Post Christmas Family Fun

On Friday we had the opportunity to attend "Frosty the Snowman" at the Rose Theater in downtown Omaha. The seats were all general admission so we were able to sit in the front row on the side. The Rose is such a beautiful place and I was excited to see how B would do at his first play. In the lobby they were selling treat bags for $3 that included a kalidescope, colors, magnet, treat, and a juice.


The weather had been perfect, hard to believe for the days after Christmas.

After the play we stopped for some Italian Nachos at Old Chicago in the Old Market. Next we took at carriage ride around the Gene Lehey Mall to see all of the lights. This was our first carriage ride and B was so excited to ride after he had seen the horses on Thanksgiving Night when we came to the Holiday Lights lighting ceremony. With the great weather we had that night, it was perfect for a ride.

This picture is funny because B was throwing a FIT and didn't want to stand there because he said there was poop on the ground. Hubby just happened to catch him between screams or something after I lifted him up because he definately did not look like this!

To end the night as we were walking back to our car we stopped in at the Thomas D. Mangelsen gallery where they have the most awesome nature photography.

Christmas Recap

Christmas time is busy for us as we travel to different family members houses.

Each year we spend Christmas Eve at hubby's mom's. B enjoyed watching the player piano and the hit of the night was the shoot gun that you can knock down cans! Everyone had fun with it!

Christmas morning Santa brought lots of cool things that B had on his list. Two of the favorites were the Polar Express Track and the I-Coaster.

Christmas Night we spend at my uncle's house. We play silly games instead of exchanging gifts. This is called "wooden spoon guess who". This is hubby trying to identify my grandpa.

The Sunday after Christmas we always travel to Indianola, IA- about a three hour drive to hubby's grandpa's home. They had some ice the day before but the roads were fine for our driving. The whole way up everything was silver and shiny- it looked so glittery.

While at grandpa's we get the chance to see some family who we only see one or two times a year. B really enjoyed helping everyone open their gifts this year. His favorite at grandpa's was the GeoTrax Grand Central Station- he couldn't wait to get home and put it together.

Santa Baby

On the 20th we had a pot luck at my house for the day care families. As we had all started to eat, some of the kids sitting by the window looked outside and saw Santa walking up the street. He came right into our downstairs and had a gift for all of the kiddos. Funny, he came last year too- he must know what night we party on!

Last year we just had cookies and Santa but one of the moms had the idea of the potluck. It was lots of fun and our food was yummy. All of our regular families came minus one of the dads and we invited 2 of the drop in families to join us.

When the kids arrived, I had a Christmas Tree Ornament craft for them to do that was similar to the bead ornaments we made earlier in the month. I got the idea from the Make and Takes blog. Next we started in on all of the yummy food and had a short interuption for Santa and opening the gifts. As everyone finished their dinner, the kids ran around and played while the grown ups got to have some time to chat.

Having Santa come to our house means so much to me. As I was growing up we had the BEST Santa ever come to our house each year. We always had so much fun playing with him. He would actually stay and play, not have to hurry off. He was great. Such a memory! That is why I love having one who comes to our house for B. I hope he enjoys it as much as I did. I just think there is something magical about Santa coming to your house.

Birthday Fun

My little boy is not so little anymore.... sniff sniff... ... he is a big 4 year old now!

Obviously, he had a Superman birthday party! Mommy made his cakes of course too!

B's great grandpa and great uncle signing in on his Superman sheet for his scrapbook. I have done this for every birthday with all of the guests who stop by to celebrate his birthday so we can look back at who was there!

The cape that Mommy made with the help of her friend Laura.


The night of B's actual birthday Mommy, Daddy and B went to Pizza Hut for dinner. It had been a long day with the funeral of great grandpa Duane earlier.


One of many gifts...light up Superman jammies!

Celebrating at school with Miss Laura

Celebrating at the Tot Spot with cake #2

Everyone got their turn at the new "claw" game to win some candy after the cake!

MOPS activities

My MOPS group had some fun times in December. We participated in the Festival of Trees at our local museum. This was our second year to participate and we had a great looking tree once again. We went with the theme of MOPS international- Adventures in Mothering. The name of our tree was: Mothering- The Ultimate Adventure. One Saturday morning a few of us met at the museum to tour all of the trees and enjoy some cookies, cider, and visiting with each other.

Our MOPS tree

Our cool tree topper

"Adventures" theme decorations and ticket garland

MOPS logo inside glass balls

A few other trees from the Tour:

B and his friend taking a closer look at a tree

During the month of December we do not meet for our regular MOPS meeting, but have a Christmas party instead. This is always a favorite of our members. This year it was hosted at our Creative Activities leader's house, which was just beautiful. She did such a great job preparing for the evening.

I had SUCH a great time with all of the other moms. The Christmas party is always a fun night to just get to relax, eat, and talk with the moms. As I was driving home that night after the party, I had such a big smile on my face from the great time I had.

The Steering Team compiled some of our favorite recipes into a little cookbook for a Christmas gift for our members.
Tara's beautiful tree with all of the little bags and boxes that everyone brought for our ornament exchange.

The girls hard at work on our craft for the night- no sew fleece pillows. The moms loved making these!

Pillow making!

So much fun!

The counter top was filled with food and prizes. Tara had taken the time to find several door prizes for the moms to win. Each mom got a 2 tickets for attending the party and they could choose what door prize they wanted to win. There were lotions, hair products, restaurant gift certificates, and MORE! I was even a lucky winner of a Berry-licious dessert cookbook and some berry body lotion from Bath and Body Works.

We always collect cans of food to donate to the local Store House pantry at our Christmas party.

