We had our Christmas celebration at Grandma and Grandpa's house on December 22nd so we could head to Canada and surprise Rogene's family on Christmas eve.
First we had Christmas dinner. Yum!
It is our tradition to have "crackers" at Christmas dinner.
And we all have to wear the paper hat that comes inside the cracker during dinner. We had 100% participation this year!
Then we opened presents, but not before we made the kids pose for a picture!
Kiara got an ipod!
Braden got blue lights to put under his car.
Tessa got High School Musical Sing It! for the Wii
and a Barbie Island Princess doll!
Tim got a lap top from mom and dad Santa!
Emma got a TMX Elmo (not pictured) and a Barbie Loves Elmo.
And Elmo books!
Rogene got a potty humor shirt at the free Christmas celebration. Luckily Tim stole it.
See the pile of free Christmas gifts? Don't take the blue on on the right, it has the yellow star in it!
The yellow star.
Tessa passed out the gifts she picked out, bought (at the dollar store) and wrapped herself. Here is the list of what each person on her Christmas list received. (I used all my restraint this year to not influence her what to buy for each person. It's more fun that way.) In the picture you can see she picked out pink wrapping paper for the girls, and silver for the boys.
Grandma - plastic hair rollers (because she has curly hair)
Grandpa - ?????
Tim - Car polish (because he takes good care of his car)
Pam - Hair brush (because she has long hair)
Darryl - Key chain/flashlight (because he has a lot of keys)
Braden - Plush football (because he likes to play sports)
Kiara - Lip gloss set (because she is pretty and likes make up)
Emma - Sparkly wand (because she likes wands)
Rogene - Retractable USB cable (because he likes computers)
Me - A hand mirror (because the one she bought me last year for Christmas broke)
Later, after the gifts were all opened, Tessa and Emma sang together and fought over the microphone that came with the High School Musical Sing It! Wii game.
A good time was had by all!
We drove to Canada and surprised Rogene's family who didn't think we would make it to the big Christmas eve party. My sister and her family came too!
I ran into a store somewhere in Washington state to get some crushed pineapple (for a recipe I was bringing to the Christmas eve party) and when I came out my girls were peeking out the sun roof.
Lolo and Lola were very surprised!
Tessa, Emma and Andrew have a pre-party slumber party.
Gabriella and Emma at the party.
Tessa and Rianna
Pam and Darryl at the party.
Braden and some girls upstairs.
Emma provided the music for the evening.
Tessa and Emma got to open presents Christmas morning with ALL their cousins!
The tree and a million gifts.
Tessa, Rianna, Emma and Andrew.
Anson, Tessa, Rianna and Andrew.
Waiting to open gifts.
More waiting…
Okay, now OPEN!
Kiara doesn't look like she just crawled out of bed.
More passing out gifts.
Emma opening one of her gifts.
Jordan and Anson getting a big surprise. Lhevinne (their mom) told them she was not able to find a RockBand for them, which was their biggest Christmas wish. She even wrapped and hid the box so they for sure would be surprised.
Playing RockBand. Jordan on drums, Braden and Lhevinne on guitar, and Darryl on vocals.
Trey playing Guitar Hero.
Tessa got a Nintendo DS! (She is hugging it.)
Playing the DS with Auntie Pam and Kiara.
Emma says "More berry!" (Strawberry)
And then it SNOWED! Our first white Christmas ever.
Braden built a snowman.
Kiara enjoying the snow.
Here I am teaching Emma how to make a snowball to throw at Braden.
Braden pelting us with snowballs.
Pam throwing a snowball at Braden.
Emma enjoying the snow.
The day after Christmas we all went out for dinner.
Rianna, Gabriella and Tessa.
Cousins.
Lhevinne and her kids.
Riccoh, Rianna and Marj.
Original 5 Talentos.
Lolo and Lola with their grand kids.
The Larsons.
Emma and Gabriella.
It was a very fast but very fun trip!
Linda over at Sundry Mourning is hosting her annual New Year's Meme. Check out her answers and post your own on your blog. It is a great way to remember the year. (If you leave Linda a comment, she will add you to the list of participants.)
(Here are my answers from 2006.)
1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
Yurt Camping… twice. And it was SO FUN!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Yes I did keep them, but possibly because I kept them simple.
This year my new years resolution is to do Couch to 5k and (this is the important part) actually finish it this time. I want to run a 5k race this year (just to finish… not to, you know, win or anything).
Give more.
Read the Bible more.
Pray more.
Be more positive.
Savor every moment with my husband and daughters.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I wish!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, my Grandfather… but I hardly knew him.
5. What countries did you visit?
Canada
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
More family photos. More video. More peace.
