Christmas Morning & Afternoon!

 

After Christmas with Michael's family we loaded up the kids and headed down to my parents house and got the kids off to bed. The next morning the kids were ready for round 3 of opening presents.

 

 

The calm before the storm! No, not really...we don't let the kids just rip into the presents like crazy. We have them take turns so we can all see and enjoy them opening their presents.

 

We go in order from youngest to oldest...Jack was sure he can after Zeke!

 

Ella Grace all ready...she was so cute she would squeal like a little pig while opening her presents. She didn't even care what they were. Once she ripped the paper off and said..."I got a box!" It was so precious!

 

He's a nerd, but we'll keep him!

 

Ella was so happy with her first present (the big bag in the picture of her before) which was a baby bed, car seat and stroller that she just decided to play with it and not worry about the other presents.

 

 

Jack got these awesome Toy Story cowboy boots...that light up!!! They are awesome!

 

 

Run Jack Run!!!

 

 

Owen got a LeapPad...he loves that it has head phones and a video camera. I swear he's going to have it full of videos of himself singing!

 

Zeke got the standard baby first Christmas present from Ga-Ga....name stool! Love it!!!

 

 

What???

 

 

One of the main things on Jack's list was this Imaginext Castle. When he opened his presents from us he even remarked that he didn't get his castle. We'll Ga-Ga & Pa solved that! This castle is A-MAZING! It is smart! It has this technology where it is connected to the other stuff that goes with it. When you shoot the cannons at it the castle will say, "Incoming" or "Protect the castle". It's sweet!

 

After the kids opened their presents Zeke couldn't take it anymore so we had to break for breakfast. I think he just couldn't wait to use one of his other presents...his sweet Cars portable highchair courtesy of Pa!

 

 

After breakfast it was time for the adults to open presents. I made Ga-Ga & Pa hand print ornaments for the older kids and Zeke's footprint. It made Ga-Ga cry!

 

Ga-Ga got Pa this cool clock for his office!

 

Ga-Ga got a new vacuum and before you say anything she's mad at all...she really wanted it!

 

Later on when Uncle Ry and Aunt Stephie came to the house we did round 4 of opening presents. That's when in my opinion the best picture of the whole day taken...

 

 

Isn't he just the cutest thing?? Zeke was SO happy the whole day!

 

 

Ella got a whole dress up set....5 dresses with accessories!

 

 

Owen got Skull Island from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. It's funny because he asked for it and then Jack spent the whole time playing with it while Owen played with Jack's castle. Kids are so funny!

 

What's a castle without a dragon?? Aunt Stephie remedied that...this also it connected to the castle so when the dragon is close the castle screams, "DRAGON" or "Stay out of it's mouth"

 

 

Aunt Stephie got a cute candy dish that says, "Live, Laugh, Love"...one of her favorite sayings!

 

 

Uncle Ry got Indian Jones on Blu Ray!

 

 

Ga-Ga & Pa got a gift certificate to Black Angus!

 

 

Ella's pretty kitty outfit! She ended up wearing it later in the day.

 

 

Later on when it was time to play with the toys that everyone got I thought that Zeke might like a ride in Ella's baby stroller!

 

 

I put together one of Zeke's presents (He'll grow into it) from Uncle Ry & Aunt Stephie and Owen and Jack broke it in for him.

 

 

Later on Zeke man needed some snuggle time and Pa and he complied. Sweet precious boy!

 

 

Here's the whole crew...Jim and Norean friends of ours came down for dinner as well. It's always so nice to spend time with them. Oh and note the lovely scowling face on Jack...he wanted to stand behind the stair railing where he couldn't be seen and he was told that wasn't going to happen...hence the scowl!

Playing In The Street!

Ever since Christmas Owen had been asking to drive his remote control car out on the street. So on Friday after lunch we headed outside. Of course by the time I got Zeke all bundled up and strapped into his car Owen was done driving his car around and had moved onto something else. At first it was riding his bike, but then it moved to playing soccer.  

 

 

 The boys were having so much fun kicking the ball as hard as they could and then running after it. It was great that not one car went by while we were playing.

 

 

 

In the end it was Jack on the south side of the street and Owen on the north side and they would kick the ball to me and I'd kick it back. It was great fun!

 

 

Like I said I got Zeke all bundled up and strapped into his car that Ga-Ga bought him at the Mill Creek Garage sales. It's so awesome that he can hold himself up to sit in it now. He's so cute!

 

 

Ella had fun pushing Zeke around while I was playing with the older boys! A little while after this picture was taken I noticed the Ella had wet her pants so it was time to head in and change her.

 

 

Beautiful Bundled Baby Boy!

Potty Training!

 

 

On Saturday before Christmas I woke up and decided it was time to potty train Ella. We had tired before, but nothing serious...this time I was determined. Ella had only gone potty in the potty chair once before and that was after sitting on the potty for about an hour. I was bound and determined to get her to go. I knew that once she went a couple times she would get it. Another reason I wanted to train her right now is because right now we are on break from everything, school, MOPS, Taekwondo and watching Logan. I knew it would be a great time for me to focus on her. Right off the bat I took Ella to the bathroom with me and wanted her to sit on her potty while I went. I also asked her to listen to me going potty. She still didn't want to try, but then when I was finished I started praising myself. "Mommy went pee pee in the potty....mommy went pee pee in the potty and now I get a sticker!" I clapped and did a little dance and then I got myself a piece of paper and wrote 'Mommy's Potty Chart' on it and I picked out a sticker. I also put a chart up for Ella and that's when she said, "I want a sticker!" Then she put pee pee in the potty!

