YG Christmas party 2013

Every year Terry does a White Elephant gift exchange party for Youth Group. This year Samuel and Ezra got to come along so I thought I'd post a few photos. 

Samuel had free rein of the snack table and ate at least three cookies and many chips. Check out his Doritos fingers. Jeff's ornamental beard in the back is pretty fun too.

Here's Sarah, one of our babysitters who actually asks when she and Jazmin can babysit again because our kids are "so cute." 

This sombrero shows up every year. And of course it would have to go on a baby!

tickle toes

Samuel has been mostly pretty good with Ezra. There was an incident last week where Samuel was offering Ezra one of his toys and upon grabbing it, Samuel yanked it away from him. Little punk got in trouble for that one. But when I saw Samuel freely offering his toes to Ezra for his entertainment, I had hope these boys could grow into buddies.

Kveene Christmas 2013

Since Nathan and Ana were in Michigan with her folks for Christmas, we waited to celebrate with them until January 3rd. But it was worth it to be together (as together as we could be without Stephers and Steve :(  ).  

We decided to get together at our place since mom and dad didn't do a tree this year and Nathan and Ana's is a little small for all our kids. That made it a little difficult to make mom and dad's gift work. But I managed it by convincing mom that I really needed extra help getting the ham ready. In reality, I was just fine on my own and it was done by the time she got here. But I whined so they would come over here earlier and Terry and Nathan could go to their house in order to install their gift in secrecy. Muhahahaha! They were completely clueless. Dad did ask where Terry was. "Running errands," I said, which was pretty true and no one was concerned. Twenty minutes until dinner Mom asked where Nathan and Ana were and that they could have been here sooner. I said I didn't know and then that she had juice to prepare, which was kind of true. They all arrived just in time for dinner and no harm was done. 

After we were done eating and cleaning up, with many questions from the kids about when we'd be done (how well I remember asking that when I was little), we headed to the living room to get started on the good stuff. 

Noah was given the job of reading the labels.  

Noah then gave Evie the gifts and she handed them out. It took a little for her to understand it was her job. At first she kept giving them to Daddy to distribute. 

Nathan is quite excited about our gift, which ended up being a Lord of the Rings Risk game. 

My dad and mom. 

Terry and I very squished in the chair. 

Nathan and Ana got Samuel a tool set, complete with tool box. He loves it. It's definitely his favorite new toy. As I type, he just brought up his box to play with. 

It was funny how extremely excited Evie was to get an umbrella (from Nathan and Ana). But she was.  After the other Christmases, she was quick to inform us that she had not received her umbrella yet. Silly punk. She also got that adorable scarf and a box of play clothes and accessories from Gramma and Grampa. 

Nathan and Ana got Noah these rainbow markers and Gramma and Grampa gave him some BB gun accessories. 

Mom about died laughing when she saw her secret gift. Not actually though. For some reason it was hilarious to her that Nathan had put a photo upside down in its frame. The giggles are unpredictable I suppose :)

The largest box was for Mom and Dad and they were clueless as to what it was. We re-wrapped the box that their gift came in. 

Yup. We got them a toilet. I guess we're on a bathroom kick since last year we got them new towels. Call us practical but their old one was original to the house, circa 1982.

Nathan and Ana couldn't resist this hat for Ezra. I can understand why. GAH! IT'S SO CUTE!

"Lord I thank you for this blessed hat!" 

After the kids were in bed, we broke in another gift. Mom and Dad got Nathan a Star Trek Settlers game. Terry and I have played Settlers of Catan so many times that I'm pretty sick of it most of the time. And this one started so slow that I was very skeptical, but it turned out to be really fun. I suppose it didn't hurt that I won :P

BOOYAH!

Here's a bad close up of the game. Star ships are roads, Outposts are settlements and Starbases are cities. It's more fun than Catan because there are these extra "support cards" that help move the game along. Plus, you get to trade in weird stuff like Dilithium, Tritanium, Oxygen, Food and Water. Or Red, Green, Yellow, Blue and White. Because what the heck is Dilithium and Tritanium?

an ice dam

Despite having an unfinished movie to look forward to after they spent most of the day gathering wood, the kids opted to spend even more time outside. Making ice dams... Now I have some fond memories of making dams in the gutter as a child. But it was summer and we used mud and sticks. Right now it's winter and they're using snow and ice! And frigid melted snow and ice fills their puddle. 

 This is just further proof that my kids are crazy. After all, what is a dammed up puddle good for if not freezing your feet right off? "Mommy, my feet are cold." Really?

wood gatherers

Two days after Christmas, Terry hitched up his trailer to the Blazer and took Noah and Evie out to the ranch to get some firewood. I can't even remember what I did at home. But these punks worked pretty hard!

Gathering wood from a beaver-felled tree near the creek. Terry and his dad cut it up and the kids stacked it in the truck behind them.

Backing up with their load.

I was pretty impressed with the kids. When I was little and had to get wood with my dad, sister and brother, I complained constantly and had a terrible attitude. I never heard Noah and Evie say anything negative. Of course, I was only with them for a little bit, but they were still pretty happy.

All done! It's lovely to have a fire.

the day after Christmas

What to be done the day after Christmas except play with all the new toys?! Samuel thought he'd help Daddy blow up his new ball pit. He's just imitating but it was so cute.

