Christmas Recap.

I don't really know where to begin, so I think this will just be short and sweet.  We had an other whirlwind of a Christmas in MI.  We stayed at my parents for a couple days and had a lot of fun with my Sister's family,  my Brother and my parents.  The kids loved playing in the snow, walking to see Mingo the monkey, baking with Grandma and of course opening way too many gifts.   We then spent some time with Ron's family.  The kids love playing with their cousins.  Brayden was into the Wii, and thankfully managed to not do any more damage to his hand.   Becca played lots of barbies and dolls with Sophia and Ana, and got to go ice-skating.  It was a flurry of activity along with lots of food, and gifts. For the most part we were all healthy, amazing although James did come back to Tulsa with two new teeth.  We love seeing all the family but are thankful for our home.  This was the year that traveling finally caught up with us-vomit and pee in the car about did all of us in. What a Christmas!  

This is a picture from today.  The kids are having soo much fun unpacking all their new things.  I took this picture to show off these beautiful quilts-thanks to my Mom for another one!

The Family with Grandma and Grandpa Haveman.  It was Christmas Eve and the Ron's entire family was able to make it to the Candle light service.

Fun at Amy and Dave's house.  They had been telling us about their forts-thankfully they survived some of the warmer weather the kids could still play in them.  The Bunny is snowball...Becca was in love and could have held him all afternoon.

Becca with Sophia and Ana, she was so happy to play with the older girls-and they were so nice to include her in all their baby play.

The kids got in a little sledding behind my parents house.  I choose to stay in-it was COLD but they had fun, even Andrea went down by herself this year.

Fun on the swing by Ron's parents house-the sun was out and it was a beautiful afternoon.  We enjoyed a walk out in the hills that day.

Goofy guys-hope Doug can find all his golf balls with those glasses!

Emily and Andrea

The Boys at the Haveman house-rubber band guns for all....CRAZY!

Fun Legos-Brayden has on his night vision goggles, he thought they were pretty cool.

Enough said....

Zerbert kisses were being given out for most of the night during gift giving-I think my dad just got three wet ones planted on his cheek.

Brayden wanted to play soooo badly in the snow, Ron helped out with the fort, it was perfect packing.

 The kids with Megan and Emily.

 The Mulder Grandkids.

Party Morning at the Haveman house-eleven kids and 10 adults.

 Out for a gator ride on a beautiful sunny day.  Everyone had been out a day earlier checking out the ice-Ron made it back in complete with a wet foot/leg.

I think everyone thought Megan needed a little help.

The Haveman Grandkids

Ron made a set of chimes which we did at multiple parties...let just say some family's were better than others-ha ha, it made for a lot of fun.

Family Christmas

Yesterday we celebrating our family Christmas, a little early I know but when we are gone for most of the Christmas weekend it is fun to have a day to share our gifts at home.  The kids were pretty excited but all managed to take naps before opening gifts.  I think we are all still recovery from the past couple of days.

The three all ready to start....it took some convincing that we needed to read the Christmas Story before opening presents.  

 The Best daddy and Husband we could ask for!

 Brayden improvised on opening his gifts with one hand.  He is doing great and hardly complains about the cast.  He is just needing a little extra help getting dressed.

 Andrea is so meticulous and was set on opening this gift by picking away at the gift tag...even with the other two yelling at her to just tear it open.

Becca was pretty reserved opening her gifts until she opening a box of play stuff for her new zhuzu pet.  I just love seeing them jump around and jabbering non stop with excitement.

Battleship! 

I think James was more interested in the Camera than his present. 

Happy Boy 

 James was pretty interested in the music box....even if he did see it in the store!

 Cute and warm hats 

I don't know who was more excited.  

This is such a fun age for all the kids

You think he is excited???!!

Silly Girl

My girls are horrible at keeping bows in their hair....but Andrea can keep this headband in all morning!

Somehow she always knows where it is.

Brayden's first Hospital visit

This morning we were up bright and early.  This morning Brayden was on the schedule to have his finger taken care of by the hand surgeon, for anyone who cares to know the procedure was called a Hypothenar Eminence Flap.  He did so well seeing as we did a lot of waiting, about two hours we sat before the nurse strolled him away.  The funniest thing was listening to Brayden giggle after receiving a light sedative, he thought his socks were goofy and then the gauze on his hand and then on to the wall which he was quite intrigued with.

This was waiting in the pre-op area, he was so calm-much different than our trip to the ER.   

We made it home around noon-this cast looks so menacing to me, especially since it is so hard.  Dr's orders are no running, jumping or playing around for the next two weeks.  The girls didn't seem phased by Brayden's cast in the least.  Becca was at school enjoying her last day with her teacher and friends before Christmas break.  Andrea and James ended up spending time with a great friend who was able to watch the two of them last minute. I had called Ron from the OR waiting room to check on the kids and to make sure the morning was going okay, only to discover Ron was sick and not doing so well.  Thank goodness for a wonderful friend willing to watch little ones!  We felt surrounded by prayers and even though family is at a distance the support we received through phone calls was wonderful.  We are so thankful for our church home and the friends/support it gave us today. 
   What a day....and I had been worried about the kids getting sick before the holiday's. 

