The day after Christmas, we all packed our bags and descended upon grandma and grandpas house for the week. Unfortunately, Michael and Jesse couldn't make it, and Erin and Kike could only stay for a few days, but the rest of us were there together and had a great, and crazy week! It makes for a lot of people in one house, but the kids have a blast together, and it's so much fun to make memories together.
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| Eden got some new makeup for Christmas, so many of the days there she looked pretty dolled up. Wren and Eden had so much fun together. We hardly saw these two as they were always off playing somewhere together. They get along great. |
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| These two will be the next cute girl duo as they get older. They already are starting to play and interact so cute together. |
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| The kids got to decorate Christmas cookies. The girls did great - the boys cookies looked a little mangled and nobody dared eat them except for the boy who made it. |
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| Olive was loving the sprinkles. |
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| Bentley is in the really awkward smiling phase. I can never seem to capture a cute and genuine smile these days. |
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| Eden is always very particular and careful with the way she decorates. Her cookies were always completely edible, though very full of decorations. |
On one of the evenings, Brad pulled out the game "Pie Face" and the whole family was completely entertained. We had some great laughs (all except Olivia who cries anytime this game is played. I think the screaming and crazy laughing scares her). The anticipation is killer, but it made for a great time.
We also did a little gift exchange because we weren't together on Christmas day. Grandma made each of the kids a new pillowcase, using fabric that was something specific towards each kid. I don't know about everyone else, but my kids love them and get so excited about their pillowcases from grandma.
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| Mom and Dad made each of us kids some amazing books this year all about their personal history. They took tons of time to answer so many questions about their lives thus far, and we had some great discussions throughout the week as we talked about experiences they had that we didn't know about. These books are by far some of the greatest gifts I've ever received. I got to know so much more about them and I love it! |
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| The other gift to each couple from my parents was babysitting for the following night and tickets for us to go to a painting class together. We were all a little nervous about our lack of skills, and the guys especially weren't as excited, but it ended up being an absolute blast! |
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| This picture cracks me up. Brad and Camren are a handful. We seriously had so much fun! We laughed and joked our way through the class, and ended up entertaining the rest of the class I think. |
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| We were all worried about having to do everything free hand, but it turns out that they have the picture traced onto your canvas first, and then they go step by step through each part to explain how to paint it. I think it's safe to say that in the end we were all pretty impressed with our work. |
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| We all decided Brad's bird had crazy hair and his was voted the cutest. :) |
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| Pretty impressive right?! We had so much fun we decided we would send mom and dad back the following night to do a class too. They painted a different picture but theirs turned out so cute too. It was such a fun experience and an amazing gift idea. Thanks mom and dad! |
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| Grandpa had something in his hands that the kids were trying to get out, and before long it turned in to quite the wrestling match. |
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| As more and more kids noticed the laughing and wrestling going on, they joined in trying to pry grandpa's hands open. |
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| It was actually really impressive how long he was able to hold off, but eventually, especially after the big boys joined in, they finally got grandpa rolled over and his hands pried open. It was really fun to watch them laugh and play together. |
On one of the afternoons, the big kids got to go to Explora Museum which was a fun outing for them.
Grandpa and grandma also put together a little hay ride for the kids. We went up and down the ditches and saw all kinds of farm animals which was very exciting for them. It was a little chilly on there though, I'm not going to lie!
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| And of course, there was always some other random projects or crafts to do during the down time. Grandma and grandpa's house is the best. |
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| Baby card games! |
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| Eden got to help grandma make her delicious caramel popcorn. |
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| Her mouth is covered, but those eyes give away the fact that she is grinning like crazy on this swing. She never got enough of the swings and would be out there all day if she had someone to push her. |
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| Puppy photo bomb and a cute boy. |
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| The crazy trio - these three are so cute together. |
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| On New Year's Eve we had our traditional fondue dinner. Cheese, meats and caramel. Delicious and filling as usual! It's such a fun tradition. |
Overall we had an amazing week with family. I feel so blessed and fortunate. It was a great year, and now we can't wait to see what 2016 will bring!!
