Our Family Christmas

We had our own family Christmas tonight on Christmas Eve.  Casey worked today and the rest of us hung out, played games, and had lunch at Olga's with my parents, Aunt Elaine and Karen.  The kids also did a little sledding at my parents' house.

Casey was able to leave work by mid-afternoon, so we let the kids open their gifts this afternoon.  Then we had Casey's delicious beef roast for dinner and went to our church's candlelight service.  It was a beautiful service of scripture and singing Christmas carols.  Tomorrow we are looking forward to spending Christmas day with Casey's family.

Peter was excited about his Verlander jersey!

Peter's gifts:
Jersey, Lego set, Wii game

Watch out... these girls have girly Nerf guns!

Esther's gifts:
Knitting machine, Nerf gun,
Decorate-your-own bulletin board kit

Miriam's gifts:
Outfit for her doll, Nerf gun,
Fuzzy purple reading pillow

The kids have been really into doing Perler beads lately
so we got them a bonus gift of some new supplies
(beads, templates and an idea book)

Peter gave us a sweet gift that he made in school.
They used a hand print to make snowmen on an
ornament and attached a little poem to it.

Unfortunately we have to wait until after break to get Esther and Miriam's gifts that they made for us in school due to the snow day on the last day before break!

Donuts and Trains

Today we did a couple things that we typically like to do during Christmas break.  We went to Marge's Donut Den for a donut (except the kids all got Santa cookies instead) and then to Breton Village to see the train display.  It's always fun to try to find the items on the list that are hidden in the train display and see how they change the scenes a little each year.

Peter finished his huge Lego set from
Uncle Juan and Aunt Karen!

Santa Cookies!

 

 

Happy 8th Birthday Peter!

Well, Peter's 8th birthday didn't go exactly as planned... but it ended up being a great day anyway.

We woke up about 12:30 am to him informing us that he had puked in his bed.  He had complained of not feeling well yesterday, so it wasn't a complete surprise.  The great thing is, he was very calm about it and even kept his sense of humor.  He was lying in our bed joking with Casey while I cleaned up his bed.  Then after I got him and his bed cleaned up and was tucking him back in, I said, "Hey, happy birthday!"  He replied, "Well I'm not actually 8 yet; I have 21 more minutes" (since he was born at 1:28 am).  Gotta love that kid.

Fortunately he slept the rest of the night and felt much better this morning.  We woke up to a major ice storm, so church ended up being cancelled, which also changed our plans for the day.  It ended up being a very nice, relaxing family morning for us.  Much of it was spent putting together the Lego sets that Peter and Miriam received last night!

Once everyone was up, we let Peter open his gifts from us.

Miriam made Peter a nice card and got him a Spiderman
puzzle and a Matchbox submarine

Esther made Peter a fleece Detroit Tigers blanket

From us he got a Ripstik, a Bible and a Lego Contraptions set

Putting together Lego sets!

Our original plan was to have Peter's family birthday party after church today, and everyone was fine with still doing that despite the weather and Peter having been sick.  We enjoyed our family time together and Peter was very excited about his cool gifts!

 

A nice card and spending money from Aunt Elaine

A Lego City stunt plane set from Uncle Nick

The Lego set he opened last night from Karen and Juan

Grandpa and Grandma W got Peter the Hess vehicle set
from 2005, the year he was born.

Lego City flatbed tow truck set, a robe and pj's
from Grandpa and Grandma K.

Nerf flag football set from the McCauls

Peter's race car themed cake!

Party animals!

Later Juan and Karen took the girls sledding,
while Casey and I stayed home and hung out
with Peter.  He had more Lego sets to build and
wasn't quite up for sledding.

Peter and Casey trying out the flag football set.
A little 1-on-1 basement flag football game.
I think it ended in a tie!

Happy birthday to one cool guy.  We are thankful for the laughter he brings to our family, and his kind and sensitive nature.  He loves sports, cars, NASCAR, reading, and Legos and we love watching him grow up!

Christmas with the W's

Tonight we celebrated Christmas with the Waanders side of the family.  We hung out, had a nice dinner and opened gifts at my parents' house with them, Juan and Karen, and Aunt Elaine.  It was also Juan's birthday, so we had cake and celebrated that as well.

The kids received very fun gifts!  They got Target gift cards from Aunt Elaine and The Sound of Music (original) DVD from Grandpa and Grandma. 

Esther got a bead (or Rainbow loom) organizer,
a Rainbow Loom, a coloring/design
book, and an outfit for her doll.

Miriam got a different bracelet/loom kit, a potholder making
kit, 2 Lego Friends sets (Stephanie's convertible and
Olivia's Treehouse), and the game "Piktureka."

Peter got this year's Hess vehicle, a slot car for his track,
a Lego idea book, and a huge cargo airplane/airport Lego
set which was a combined Christmas/birthday gift
from Karen and Juan.

Juan and Karen brought a piñata again, which the kids love!

Miriam is 6!

We had a great day celebrating our funny, cute, sweet, hilarious, creative, goofy, loving, snuggling 6-year-old!  We got up and had our traditional Saturday morning waffles made by Daddy and then Miriam opened her gifts from us.

Blowing (or spitting?) out the candle in her waffle

Puzzles from Peter

Handmade fleece blanket from Esther

Lego Friend Pet Salon, Lava lamp,
and Barbie/Ken Mini Cooper from us

We went and picked up one of Miriam's friends from school and headed to Craig's Cruisers!  Karen and Juan came in from Chicago on Friday night, so they met us there too.  It was fun to have 4 adults for the 4 kids, so we could all do go-karts together (since the kids are too short to drive the indoor ones on their own).  We played lots of arcade games and then had lunch at their buffet (yum!)

The 3 girls and Aunt Karen
did the high ropes course,
while the boys did bumper cars

The kids had a rehearsal for their church Christmas program, and then it was time for Miriam's family party! 

Cake by Grandma K, of course!

Lego Friends "Olivia's House"
from Karen and Juan

Cupcake pajamas, a pink fleece robe and
a ballerina puzzle from Grandpa and Grandma

Beautiful birthday picture drawn by Cassie

Loom bands and a kit for making a tutu for herself
and one for her doll from the McCaul family

Same gift!  Guess everyone
knows what Miriam likes!

Accessories and shoes for her doll
from Uncle Nick

Love this birthday girl!