Ice-Skating

I don't really know to title this post as the day was a roller coaster of emotions.  We started the evening out all excited to head to dinner and the ice-rink only to hit terrible traffic.  We met up with friends at dinner only have one of the LONGEST dinners ever-not by choice, you can imagine two hours with all the little ones...I think we ate all their bread, and could have just walked out satisfied with that and our drinks.  Anyway, we made it to the rink before closing-big excitement and managed to get three sets of skates on the kids.  It was a bunch-all skating and three baby's in strollers watching from the sidelines.  The kids had a great time...it was a work out for us adults but still fun.  Ron zoomed around with the kids, Andrea loved to go fast and just sit and eat ice.  Becca actually was able to go around the rink with little help, although she did fall on her face-causing some tears.  She is a tough little girl and was back out telling me she didn't want to hold my hand.  Brayden was all over the place this year, skating fast and crazy.  It was the perfect night, cool but not freezing.

  The bunch, minus two more strollers with the babies

I was surprised at how much fun Andrea had.  She didn't ever want to come off the ice for a break.

 I think Becca was pretty intent on learned to skate by herself, she was pretty serious always wanting to try going around the rink by herself.

Brayden and his buddy-they had such a fun time.

I guess I do have to include the ending to our evening, another emotion of the night..shear sickness in my stomach and guilt.  I ended up running over Brayden's finger with my skate, skating too fast, too close....I SHOULD KNOW BETTER!!  Anyway, it was a wild end to the night I don't even know how we got every one's shoes on.  I was so worried to look at Brayden's hand after holding pressure unsure of what I was going to find. Thankfully all fingers were still attached. We ended up spending a long time at the ER and are headed to Out Pt surgery tomorrow AM so the hand surgeon can cover up the gash I left in the top of his finger.  Brayden was a trooper-his biggest concern was having to go to the ER and not knowing what the DR was going to do.  As we drove away from the ice-rink he was sobbing in the back seat "I have never had damage done to my body before"  You never know what they are thinking.

Becca's Christmas Party

Yesterday was Becca's Christmas program.  She did not tell me a whole lot about what she was going to do but did tell me she was going to be an angel...."But not Gabriel!"  Anyway, they actually acted out the Christmas story on the big stage for all of us parents and grandparents.  Becca was most excited that baby James got to be Baby Jesus-a little big for the manager but oh well. 

After their little play they all sang some Christmas songs.  Becca got very quiet and serious but did sing along.

Craft time,  my kids love crafts and you can see you much Becca concentrated on finishing her ornament. 

 Another fun day at Mrs Oxenhams Class.

They ended the party with a book exchange.  I love how Becca is intently looking....waiting, she was so excited to give you book to someone.

A DAY OF CELEBRATION

Happy Birthday to my five year old.  It was Becca's birthday today and what a day it was.  We started the day off listening to Zoom, her birthday CD-always brings lots of smiles.  Brayden has picked out a super marshmallow cereal for her, lots of sugar making it even better.  I can't believe that she is already five years old, she has grown up so fast and is such a fun girl.  She had to share her day with her siblings but it didn't bother her in the least.  Her selflessness is a trait that she has always had and I am so thankful she is not outgrowing it, as it is so refreshing to see through-out our week.

Five Years Old

Becca got a lot of phone calls today, she loved answering the phone and would answer by saying, "hello this is the birthday girl" 

This is the bunch after dancing to Jingle Bell Rock-they can be so silly.

The morning was pretty busy but we were able to have lunch with Ron at Chick fil A.  What Becca really wanted was to play in the play land but I just couldn't quite give in...even if it was a pretty new restaurant

 

I actually spent some time with Brayden decorating his gingerbread house this morning.  It was fun to see how all the kids decorated their houses.  Many had patterns or candy all in rows outlining the house...not Brayden, he went for the eclectic motif'.  They ended their party with a pizza party that their class won from the walk-a-thon.

If you can believe they still had a lot of candy left over...hard to believe as I see that plate bending!

My Six Year Old, a little under the weather-an endless runny nose that I would like to get rid of, as would he!

It was divide and conquer this morning and while I was with Brayden Ron was watching Andrea at her Ballet Class.  It was parent observation day with a little party at the end of her class.

They had a gift exchange and I guess they could just choose a gift, so Andrea choose her own gift.  Ron ended up having her choose another....and she was very happy with her ballet barbie.

All day Becca was asking about her Birthday cake.  I had made it while she was in bed last night and she never saw it...actually we pretended that I didn't even have one.  My ever honest daughter confessed during dinner. "Mommy, I actually looked in the freezer (what she calls the fridge) and saw my cake,while you were still in the car, so I know I have one"  Ron gave her such a hard time, teasing her that she was going to get the coal for peeking that she almost started to cry.  Anyway, this is her finally getting to see her birthday cake, and it brought a lot of smiles.

The birthday cake.

 Do you think she was excited for this gift-she was hugging the box so tight and trying to open it all at once.

 Thankfully we can just get pretend animals for Becca-we would have to live on a farm to keep up with her love of animals.

Thanks for the very fun card from Grandma and Grandpa Mulder

After our little party it was off for Becca's first gymnastics mini-meet.  It is just a rec league but still special for Becca as we never get to watch her during the week.

 Way to go Becca, they had stations that each girl would complete-tumbling, barre, balance beam, and a couple others. 

  

Good Night to all, Becca is all snuggled in with a baby that has beautiful new clothes and a purring kitty-blissful happiness for this five year old!