Christmas day

Here are the boys after the door was opened and they came rushing into the family room. As you can see they were in a complete present frenzy.




Last year Santa forgot his bag. We left it out this year and he filled it again;)



We had a very good christmas this year. The boys were very spoiled. But it was fun.



We only made it to my families this year. I wasn't really going anywhere unless I could go in my Pajamas I know lazy. So we did go to my mom and dads for a little while and got the opportunity to see everyone in my family. We missed Craigs family but next year will be better. We still had a great christmas this year.



Yesterday Jumba became a victim of his own stupidity. Unfortunately I don't know that dogs really learn any lessons so hopefully it won't happen again. He hates and I mean absolutely hates other animals. Doesn't matter what kind they are birds, mice, cats or dogs he hates them all equally. He also likes to dig holes in the yard over on the side where the swimming pool is. When the snow falls though he can't always see the holes that he has dug. Yesterday some animal tried to enter the yard causing him to go crazy (for those of you who have seen it you know what I am talking about) and in his frenzy to defend the neighborhood he fell in a hole that was disquised by snow.



Our vet was closed for the holidays and it took four different vets before we found one that could fit him in or was opened. Then he got to spend the afternoon getting poked and prodded. He had a very exciting afternoon. He got to ride in on a pet stretcher and it took three people holding him down to get him knocked out for his xrays. He did put up a big fight they ended up using twice as much medicine as they thought that it would take to knock him out and he fought and was strong right till the bitter end. So now one exciting afternoon later 500 dollars less in the bank we are hiding medicine in his food for 5 weeks and hoping that this goes away.



Oh and Jumba also got to come home with a band aid on which Jacob just loves. Something about the dog wearing a band aid just like him. He follows him around the house and covers him with an old blanket as soon as he lays down. At first he tried to move out from under it everytime he covered him but eventually I think that he realized that it wasn't going to stop so he might as well just accept it. He was having a hard time moving yesterday but is much better today. He is still not up to his old self but much better then last night. Last night he was sitting funny and could hardly get up and down the stairs today he seems to be able to sit normally again and can do stairs. He still takes a rest but is getting better.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve PJ's. The boys get to open one gift on Chritmas eve. Unfortunately it is only pajamas. And yes the boys tried everything that they could think of trying to convince us to let them open another gift. When we suggested that they just go to bed instead and open nothing they decided that even pj's were better then nothing.



We also started Sunday presents this year. When I was a kid we got a sunday present eery sunday. They were nothing expensive mostly dollar store things but it gave us something to look forward to every week and seemed to help with the waiting for Christmas. Zach was dissapointed that he didn't get a new wii game every week though so I am now rethinking Sunday presents. I thought it was fun.



We didn't make it up to temple square this year to see the lights there just didn't seem to be enough time. But Jacob's class went and saw the Ballet west nutcracker and then all of the first grade classes put on an abridged version of it. It was the night after my surgery so I didn't make it but Craig was able to go along with Zach and they enjoyed it. We also got a copy of it that they Hale center theatre filmed and put together so I was able to see it from home. They did a very cute job. No pictures though. I think Craig forgot the camara. Hope that everyone had a great Christmas and have a Happy New year.

Oh and ps don't tell Craig that I let the kids stand on the couch to pose for the picture. They thought this was great fun and we did it all with out him noticing:)

Chocolate pretzels

We made Chocolate caramel pretzels about a week and a half ago.



They didn't turn out as pretty as I had wanted but they still taste good.




The boys also enjoyed helping make and eat them.



I also wanted to thank everyone for all of the love and support that they have offered to us. My surgery went really well and I have been home since last Friday. I know that this is a very busy time of year for everyone but we have been overwhelmed with generosity from friends and family. I can't thank you enough for the meals that have been brought in and the visits. Thanks so much for taking time out of this busy holiday season for us. We love you all. Thanks again. We hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season and that you know how much we appreciate each and every one of you.





P.S.
A friend gave these to me and I think that I will have to say I crave them both so I am not going to share either of them they are all mine;) Merry Christmas to me, they look yummy!

wrapping presents

If you can tell from this picture Jacob feels the same way about wrapping gifts as I do.

We are finishing up our last minute Christmas projects. The boys put together their little class gifts the other night. Jacob actually put them together Zach doesn't really like to do that kind of thing so he finished an art project for school instead.








