Christmas 2012

And Christmas Eve finally came!! This was really our first Christmas with just us in the 8yrs we have been married.  Can you believe that!  My husband was so sweet to pretty much let me do whatever I wanted however I wanted.  :)  He's getting pretty smart in his old age. 

We had fun making delicious treats all day long and then delivering them/caroling to our friends.  Of which only 3 were home.  :) After Wilson told me, "Mom, I don't really like caroling"  haha.

Can't have Christmas without our traditional Almond Toffee! YUM!!  We also made crockpot cinnamon sugar almonds, and carmel pretzels with pecans. 

And no baking session is complete without dancing to Christmas music. :)

Davey might be worried for his life. 

When we got home from caroling (I have to add that it finally started to SNOW on Christmas Eve!!!) we sat down to hot soup in soup bowls. (A Thomas family tradition.)

Built a toasty fire.

                                            And had our own little nativity re-enactment.

Behold a wise man!

and another. :)

And an Angel.

And a Shepherd/Narrator/Joseph. 

A sweet baby Jesus.

I love us.  

Then we opened some Christmas Jammies from Grandma Judy....and went to bed!

We missed our families, but I have to admit...

I really really liked having our own little Christmas.  I would have loved to have Christmas Day Dinner with Grandma's and Aunt's and Uncles and Cousins....but I really loved having our own little intimate Christmas eve and Christmas morning.

Zina woke up first at 6:30.  We heard her wake up go to the bathroom and go get back in bed!!??  She thought it was still the middle of the night and didn't want to get caught by Santa and get nothing for Christmas. hehe.  Then Wilson woke up and came and snuggled with us.  We told him to go wake up Zina who promptly told him to go get back in bed!!  Finally we had to tell Zina to get out of bed or we'd take her presents back. :)  Once she realized it was morning they were begging to go out to the family room.  (They couldn't peak because Santa had hung a sheet over the hallway entry)

Stockings! I missed getting a picture of all the kids in their Christmas Jammies.  Zina's pink zebra stripes are pretty rock'n. :)

True to Keeler tradition we didn't tear into any presents until after breakfast was eaten...the dishes didn't quite get done, but we snacked on breakfast all morning long it seemed like.  

We invited friends over for Christmas Day dinner at 1pm. But we weren't quite ready. :)  I don't think we actually ate until 2:30 or 3:00. Oops.  Oh well.  I had determined not to be stressed out and to just enjoy the day and I mostly succeeded.   We were grateful for friends to share the season with. :)

Addie, Zina, & Wilson.

Kade, Annalissa, Mark and Mandie.  

Missing from pictures: Greg, Graham, Fielding, Kaya, Sammy, Davey, Me. :)

I love my new yellow dishes!

It really was a great day.  I love my little family.  

Christmas Season Update

We had a fabulous Christmas season but first we had to say goodbye to Movember - which hung around far too long as far as I was concerned.  However when Mark did finally get rid of the lovely stache I didn't even notice until someone pointed it out at church.....oops.  In my defense he was working an awful lot.....

And we need to mention Bingo our thankful turkey.  Unfortunately Bingo only became partially clothed....but that doesn't mean we weren't thankful, just busy. :)

On November 30th we headed out looking for a Christmas Tree.  There are no mountains in Michigan so we couldn't do our usual tradition. The snowless tree farm had to suffice. 

We still had fun even in our flip flops and shorts.  :)  And I thought our tree was beautiful!

 It took us about 4 days to actually get it up and decorated. :)

I love the magic of the Christmas tree all lit up and the kids playing with their toys underneath it.

Childhood + Christmas = Awesomeness

 A few to many late nights during the season. :)

And lots of happy snuggles.

 Trips to the store with Papa.

 And various encounters with Mr. & Mrs. Claus. 

The first one being at the residency play group Christmas Party.

And the 2nd at our ward party.  We seriously LOVE our ward here.  We've been in a lot of wards and this one might just top them all.  I love living in the mission field.  I wish I had more pictures of our ward party because it was really fun.   Not that there was anything special - the usual talent show, dinner, Santa Claus visit....but the talent show was really great and the perfect mix of everything and just.....old school?  I don't know why it was so great...it just was. :)

 Did I post this picture already?  I love this smiley boy.

 Some Christmas Poems during school...

 Along with some unconventional schooling!!

Oh and we can't forget the ugly sweater party we went to.  So fun.  Seriously, the Hunts can throw a party.  We are starting to really love Michiganders.  We will be sad to leave.  I don't have any pics just the funny memories. :)

Grateful for.

Some crazies that make me laugh and their awesome world of make believe.

Christmas and pine trees that make my house smell oh so wonderful.

This baby that fills me up.  Seriously.  It cannot be a bad day when he is smiling and cooing.  We have the best conversations.

 2mths old!

My 2yr old who likes to say "totally."

"I'm totawy done my food"

"I totawy don't wike that."

"Totawy mom"

Cold nights snuggled up with my baby & hubby and a roaring fire.

My quadruplets. 

 I love my blond haired, blue-eyed boys.

 This guy. Cuz he rocks a stressful day at work and then comes home and does the dishes.  

And holds the baby. :)

We may be passing around all kinds of viruses this Christmas season, we may still be waiting for that awesome snow fall, we may have made delicious egg nog cookies for our visiting teachees and then cancelled because of said viruses....

but life is good.

and so were the cookies.