comment was, “I told Chippy to look silly not BE silly!”

So, Chippy took that information again, and has been looking silly!  :)

I don’t take pictures of each of Chippy’s spots, but here’s just a couple to share.

This was my favorite ‘move’ of Chippy’s.  He took the dry erase marker and ‘Elfed’ the boys’ pictures that are up in our hallway.  They loved it and thought it was very silly!  After this move is when Brady made the comment about how he wanted him to look silly, not be silly!

Our two little Elves!  Sugarplum McJingles and Nipper Sugarsocks.

FART GUN

Here’s Brady’s ‘Fart Gun.’ The fart guns in the movie Despicable Me are just hilarious for the boys.  This is how Brady created his very own Fart Gun.  Little does he know that they are getting a real Despicable Me fart gun for Christmas, so he won’t have to improvise any longer!

COOKIE MAKING

Once again, I was very lucky to have 2 very good little helpers in the kitchen to help me with all the cookie making!  They both love to mix and pour and cut out and I just love that they are there with me willing to help!  I love these moments!

I spent a full Saturday making cookies.  The boys helped with a few and Lee and the boys did the decorating of the sugar cookies, other than that, I did the rest.  I enjoyed it and we now have so many yummy Christmas cookies to share!