Never Grow Up!

Happy 1st Birthday Olivia!

My niece, Olivia, turned one and we got to go to her party on the 1st.  I can't believe that we have NO pictures with our family in them, but I guess that is how it goes sometimes.

New Year's Eve

We spent New Year's Eve 2010 at our friends, Clint and Amy's, house.  There were 5 couples there with all 12 of our combined children.  We had a great time.  Nana and Papa were in town, so we took the kids to them at 8pm and enjoyed the rest of the night kid free. 

Here are the kids having supper, minus Ty.

While the women fed the kids, the guys watched America's Funniest Home Videos.

We had a White Elephant gift exchange.  I thought I was being pretty sneaky and "accidently" left our gifts behind.  Well, I should have known better.  Greg and Corey brought them back to us while we were out of town.  Do you see anything odd in the picture above?  And they "borrowed" ALL our ladders so we couldn't get it down for a few days.  Good times!

Christmas Day!

Christmas Day dawned with the girls sleeping in.  Upon waking, Paige helped me make Monkey Bread for breakfast.  She's been asking for it for a while and it is our Christmas breakfast tradition.  We read the girls the story of Jesus birth while they ate, so we all don't forget the real reason we celebrate Christmas.  After breakfast was done and cleaned up, we sat down to open presents.  We really try not to overdo it with our kids.  They each get an ornament, an outfit, books, and a toy from us, and one toy from each other.  We also do stockings with small gifts and trinkets.  We don't do Santa here.  The girls know that Daddy is Santa at our house.  I don't feel like I can pretend that Santa is real with them, only for them to find out later he is not.  Then, also teach them to believe and love Jesus, whom they can't see, but is very real.  We let the girls play with their new toys until lunch, which was broccoli and cheese soup in bread bowls, and after lunch, Paige helped me bake a birthday cake for Jesus.  We sang Happy Birthday and had the cake after naps.  It was a nice relaxing day!

Christmas Eve!

 We made it home JUST in time to head to our church's Christmas Eve service.  The weather was a bit frightful, but it was sure cozy inside.  The girls enjoyed being in the big service with us.  We couldn't resist taking some pics of them all dressed up.  They looked so pretty!

And no holiday is complete without a picture with their friends.

One of our Christmas traditions is to spend the evening of Christmas Eve with our friends Greg and Emily and their kids.  We have appetizers and play cards, while the kids play and eventually go to bed.  Here the kids are looking at presents.

And now to the pics of Zach and Alaina which I'm sure they will hate us for later.  But then again, maybe not!

And Paige with her "besties", Hannah and Ellie.

Both of our families have made it a tradition to open one gift on Christmas Eve, which is new pajamas.

Sometimes the adults participate.  This year, I surprised Mark with new sweats.  Neither of us needed pj's, but he can always use new comfy sweats.

Me with the girls in their new jammies.