Our Holidays 2011 (Warning: A long post)

I hope everyone had a wonderful time over the Christmas and New Years Holidays. I know that we did! We are so thankful for each of you.
We began our Christmas by having Christmas Eve at Jeremy and Tracy's this year.  Jerm and Tracy bought Brianna a 4-wheeler for Christmas and they wanted her to have the opportunity to ride it most of the day on Saturday before she had to go over to her dad's on Sunday for the week.  We arrived around 2:00pm.  Bri had been riding her 4-wheeler and immediately wanted to take us for a ride.  PopPops went first.  They were gone for quite some time.  Bri has taken PopPops out back into the woods and they had gotten stuck in one of the wet spots...they had to work their way out.  Luckily they did not get too muddy.  Then Bri wanted to take Nana for a ride.  Of course I said I did not want to go back into the woods.  Bri was a good driver and listened to Nana and did not go too fast. Funny Note:  She said, "It's okay, because I have been driving for a good long while!" I said, "And how long is a good long while?" Her reply..."Oh about 2 hours!!!!"  LOL  I guess to a 9 year old 2 hours is a good long time. 




Brianna on her 4-wheeler on Christmas Eve

Kellie had to work until 4:00pm.  So once Kellie and Shane arrived we all were out watching Bri ride her 4-wheeler and she had to take them on a ride as well.  Once everyone had gone a ride, we went in for dinner.  We had mexican food from Salsa Fresh.  It was yummy!  I brought over some cookies and chocolate filled brownies, and Kellie brought some leftover Crispy Date Bars...we were all stuffed.  We then opened presents with Bri as she would not get to be with us on Christmas day because she goes to her dad's.  We had a really fun time.  I was sad because our church opted for a Christmas Day service with no Christmas eve service this year.  Our family tradition is to attend the Christmas Eve service as part of our preparation for Christmas.  It seemed really odd not having that service this year.




Brianna and Kellie, Christmas Eve



Brianna and Shane on her 4 wheeler Christmas Eve



Kellie, Tracy and Jeremy on Christmas Eve

Nana, Tracy and Kellie at Jeremy and Tracy's house on Christmas Eve



Jeremy and PopPops



PopPops and Nana on Christmas Eve at Jerm & Tracy's house



Brianna opening her presents on Christmas eve



Brianna modeling her pj's.

 Kellie and Burton came to spend the night with us.  It is so special for her to do that.  She has stayed with us for the past 4 years...when she comes to stay with us on these special occasions it means so much to PopPops and I and it livens things up(Thanks my sweet Kellie Bell).  I know that one of these days that will stop when she gets married, but I cherish these times now. 

Christmas morning brought PopPops needing to be to Church early as he was singing with the praise band.   But we first had to open stocking with Kellie...Kellie and Burton came into our bed and we opened stockings.  Burton was all playful after a good nights sleep. 
Our family tradition is to have lasagna for Christmas dinner so before we left for service I put the lasagna in the oven so it would be ready when we came home from Church.  Jeremy and Tracy met us at church and it was an amazing service.  Our praise band always does an absolutely wonderful job of getting the message of Christ across.  There were some familys missing, but there were many familys that had extra people with them.  It was a wonderful way to Celebrate Jesus' birth.  We then came home and had Christmas dinner...Kellie's boyfriend Shane's mother ~ Burnita, was admitted to the hospital on Friday night with Acute Respiratory Failure. (She was very sick) This was caused by an antibiotic that she was given for an infection she got from a hip replacement she had about 4 weeks prior. Burnita is a sweet, sweet woman and it was difficult for her family to see her in such a difficult state, especially during the Christmas holiday). Shane and his dad (Larry) came to have Christmas dinner with us.  It was a nice time to share our dinner with others...It was an emotional time as Burnita was in serious condition on Christmas day!. Praise God she is now home and doing much better. The Mathews family just had their Christmas last night (1/7/12)
After we had dinner which was really yummy I might add...I made an Italian Cream Cake(thanks for the recipe Verna Mae ~ another sweet, sweet woman in my life) to go along with our italian theme and it was the best cake I have made in a very long time...we had alot left over so I sent it to the hospital for Larry (Shane's Dad) to enjoy...I hear that he shared it with one of Burnitas favorite nurses.  We then opened presents with Kellie, Jeremy, Tracy (our newest member of our family ~ love her), PopPops and I.  We had a fun time. We skyped with Josh, Stef, Carter and Coleman for just about 15 minutes as they were getting ready to do over to some friends house.  We (Kellie tracy and I) wanted to play a game, but  PopPops and Jerm did not want to, so we opted to watch The Elf movie together...Jeremy and tracy then went home around 8:00pm and Kellie and Burton stayed over one more night.(YEAH)  We love each of you(our dear children) so very much and are blessed beyond measure by each of you!




Kellie and Tracy




Kellie Bell opening presents.



Tracy opening presents.



Jeremy opening presents.



PopPops opening presents.





Kellie and Tracy Christmas Day.

