New year's eve

New Year's Eve was a wonderful night.  We celebrate it every year with the Bardsley's.  It's planned.  We didn't even coordinate it until 2 pm New years eve, but both families were planning on it.  They are such a fun family.  We always have such a fun time and great food.  This year the kids over 14 wanted to go to the regional dance.  They all got dressed up had dinner and then left around 9 pm.  We rest of us hung out, caught up on life, and played games.  We banged pots and pans at midnight and then waited around for the teenagers to get home.  12:30 am they walked in the door looking for food and a party.  They played games until finally we cried Uncle at 1:30 am.  they could have carried on for hours.  All I really want to do New Years Eve is go to bed at 10 pm, but we always have a great time.  I can't wait for next year.

Gingerbread houses

I was at walmart a couple of days after Christmas and everything was marked down so I bought a couple of gingerbread house kits.  It was so much fun letting the kids do their houses.  James' was kind of broken so he changed it into "Area 51".  It is hilarious.  Adaline was sick so she did her own.  Jacob and Isaac did one, that I finished because they got bored.  It was great fun for me.  Bridie and Eleanor also started one that I finished.  They turned out really cute and the candy stayed on them long enough to get pictures.

Christmas Day

Christmas day is the most exciting day.  Gordon and I went to bed at 1 am and the kids were up all through the night.  Every Christmas Eve I tell the kids to NOT wake us up before 7 am.  We still have little ones that need to sleep in.  Well, Adaline, Isaac, Jacob and Bridie all slept together and were up all through the night.  So I heard the pitter- patter of little feet all night long.  At 4:30 in the morning I finally got up and Bridie and Adaline were sitting on the couch.  I told them to go back to bed.  They "didn't know it was so early" and went back upstairs.  At 6:30 they couldn't handle it any longer and came and got us up.  We opened presents and played all morning long.  Gordon's parents came over.  It is so fun to have them stop by.   Usually my parents stop by too, but with everyone in town they didn't make it down.  Athena and Ben stopped by to let Ben play with some real toys.  My mother in law always has the most delicious Christmas dinner.  I love that having such a beautiful meal really makes it feel like a special day.  That evening we stopped by my parents and visited with my brothers and sisters.

Christmas Eve 2012

Christmas Eve morning everyone came here and went sledding.  It was so much fun to have so much snow.  I know the lord loves David because he sent so much snow for his family to enjoy over the holiday.  It just kept snowing and snowing.  Christmas eve Gordon and James ran an "errand" and the kids and I watched It's a Wonderful Life.  We ended up not eating until 8 pm.  Then we did the usual gift exchange and nativity reenactment.  The kids didn't get to bed until 10 and we got to bed at 1 am.  Santa's workshop was at my friends house this year.  It worked out so nice.  We also had to go to Santa workshop and picked up gifts.