Christmas Activities

We are in the full swing of getting ready for Christmas which includes making cake balls for 12 teachers. All those cakeballs and none left over for us...doesn't seem right, does it?

Austin's gifts for his teachers Mrs. M & Mrs. D

Kimberly & Lexus' gifts for their teachers

Austin is feeling the Christmas spirit, wearing his HO-HO hat around the house.

Austin had his preschool Christmas Party this past Tuesday. He sang really loud and clear for all his guests - Daddy, Mommy, Grandpa & Grandma Grothaus and Aunt Stephanie. He loved all the treats to eat and got to sit on Santa's lap. He told him he wanted "monster trucks" for Christmas

Awwwww! Such a cutie pie!

Austin singing Jingle Bells

Mommy, Austin, & Daddy

Austin with Santa Claus

Lexus had her Winter Choral Concert the same day. The 6th graders sang beautifully!

Here are more cards I have been making with some new dies...

We took the kids to see the Holiday Train Display at Union Terminal this past weekend. It was so odd to see the Duke Train Display in another setting. I wish they hadn't decided to move it. It is bad enough that 95% of the Christmas displays that used to be downtown during our childhood are gone. Randy & I had tried to start our own tradition of going downtown to see the trains, visit Murray Bros. Old Fashioned Candy Store, ice skate on the square and eat lunch downtown. After only a few short years, we can't even do that anymore. It just makes me sad to see these family traditions die out. We are doing our best to find new traditions like Sharon Woods light display.

Kimberly & Austin waiting to ride the train.

I will have another post later showing us celebrating Austin's 4th birthday yesterday!

9 Years & Counting! Happy Anniversary Babe!

Happy 9th Anniversary to the BEST hubby in the world! I feel soooo blessed for the past 9 years and the WONDERFUL life we have created together! He is even more wonderful for sending me these beautiful flowers; come on what girl doesn't LOVE flowers ;-)

Below are some random pics of what we have been up to:

Austin snuggling with Bella

Kimberly's fabulous hair by mom

The kids had fun this past weekend baking and decorating Christmas cookies!

Randy had a great idea this past Sunday night to go driving around looking at Christmas Lights. We found some great displays in Fort Thomas, Bellevue, Southgate, and Newport. I took pics of some of our favs! If you are still on the lookout for a good lights and music display visit 101 Breckenridge Court in Newport courtesy of The Blanchet Family. You can get a sneak peek at their website www.blanchets.com/christmas . If you drive down the road to Broadway St. in Newport you can see the BIG Christmas display put up by the Peluso family. We have been going there since I was little.

3 images from the Peluso's Christmas display - click to enlarge

Above and below are some cards I made recently.

Getting in the Christmas Spirit!

Christmas cards are in the mail! Christmas lights are bright! Christmas tree is up and decorated! Christmas TV specials on every night! Austin's Birthday to celebrate on the 19th! Presents to wrap!
WE LOVE THE HOLIDAY SEASON!!!

Family pic at Mrs. O's 70th Birthday party!

Bought this cute lil' guy at the holiday store by where we cut down our tree.

AWWWWW!!! Hey, they didn't leave any room for Austin & me ;-)

Randy and I finally bit the bullet this year and bought all new Christmas lights - the new LED ones!!! Every year we have fought with the Christmas lights - blowing fuses, dealing with bad wiring, trying to make a bunch of mismatched stuff look good, etc... We simplified the design, added Mrs. Claus to compliment Santa, and the lights went up with not a single problem! YEA!!!!! The coolest part is all our Christmas lights are on a remote control; just one click and they are on or off from anywhere in the house. Plus, they use less energy than the old ones...good for the old electric bill ;-)

We had a delicious supper at Mr. & Mrs. O's house Sunday with the rest of the family. We were suppose to go on the Chritsmas Walk, but the rain put a kaboosh on that. We decided to go home and put up our tree instead. Pics below of the great time we had doing it:

Austin getting a lift from Daddy to put an ornament on the tree.

I always love how the kids know just which ornaments are theirs and they are the only person who can put them on the tree. The kids each have their own small tree in their bedrooms to decorate as well.

O' Christmas Tree - How lovely are your branches!

Thanksgiving Weekend

We celebrated my Dad's 59th birthday with dinner and cake. The kids helped him blow out the candles ;-)

Lexus, Kimberly, Dad, Austin, Halle, & and; Colin

 So...2 minutes before Randy is suppose to walk out of the woods to come home for my Uncle Paul's surprise b-day party...he shoots a 10 point buck! Needless to say Stan (1st Buck) will now have a friend on the wall next to him - Dan!

Thanksgiving was wonderful as always! Fabulous family, delicious food, wonderful memories...we are sooooo blessed to be part of 2 amazing families!

The traditional family pic I request every year before everything gets crazy!

 The girls had fun playing with all of Katie & and; Christy's old Barbie stuff, Lexus and Colin played Wii, and Austin and Eli switched back n' forth between Barbie and G.I. Joe.

Austin and Eli

 

 Just to give you a peek at how long the table is for the Ossege family...can you imagine when they all start bringing boyfriends/girlfriends around!

We got almost all of our Christmas shopping done on Black Friday and saw a great movie Saturday at the Levee...Arthur Christmas! A must see movie for anyone!

I find it interesting that each lined up next to the chipmunk that is most like them!

The kids had loads of fun making felt Christmas ornaments!

 We helped Randy's mom - Mrs. Ossege - celebrate her 70th birthday at the Green Derby. Below is the card I made for her:

 Christmas traditions are in full swing! Today we cut down our Christmas tree and visited our favorite little Christmas shop with Matt, Ann, Natalie & Nicole.

Family photo op in front of the tree.

Randy & Kimberly carrying tree to car.

Bella had fun running through the rows of trees.

Lexus, Kimberly, Nicole, & Natalie

Austin helped Dad get the car in position to load the tree on top.