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 10 - Tessa's ballet recital
August 27 - my daughter's first day of Kindergarten
October 6 - my 20 year high school reunion
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I always dreamed that one day I'd have a daughter in ballet lessons, and that she would dance in a ballet recital. And that dream came true this year (thanks Tessa!).
9. What was your biggest failure?
I had to come to terms with the fact that my five year old daughter does better at school when I'm not around. That makes me feel like a failure.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
We were so blessed this year… the whole family has been healthy except for a few colds, a sprained ankle… and Rogene's post Thanksgiving dinner bout of food poisoning. Oh, and Tessa had pneumonia twice.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Ipods! How did we ever live without ipods?!
Also (don't laugh) we upgraded to a larger garbage can this year. We were trying to use the same tiny garbage can that we used when there were just two of us. Now there are four of us, and one of us wears diapers, and there was an extra bag of garbage that wouldn't fit in the can every week. Bigger garbage can = happiness.
Senseo Coffee Maker (yum)
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Tessa, my five year old. She was afraid of a lot of things this year (Safety Town, Ballet, and Swimming lessons, Vacation Bible School, Kindergarten) but she overcame her fear and even managed to participate in recitals and graduation ceremonies. I hope she learned that she can have a lot of fun when she overcomes her fear and gives things a chance.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Emma, my two year old. Well, maybe it wasn't depressing, but Emma is going through the terrible twos. Two year old behavior can be pretty appalling sometimes. Luckily she is adorable, affectionate, cuddly and happy (most of the time). That makes up for the tantrums.
14. Where did most of your money go?
My daughter started private school this year. Maybe tuition isn't "most" of our money, but it kind of feels that way. It is worth it, however.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Editing home videos. Big fun!
16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
Start of Something New - High School Musical
Praise You with the Dance - Casting Crowns
Get Down - Audio Adrenaline
Captivate - Starfield
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
b) thinner or fatter?
c) richer or poorer?
a) happier
b) same - but I wish I was thinner
c) about the same
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise, Dieting
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Complaining, Being Grumpy
20. How did you spend Christmas?
We had three Christmases. We opened gifts with my side of the family and had a nice Christmas dinner. Then we did a early Christmas morning at home with just our kids. As a big surprise for my husbands family, we drove six hours to Canada and surprised my husbands family who did not think we would be able to make the trip this year. My girls got to open presents Christmas morning with all eight of their cousins.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
(Same answer as last year.) I've been in love with my husband for 17 years.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Scrubs, Amazing Race, Beauty and the Geek, Grey's Anatomy, Project Runway, Hell's Kitchen, America's Next Top Model, Survivor
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Well, hate is a strong word, but I met someone new at work this year who really rubbed me the wrong way.
24. What was the best book you read?
Love and Respect by Emmerson Eggerich
Waiting for Birdy by Catherine Newman (I re-read this one)
Sunrise (also Summer) by Karen Kingsbury
Children's Book - This is the Turkey by Abby Levine
Children's Book - This is the Stable by Cynthia Cotten
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Starfield, Kutless, Casting Crowns
26. What did you want and get?
New cell phone, ipod nano
27. What did you want and not get?
Mac-book
HD Tivo
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
The Nativity Story
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 37 and I went yurt camping for the first time on the Oregon Coast. In May. MISTAKE! It was freezing, freezing cold and the kids got sick and barfed all over me. But you know, it was also really fun and we made some really great memories.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A maid service
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Business casual for work, Casual casual for home (including lots of pajamas).
32. What kept you sane?
Making time to do creative things like blog, edit home videos, play the piano. Reading, chatting or emailing friends. Going to the spa or book shopping with my friend. Date nights with Rogene. Taking the kids to water parks on long, hot summer days.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Katherine Heigl, David Beckham
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Illegal Immigration… but I try to keep my political views to myself. With a republican family and democratic friends… I keep my trap shut good.
35. Who did you miss?
I missed my friends Shanell, Stacie and Aleta in Colorado even though I was lucky enough to see each of them this year at least once.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
Cedric - the baby son of my dear friend Shanell
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
(This won't be news to anybody…) Life is short. Don't waste it being unhappy or bitter. Choose to be happy and enjoy life.
*also*
If you lose something and sincerely pray and ask God to help you find it, He really will. I'm telling you, it works!
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
We're all in this together
Once we know
That we are
We're all stars
And we see that
We're all in this together
And it shows
When we stand
Hand in hand
Make our dreams come true
*** I'm adding two questions to the meme this year.***
39. Favorite quote of the year?
"I'm not going to have the Kung Pao chicken anymore. It rocks my world." - Rogene
40. Favorite new blog discovery this year (and how did you discover it)?
Swistle (found by reading All & Sundry. Thanks Linda!)