Noah worked so very hard getting his new Lego Gunship put together. He didn't even want to stop building to shoot his first BB gun the day before! Last year Terry helped but Noah put together his Millennium Falcon but Noah didn't need him this year. Noah put all 1,175 pieces together all by himself. 

Evie finished making faces (with stickers) and hung them around the house. It was a little surprising to go into a room and find a new, somewhat distorted face smiling blankly up at you. 

Completed ball pit / fort / mosquito free zone. 

Ezra got some new easy to grab baby toys. He really likes the yellow string to his new singing turtle...when Samuel isn't dragging it around. Could have just got the kid some yarn!

Daddy is showing Samuel how to build stuff on the outside of his new truck. And Evie is taking over. 

Later that afternoon the kids got their favorite two-wheeler (Daddy) all warmed up for pulling them around the back yard on a sled. He mentioned this event in his sermon at church yesterday. They left obstacles in this path and made little hills for him to pull them over. 

Look! A snowball! Watch out Daddy. 

Noah got some pretty good air on their last pass.  

those don't go there

On the day before Christmas I was in some kind of hurry (couldn't have been the baby, laundry, Christmas cookies and lunch that I was trying to handle at the same time) when I discovered Samuel's latest shenanigans.

He likes to carry around that little bit set of Terry's and pretend he's fixing stuff like daddy. But somehow he got a hold of my pump as well...

Noah looks really pleased.

Guess he thought that would be a good place for those bits.

And just a little while later while we were making Christmas cookies (Noah and Evie were decorating and Samuel was eating sprinkles), Samuel dumped out all the sprinkles for easier eating. I was right there and didn't even notice. He's such a stinker! 

Sharp Samuel

The Sunday before Christmas I thought it would be nice for Samuel to dress up. Then I remembered this old 3T suit of Noah's in the closet that Samuel hadn't worn yet. How sharp does he look?

Since he had some bed hair Terry wet it down and attempted to tame it. You know, make it lay down. But, just like Harry Potter, that's impossible. He's SO cute!

Like I said, this suit first belonged to Noah. HOW CUTE WAS NOAH?! GAH!

This photo is from February 2, 2008, when we lived in the parsonage in Gothenburg before Evie was even born. Seems like it never happened! Though I had this photo framed on our wall for a long time.  

cereal for Ezra

I introduced Ezra to his first solid food one week ago when he was six and a half months old. I have been lazy about starting him on food. Nursing is so much easier when I already have to prepare everything for the other three punks. Plus I'd like to eat at some point too. Also I was worried that he'd refuse it like Samuel did. 

Poor unsuspecting baby.

And the first bite goes in! At first he was just confused. Though he doesn't look happy at all does he?

Then he started tipping his head back. Initially I thought this meant that he was into it, like a baby bird. But no, alas, he was not into it. He started refusing it though I did get some down. I tried again a few days later and he was even more against it. I tried applesauce today and he didn't like it either. I guess I will just keep trucking on. Samuel eventually ate. I just wish he'd go for it right away like Noah and Evie did.

ranch Christmas 2013

Every single night I thank God that we live near family and Terry can work at our home church. I never stop feeling blessed. It's just wonderful that we can drive 30 minutes down the road to visit Terry folks and a mere 10 minutes to see mine. So that's what we did after our own family Christmas yesterday - we went to the ranch.

After a yummy lunch of ham and ribs, we opened a few gifts. Grampa and Gramma had already given us a wonderful year pass to Watiki but the kids were given some small things so they had something to open. Evie made fingerprint art and girl faces all day long.

Samuel got a ball pit! 

Noah got his first bb gun, which he tried out later. As soon as he was done opening it though, he went right back to putting together his Lego gunship he got that morning. 

Gramma and Grampa checking out their gifts. 

Grace got a baby to take care of since she has a new baby sister. 

Ezra had more things to open since he had napped through the first Christmas. He didn't get much of a chance to play with this turtle! 

Ezra loves grabbing faces. 

Shari and 12 day old Sarah! 

A new chew toy for baby Ezra that's super easy for him to grab. 

Shortly after opening gifts Terry took Noah outside for his first bb gun lesson. They started out with Terry helping Noah to stabilize the gun. 

After a few tries he hit his can! See the water coming out? Wahoo! 

Evie followed me out. 

Even though my brother grew up with a bb gun and went hunting with my dad yearly, I had never even shot a bb gun. So Terry gave me a lesson and I hit my can on the first shot. I think I could get into shooting stuff! 

Evie didn't really care but we had her try just one shot. 

She preferred to moo at the cows. She came running back to us "Mommy! Daddy! I was mooing at the cows and one of them pooped!" She's a cow whisperer.

We went back inside to play cards, eat pie and watch some TV. We watched our first Duck Dynasty episode since they have cable TV. I must say, I didn't care for it. I couldn't get into it!

Once it was dark we went outside to use up the leftover fireworks from this last summer. It was Terry's dad's idea since we didn't have to wait until 10pm for it to be dark. Though it was pretty cold and icy it was worth it.

Silly Evie was so scared. Apparently Jesse was safer to stand by than me. 

Grace - smiling. Evie- grimacing.

Everyone else was watching from inside and every time Samuel looked out they were in between explosions. He kept missing it and yelling for more. He had Shari and Gramma laughing until they cried. 

Sparklers

Jesse said Terry was Lord of the Dance since he was getting his groove on with those sparklers.