Happy New Year!!!!!
December was packed full of fun and stress. Here are some of our happenings.
What to do in the Northwest on another rainy day. Cuddle up with a blanket and read...read...read. We are so proud of Xavier and all the big kids right now. Xavier just finished the last Harry Potter book. Sage and Haven are trying to race to finish the series as well.
In mid December we had a full day celebrating Paul's birthday. We took the whole family to a cafe and got the kids yummy steamers, the parents delicious espresso, and we played games.
We picked out our Christmas tree as part of the birthday fun. There was a gingerbread house making station for the kids. Frosting and candy is a kid's heaven. Haven can't contain herself with her beaming smile.
Asher and I just hung out while the big kids played. He met Santa and loved all his fussy white. He loves animals and petting them so he kept petting Santa as if he was another furry friend.
We later went to eat at a Japanese food place. I love how our kids love food anywhere Paul and I want to eat. Asher is following their lead. Not only did Asher love the food, he tried to use chop sticks throughout dinner.
We put up our tree and Haven got into the Christmas spirit pretty quickly. She ran upstairs and built a sleigh with reindeer out of K'nex.
We ended Paul's birthday fun with one of his favorite flavors of ice cream...espresso.
What would Christmas time be without baking fun. I made yummy treats with the kids for their teachers. We made Santa smores and elf hats. YUMMMMM.
Here are the boys helping....clean up sugar that is.
Here is Paul putting up Christmas lights in typical Northwest fashion...with rain gear.
We had an exciting morning of snow before Christmas. I love winter and the snow just makes the holiday seem that much more real. The kids had a ton of fun and Asher couldn't stop talking (gibberish) and pointing. He went from window to window looking outside watching the kids and the snow fall.
Asher adores his siblings. It''s fun to watch kids of all ages play with each other. There is a lot of laughter in our home. You just can't not laugh when a baby laughs like this.
Asher did better with the Christmas tree than I thought he would. He helped me decorate the tree a little bit. We hoped by him helping he wouldn't destroy it like he does so many other things.
This is just Asher in the big boy bath. He LOVES bath time. He tries to climb into the bath anytime he comes into my bathroom.
More holiday baking. This time Asher helped me. He loved dumping ingredients into the mixer and then pulling the button on the mixer on to watch it spin.
Family fun. We went to Portland to visit family for the eve of Christmas Eve. The kids love visiting their cousins.
Just me with my cousin Cora. She is so warm and cuddly cute.
The kids wanted to do an art project together. They made sun catchers for their rooms.
All the cousins together.
For Christmas eve the kids made arctic houses. Instead of gingerbread houses we tried sugar cubes. The kids liked it much more and they turned out really well.
Christmas morning.....ho...ho...ho.....
Asher's first stocking. He pulled out each item and looked at them one by one.
This video is of Asher opening his first Christmas present. It was precious that he was so big and able to understand what was going on.
Asher with his Auntie Lolo and Uncle Jay. We LOVE having you guys live so close to us. Can you move closer please????
We had some decaf coffee for Christmas and some yummy creamer for guests. The kids got to have coffee like Grandma. A yummy dessert drink.
Our family. It was hard taking this picture and getting everyone to look. I had to go through about 7 of these to see which one was the best option.
Grandma and Grandpa arrived on Christmas day to visit for a week. It was great to have the family together.
More yummy food with family. Asher LOVED Indian food. We had to cut him off because he wouldn't stop eating everything we gave him.
Sage and Haven. They love each other and bicker like crazy. Sounds like brother and sister.
At the end of the month we celebrated Asher's first birthday. I can't describe how happy I am to look back at the last year and no longer be pregnant, know Asher is happy and healthy, and be able to move full speed ahead. It's been a wonderful year of surprises and more and more love in the house. We have lot of adventures planned for this year now that Asher is so big.
Asher was able to open his birthday gifts.
Asher's birthday party and more scrumptious food.
For a moment Asher got bashful when everyone sang to him. In the end he liked his Happy Birthday.
