Christmases x 5

This past week has been crazy! We had five Christmases in four days, with a flu bug that hit three out of four of us, with a little work and a snowstorm thrown in. Oof-da!

It all started on Saturday, when we went out to Jim and Barb's house for family Christmas. The kids were already out there from having a couple sleepovers, so John and I packed up everything and got out there about mid-morning. The kids were super hyper and excited when we arrived, and wanted to open presents right away!! So, we let them open gifts immediately, and they were so excited and loved everything they got.

The kids got spoiled like crazy and  made quite a haul. Together, they got a hot wheels track, puzzles, a kitty night light, lots of boards games (Soggy Doggy, Scrabble Jr, Charades, ), Legos, Soap Making Kit, and lots of other odds and ends. They got way more than they needed, but they had so much fun playing with every single toy they got.

We enjoyed the afternoon by playing games with the kids and digging out some of the old toys from the old house. The weather was beautiful, it was about 35 degrees out, and sunny, and we enjoyed being outside for alittle while. For supper, we had some Prime Rib that John made on the Treager, which was really good, and mashed potatoes, and some Christmas Treats. We left at around 7pm with some very tired kids.

On Sunday, we packed up and headed to Minnesota. We made it to my parent's house at a little after 1pm, and then headed to Mark and Kathy's house for the Kloeckl Christmas Celebration. It was a nice party and it was really nice to see all the extended family that I hadn't seen in quite a while. The Clobes side was also there, so I got to visit with a lot of people. There was good food, food company, and overall it was a really fun day. The kids had a blast playing with the other kids, and riding scooters and bikes around the shop. They also got a couple gifts from Great-Grandma Kloeckl, which they were really excited about. I played Sheephead with my dad, Dennis, and John for quite a while. We actually ended up staying until about 8pm, and we were the last ones to leave. The kids were beyond tired after all the running around and playing.

Monday was Christmas Eve. We spent the morning just relaxing, and hanging out at my parent's house and playing with the kids. The kids were pretty crabby and tired, so we made them take some naps in the afternoon, and after that we headed out to Janel and Tim's house. We had our usual potluck style meal, wine and beer, and just enjoyed catching up with everyone. At 6pm, we headed to town for the Christmas Program, and then we headed back to their house. It was so loud and crazy at their house, but everyone seemed to have a good time.

The kids got to open presents again, and Emma got a Barbie, a Barbie pool, and a Barbie car, which she was pretty excited about. Elliott got a Chase Pillow Pet, which he loved. Lucky little kids! I also played some Sheephead with Grandma and Grandpa, which was pretty fun. Mom, John, and the kids left at about 11pm (way past their bedtime!!) and I stayed with dad for a little longer. A bunch of us played the game Guess Word on my phone, while everyone else played Sheephead. We finally left at about 1 am (Grandma and Grandpa were still there playing cards!). It was way past my bedtime.

The next day, which was Christmas, was a little rough. Ryan got a stomach bug, and was pretty much down for the count. Dad also got it, and I wasn't feeling the best either, so it was a pretty low-key Christmas. The Clobes twins had a bug the night before the Kloeckl Christmas Party, and they ended up spreading it to quite a few people.

We did end up opening gifts on Christmas Day. The kids got a few really nice gifts, and then the adults just exchanged gag gifts. The bigger part of their Christmas Gifts is going to Mall of America in a few weeks, which the kids are super excited about. After gifts, we all tried to eat at least a little of the Ham and Scalloped Potato meal, and then we pretty much just headed back home. Everyone was just wiped out after all the Christmas celebrations. The kids were arguing, the adults weren't feeling very good, so we called it a Christmas.

We got home at about 4pm, and then we still had to have our Christmas at home. Santa had come while we were gone, so there were more gifts to open. Emma got a bike, a whole cube full of gel pens, a stationary kit, movies, candy, a fuzzy blanket, games, and a diary. Elliott got a Paw Patroller boat, some paw patrol pups, legos, candy, movies, a fuzzy blanket, and a dart board. They got their second wind after opening gifts and enjoyed playing with a bunch of their new things. We watched the Emoji Movie, and then we all went to bed at a decent time.

