Christmas is over.. the tree is down!

This is so sad to me, but with the new toys and having to have the dinning/play room sectioned off to keep the roaming toddlers away from our Christmas tree... we decided the day after Christmas to take it down.

I have never ever taken down my Christmas tree so early! I would have been in tears if it hadn't been for the twins constant pulling off the ornaments, fussing to get at the tree or the help from Annie and Sammy ready to de-decorate and have more space!

It was a great Christmas. We didn't get up early, everyone slept in (that was the best gift of all to mommy and daddy who had a nice talk with Santa over how loudly he landed his sleigh on the roof at 4am). Seriously, our house shook! Santa loved our cookies... even though they were the pre-made kind and I forgot to set the timer, so they were a little more done than usual... but Santa isn't picky! He kindly left 1 cookie and 1/2 glass of milk.... to which Courtney finished when she woke up.

The twins were so much fun. Santa left them shopping carts,

(which was a huge hit)

a kitchen,

(another huge hit)

reuseable "shopping bags,"

(which the girls love to load up and carry around)

a farm house and a magna-doodle to share, and 2 new blues clues movies.

Mommy and Daddy gave them new Christmas dresses and new carter's outfits.

Jonah (though he didn't get here until Saturday) got a bow and arrow, a mega-blocks Cars race track, a camo blanket, some hot wheels, a nerf gun, a leapster "cars" game and jeans from us.

Sammy got a game for his DS, a skateboard, a nerf gun (so him and Jonah can battle it out), some hot wheels, a bakugon, and sleep pants from us.

Annie got a horse game for her DS, Mr. Ed movies, a bead kit, horse pjs, a horse calendar (that her dad alreay gave her) and some sleep pants from us.

Jeffrey got an iTunes card, a guitar book and Guitar Hero World Tour for his wii.

Santa also brought some games for much needed family time... Uno and Clue! I can't hardly wait to sit down and play!

I got a pink iPod from JC. Which I have already loaded my favorite songs on!

Santa was also thinking of us b/c he left us a White Mountain 6ct electric ice cream maker! That will sure get lots of use!

After all of our gifts were open, the twins went down for a nap, the rest of us got ready to go to my Grandma's and we arrived there about 5p. We ate supper and visited and the kids got more gifts!

Aunt Cindy helping the girls with their strollers...


Courtney loves my Grandma's piano and was so careful when looking through this book of hymns from the 1920s!


Courtney Sue...


Cadie hanging with the boys...

JM, Anthony and Daddy

Cadie Kay...


My Grandma and her 5 girls....

Carol, Sue, Cindy, Nancy, and Mary

Our crew...

Cadie, JC, Me, Courtney, JM, Annie and Sammy

My cousin Jenny and her family...

Chad, Lexi, twins AJ and Jaylynn and Jayce

My cousin Becca and our youngest addition, Cade (isn't he the cutest)?

Becca's hubby is serving our country and wasn't able to be home this Christmas.

We had a wonderful Christmas spending time with the kids and visiting our families! Now, if I can just figure out how to do Christmas once a month!

Merry Christmas to one and all...

Santa found our house!



He left a wide assortment of gifts for us all!

Toys for the kids, Ice Cream maker for mom and dad, a kitchen set and shopping carts for the little girls!
More to follow....

Waaay Back When -sday

For this really special way back when-sday.... I choose this picture.

This is my favorite Christmas present!

Annalea Ray

born 12/24/1997

7:37pm

She was my fastest labor (less than an hour) and my biggest baby (8lbs 10oz)! I also had my shortest hospital stay with Annie (24hrs). It was Christmas after all and who wants to be in a hospital for Christmas??

So, my mom and my aunt came in, packed us up and took us to my Grandma's. I was exhausted but happy! We went home so early that we had to go back in at 8pm so that the lab could do Annie's state screening!

And, notice Annie's shirt... "All I want for Christmas"

She was all I wanted for that Christmas!

Hope everyone has a blessed Holiday!

We have church services and Christmas with the kids and at my Grandma's!

