Christmas 2015!

Happy New Year!!!!  Our computer is on the brink of being a goner...which is why it has been SO LONG since I have blogged....so this is a long one...mostly pictures....but a quick catch up on our MERRY CHRISTMAS season!!  We had a great Christmas holiday this year...so here we go

Brayden's class did a wonderful performance....pictures, singing and kazoos....we made it to both the daytime performance with Grandma and Grandpa and night time performance with daddy....

We had a cookie party with our neighbors....the kids had a blast and we decorated (and ate) way too many....but I will say it was pretty fun!

 One of our favorite traditions is breakfast with Santa...and this year was such a treat.  The kids were great---we had breakfast, chatted with Santa, made a craft, and saw a magician 

Marshall was chatting Santa's ear off....so funny...he must have been telling him just how GOOD he has been this year

 While the boys were all about it....the little lady was not

 Still talking to him

Craft time

 Hadley wore a old Christmas dress which was mine....love these "vintage" dresses

 Magic Time....and of course little social, Marshall, was part of the show not once but twice

Watching their brother

Everyone likes a bath on a cold day---Brayden was off school for 2 weeks...we loved having him home but sometimes needed something to do....so.....

Marshall also had a winter sing along...Hadley and I got to watch

We headed to Belleville the weekend before Christmas.  We had such a great family celebration...it was wonderful to see everyone and celebrate Christmas together-even though we had to celebrate early.  Eddie the Elf brought a note....and what a surprise....we got a trip to the Polar Express on Monday (before we headed home)

Merry Christmas...a little early :)

 The girl loves hummus

Lego building

 Our newest addition....cousin Harper

Is it time to open yet........oh how I remember feeling the same way!

 Hadley enlisted a lot of help from Lou for opening her gifts

Grandma and Haddie

Helping Great Grandpa with his gift

The Lengerman Family

Mom, Gramps and Uncle John

An attempt at a family shot....without Haddie she went to bed

Mom, sister and me

Time to play!

The cousins

POLAR EXPRESS!!!!!!!!!!!  I cannot even describe in words what a MAGICAL time we had on the Polar Express.....this is near the top (if not at the top) of magical events to get into Christmas spirit....the light and sparkle that were in the kids' eyes when we were there was amazing....what a truly magical experience

Ticket time

Writing our wishes

 Time to board

Hot chocolate and cookies, delivered by the waiters singing, dancing and tumbling through the aisles....and then the conductor who punched our ticket for wishes

 And Marshall (with Hadley not far behind) joined the singing and dancing and congo line on the train

We arrived at the North Pole....and we picked up Santa

Santa made it to us, got our Christmas wish lists and gave us our special bell....it rings for all who believe

 More dancing

We decided on Christmas eve to take another train ride....and while it was no Polar Express we rounded up good friends and had coffee and donuts on the train while we traveled to the city.  We saw the windows and the tree in the Walnut room....the kids were great and loved the city trip!

 The windows were a hit...they were a story of Santa and a little boy (who in his dreams) travels planet to planet

All  of the kiddos lined up

Christmas Eve!!!  We got all cleaned up after our city trip, let the kids exchange a little gift and then headed to church.  We ended the night back with our friends for Christmas eve dinner

After dinner we headed home put on our jammies and left cookies and milk for Santa

And reindeer food outside

And in the morning....Santa had made it!!!!!

We moved the star to the manger

And had cinnamon rolls to celebrate Jesus' birthday

Later in the morning Grandma and Grandpa Jefford came and we continued the celebration.  They stayed the night and watched Haddie so we could take the boys to see the new Star Wars movie....we had fun...and so did grandma and grandpa playing babies with Hadley

 We made it to Zoo lights with our neighbors...luckily we had a relatively warm night and the lights were great

My good friend Lisa, her husband Andrew and Sadie visited....although you cannot tell from these pictures we had a great visit....

For New Years eve we headed to our friends home...they had a Star Wars themed party.....so of course the kids were loving that!  Sadly on new years day, Haddie came down with a virus which ended in no sleep, lots of crying and a double ear infection.  Now little Marshall is fighting off the same virus...and as mentioned earlier our computer is at the end of its life....but with all that we are looking forward to a great 2016!