By the time Emma went to bed, she had a tummy ache. And then she ended up puking her guts out a little later in the night. The bug had hit Emma. Poor girl. So, John stayed home with Emma on Wednesday, and then he ended up not feeling very well that day. So, Elliott is the only one who hasn't been sick yet, I have my fingers crossed that it misses him.

Right now, Emma is better and is at Grandma and Grandpa's house since she doesn't have school this week. She is having a blast. We are surviving a snowstorm right now. It is lightly snowing now, but the wind is gusting at like 40 mph, so it's pretty gross out. Elliott, John, and I are enjoying some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I think he enjoys not having Emma here for a couple days.

And that was how our Christmas Celebrations went. Overall, we all had a lot of fun and it was a great Christmas. I could have done without the sickness, but we are all very blessed and had a great Christmas!!

Elliott is ready for presents 

Merry Christmas 

Playing Cat Sequence 

Games

The Prime Rib

The kind of family picture you get with a 1 year old 

Emma wanted to be in there too 

Emma and Jenna 

Emma calling everyone over for presents 

More presents 

Yay for gumball machines!! 

One Happy little boy

Christmas Happenings.

Christmas is only 4 days away, which is absolutely crazy. This month of December has just flown by. We have been busy with work, school, and trying to fit in a little Christmas time.

On Tuesday evening, the kids and I decorated sugar cookies for like the 3rd time this Christmas season. The kids each decorated about 4 cookies, and then they lost interest. I ended up decorating the rest of the cookies!

On Wednesday evening, we went to Inca for supper (kids ate free, yay!). After supper, we finally made it to the Western Mall to see the light display. The kids really enjoyed watching the lights, and of course dancing and running all over the place. I was glad we made it before Christmas was over.

Yesterday, the kids went out to Jim and Barb's after work to spend the night since Emma didn't have school today. The kids were so happy to go out to their grandparent's house they hardly even said goodbye to us before they left the house. John and I finished up some Christmas shopping and then enjoyed a quiet evening at home.

Today, the kids are spending another night with the grandparents, while John and I enjoy a night out. We are planning on going to the Cabana Grille for supper. We just got done wrapping all of our Christmas presents (which was more than I remembered it being).

Tomorrow we are celebrating Christmas with the Nelsons, before heading to Minnesota on Sunday to celebrated with my side fo the family.

Here's to a busy few days filled with about 4 different Christmas celebrations!!

Merry Christmas!!

Decorating Christmas cookies 

Christmas Programs and Activities

Whew, December continues to just fly by like crazy. Last weekend was super busy and flew by in an instant.

Thursday evening was Elliott's daycare Christmas program. It was really cute, and Elliott did a really good job. He was hamming it up during the entire program, and he knew his songs and actions really well. I was one proud momma, and he sure looked handsome in his dressy outfit.

We all enjoyed the Shrimp Boil on Friday night. The kids loved running around in the shop and playing with some other kids. I played sheephead with Grandma Elaine, Grandpa Marlin, and Paul and Gina. It was pretty fun to play cards and visit.

On Saturday, we spent most of the morning playing at mom and dad's house and visiting until it was time to head to Redwood Falls for the basketball tournament. It was really fun to watch the basketball team play. The girls won their first game, and the boys battled hard. We also lucked out and got to see Jenna play a game at the same tournament. The kids handled it all really well. Emma had fun running around with the other girls her age, and Elliott did well, but got a little restless by the end. And we also lost him at the very end of the tournament when he ran to the bathroom on his own. So, that was really fun.

