Merry Christmas!!!

what a busy couple days we have had. Nathan and i kept saying that we were so tired of the constant running around and trying to split our time up between families. it was so hectic and in all the chaos it seemed that we had forgotten why we even wanted to spend time with our families when after the stress of going from point A to point B we just wanted to sleep through it all. this year we decided to do what WE wanted to do. we cant make everyone happy but as long as the kids were happy (which they never were in past holidays spending a good portion of the day in the car) then that's all we care about. the kids had been counting down the days till Christmas all month. all I've heard all is how they were so excited for baby Jesus birthday and to make cookies and pick out presents for everyone. Nathan and i were very excited as well. all month we have been doing things to get hyped up like making treats, adopting a few families, picking out my nieces and nephews gifts, planing trips to the cabin, getting gift bags ready to hand out to the homeless, decorating and of course watching Christmas movie after Christmas movie!

 i have seem to put my pictures on here backward so ill start from Christmas day and then work my way back. we went to my mother and her girlfriends house with the kids, made breakfast and opened their gifts. the kids were pretty excited to hand out the presents to everyone and of course opening them to.

here is my mother and the twins opening gifts. jazzy got a barbie in a bikini which she immediately announced that the barbie needed new clothes to "cover up so she can walk around" but i explained that it was a bathing suit and she was getting ready to go swim. i have no idea what Jayvin is playing with.

 heres my mom and Ridge,

 my mom got jazzy a bike since she had gotten ridge one for his birthday. shes really excited to ride it and even rode it in the house.

 my moms girlfriend Karen picked out this ambulance for ridge and he quickly discovered all the buttons that made the lights and sounds

 this has to be one of the cutest pictures of Jayvin! not only does he look just like his daddy but his smile is just so darn cute!!!

 like i said were working our way backwards so this is before all the opening of presents started. Jayvin is trying to figure out who's getting what.

 so before we went to my mothers house  we had Christmas morning at ours. it was an early morning for us starting the day at 645am. for us that's really early since our kids usually don't wake up till 8 to 830am. Nathan and i were pretty tired, we had stayed up ALL night putting the kids doll house together but we were still very excited. this year was the first year that the kids received any gifts from us. we really didn't see the point in past years since they get so many gifts from family and friends and were so young that it really seemed like a waste.

i fell in love with this doll house on line but my bubble quickly burst when i saw the ridiculous price tag of $699.99. afford it or not I'm not one to even spend that on a car payment or rent let alone a doll house. but after looking online for days and collecting a couple coupon codes and signing up for a reward card that saved me 10% i managed to bring the price down to $230.00 and recieved a $50 gift card on top of that!!!! that was a steal so no way i could turn that down.

Jazzy LOVES it and i think Jayvin loves it more. the thing stands almost 6ft tall and 5ft wide its a little ridiculous. but after buying my nieces a dollhouse Jazzy really showed an interest.

 with the doll house came a free pack of wood blocks so i gave those to ridge for his present and he LOVES them. hes pretty protective over them too, these being the first thing I've never really made him share.

 ridge is fussing cause his stalking is so long he couldnt reach in to grab the little toys from the bottom.

 so each of the kids received one gift and then they each got some stocking stuffers. here's one of Jayvins. this is now his toy picker upper and he loves to try and put the dishes away with it, make his bed and shake hands. he also tortures his sister by running after her with it saying "its gonna get you" in a very taunting voice. very entertaining.

 ridge showing of his little wood airplane.

 jazzy with her new puzzle (the twins LOVE puzzles and can sit there for a good hour putting together the 100 piece by themselves)

 jayvin has been asking for a train all year but they are so popular i didn't know what kind to get. we had a train table but gave it to Olivia cause we would have no room for it here. so i found these very simple wood train tracks at ikea for $6.99 for a 10 pack of tracks which is MUCH cheaper then in stores. so i got him a couple of those and a few accessories and this is now his new FAVORITE thing to do.

 this is him first opening it. he LOVES it!!

 (working backwards). Christmas eve night we went to rick and Anna's and then Church after that. Anna, her sister Bea, and her mother all made a wonderful dinner. ham, pineapple tamales, chicken tamales, turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, potatoes, dips and some soups, it was a whole buffet of yummy goodness.

here's Olivia with one of her presents.

 here's jazzy holding up ridges toy for him since he was to busy playing with Olivia.

 Anna and Rick got the kids their first back packs and there so cute. here's ridges.

 Anna i swear he likes it he was just more into his other toy lol

 Olivia with here new book the kids got here.

 this is Jayvins back pack. aren't they just so cute! their not in school yet and they have already been getting their use. the kids like to fill it up with things to do when were getting ready to leave and ridge likes to hoard his toys in there so no one else can take them.

 Morgan and Olivia!

 Olivia also got all of us a zoo membership for the year which was very sweet of her. (thanks Rick and Anna)

before we went there we went to my sister and brother in laws house to have breakfast with everyone and to open gifts there. i forgot the camera for that part of the day of course but it was a lot of fun and all the kids had a blast opening and playing with their toys. Jennifer got the kids alot of learning toys which we love and also a cooking class at the little chefs academy. the kids will LOVE that! Nathans brother and sister in law Matt and Kris were unable to make it out but sent there best along with lots of fun gifts for the kids so that was very sweet of them.

like i was saying this month has been pcked full and its not slowing down anytime soon. in 2 days Nathan the kids and i all leave for Alabama for a week or so to go see my family. i will definitely share how that car ride goes and despite what people are telling me i feel it will go pretty smooth!

we hope everyone had a merry Christmas!