Monday, the day after Christmas we flew out to Las Vegas to have Christmas with Josh, Stef, Carter and Coleman.  Our friend, Dave Wallace from church took up to the airport.(Thank you Dave) We arrived around 8:30pm in Vegas.  By the time we got to Josh and Stef's it was well past 9:30pm vegas time which was 12:30am eastern time.  We still had to put the boys tricycles together and I had to wrap the presents.  We finally got into bed about midnight Vegas time..which was about 3:00am eastern time.  But the funny thing is we do not feel the time difference while we are there...it hits when we arrive back home (about 2 days later).   About 7:30am we heard the little guys talking in their rooms.  Nana went in to play with them....oh it was so good to get to hug them and hold them. As well as it was to get to hug their mommy and daddy too.  (We will quite happy when they are able to move to the east coast)  We did not stop from that moment on.  Christmas was fun with them.  They liked tearing the presents open, but would get distracted with other things very easy....it was just fun watching them with things and remembering our children at that age...do you remember!!!! How time flies!!!! Stef and Josh had planned a yummy breakfast, so we then had a delicious breakfast. (Stef is such a planner...she had things planned food wise for the entire week) Then we took the little guys out in the backyard and gave them their tricycles...they knew exactly what to do with them. It was so cute to watch them...Colemen went for the blue one and Carter went for the red one and that was to be theirs...period. Carter would easily go to the blue one, but no way for Coleman, he knew that blue color was his and nothing doing for Carter to get on his.   It was cool that day so we only got to stay outside for about 30 minutes...but we did go outside more the rest of the week and play...if you notice in the pictures...Josh and Stef have a nice backyard...they worked really hard on adding the grass and the patio to it...it is lovely. 

Carter and Coleman riding their tricycles!



Ready, set, GO!



PopPops and Carter playing trucks!

PopPops and Coleman playing trucks!

Wednesday Josh and Stef had an all day date and PopPops and Nana had the little guys all day.  We had a fabulous time.  We ate and played and Uncle Mike was in town and he came over and played with us too...PopPops taught the little guys how to slide down the slide head first...PopPops and Nana just did nothing all day but play with the little guys...it was awesome!!!



Oh, just playing outside.



Having fun in our backyard!



We found PopPops shoes!



PopPops taught Coleman how to go down the slide head first!!!



And PopPops taught Carter how to go down head first too!




Thursday we went on a carriage ride...it was suppose to be a sleigh ride, but it had warmed up and the snow on the road had dissappeared.  But it was fun and the little guys enjoyed it too.  Our driver was so good.  He stopped and let us all get out and play in the snow up in the hills.  At first Carter did not like it, but soon he got into it.  They did not wear their gloves so their hands go cold, but at least they got to get out in the snow.  It was a fun thing to do...I hope that Stef and Josh can maybe do that again next year and if it is snowing when they go that will make it extra fun. 

All of us waiting to take our carraige ride in the woods in the snow




PopPops and Nana with we think Carter in the snow

 

Coleman in the snow

Friday we went to the Bilagio to see how they decorated it this year.  It had all the same attractions that it did last year, but they moved things around and added 1 -2 more items.  The boys were into the penguins.  We did not stay nearly as long this year as we did last year...it seems more crowded...because we were all hungry and we were going to Ceasars Palace to eat...Stef and Josh wanted us all to go to a place called Max Brenners in Ceasars Palace....it was delicious...the little guys were SO GOOD.  We had appetizers and entrees and desserts...we were miserable.  Once we got home and put the little men to bed...Stef and I went shopping...we went to the outlet mall close to the strip and her home.  We had fun shopping...just not enough time. 



Mommy and Coleman being silly!



PopPops and Coleman at the Bilagio

Nana and Carter at the Bilagio



Stef and Josh, Carter and Coleman at the Bilagio



PopPops & Nana with Carter and Coleman!

Saturday...New Year's eve, we got  up and played with the little men for awhile.  Stef and I were going to go out and finish our shopping.  Josh had to run some errands so PopPops got the little men.  He said they had a good time.  Stef and I made sure the little men were fed lunch before we left.  We got home around 5:00pm and all the men were ready to eat.  We just had snacky food for new years eve. We played with the little men until they just needed to go to bed.  Nana and PopPops were going to home the next morning and we needed to get all our hugs and kisses in.  Once the little guys were in bed, Josh wanted to watch A Christmas Vacation...he loves that movie.  So we watched it and then we watched the new year come in on the east coast...we talked to Jerm and Tracy and Kellie and Shane and then we waited for the new year to arrive on the west coast. 

Stef made many different dinners while we were there.  We had Lasagna cups, Potato Soup (In the Crockpot), Christmas popcorn, Nutella Hot chocolate...all these you can find the recipe for on her pinterest.   Everything was delicious.  Thank you Stef and Josh for a wonderful week.  It was a very relaxing time spent with each of you!  We love each of you and are blessed beyond measure by each of you!

We had a wonderful Christmas Holiday both on the east coast and the west coast. God has blessed us with amazing children.  May 2012 bring fullness and blessing for each one of you through Christ Jesus.