The Perfect Ending to the Best Christmas

          We were all so excited that Uncle Kyle proposed to MaryLouise on Christmas.  (We have been anxiously awaiting the news since Mommy went with Uncle Kyle to buy the ring on the day after Thanksgiving.)  When I told Evie that Kyle had given ML the ring, she got all excited, jumped up and down a couple of times, and said, "Momma, I am so excited.  Now they can get married and MaryLouise can be my aunt and they can have babies.  Isn't that so exciting Momma."

Giving

          Grandma and I decided this year that instead of exchanging names that our family should adopt a family in need for Christmas and buy them gifts instead.  Our family got matched up with a mom and her five kids the youngest of which is due this month.  Grandma & Papa decided to buy for the mom and each of the uncles and I took a child.  We got to buy for the baby girl who is due this month.  Evie, Isaac and I did the shopping.  Evie thought the baby needed everything we saw.  About half way through our trip Evie found a little stuffed doll that she wanted to get.  She asked if she could play with it until the baby came to live with us.  She was sad to hear that we were just giving the gifts to her and that wouldn't actually be joining our family.  Tonight we wrapped the presents so that we could send them with Uncle Bob-Bob tomorrow so he could take them to Grandma who will deliver them.

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

          We were going to decorate our Christmas tree this weekend, but after wrapping presents for the family we adopted for Christmas, Ev and I decided we wanted to do it tonight.  The kids were very excited to get to wear their new special Christmas pajamas.  When Ev saw them she said, "Momma, they are just like Ella and Riley's. My Grandma will need a picture."

          We got the tree set up, the stockings hung and the nativity set out, but we will have to finish decorating the tree tomorrow.

          The kids found the book "The Night Before Christmas" that Papa recorded for them last year and have been listening to it over and over.  Isaac's eyes just light up and he gets a big smile on his face every time he hears Papa start reading.

Home for Thanksgiving

          It was so nice to be able to have an extended trip home for Thanksgiving.  We went to Grandma & Papa's on Tuesday evening because Daddy had off Thursday and Friday and could work from home on Wednesday.  Wednesday evening we went to Great Grandma's house to spend the night.  Grandma, Papa, Uncle Kyle, Uncle Matthew, Auntie Maria, Ella and Riley also came up.  Thursday we got together with Grandma's family at the auditorium for Thanksgiving.  The kids had lots of fun running around with their cousins and some of Mommy's cousins.  We came back to Grandma & Papa's on Thursday evening and celebrated with a family game night (played Telestrations).  Maria and Mommy went to Target about 2 am for some Black Friday shopping and returned just in time to wake Daddy up so he and Mommy could go to Menards at 4 am to stand in line to get a few things when they opened at 6 am.  Friday night we all went out for pizza, before going to bed early for the night.  Saturday the kids spent some time with Grandma & Papa while Mommy & Daddy did a little Christmas shopping.  Matthew, Maria and the kids came back over that evening for another family game night (Buzz Word).   We headed back home early Sunday afternoon after mass and breakfast at Hy-Vee.

Thankfulness

My beautiful daughter Evelyn.  She is such an amazing little person.  I love watching her learn and figure things out.  She is such a caring sweet girl, yet completely crazy at the same time.  She makes me laugh like no one else can. 

 My sweet baby Isaac.  This little man has had a strong personality from a very young age.  I absolutely love his blonde hair and blue eyes and his smile melts my heart.  He is very much a Mommy's boy and there are very few things in this world that I love more than getting to rock him to sleep and kiss his little head.