Christmas 2013

We headed to Medford again for Christmas this year. 

Someone need some hot chocolate for the ride down.

Christmas Eve we spent the day with Russ's parents. We sported our Beaver gear during the day since the bowl game was that evening.

We went to church and after church had pizza for dinner and watched the game (Beavs won!)

The cousins in their somewhat matching new Christmas jammies on Christmas Eve

The boys left cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer.

 All the presents are ready for the morning chaos!

Seeing what Santa brought in their stockings!

Blake wanted a helicopter for Christmas. The kind that is meant for an 8-year-old, not a 3-year-old. As the days went by and Christmas got closer, we kept asking him what he wanted, and he without fail, would say a helicopter every time we asked. So we got him a helicopter. We opted with the cheaper one, since we knew it was something he wouldn't do on his own and Russ would have to help we didn't want to spend a ton of money. Well, Christmas Eve as Russ was charging it and giving it a test run, it broke! Thankfully Russ was able to fix it enough to use it just once Christmas morning and then the day after Christmas we went and exchanged it for a better one. Lesson Learned: buy two, or have a back up. 

Lil checking out what Santa brought her

Cousins on Christmas!

After the presents were opened we didn't do a whole lot on Christmas Day, the kids played with their new toys and take much needed naps. That afternoon/evening everyone came over for dinner and a white elephant-ish gift exchange.

Cousins

{photo bombed by Michelle}

 Of course dessert was the best!

Logan clearly enjoyed his dessert!

Trying to get a nice picture of them was nearly impossible. This is the best I got.

The next morning {Thursday} we did Christmas with the Bartlett's. 

 Lily checking out her Ballapalooza

Blake trying out his new Dusty sleeping bag

Flying the new, better helicopter. I've been surprised at how much he has wanted to play with the helicopter especially since he can't do it himself. 

On Friday morning before we headed home Grandpa Lowell {who turned 81 on the 29th} brought over doughnuts. Which has pretty much become a tradition every time we go to Medford.

We had a great Christmas! And are blessed to have so much loving family!

Hope you had a blessed Christmas!

Christmas 2012

Well, here we are a month later and I'm just now getting around to blogging about Christmas! Ah, needless to say life with 2 kids, or life just in general is busy!

Russ had all together 11 days off from Christmas to New Years, which was probably the most time he has had off since college. It was wonderful! We headed to Medford the Saturday before Christmas and spent till Thursday there.

Christmas this year just seemed a little off. Lily had been fighting an awful cough for a few weeks prior and on Christmas evening we ended up in the ER with her {I will post on that one of these days}. I didn't really enjoy Christmas day because I was so worried about her all day, I knew something wasn't right with her.

We did have some fun though so here are some of the highlights....

My Grandpa turned 80! The Sunday before Christmas my mom and her brothers threw my Grandpa a birthday party. It was great to celebrate my Grandpa's 80 years!

 My Grandpa with all but 3 of his grandkids. {my Aunt and her family who live on the east coast couldn't make it and Logan was at home sick}

Ian, Michelle, Tristan, Me, Lily, Blake, Grandpa Lowell, Nicki and Mitchell

My Mom with her 2 brothers and their Dad {just missing my Aunt Peggy}

Todd, Mom, Grandpa Lowell and Tim

Christmas Eve we spent the day with Russell's family. Russell's sister Kacie from Portland came down and Grandparents from Arizona and California came up, we spent a nice relaxing day just visiting, hanging out, opening a few presents, {that would be Blake} playing, eating yummy food and ended with going to church. 

Lily meeting Grandma Z for the first time!

Blake practicing his present opening.

Having fun with new toys!

The 4 of us before Christmas Eve Service

Christmas morning was a bit of a blur for me. Lily had been up a lot the night before, and I from being worried and worked up about her being sick began to feel sick. We started the morning out at my parents house and exchanged gifts with my family and then we went over to Russell's parents and did gifts there.

 Christmas morning at the Messenger's

 Cousins!

Christmas morning at the Bartlett's

 Bartlett Family

Nana Pam and Papa Don with Blake and Lily

We went to my Aunt and Uncle's for Christmas dinner. We barely ate dinner and then took Lily to the ER {that's why there is a lack of "Christmas dinner photos"}. 

I really would have liked a Christmas re-do. It was not fun having a sick baby on Christmas. I guess we'll always remember Lily's first Christmas!

Pass Christmases: 2009, 2010, 2011

Three gifts

Something I didn't include in my Christmas post is what I got for Christmas.

Russ had my blog printed into a book!

I absolutely LOVE it! I use to be a scrapbooker but have essentially given up on it because it can be very time consuming and {if you're like me} a huge mess. So I look at this blog like my way to scrapbook and document the important/exciting or not so exciting things in our lives. It will be a gift I cherish for ever!

Russell's parents gave us a coffee pot!

It seems like ever since B was born we started drinking more coffee {hmm I wonder why}. We were desperately in need of a new coffee maker. I love that it has a craft and Russ can brew it at 6:30am and it's still warm by the time I get to it around an hour, hour and a half later. And it is programable! 

My parents gave me this a sewing machine!

I am not a huge sewer but I enjoy it and would love to do more so when I opened this {or when T and B opened this for me} Christmas morning I was pretty excited! I have been using my Grandmother's old Singer {like really old} which I love but it only sews in a straight line {not even zig zag} and it has a really wide base which made it hard to do smaller things. I can't wait to start sewing more!

Christmas 2011

It was another busy Christmas week!
We headed to Medford the Wednesday before Christmas. It was a fun week of visiting family, friends, shopping, baking and even hosting a baby shower for my sister!

My dad's birthday is Christmas Eve. Usually my mom makes a lunch or dinner to celebrate my dad's birthday. This year we went out to lunch at one of my dad's favorite places {and mine too! I'm sure I have mentioned it before} I think my dad is lucky that his birthday is on Christmas Eve because he always gets to spend it with us! {we rarely see my mom for her birthday}
After birthday lunch we headed over to Russell's parents to hang out and give Blake a nap before church. For church this year we went to Table Rock Fellowship. It was a simple Christmas Eve service with lots of Christmas Carols and a short message of the true meaning of Christmas. Blake had to sit on our laps the whole time and did surprisingly well!
From there we headed to my Aunt and Uncle's annual {I think it happens almost every year, if not every other} Christmas Eve open house. There we were able to see even more extended family!
Before bed the boys helped Grandpa open his birthday gifts.

"What is it Grandpa!!"

It's a remote control garbage truck!

After that it was pj time!

 {I tried to get one good picture of them, Christmas Eve in their new Christmas PJs, this is the best I got}

Christmas morning the boys woke up to this...

The Cars tent was for Tristan and the Little People Rampway was for Blake.

Even Grandpa got in the tent!

Then we headed down to the Spani's for breakfast and to open gifts.

 Blake opening his stocking

Yummy Christmas morning breakfast

After gifts at the Spani's we headed over to Russell's parents for our second Christmas morning!

 Blake got a kitchen from Nana and Grandpa!

It amazed me that he used a pot holder to remove the pan from the oven.

This is his "thank you everyone for all my fun new toys!" face.

Christmas dinner was at my parents house with both sides of our family!

They knew who to go to to get the good stuff!

 Mom and Dad

 The Family
{this is a rare occasion that we are all in a picture together}

It was a fun busy Christmas this year!