The next couple of days are going to be busy and I am hoping to keep up with posting... However, if I become a slacker... I promise to get back in the swing of things after the holidays!

We are also taking our computer in to be worked on and I am hoping we get it back sooner than later!

Yeikes! No computer! Now that really scares me!!!

Check out my best friend's blog... she has some great pics of the kids skate party!

She was really great and took Sammy there so I could bring Annie home from my parents and she could change and get ready for her party which followed Sammy's party. Thanks Jen for being such a huge help to me!

While you are surfing... ride the wave over to Twinfatuation and play along with her way back When-sday!!

The Tree is UP!

Ok. I think next year... the weekend after Thanksgiving I will be putting up our tree! I feel like Ole St. Nick is knocking at my door and I am not even close to being ready!

Anyway, the kids and I had lots of fun decorating our tree. Normally, I am one of those people who has perfect placement of ornaments on the tree (think of Monica from Friends). However, this year, there wasn't any stopping, organizing or doing much more than just sit back and watch in wonder...

Sammy hanging up his decorations.

Jason and Cadie...

...this is just after we pulled Cadie out of the tree! I had used a step-stool to reach the top of the tree when stringing lights and Cadie found it quite handy when hanging ornaments, however, she misjudged a step and fell over INTO the tree! Amazingly, it didn't knock it over! Daddy just had to console her a little and she was right back at hanging ornaments!

Courtney...

...was slow and determined at her attempts to hang ornaments. Cadie would hang 2 or 3 to 1 of Courtney's!

Cadie...

... back on the footstool. She would occasionally look back and double check that she was indeed hanging the ornament in the correct position!

Courtney...

... a little backwards on her ornament hanging, though is getting the hang of it!

JM...

...even as the oldest, he had fun helping the babies, and made sure to hang his ornaments the highest on the tree!

Anna...

...got the important job of stringing the garland!

BEHOLD....

OUR CHRISTMAS TREE!


For those who wonder how I keep the tree in one piece and standing...

YEP... those are 2 gates!
I also took all the glass ornaments and set them aside. I think maybe 3 ended up on the tree, but the majority never made it out of their box for this year!

Actually, my bright idea was to move the one gate (the stretchy evenflo gate) out of the doorway by the front entry. This left this doorway open, but as long as the 2 other gates were closed, there wasn't anyway the girls could get to the Christmas tree or go up the stairs. However, last noc, I quickly learned that the girls have figured out how to break down the stretchy gate!

*sigh*

Since I had a "spare" gate in the garage (bought it for the stairwell, but it was too small), I had my FIL drag it out of the garage, I cleaned it up and that will be my husband's project tonoc. Put up the metal gate, they won't be able to climb it or knock it over! The stretchy gate will go back to its home over the entry way doorway (as seen below)!


I am hopeful that maybe next Christmas... we will be able to have our house opened back up! I think I have a gate in almost every doorway now!

Monday's MeMe- Christmas Traditions

Every week I host a Monday's MeMe... just for fun! Join in if you like, I always love to learn more about everyone!

This weeks theme is Christmas Traditions!

5. Christmas eve services. I love going to Christmas eve services! It just isn't Christmas without going to Christmas Eve services.

4. Christmas dinner at my Grandma's. Christmas just isn't Christmas without going to my Grandmas and gathering with our family. Between all of my cousins and I we make a rather large group! We are almost getting to big to fit in my Grandma's house! I can't imagine having Christmas any where else. Yet, I know that one day we will have to find an alternate place to gather or maybe not gather on Christmas as many of us are beginning to create our own family traditions.

3. Hallmark Ornaments. Every year, either my mom or I get the kids new ornaments. We also always get my dad a new ornament and I started 2 years ago getting Jason the airplane series from Hallmark!

2. Santa. Santa is a huge tradition in our family. If you don't believe in Santa... he will not bring you presents! Then the kids are left with the ONE gift from mom and dad... usually a package of undies or socks!

1. Christmas Candy &/or Cards. I lumped these two together b/c there have been years I have made Christmas Candy and not made any cards, or I have made Cards and no Christmas Candy! They are both really great traditions that I love to do every year and a perfect year is one where I get to do both!!!