My cute little ornament that I won in our exchange. I love it becuase it is a mommy, daddy, and little snowman! Just like my family!

A few of our Christmas Crafts

Like I mentioned in the last post, I did not get any of my posting done before the Christmas holiday. I'm not to worked up about it since none of the ideas were that creative or something that I didn't "borrow" from another site. Anyways, here are some of the things we did to get ready for the holiday:

Cinnamon Dough Ornaments inspired by Skip to my Lou. They were very delicate and a few broke while they were drying.

We did this idea last year. The kids really like it though. They piece the 3 parts of the tree together with glue and then they cut out (or I cut out, depending on how old they are) pictures from the Sunday ads of things they would like to ask Santa for. They get so excited cutting out everything they want.
Silouhette Ornaments for the Mommies and Daddies of the Tot Spot Kids: loved the way these turned out! The idea here came from The Shabby NestEasy Wreaths made from cutting the center out of a paper plate. They glued torn green pieces of construction paper and then added foam stickers and a pipe cleaner on back to hang it. Candy Cone Trees as seen on No Time For Flash Cards.

Merry Christmas

I am so behind on my posting. I had so many things I wanted to share the past few weeks but have been crazy busy with not any extra minutes to spare. My plan is now that I will condense them all into one post sometime this week and share with you what we have been up to.

I just wanted to drop in tonight to wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope that everyone was able to enjoy their day to the fullest! We had a wonderful 2 days of family fun and I will also share some highlights from these.

The Stockings Were Hung...

... on the stairs with care. My little blogger friend Nikki at WhiMSy Love is hosting a little get together to share photos of our stockings! Visit her blog and check out her crafty goodness. I really like her snowman one and her vintage looking one. How cute.

We don't have a chimney, so ours have gone on the stairway for the past few years. B has been enjoying going up and putting little toys or stuffed animals in them this year.

Like Nikki, I also have a stocking that was full of memories from when I was growing up. It was crocheted and white, green, and red. It was not very big, compared to the other stockings in my family. But I loved it and now it is gone. Boo Hoo.

I use the top snowman one with the red scarf and hubby uses the one with the blue scarf and little bird on it. I actually like that one better, but when we got them I asked him which one he wanted and he picked the bird one. (why did I ask?!?!) They both have a satin lining.

B has a navy blue felt one with his named spelled on the top. It also has a jingle bell on the toe. I really like jingle bells at Christmas, especially on stockings. This one was made for him by my sister for his first Christmas and we have used it ever since. Yes, it hangs backwards, but she didn't realize it until after it was done. We still love it though!

This year for his birthday, B got a new stocking with a train on it. Since we love the one his Aunt made for him and I like to keep traditions, we are just using this one for a decoration on our door.

I also have stockings for our 2 doggies, but did not put them up this year. I believe in equal opportunities, and since I didn't have one for the 2 fish and 2 bird, I left them all out.

What a busy week! and Who needs a blog?

This week has busy hectic busy, hence the lack of blogging.

I am TIRED and need to head off to bed but I will give you a quick run down.

Each night we have run off at 530 when I get done with work somewhere.
Monday- Shopping in Bellevue for Christmas crafts and a hair cut.
Tuesday- Visit a friend/ new baby in the hospital, Christmas shopping in Omaha
Wednesday- MOPS Christmas Party
Thursday- Wrestling dual in Shenandoah
Friday- B's Christmas program at preschool and family over for small birthday celebration
Saturday- tomorrow- headed off to Des Moines for a wrestling tourny and to visit friends
Sunday- Ushers/ Greeters at church, decorate B's birthday cake, bday party at 1230, visitation for Hubby's grandpa who passed away yesterday
Monday- B's 4th Birthday! lunch with hubby's extended family, funeral, refreshments after funeral

Holy Cow I'm exhausted!

Here is a few people I think need to start their own blog....

Wendeline for her classroom
Kim for her family that lives in CO while her family is back here in IA/ NE
Monica on her crazy boys and funny stories

100 Things

Annie at Junior Mints and Reeses had this on her blog and I thought it would be fun to play along for my 100th post!

RULES: There are 100 statements and you bold the ones you have done. Grab it and play for yourself!!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Looked up an old boyfriend on Facebook
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept in an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill.
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (solar)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gotten out of a speeding ticket
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Adopted a stray dog or cat
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten cavier.
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Shape Its Winner

In November I was lucky enough to be the winner of a Shape Its Holiday Kit from one of my favorite blogs, We Are THAT Family. We just recently had the chance to put our kit to the test! First of all, I was really psyched that I won. I am such a competitive girl, I always like to win! Winning something I could do with the kids made it even cooler.

The holiday kit I won had 3 shapes: star, angel, and tree. We have pancakes about once a week so we pulled everything out, read over the directions and got busy. You are to spray your Shape It with spray every 3 time or so, but I needed to spray almost every time. I also didn't follow the directions with the first one we made (the tree) and filled it a little too full. They only suggest that you fill it no more than 1/3 full. As you can tell in the pictures, we added food coloring to our batter for the tree and star. I did not use any of the fancy gels, sprinkles, or markers that came in the kit this time. I am saving them for an "extra" special occasion. The two folding handles on each shape it worked great. They stayed cool while they sat in the pan and their chunky design would be easy for littler ones to use for things like cutting dough etc. The recipes that came with the kit include things like cookies, pizza, cakes, and even meatloaf. Don't think that last one will be happening in our house. Hubby has a real prejudice against meatloaf.

There are several kits and single shapes to order from, of course we are now wanting to get the train! Would I recommend these? For sure! They would make a great gift for yourself or to give! Lots of fun!