 

One week later and she's doing great! We still have to ask her and she never says yes, but I know that if I tell her to go potty and she doesn't argue than she's got to go. She still has accidents, but she's also really good at holding it for a long time. I'm so proud of my big girl!!

Another One Bites The Dust!!!

 

On Friday December 28th...2 weeks after he lost his first tooth Owen's second tooth came out. This one was wiggly, but no where near as wiggly as the first one. In fact it was actually causing him a bunch of pain so he wasn't wiggly it very much. He was also having to eat on the side of his mouth since it was bothering him so much. When Michael got home on Friday night they were playing and Owen flipped over the recliner and came up with his tooth in his hand. He said it got snagged on the chair. I'm not sure how that was accomplished, but maybe he was trying to bite the chair during his flip...who knows!!!

Christmas Eve Night!

On Christmas Eve night we went to church for the candlelight service and then it was onto Jon & Becky's for the Martin Family Christmas. Unfortunately we were a little short on people this year. Michael's brother Steve and his family couldn't make it and neither could his Mom and Dad. It didn't feel the same without them.

 

 

Owen and Jack are in heaven whenever they are with Avery and Cooper. They love to wrestle and play with older boys.

 

 

Zeke Man got loved on by all sorts of people and as you can tell...he just hates it! ;)

 

 

It's just crazy to see how big these kids are...Paige is 8 years old now and Avery is 13!!!

 

 

Owen was seriously excited about getting a rocket. There is yet again a Berenstain Bear book where Brother Bear flies a rocket so Owen has been wanting to get one. All we have to get is the launch pad, controller and a nice day and we'll be setting this thing off.

 

 

Jackson got a couple Star Wars ships.

 

 

Paige passed her bike down to Ella. They also got her a new basket and training wheels and Paige through in one of her baby dolls. Ella loves that the baby dolls eyes open and close.

 

 

This cutie was so good, but around 8:30 he thought he was going to turn into a pumpkin so it was time to go. It wasn't until the next day that I remembered we didn't take our annual corny Christmas tree pictures....I'm so bummed!!

Christmas Eve Morning!!

Because of the way Christmas fell this year and we were spending the night at my parents we decided to open our presents on Christmas Eve morning.

 

 

Ella woke me up around 6:15 and laid in bed with me for a while. Then I got Zeke man up so he could nurse before we headed downstairs. We had to wake up Jack and Owen if you couldn't tell by how tired they look.

 

 

Early in the month Michael read The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear to the kids and in that book Sister Bear learns that it's her and Brother Bears job to get presents for their parents. After reading that Owen was insistent on getting us presents. A few days later Ga-Ga & Pa came and took the kids shopping for us. In the book the bears get Papa a brush so Owen was sure Daddy needed a hair brush. When we got downstairs on Christmas morning all the kids grabbed the presents they got us and they wanted us to open them first. It was so sweet!

 

 

Daddy got a hair brush, Corn Pops and Turtles. Of course I didn't get a picture of me since I'm the picture taker....I got Sour Cherry Candies, Cookie Crisp and Beef Jerky.

 

 

Owen checking out his Battleship game. He also got Jenga, Remote Control Car, a Duplo Blocks Set and the Imaginext Space Shuttle Set.

 

 

Ella got Candy Land, Musical Princess Book, Rapunzel and Maximus Dolls, Barbie Hugs and Heal Puppy and a Duplo Set.

 

 

Jack got Star Wars characters, Lego carrier and dinosaur Lego set, Bucky (pirate ship), Perfection and a Duplo Set.

 

 

Zeke Man got a tug boat tub toy.

 

 

I don't know about you, but we are always forgetting our stockings. We are so busy having fun with the toys we opened that the stockings just get pushed aside. This was when we realized that we hadn't opened them yet.

 

 

Michael and I haven't actually given each other gifts since before Ella was born. This year we decided to buy stuff for our stockings. Michael got my new diamond earrings. I love them!!!

 

 

I got Michael a Seahawks hat, 2 movies, tickets to the King Tut exhibit, Carmel Kisses and a mouse pad with pictures of our family on it.

 

 

Once we were all done opening presents it was time for Zeke to get to play with his new toys!

Merry Christmas!!!

From Our Family...

 

 

To Yours!!!

 

 

Merry Christmas!!!

 

 

Family Christmas Pictures!

The Sunday after Thanksgiving we traveled up to Snoqualmie Pass to have Family Christmas pictures taken by my friend Starr. She had been scoping out locations to get the best pictures and she found a great place that had a cabin and some snow.  

 

 

Getting 4 kids - 5 and under to all look a the camera and smile can be tough. Ella was also in a bit of a mood so she was trying to not cooperate!

 

 

My parents and my brother Ryan and SIL Stephanie joined us. Since Zeke is our last child it's fun to know that this is the Grant side of the family!

 

 

Owen loves his Pa!

 

 

Auntie Stephie and Uncle Ry lovin' on Zeke Man.

 

 

The boys!

 

 

The girls!

 

 

My love!!!

 

 

I bought this Blessings sign while on vacation in Wyoming. I wasn't buying much since we were flying and I didn't have the room in my luggage for anything big, but this sign I just had to have it. Anyway I had this idea of a picture with the sign in mind so I brought it with me. After explaining what I envisioned to Starr she set up the shot and nailed it. It turned out EXACTLY like I wanted it to!