We headed back to Sioux Falls on Saturday afternoon. The kids slept hard most of the way back, and then we finished the evening by watching a Christmas movie. Sunday, was church, potluck, decorating church for Christmas, and then Christmas Program practice. Then when we got home, we made 3 batches (10 dozen) spritz cookies. Emma really enjoyed helping with the cookies. By the time we were done with all the baking, it was pretty much time to call it a night. It wasn't the most relaxing weekend, but it sure was fun!

This past week was pretty brutal. I worked about 50 hours at work, so I was pretty much exhausted every evening this week. The nights I wasn't late at work, I had to help serve supper at our Advent church service. I put in some really long days and I was really happy when the weekend finally came.

My parents came to town yesterday, and Dad made meatball for dinner, which the kids really loved. After dinner, we all headed to the school to have a crafting/decorating/playing party with all the called-worker kids so the parents could go out for a date night. The kids had a really good time (and so did the adults). We did Christmas crafts, and decorated sugar cookies, played battle ball, ate pizza, played hot wheels, and watched a movie. It was really fun afternoon, but we were all pretty tired once it was over.

Today was another busy day. Imagine that! We had church, bible class, and then we finally relaxed and watched the Vikings play while the kids enjoyed being home and playing games. At 4pm, the kids had their Christmas Program at church. They both looked adorable, and they did really well. Elliott had a recitation to say with the other preschoolers and one song he sang, and he stood up there and did a really nice job. Emma had one individual part which she did a really nice job with, and then she had to know the words to about 5 songs, and I could hear her singing up there. It was a very nice program. Afterwards, mom, dad, Jim, and Barb joined us at TC referees for supper.

Now we are finally in our pajamas, watching some TV, and ready to call it a day pretty soon. I am so not ready to go back to work in the morning, but one more full week of work, and then a little time off for Christmas. Cant' wait!

Here's to another crazy week :)

Selfie during Elliott's Christmas Program 

One sharp-looking boy

Spritz Cookies 

Reese and I having fun at school

Christmas Craft time 

Ready for the Christmas Program. So beautiful. 

So cute!!

Santa Visits.

This past week has been busy, busy, busy. We are definitely into the thick of the holiday season, and we are getting caught up in all the busyness.

Last Friday, Santa was at Hy-Vee, so I took the kids to see Santa. Both kids did very well, and loved their Santa visit. Elliott went first, and climbed right up on Santa's lap. He couldn't think of any toys that he wanted, so he just started naming every toy he could see from where he was sitting. It was pretty cute.

Emma also did really well. She is just starting to doubt Santa, and ask a lot of questions about him, but for this visit she sat on his lap, talked to him, and asked him for some books for Christmas. Such a sweetie. They both got a can of pop, a candy cane, and an ornament to decorate. It was a success.

Then, we picked up a few groceries. Hy-Vee was crazy town because they were predicting a large blizzard for Saturday. And nothing makes people flock to a grocery store like a blizzard.

We spent Friday evening watching Elf in the basement, which both kids thought was amazing. We stayed home all day Saturday and just played games, did crafts, and baked cookies with the kids. It was a really nice day to be at home, relax, and just enjoy each other's company. John also took Emma ice skating, which she really enjoyed and she's already talking about when she can go again.

Sunday, we went to church, and then Emma had Christmas program practice in the afternoon. This week is just crazy busy, we literally have something going on every single day of the week. On Tuesday night, we went to the Stampede Game with free tickets that John got for giving blood. Yesterday we had Advent church service with supper and then church, and Emma sang with the school kids during church.

Luckily, today I have the day off from work. I am spending the day doing about 6 load of laundry, baking some bars for work, and just generally cleaning the house. The kids and I have dentist appointments at 3:00pm and then Elliott has his Christmas Program at daycare at 6:30pm tonight. It has just been go, go, go this week!

Tomorrow we are heading to Minnesota after work for a Shrimp Boil for all the people who helped with the fall Harvest. The Bethel Basketball Team also plays in Redwood Falls on Saturday, so we will probably go and watch a couple of those games as well.

Here's to the busy holiday season!!