I sure hope you enjoyed my list! I look forward to reading about your Christmas Traditions!
Playing along this week:
Jen B. at Barrick Times

Next Monday's meme:
Top 5 favorite Christmas movies, songs, books... whatever your favorites are!

12-22: Share a picture (or 2 or 5) of Christmas's past... and the story to go with it!

12-29: Christmas is over... New Years is around the corner, do you have New Year's Resolutions you want to share?

Way Back When-sday

WoW!!!
Time for Way Back When-sday!
I get to share a pic from days gone by with all of you!

This is JM and Annie...

date: Dec 1999

I love this picture! Hard to imagine them ever being this little... but they were once!

Click on over to Twinfatuation to play along with Way Back When-sday!

Monday's MeMe - The worst Christmas gifts ever!

Every Monday I like to do a MeMe. The purpose is to just have lots of fun with it and learn some interesting things about me and others.

This weeks MeMe is the Top 5 Worst Christmas presents...

I must say though, it isn't often that I have a bad Christmas present. I am pretty easy to please. And, as always, it is the thought that counts.

5. undies. I really like to buy my own underwear... though, I have been known to give my kids undies for Christmas from me. (That just makes Santa look that much better!)

4. a birthday gift wrapped in Christmas paper. This doesn't happen to me... as my birthday is in January. But, I see this with my daughter who has a birthday on Christmas eve. I feel so bad for her (& everyone) that has a birthday around Christmas and her birthday gets bypassed b/c its Christmas!

3. homework. We had teachers that *kindly* gave us our upcoming projects early so we could get started over the holiday break! GEEEE.. Thanks!

2. work. Who wants to work over the holidays? Ok. I know this isn't a really a gift... but my kids love it when I am off for the holidays! Many times nurses don't get to have holidays off and it is like having a real present when I am off for Christmas!

1. when I get NOTHING from my hubby!. Yep... that is right! One year, my hubby didn't buy me one thing! It was Christmas of 2006, the twins were 10days away from arrival. Jason hadn't been working as much extra (and he had even gotten called away from work that I was in labor a couple of times). We had talked about not getting each other anything for Christmas. I had agreed to this, but thought he would at least surprise me with some little token for me to unwrap! NOPE! I was so disappointed! Nothing like NO PRESENT, to really be the WORST PRESENT!!

I will say, I didn't get mad, just disappointed. Needless to say, he has now learned that even if I say "I don't want anything... he will still get me something!"


Ok, as you can see... I had lots of fun with this and even though not many were actual presents... they are all things that do impact my Christmas!
I hope that all of you will play along and list what your WORST Christmas presents are!
Barrick Times
Butterfly kisses

Next up for next week is Christmas Traditions! I would love to hear what your family does every year!
Here are the rest of the MeMes for December:
12-8: Christmas Traditions. You can list as many or as few as you want.
12-15: Top 5 favorite Christmas songs or movies... or both! you decide!
12-22: Share a picture or more of past Christmas's, and a story to go along with it!

Way Back When-sday

I'm so excited!
It is When-sday and I get to share one of my old pictures with you!

The Widger Grandkids:

date: Christmas 1983

This isn't the highest quality picture (remember the "disc" cameras)?
Well, I had one.

When we were younger my mom and her sisters all gathered at my grandparents place for Christmas (sometimes we even spent the noc on Christmas eve)!
There use to be 12 grandkids... Tammy, Tracey, Christy, Bill, Jason, Matt, Jenny, John, Tom, Jared, Janel, and Becca
(now we have 1 more... Hope... she is a sister to Matt, Tom, and Becca... she was born the year that Matt was a senior in high school... quite the surprise, but quite the blessing)!

Now it is unusual for all of us grandkids to be at grandma's at the same time... so I don't have many group pictures (hence the reason Hope isn't in it)... that is why I treasure the ones I do have... no matter what the quality is!

Jump over to Twinfatuation and play along with Way Back When-sday!