Christmas Eve, part 2

after taking pictures, we headed off to church, which was insane.

I try and just be thankful that these people are going to church and hearing about Jesus and the reason for the season, but the madness just gets to me. Next year, I think we are going to go to Midnight Mass.

The service was nice, besides the craziness and we headed home to our 9 dish dinner (tradition courtesy of my Grandma)... Although, half of my dishes were thai take-out, which I am sure is so far away from what she did! Still, we had 9 dishes, no meat, and Max tried lots of new stuff and liked it (fried tofu anyone?) and there wasn't a ton to cook and clean up! That makes it even more enjoyable.


Leo smells some yummy thai food.


Max reading from the Bible. he was so good about this the whole month of December. He just needs a calendar, and he goes with it!



just enjoying dinner


him too...


realizing he isn't getting any food...




The tradition continues that the kiddos have to clean everything up (and they did). and then it is present time! But first, Ross got to do what he was happily waiting to do, since he heard what my dad used to do, and that is to take the dog for a VERY LONG WALK!!! TORTURE! The kids brought down comfy pillows and arranged everything and then just waited. Max was so anxious, he even called for a status update on the walk!

Max wearing the present passer-outer bracelet!


Finally, Ross and Leo came home.



let the presents begin...





this was one from Zoey to Max... she came up with the idea and made it all herself.


She made him action figures on the rainbow loom.... based sort of off of minecraft characters. They were so good!



the dog happily chewing on a bone. Actually we left a bone at my parents house over Thanksgiving and they sent it back with their Christmas packages. Leo was so happy to see that bone, it was hilarious.



Here are some of the characters.


the octopus guy, which was my fav.



more presents, and yes, Zoey lives in a different climate than the rest of us.



the kids helping Leo with his present. He loved it, but at the moment, he really loved the paper!











minion figures!


happy kid


happy other kid. This is some tool thingy from my parents. Ross is always so excited for gifts, as long as they are just exactly what he wanted! he's specific, so the wishlist is a good thing for him, but means no surprises.


the awesome aftermath...




hope you had a great Christmas!

Christmas Eve, part 1

Our plan for Christmas Eve was to go to church fairly early, have dinner (9 dishes), and then clean up and open presents!!

The kids were filled with anticipation, which was fun and funny. You would think that would make getting cooperative kids for pictures, telling them that there would be no presents otherwise, but Max was overly cheesy half the time and Zoey was, well, Zoey... you will see...


This is her, and I love it.



Self-timer, family photo, (Leo had to be included) and the kids totally think they are doing what I want... grabbing Leo to face the camera and super smiling! OH well, its funny. So is Leo's tongue about to go into Zoey's nose.



Another. Not horrible, by any means, but I don't know why they feel they need to be snuggling with the dog. Nevermind, that was silly of me, they totally love snuggling with the dog for pictures.





Moment captured between pics.



and the black and white version.






So, I took this one



And Ross says, just have a natural smile... and then says, wait, whatever you do, DON'T SMILE!

Zoey, the stoic, can do it; Max falls for it, he can't help himself...



Ross keeps commenting...he's gonna break her...



Got her! And this one of Max just kills me... it captures his personality so well. We see that face a lot









Close ups- Max (who always needs chapstick)


Zoey- serious


and smiling

Over the River, and Through the Woods, to Grandmother's house we go

(to decorate cookies...)

first, a picture of Leo... our jeep died again, forcing us to buy a new car (we were planning on it), so this was stuff from the jeep getting cleaned out that Leo happily decided to lounge on. bye, bye jeepy... you were my car, so I will kind of miss you. Ross, on the other hand, gives you the middle finger.



Moving on. Grandma Bette called to see if we could arrange a time for the kids to come decorate cookies. So, on a Saturday, just before Christmas, we did just that. Ross and I went shopping for a bit. Max was told he couldn't eat a cookie unless he decorated one more than he would eat. He decorated two cookies, ate one, and was done...

So, that leaves Zoey and Grandma Bette.












On Monday, before Christmas, Zoey and I went and had a bake-a-palooza. She found five or six cookie recipes to try and we did it!! they were yum. But the only pictures I got were these chocolate crinkle cookies. from allrecipes, I think. they are dark chocolatey, not super sweet, and delish!

Choir Concert

As I mentioned in the ten on the tenth, Zoey had a Choir concert and it was very enjoyable. It was different, where they didn't sing Holiday songs of all sorts and just stand on the risers. The teacher had them singing songs in different languages and drumming on themselves all semester, so I was interested to see this come about. It was well done, the kids sounded great and did wonderful. There was singing and movement and it all flowed well for a bunch of 6th graders. I'm not alone, Ross agrees with me that it was enjoyable, and not just because Zoey was in it.


This is Profe or teacher in Nicaraguan. He decided to become a teacher there. He is passionate about his work; it shows.




I posted this one already, but here is the whole choir, and then each class does a song while the rest stay back and sing background. can you see Zoey? I tried to help you out:) She's in orange, in all the photos below just to make it easier.



Her class did a Czech song. She has no qualms about being up there, which is cool.

December Ten on Tenth

I did take pictures on December tenth but never posted them, so here they are...

Sleepy pup in his bed....



Zoey and I usually walk to school, but for some reason, I drove her that day... Can't remember, now which is why you shouldn't blog six weeks after the fact...



Then I took Leo for a walk. He loves the snow, but still gets shivery if it is too cold!



wrapped up some Christmas presents while the kids were out of sight. This wrapping paper, by the way, was the roll that never ended! I seriously bought it when we lived in California (5 years!) and some Christmases, it is the only wrapping paper under the tree!!! It finally finished this year, which I can say after five years I'm glad because I was tired of it.


Max home from school... he does better if he waits to do homework after dinner, where Zoey gets straight into it.



Walking to meet Zoey after school. We try and walk as much as we can, and since we don't have a yard, Leo needs it too!



Horses across the street.



Zoey doing her homework.


dinner prep


we ate early because we had to go to Zoey's choir concert. It was super enjoyable. Very different with songs and movement we had never seen, but the kids did great.

Max and Puppy School

The puppies are not very smart, so they need to attend puppy school... Max is the teacher, he sometimes sits on them during class...




Leo wanted to join in.