Low Key New Years

This New Years we were pretty tuckered out from all the travel, so we decided to keep it low key this year.  

Of course daddy had to work, so the boys and I hung out with Aunt Katrina and Landon.  We had dinner at their house and then went over to her aunt's house to hang out and play a few games.  

We made it back home about 11:30 so the boys and I stayed up until midnight.  We called and left daddy a message on his phone (he couldn't answer he caught himself a drunk) and then we headed to bed.  

I enjoyed ringing in the new year with my 2 favorite super heroes!  We are so excited to see what the Lord has planned for our family in the 2012!

Christmas 2011

This year Grandma and Grandpa Markham were able to come and spend Christmas break with us.  The boys were so excited they were bouncing off the walls just waiting for them to get here!  The trip took 3 days due to a wreck on one of the highways that they got stuck in for hours :(

We all had a blast together!  Grandpa did a ride along with daddy on Christmas Eve...they were out bustin' punks!  So while they were protecting our streets, we decided to make our ginger bread house.  

Now I know you are looking at the picture and thinking...nice LOL!  This is what you get when you use a year old kit...

We decided to just do the roof.  The boys decorated it and I think it turned out great!  Ethan did not ant to pictured with it, so I am not sure if he was just being difficult or if her was embarrassed by it?!

Christmas Eve we had a thousand things to do to get ready for Santa and his reindeer.  We put out the milk and cookies for Santa, left a magical key on the front porch for him to get in since we don't have a chimney, left the reindeer food out front in bowls for all of them to eat, and put the ginger bread house on the table for Santa to see.  

The boys of course had a hard time going to sleep, but they finally did.  Daddy and grandpa got home and told us all the stories of the night and then we all turned in.  Caiden came to my room mid morning asking about Santa so he just slept in our bed for the rest of the night.

Caiden woke me up later that morning and said "I think I hear Santa"...it was a jingling noise.  I didn't have the heart to tell him that it was Casey boy (my parents dog) tags, it was so cute to see his face light up!

We got up about 7:00 am and got everyone else up to see what Santa had left us all.  Caiden and Ethan both noticed that Santa left a note and ate his cookies and drank his milk.  They loved everything that Santa left them!  He really hit it on the head this year :) 

Once we were all done we ate some cinnamon rolls and slowly started getting ready for the day.  Grandma and grandpa Brown and Uncle Ted were coming up later to finish opening presents and eat lunch.

It was like a wrapping paper tornado hit our living room!  The boys helped sort gifts and then it was free game...

We opened our gifts that the boys made in school...Caiden made a hand print potholder and some ornaments and Ethan made an snowman fingerprint ornament.  I teared up this year I loved them so much!

Grandma and Grandpa Markham got the boy hese really cool big monster trucks, so they had to go out with grandpa and give them a test drive before we headed to Texas to see great grandma and grandpa Odle.

Right before Christmas Great Grandma Odle was put into the hospital for pneumonia.  So the Tuesday after Christmas we all drove down to spend time with her and Bill.  Luckily she was released from the hospital the day we got there so we were able to hang out with her at her house.

Grandpa and Caiden got hooked on some game they found on the iPad and Ethan of course just wanted to watch cartoons/movies.  Trying to get the 3 of them to take a good picture together was impossible...

We had a great visit and she is making strides to healing, slowly but surely!  We stayed in a great hotel with a pool and the boys suckered grandma and grandpa Markham into taking them to Chucky Cheese one day :)

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

The Monday before Christmas break Caiden's class was dressing up and going around to all the classes to sing Christmas songs they have been working on.

He had made these reindeer antlers in Kinder Door with Ms. Sally, so we took the theme and ran with it.  I found him some brown pants, used some red paint for his nose and ta-da...

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!

I must say I think he made the cutest reindeer around :)

He did it!

John has finally finished his masters! 

We are so proud of him.  It took a lot of sacrifice from the entire family, but we did it!

The ceremony was in the evening, so John and I were worried about how the boys would be since it was at night and long (okay boring too).  The boys did great!  We had grandma & grandpa Brown and Uncle Ted with us which helped with some of the entertainment. 

The boys really enjoyed finding daddy down on the floor.  They were excited for him as well.  

I must say I have one handsome man!  Love you honey :)

Ethan's 1st School Project!

Ethan had to complete his first school project.  A family poster.  Unlike Caiden he really wasn't too interested in doing it, but with a little pushing he completed the project! I think it turned out well for his first one :)

Journey To Bethlehem

Our Lifegroup decided to do something a little different and attend the Journey to Bethlehem at Forrest Hill Christian Church.  We all met at Zio's to eat dinner and then headed over.  We started in line at 6:30 and did not get home until 10:30.  

The wait was definitely worth it!  They handed everyone a paper with a name on it when we entered the church.  We would need this later with the Roman guards.  While waiting in the sanctuary we saw performers and sang along with most of them.  Then it was our groups turn!

We rode a tractor out to Bethlehem.  We saw King Herrod, angles, village people, wise men, baby Jesus, etc.  The most memorable for the boys was the evil King Herrod and his Roman soldiers and of course baby Jesus!

It was great to see the story come to life and it was so much easier for the boys (okay me too!) to understand and remember the story.  Later in the month we read the story of Christmas and placed all the pieces in the nativity, and while we were dong it the boys recalled almost every moment of of journey!  It was wonderful to see them remember God's word and it come to life!!!

Cookies with Santa

Santa was making an appearance at the new outlet mall in OKC this year.  They had this great event Cookies with Santa.  The boys were so excited!!!  Caiden made 2 pictures just for Santa this year.  Which of course he loved!

 Neither of the boys were scared of Santa this year.  They both loved sitting on his lap and talking to him.  They knew exactly what they wanted for Christmas and weren't hesitant to tell him when he asked them!

Santa was not in store for what was going to happen after they got off his lap.  Unlike most kids they just didn't walk away...oh no they drilled him with questions.  They wanted to know about his reindeer...where are they, can we see them, we want to feed them, etc.  Poor Santa was looking at me for lots of help on how to answer all those questions :)

 After wards we finished off our night with milk and cookies.  It was a great night!