Christmas Celebration (part 2)

We headed back down to Harper on the 23rd, since I had to work on Christmas Eve.  Bummer, huh?  Too bad everyone can't have a week and a half Christmas break!  I had to keep telling myself it still wasn't as bad as working at the hospital, and having to work a 12 hour Christmas Eve or Christmas Day shift!

 

 I got off work, changed and we headed to church for the Christmas Eve service.  My absolute favorite service of the entire year.  Lyle got to wear this adorable little suit that was Zach's when he was little.  He looked so handsome! :) 

 

We made snacks for supper, and Lyle got to wear his Christmas pajama pants that I made for him.  He went to bed a little later than normal, with promises that Ho-Ho was coming.  Some friends of ours came over to shoot fireworks off at midnight (a tradition of his wife's from Bolivia) and drink eggnog.  I don't know if our noise woke Lyle up or he just wasn't feeling good, but he was so upset.  We tried several things to get him settled back down, and ended up watching some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse at 1:30 in the morning.  At least everyone slept in on Christmas morning!  Lyle got to open his stocking from Santa on Christmas morning, and was so excited for his "kitty" in his stocking! 

 

 

We enjoyed Christmas Day with our cousins complete with ugly sweaters (which I don't have a picture of, sorry!).  Lyle is in love with his Duck Dynasty 4-wheeler!  Zach and I had to work Thursday and Friday, but enjoyed time with family in the evenings.  We did our big Christmas with the Bauer side on Saturday, complete with stockings in the morning, a wonderful lunch, and present giving in the afternoon. 

 

We had time to play some new games this Christmas that were so much fun!  Thanks-a-lot, 5-Second Rule, and Say Anything were my favorites! 

 

It is amazing how blessed we are, especially with our family.  I cannot imagine life without them! 

Winter Wonderland

We have been celebrating Christmas since Saturday, and still have a weekend to go!  We are blessed to live close to both of our families, but it takes a little coordinating to find a time for everyone to be together.  I always have such a full heart after spending time with our family, and feel more relaxed (although a little more tired, since Lyle's sleep has been thrown waay off track) after our time with them.  

After driving through ice on our way to Wichita, the boys headed to the K-STATE basketball game, while the girls baked cookies and played with the kid's at my sister's house.  

It took great restraint for Lyle not to "crash" Zoe's tower every time.  

Zach told Lyle to lick the frosting off of the cookie first.  Lyle can probably use the excuse, "But Dad told me to!" most of the time, and it would be true. lol. I am in trouble!

We headed up to my parent's house after supper, through some pretty awful weather.  We had to stop in the middle of the highway to break ice off our windshield and wipers after they completely froze and quit working.  It was so dark (an inch of ice over our headlights didn't help) and we were driving straight into the snow.  Next time we'll believe my husband when he says, "Maybe we should get going!"  Everyone made it safe and sound, and we woke up the next morning to a beautiful Winter Wonderland!

Christmas Celebration (part one)

 1.  Family gathered around the dinner table

2.  Presents that take up half of the room

3.  Helping Gigi open a gift

 4.  Lyle and Uncle Mike!   

5.  Mike and Steph made a 16 1/2 hour drive to be with us this year!

6.  Love my brother!

7.  Playing with Auntie Steph

 8.  Loving on Aunt Barbie and Tucker

9.  Zach and the boys

10.  Lyle playing with my favorite nativity puzzle from when we were little

11.  A weekend with family isn't complete without a game or two!

It was so special to include traditions in the weekend we had been doing since I was little.  My mom read "The Night Before Christmas," the kids got to open one present on "Christmas Eve," and my Dad read us the Christmas story from the bible.  It's the little things.

A Season of Busy

It seems like our life is always in a season of busy.  And Christmas time seems to take the cake for being extra busy.  Most of what makes it so busy is fun.  Shopping, making, and wrapping presents.  Baking extra goodies for parties.  Decorating the tree.  I love the Christmas season and everything that goes with it.  As I was filling out my calendar at work yesterday, I had a moment of panic.  Christmas is in two weeks.  And we are starting Christmas with my family early, so everything for Christmas really has to be done by Friday, the 20th.  I started making a mental list of all of the projects I had to get done between now and then.  Mostly projects that can only make any sort of decent progress after Lyle goes to bed.  How in the world am I going to get all that done in a week and a half.

  

I have this bad habit of looking ahead at my calender, filling it up with duties and appointments, then feeling like the time is basically gone because I have filled it up already.  Then I stress to fit everything in, and I don't enjoy any of it.  

I had some blaring reminders yesterday and today, that although we all have responsibilites that must get done, we can also choose an attitude of joy through it all.  A sermon from church a couple months ago keeps coming to mind.  It was all about busyness.  Taking a look at what fills our plate.  How often when someone asks us how life is going, do we respond with "busy."  And it's almost as if we don't say "busy," then something is wrong.  We can't always control the busyness of life, but we can change our mental attitude of busyness.  We can be present in the moment, instead of worrying about the next place we need to go.  I can sit and play tractors with Lyle without thinking about the list of things I'm going to do after he goes to bed.  I can be grateful for the new ministry of the preschool at our church, and the work that we are doing to make that happen, instead of wishing I was at home instead of at another meeting.  So much of life is about the attitude we have towards it.

So here is to sitting in the glow of the lights of the Christmas tree, smiling with love for my family as I sit at my sewing machine crafting their presents, and soaking up every moment of the Christmas season I love so much.    

Thanksgiving

We had such a great Thanksgiving weekend.  Full of family and food.  Just how we like it. :)

We started out the weekend on Wednesday night with Zach's family.  We enjoyed soup and probably the most amazing grilled cheese ever.  Next time you make grilled cheese do the following:  1.  Make it on Texas toast. 2.  Cut slices of regular Velveeta and White Cheddar Velveeta.  3.  Dip it in Tomato Basil soup. Ah-mazeing.  We followed supper up with peach and chocolate peppermint homemade ice cream (no one said you can only make it in the summer!).

Helping Auntie Kodi make cherry turnovers.  He's a Pro.  You couldn't tell which ones he folded smashed. lol

I had so much fun helping in the kitchen this year, and loved having twenty extra hands to occupy the little man.  We spent the day cooking, watching the Macy's parade (I protested very loudly if anyone tried to change the channel!), searching the best amazon deals, shooting the pumpkins that were no longer needed for my fall porch decorations, and watching movies.  A great day.  And the weekend was just beginning! :)

We spent most of Friday around the house.  I was able to finish sewing the front of my stocking, and figured out how to sew Lyle's.  While Lyle went for a tractor ride with Papa, I helped decorate the Christmas tree.  Ohhh one of my most favorite things.  When everyone had gathered again, we headed up to Hesston to spend the rest of the weekend with my family.

Gotta get our hat on to go drive the tractor

Charlie enjoying an after-dinner...who are we kidding...enjoying an all day snooze!

Saturday my sister and I helped my mom make Thanksgiving dinner.  The rest of the day was spent watching the cousins play, a trip to Stone Creek Nursery for the girls to ooh and ahh over the Christmas decorations, and a trip out to the woods for the boys to shoot guns.  We threw lots of football watching in there too. 

Happy Thanksgiving!  

Sunday morning we were able to go with my parents and my brother to church, although I spent most of the service in the nursery with Lyle.  Sitting still and being quiet are not his strengths.  We enjoyed lunch at home, and a nap for Lyle, then headed home.  

Pulled in to the gas station at home with 0 miles left to go on the tank. Might have cut that a little close!