Christmas 2016 Part 1

Christmas #1 was spent with my Mom and sisters a week before Christmas.  Going to my moms is always a nice break from life.  We just hang out, talk, relax, and eat yummy food all day. 

Joshua relaxing while watching Christmas movies. 

Levi loved this Christmas Winnie The Pooh. 

Showing Monkey.

Minute to Win it games.

Christmas #2 was spent at Omah and Papa's house on the 23rd and 24th.  We had a fun time playing games and watching the cousins play. 

G.G. and Levi were cracking each other up.  So fun watching G.G. play with the kids.

Omah set up a fun Scavenger hunt for both kids and adults.  

Too bad the picture didn't turn out well but here is Levi by some of G.G.'s Christmas decorations. 

G.G. didn't know what to think about her new T.V. that her kids got for her. 

Skyping with Aunt Anna, Uncle Shawn, Noah and Giovanni.

Omah, Papa and the kids all put on a great Christmas play for us.  So cute!

Kayla was the sweetest Mary and took her role very serious. 

Joseph and Mary.

A Shepard boy with his sheep...and cow :)

Joshua as the little drummer boy. 

Trying out a science experiment from his science kit.   

 

Such a fun, fun time.  So blessed!

Levi's Big Boy Underwear

The first time I tried potty training Levi we didn't have any luck.  We took a little break and tried about a month later.  I really wasn't expecting much to have changed in only one month but I was wrong.  He did MUCH better this time around. 

 

The first few days he got so excited when he would pee that he would immediately pop off his potty to show us.  So it took several times for him to get it all out. 

 

This was his signature potty sit for a while.  He would sit down, lean forward and fold his hands.  SO cute...until I noticed him doing it in the bath one time.  I then knew exactly what he was doing, ha-ha!

 

Look at those little cheeks hanging out.  He had a hard time getting the back part of his underwear up by himself. 

 

So a funny story.  He is totally great at peeing in the potty but still wont poop in it.  He pooped one time and I was hoping that was the break through we needed.  We bribed him with everything I could think of.  Finally I had an idea.  Since he loves cars so much I decided to buy two hot wheels cars, hang them on the fridge so he could see them and then I told him when he pooped on his potty he could have the new cars.  Within ten minutes he moved his potty in front of the fridge, sat on in, and tried so hard to poop.  He wanted those cars so bad that he was able to squeeze out two of the smallest little nuggets.  Again, we thought this was going to be out big break through but it wasn't.  I bribed him with more cars.  When that didn't work I just kept adding more and more treats to entice him.  Currently, he has two cars, a candy cane, a sucker and a stick of gum hanging on the fridge for when he does it again.  About 1-2 times a day I see him checking out his treats as if he is thinking, "hmmm, is it worth it?" 

 

Nothing cutter than a baby bottom walking around in big boy underwear! 

December

Christmas headbands from Mimi. Doesn't J looked thrilled?

The best brothers are the ones who have tea parties with their sister.  

Watching Frosty. 

 

My little cookie helpers.

 Play-doh fun.

 

They play with play-doh for such long periods of time. 

 

 

Making cinnamon ornaments.

Watching a show together. 

Batman keeping the bad guys out of the fort. 

Movie night.

Cookie decorating with some friends.

 

This is what a sugar high looks like. 

 

Building with Daddy.

 

Dinner with Aunt Brooke and Emily (waiting for Aunt Sydney and Mimi to join us).  Love how all the kids are staring so intently at them.

Cool hat head.  

 

This boy so badly wants a desk.  We made this makeshift desk until we find the right one for him.  He was so happy with it that he told me he didn't want a real desk and he immediately started putting things in his drawers. 

Making Christmas cinnamon rolls.

 

It was -2 outside but that didn't stop this boy from sledding. 

Lunch buddies.

Lunch buddies.

Looking at Christmas lights.

Joshua got this bird for Christmas from Mimi.  Once the water rises to the top the bird swings forward to get a drink of water and swings back up and repeat.  Levi loved watching it.

Sweet helper.

We asked Joshua to estimate everyone weight and then we all weighed ourselves to see how close he was.  I would say he was pretty darn close. 

Giving her baby a bath.

 

 Family sledding time.  I think it is safe to say that Mom and Dad had just as much fun if not more fun than the kids. 

He could sled all.day.long.  So thankful we have a great sledding hill right in our cul-de-sac so he can sled his little heart out.

 

Showing off his new ornament from Grandma and Grandpa

Working on a project like Daddy.

 

Enjoying the suckers they got from Mimi.  These suckers from Sees were my favorite as a kid. 

 

Brother fun. 

 

Playing with his new helicopter. 

When your son gets a remote control helicopter for Christmas.

Ready for some Hunger Games :)