Craig comes home tomorrow and we are excited to see him and have missed him. We are also excited because this was his last trip of the year. Hope that everyone is staying dry and warm.

DARE graduation

Zach had his Dare graduation this week can you see him in the picture? He is on the right hand side back to me just barely still in the shot shaking hands with the Murray mayor. I didn't realize that my batteries in my camera were barely still alive till I pulled it out to use it. So the picture just looks like a shot of the Murray city police chief and Miss Murray. I guess not all pictures can be perfect :) right?



It is nice and cold here the snow looks very pretty. We are now completely ready for Christmas Yea. I even got everything completely wrapped yesterday while the kids were out. Well there are actually a few more extended family gifts for the kids to wrap but everything else is done.

gingerbread houses

Yesterday we went to grandma and grandpas house to make gingerbread houses. The kids had a great time. We worked with one adult per child and the adults handled the frosting. This worked out pretty well. Jakson was napping so he isn't in any of the pictures. Craig is also out of town in Vegas so he wasn't there either. After we finished I had everyone that was willing to pose with their houses.




First we have Zach. His only real concern with the houses was that he be able to eat them.



Jacob is next.




And last but not least we have Gage. I tried to get Paige to pose with hers for a picture but never could. The aprons are the ones that Grandma made for them just for making the houses. This was a ton of fun and we are hoping to make it a yearly event.

Final verdict: Naughty

Actually the boys have been pretty good this year. Aside from the occasional fights. But we have found that when they are limited on their electronic time that they get along better. Go figure. They are both anxiously awaiting Christmas break they think that they will be playing that wii from morning till night. Unfortunately that isn't the case. We will probably give them a little extra time though after all it is christmas.

We are getting ready to send Craig out of town for his last trip of the year. Then we will have him home for a few weeks straight. Yeah. We had wanted to have family pictures taken before christmas to go in the cards. It is looking less and less like either of those things are going to happen. I did get the coordinating sweaters bought. Does that count? We will definately have to get them taken right after the first of the year.

Zach is excited that the only christmas program he has at school is a singing thing with the whole school. He is also counting down the days until he is out for the rest of the year. He has just had strep throat and is still finishing up his medicine, but feeling good. We did finish the second book in the peter and the starcatchers series and have started the third. He has read the Lightning thief series on his own and is very excited for the first movie coming out in February.

Jacob is excited that his class is performing the Nutcracker he is a pennywhistle and happy that he doesn't have a speaking part. His teacher talked with them before the did parts and told them about stage fright and he is pretty sure that he already has it so he is happy to not speak. His class went and saw the Ballet West performance this week and he enjoyed it Craig is jealous since he has never seen it.

The boys are both looking forward to making gingerbread houses at grandmas this weekend. Jacob has asked everynight this week to go over and start but they have been in Tennessee all week.

The ornament at the top is Craig's from a few years ago. When I was a kid every year at christmas everyone got a new ornament and then when we moved out all of our ornaments were ours to take with. This insured that no one had an empty tree. We have continued the tradition in our family. In fact Grandma and Grandpa Schroder still give everyone (grandkids included) a new ornament every year. So the kids actually get two. The ones that we buy usually have something to do with a trip that we have taken throughout the year. This year however the boys both wanted Jazz ornaments. I couldn't get a good picture of them and will have to try again later. But the Jessica Rabbit ornament is Craig's.

Paige's Birthday

We celebrated Paige's birthday this weekend at Grandma and Grandpa's.



Notice her cute Tinkerbell PJ's I was waiting for her to get dressed so I could steal them but she was on to me (I wasn't the only one that wanted them either) and she wouldn't change out of them.

The week of thanksgiving we rearranged the basement so that we could get the Christmas tree up. We completely moved everything around. This is the rearrangement before the tree.



Then the day after thanksgiving we got the tree up and decorated. We only put up the one tree this year. Just the one for the family room, usually this is all disney ornaments but since we aren't doing the other upstairs I did leave some of the disney off so that we could put some of our favorite non disney ornaments on. It was still hard to decide which ones to use and which to leave off.



Of course there was no question as to which topper had to be used. It isn't Christmas till Tink is on the top of one of our trees. This topper was bought the first trip that we took to Disneyworld. To celebrate our first anniversary. We have been back several times since but that was the only trip for just the two of us with no kids;)




Hope that everyone is having a great holiday season.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!