Merry, Merry!

We started this Christmas off better than last year. I remember getting the last gift placed under the tree and going to bed a whole 45 minutes before the kids woke up at 7 a.m. That's right, we didn't finish wrapping until after 6:00. I don't know why we wait until Christmas Eve to wrap everything, but we do. Anyway, this year we actually got to bed and slept for 4 hours before the kids woke up! We had a nice day and enjoyed playing with all our new fun stuff.

Today, we got out of our pajamas and headed to Home Depot to pick up one of Mike's gifts....a snow blower! Yippee! I think we just guaranteed no more snow for the winter now that we are prepared. :) After that, we went to lunch, did a little shopping and went to see Marley and Me. Oh. My. Goodness. What a tear jerker that was! Such a cute movie and I totally cried my eyes out. At one point, we heard someone literally sobbing. We highly recommend it, but bring along the kleenex!

Christmas Eve

Mike worked a half day today so the kids and I did a bit of wrapping before he got home. Since then, we've been eating, watching movies, listening to music, decorating our gingerbread house, and getting ready for tomorrow. Nathan, who argues about bedtime almost EVERY night, wants to skip another movie and dinner to go to sleep at 7:15 tonight. He thinks Santa will come earlier that way. He changed his mind after we told him that Santa won't come until mom and dad have gone to bed also and that won't be for while now. So, I'm off to go fix dinner and watch another flick. Merry Christmas {Eve}!

FUN Day :)

Both Hannah and Nathan spent the night with friends last night. Hannah had swim practice today so her friends' mom just took them from their house. I had planned a "date" for Nathan and I so when he got home this morning, we did some Christmas shopping.
Although we didn't have much to get, it took so long because of the terrible road conditions. (I just have to say I LOVE our Blazer! It maneuvers like a dream in this slushy, messy gunk.)
Anyway, we really had an enjoyable time together. We got hot chocolate and coffee, talked about alot of stuff and at one point were singing Christmas carols so loud in the car we couldn't help but laugh and smile. He is one funny kid :) After picking Hannah up we went to lunch and finished up shopping and errands. It was nice because nobody was bickering and the crankiness stayed away. We're all exhausted, but in a good way. I think we'll stay in tonight and watch Rudolph.
Have a good rest of the week with your families and have a very Merry Christmas! We miss all of you so much and wish we could be together. We are thinking of you all ♥

Oh So Cute!

This is how we are displaying our Christmas cards this year. I love it :)

Just Keep Swimming

*LONG STORY ALERT*

Nathan swam in his very first swim meet this last weekend. He was so nervous in the days leading up to it but he did so well, we are very proud parents! He swam freestyle and backstroke (he hates backstroke, hee hee) and was on a freestyle relay team. His relay took 2nd place in the 8 and under category and he is so proud of that very first ribbon :) He beamed the whole way home!
I thought about bringing my camera on the way out the door and then decided against it. My original thought was to use it to update our picture board at the pool, but I didn't want to be responsible for having to capture all the swimmers. I didn't even make the connection about needing it for Nathy's first meet until they were warming up. It was too far to go back home and get it so I was bummin' big time. Mike and I were on deck helping with the kids (our team had over 120 swimmers present for the meet...whoa!). During one of Nathan's races, I was cheering for him at the end of the lane when a lady from the other team asked if I knew whose boy he was. I told her he was mine and she showed me a picture she took of him on the starting block. I started to cry. He looked so precious...in his jammers, ready position, one leg on the block. I told the woman that it was his very first meet and like a moron I left the camera at home. She took a few more pictures of him that day and promised to e-mail them to me. I can't wait to get them and post them here. After the meet, she saw him coming out of the locker room and told him that he was a great swimmer and he was her hero that day. It was a good day :)
Hannah did well also. This was her first meet as a 13 year old and so she was nervous for that. She had great swims in spite of the nerves and looked really good in the water. She has always been a butterflier, but under the new coach, her stroke has been fine tuned and looks so sharp!
We get a break with meets now for a couple weeks and will be starting up again the beginning of January. Until then, they just keep swimming.

Cookie Exchange

Here are this year's creations for the cookie exchange I am going to. Mmmmm, they are delicious if I do say so myself :)

Update

"New Dog" has successfully been reunited with her "old family". We've learned she is a coon hound named Kara. Even though we know she's in her home, with her people, we're pretty sad around here tonight. All of us except Harley, that is.