A Look Back at 2008

It's hard to believe that in a few short hours, we will be celebrating in 2009. What a year 2008 has been. For Christmas, my mom made me a DVD of my blog. She put about 70% of my pictures to music and created a little movie. It really put into perspective what a great year we had. We had so many memorable moments. When I started this blog a year ago, I didn't know what to expect from it. I didn't know if it was something that I would keep up, but after seeing it on DVD, I am so thankful that I started blogging. I am not one of those talented, crafty moms who scrapbooks and chronicles everything in keepsake albums. I do take a lot of pictures, but hardly ever print them. This blog has become my scrapbook of our family and I am so happy that I have something to look back on an incredible 2008.

It has been a year of many firsts and many memorable moments:

• We started the 2008 by seeing GiGi in People magazine.
• GiGi perfomed in her first dance recital.
• We took our first family vacation.
• GiGi showed us how well she could water ski.
• GTO learned to ride a bike.
• GTO lost his first tooth.
• GTO started first grade.
• GTO started piano lessons.
• GTO ran his first cross country track meet.
• Hubby and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary.

I can't wait to see what 2009 will bring, but I hope we will be as blessed as we were this year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas Day 2008

Christmas 2008 is winding down. Santa arrived to our house sometime late last night. GiGi was quite impressed with her new hot pink Barbie bike. She has already asked to take off the training wheels.

GTO transformed into Ben Tennyson soon after Santa arrived. For those of you who don't know, Ben Ten is a Cartoon Network character who has taken over my son lately.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas To All

And To All A Goodnight.

Rough Week

I have been away from posting lately....yes, because of the Christmas rush, but also because we have all passed around a nasty stomach virus. GiGi came down with it last Tuesday, GTO on Thursday, and just when I thought the grown-ups were in the clear, I got sick Sunday night. Now I hope and pray that hubby doesn't get it because it will affect our Christmas plans(and I will be putting a bicycle together by myself tomorrow night. DAD - be on stand-by). We spent the entire weekend having Christmas with Hubby's side of the family. I have lots to share, but these pictures will have to suffice for now. We are off to Christmas church service tonight which I am looking forward to, and then we will spend Christmas Eve with my side of the family. Hopefully, I will find some time to post again before Christmas Day.

Merry Christmas!

Are you listening, Santa???

GTO: "I would like a Ben 10 gameboy game"

GiGi: "I would like a bike, and a Groovy Girl doll"

5 more days to be on our best behavior...

Every Thursday Evening...

we hurry to dance class after school/work. This makes for a very long day, but is well worth it to see the joy it brings her! I am looking forward to another recital. This year, she will be buzz, buzz, buzzing around.

Christmas Traditions

Just the other day I was thinking that we don't do enough Christmas traditions with the kids each year, and I was trying to think of some new ones. Our only tradition has been their matching pajamas every year which they open on Christmas Eve. The below pic was from Christmas Eve 2007. I was super excited when I read my S-I-L's post about The Elf on the Shelf. I had never heard of it, but couldn't wait to go buy it.
The Elf on the Shelf kit comes with a book to read to the children which tells the kids the story and directions for their elf. It also comes with the Elf doll. You place the little elf around your home during the weeks before Christmas. During the holidays the elf watches children carefully during the day. At night when the kids are sleeping the elf magically returns to the North Pole to report to Santa Claus. In the morning the elf appears in a new place which offers a daily hide-and-seek ritual for kids. Kids will love trying to locate the elf's new location each morning. The book tells you to name your elf and also says you can't touch your elf, but you may talk to him. We placed our book under the tree for the kids to find last night. They were so excited to start reading and about half way through the book, they located our elf on the mantel.

Introducing...PRINCE DIDDO. I really thought GiGi would love this. I didn't know how GTO would feel about it, but he was the one that is obsessed with Prince Diddo. He hopped out of bed so fast this morning to go hunt for Prince Diddo. This will be a fun tradition for years to come. Thank you Prince Diddo for coming to our house!

O Christmas Tree & Frosty

We spent yesterday morning making some fun treats.

Editing and Editing...

Boredom

The kids decided it would be a good day for crazy hair. This is what they came up with. I am glad they didn't want me to participate in this one.

A Look Back

Christmas picture 2008. age 3

Christmas picture 2007, age 2

Christmas picture 2006, age 1

Belle of the ball...

Last weekend, we rushed home from the Gingerbread sleep-over just in time to go to GiGi's friend, Laine's 4th birthday party. Laine lives in a castle so it is only fitting that Laine would have a Princess party. The little girls all came in their princess attire and were crowned at the party.

