Family, Parenting & Life: Pictures from the holidays

This year the holiday season was so much fun. Samuel was really into putting up the Christmas Tree/Hanukkah Bush. He loved looking at all the ornaments and figuring out which ones were his. He was really excited about lighting the Hanukkah candles too. By the end of the 8 days, he pretty much had the prayer memorized. Joseph also picked up on the prayer too and tried to say it along with us as well.

On Christmas Eve, Samuel was so excited to make cookies for Santa (he requested snowball looking cookies) and he wanted to leave carrots for the reindeer and chocolate milk for Santa because that was his favorite. You can see pictures below of all the excitement.

The boys did really well this year with gifts. Their grandparents and Jonathan and Laura spoiled them. They got most of their gifts from them. We gave them one gift on the first night of Hanukkah and then a dollar each additional day. Then on Christmas, we put stuff in their stockings and they had a few really small gifts.

Although I really love Christmas and Hanukkah and know how excited the kids are for those holidays, I decided after this year that we are only going to give them a few gifts for each Hanukkah and Christmas. Their birthdays are in February and March and I think birthdays are much more important then Hanukkah and Christmas. I would rather give them more gifts on their birthday. I think that holiday is much more important.

My parents came in town for the last night of Hanukkah and we had a big feast. Jonathan, Laura and Haidyn came over and we celebrated by eating, lighting candles and opening more gifts. It was a great way to end all the celebration.

Then several days later, we celebrated New Years. Justin, Charisa, Vance and Vaughn came over. The kids played so hard. Joseph was worn out by 8:30 and then Samuel couldn't make it past 10:15. They played and the adults were able to relax and have some adult time, which we don't get very often. It was a wonderful way to bring in the new year. I feel like 2012 is going to be a great year for us.

I have signed up for two half-marathons already. I am doing one in April in St. Louis with my mom. Then I am doing a second one in October in Detroit with my mom and Dave's mom. I am so excited that we can do it all together.

Here are some pictures:

The kids on Christmas Eve.

Samuel sitting with the chocolate milk, cookies and carrots. He was SOOO excited.

As you can tell, he was going crazy. Joseph was trying to steal the food.

So nice to have a little family time!

It snowed while my parents were here and my mom made the fist snowman of the season with the boys. They loved it and so did George. She ate the carrots off of the snowman's face.

Another picture with the snowman and Samuel

Last night of Hanukkah

Another attempt at a family picture

All the kids freaking out about opening gifts.

Samuel and Joseph sitting on their new big pull out chair from Savta and Papa. This has been a wonderful gift. Samuel has even had one sleep over on it already.