All the girls gathered at the door waiting for their horse drawn carriage to take them to the royal ball.

And they're off...

Christmas Fun...

• Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper, of course! I love wrapping Christmas presents.
  
• Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. I have never had a real tree.
  
• When do you put up the tree? Black Friday or the weekend after Thanksgiving.
  
• Do you like eggnog? I have never had the nerve to try it, but I don't think I would like it. It smells horrible.

• Hardest person to buy for? In-Laws for sure!
  
• Easiest person to buy for? This year has been easy to buy for the kids. They have both given us a list.
  
• Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail – I love going to the mailbox to get the Christmas cards. It is so exciting. I look forward to it everyday.
  
• Worst gift you ever received? A freeby clock from a bank was given to us by a family member. It even had the bank emblem on it and was in the "this is your free gift" box.

• Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation - still makes me laugh after all these years.
  
• Lights on the tree? Always clear lights on the tree. Clear lights make all my glass bulbs sparkle.
  
• Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night

• Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel an hour to the in-laws for lunch on Christmas day.

• Can you name all of Santa's 9 reindeer's? No, isn't that horrible. I bet GTO or GiGi could teach me.
  
• Angel on the tree top or a star? Neither, we have a big gold bow with ribbon streaming down the tree.
  
• Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? This was a big argument between me and Hubby when we first got together. Growing up, I always opened presents on Christmas Eve night , but he always opened presents on Christmas morning. I told him he should try it my way if I tried it his, but he wouldn't even discuss it. He feels strong about his traditions! It bothered me the first couple of years, but now I like doing it Christmas morning.
  
• Most annoying thing about this time of year? Every store is crowded and I hate that! I like shopping in peace and quiet.
• 
  Favorite ornament theme or color? Gold, Silver and Red

• What do you want for Christmas this year? A healthy baby or two - I don't think Santa can grant that wish this close to Christmas. (no, I am not pregnant for all you people that would ask)

A few more of the crew...

And because the girls were so uncooperative last weekend, I had to upload these photos from another days shoot.

Family...another word for love

This is the clan of cousins. Aren't they cute? You notice GiGi and GTO are the only ones not smiling. It is funny, because I am the one that takes millions of pictures of my kids. You've all seen their smiling faces time and time again, right? They are supposed to be trained better than this. GiGi just wasn't having it! Too much Gingerbread fun!






My sister-in-law, Shannon, captured this great shot of all the girls at the pond. It was a good thing she got this shot, because it was downhill from here with the two little girls.



Don't you wish you were a kid again! Look how much fun they are having. I love this shot because it really shows off their personalities. From right to left, cousin TK...at 11, he is looking too cool to participate in this "childish" fun. Next we have PK, who is a ham all the time. Then there is KK who is probably the more serious, quieter one out of the bunch. Next, you can't miss the Drama Queen, she is the actress of the group, and she is good at it too. And last of the older kids is my GTO. He really was trying hard to stay on that log, and is always trying hard to keep up with his much older cousins.



And we ended the photos with some fun in the leaves. Another photo full of personality.

I will post a few more tomorrow.

Gingerbread Night 08

On Friday night, my in-laws hosted their annual Gingerbread night. Gingerbread night is when Grandma and Grandpa keep all their grandchildren overnight and decorate gingerbread houses and cookies. It is a tradition that started when the oldest grandchild was one. He is 11 now, and there are 6 more grandchildren down to age 3, and there will likely be more in the near future. I don't think Grandma and Grandpa were thinking ahead when they started this FUN tradition. LOL! All the kids love gingerbread night and look forward to it every year.

It has been a couple of years since we had photographs taken of all the cousins together. My sister-in-law and I tried our hardest to get pictures of all the kids together on Saturday when we picked the kids up. It was HARD to say the least...7 worn out kids having to smile and look at the camera...well, lets just say IMPOSSIBLE. GiGi would not cooperate at all. I got some cute shots of the older kids which I will post soon. The above picture is GTO with his two older cousins. I know the lighting is bad, but I LOVE the expression.

HAPPY FRIDAY

Dear Santa...I was thinking that diamonds, gems and jewels will be just fine for a stocking stuffer. I know that I am ONLY three, but I have decided that jewelry might be my favorite thing, and just so you know, my stocking is the one hanging closest to the tree. Enjoy your milk and cookies...I will make them extra YUMMY for you. With Love, GiGi