Christmas Morning

Grandpa's Bucky Balls were a big hit for everyone!

Santa Has Been Here!

Usually Christmas is spread out over 3 or more different days.  This year it all came with Dick and Diane!  They brought gifts from great grandparents, Grandma Dottie, Aunt Jenny, Uncle Tyson and Aunt Mandy, and Uncle Nick.  It was Christmas overload!!!

Christmas Eve

Dick and Diane arrived the night of the 23rd.  The next day they bought tickets to see Cirque Dreamz Holidaze.  Everyone enjoyed the performance and the beautiful architecture of Heinz Hall.

A Visit With Santa

Jerrod and I braved the mall and took the kids to see Santa on the 23rd.  To our surprise, we walked right in and were the only ones in line!  Maybe we're the bad parents who waited until the last minute!  They still got exactly what they wanted!!

                                   

Carson: "A blue train named Hank."

Camryn: "A Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer DS game"

Preparing for Christmas

Over the years I have been receiving pieces to the Willow Tree Nativity.  This year we added even more.  Camryn had fun setting it up and listening to the story of Jesus' birth.

December 17th...Carson's Christmas Sing

Carson had a "Christmas Sing" at school this morning!  It was adorable!  He had been practicing and knew almost all of the words to all of the songs.  Carson had so much fun "hamming it up" for the audience!  He looked so handsome!

The Snow They've Been Waiting For

The kids were so excited when they woke up and saw snow, finally!  These were actually taken last weekend.  It snowed again last night and throughout the day today as well.  Camryn had a late start at school, and she and Carson begged to go outside before.  Cooper loves it too!!!  It's hard to get the 3 of them back inside!  It sounds like this is nothing compared to the snow our friends and family in Iowa have!

The Replacements

The kids and I watched on Black Friday as the tow truck hooked the Jeep, complete with the Hawkeye emblem on the back, to it's truck. We listened until we couldn't hear the rumble of the tow truck anymore. Carson kept banging on the window saying, "Hey, that's my dad's Jeep! You can't take that!" But the Jeep was replaced by Friday evening with this...

a Dodge Charger!

I had to talk him out of a 2 door, rear-wheel drive Challenger, which is what he really wanted!

And here is MY replacement...

Carson put my boots on and said, "Now I'm the mommy!" If only that could work for a day. I need a break! (P.S. We're experimenting with Carson's hair...seeing if he can pull off a shaggy do. It's driving me nuts!)

(and the Hawkeyes on the TV in the background, they need a couple replacements too! Way to throw away the season!)

The End of the Season

After I took these pictures, I realized that these were probably the last pictures that would be taken in leaves and not snow until next year.

Jerrod was in a car accident Sunday night after getting called in to the hospital earlier that evening. Luckily no one was hurt, and it wasn't Jerrod's fault! He was heading home around 10:00pm, and the opposing car failed to stop at his red light, causing Jerrod's right front end to hit the other cars left front end. The pictures don't do it justice, but the insurance adjuster said it was "a total loss." I get attached to things like cars and other inanimate objects like houses and such, but Jerrod has already started shopping! I think I know what I'll be thankful for this Thanksgiving...a happy, healthy, unharmed husband, even if he does have to work all the time!

Oh, Carson!

Last night Carson was sent to his room for talking back to me. When I put him to bed later that night, he said, "Mommy, I'm sorry for talking backwards to you. We only talk forwards." I laughed, he laughed...I just can't stay mad at that boy!

This reminds me of a funny thing Camryn said when she was about Carson' s age. Jerrod had told her she needed to remain at the dinner table until her plate was clean and that was "the bottom line." She looked at him in all seriousness and said, "Daddy, what's the top line?"

They may raise my blood pressure multiple times a day, but not a day goes by that I'm not thankful for these two "turkeys"!

Knock, Knock!

Knock, Knock jokes have been the topic at the dinner table lately. Carson's favorite is...

"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Stinky Cat."
"Stinky cat who?"
"BOO!"

No idea what that means, but he thinks it is just the funniest thing! We thought he was trying to do the joke where you say, "Boo who" and then he say, "Aw, don't cry. It's just a joke." But he made it clear that was not the case! Silly boy!

Trick-or-Treat Night

Camryn went as "A Box of Puppies for Sale" and Carson was a "Struction Worker!"

Pumpkin Carving

Camryn was the master gutter this year! She was so good, she helped Carson with his. Jerrod and I wouldn't have had to help with anything other than the carving if we didn't want to! I can't resist squishing the "guts!"

Ultimately, we ended up carving a bunch of dog bones on Camryn's, and Carson wanted a "sad pumpkin!" Forgot to take pictures of the finished product.

Zoo Boo

Soergel's Farm

My favorite time of year!!

HA!! I made Jerrod take this picture with me!

Uncle Nick and Aunt Anna

I thought Camryn looked absolutely gorgeous that day!

Grandpa Brink brought over his Percheron horses and wagon for the wedding party to have a ride after the ceremony.

Camryn was a "dancing queen!" She loved dancing to "Put a Ring on It" and "Apple Bottom Jeans!"

After a nap Carson came alive and was really "getting down!"




A little fun at the hotel pool Sunday morning!

The end of our trip to Iowa was spent in Sioux Center where we set up for and had fun being a part of Uncle Nick and Aunt Anna's wedding! Carson did great as the ring bearer and Camryn as the flower girl. It was so much fun to see family that we hadn't seen in 10 years since our own wedding! Camryn and Carson, Jerrod and I were honored to be asked to be a part of their special day! Congratulations, Uncle Nick and welcome to the family Anna!

IOWA

Wow! What a whirlwind trip. We started out Saturday morning the 25th of September for Iowa with a FULL car and an extra passenger! This was Cooper's first trip to Iowa. We made it to Maquoketa to stay with Grandpa Rich and Judy by 5:45 that night! The kids had fun riding Grandpa's 4-wheeler and discovering all of the candy corn throughout their house!

Sunday afternoon we headed to Aunt Jenny's farm where the kids enjoyed all of Alex's ride-on toys, kittens, ducks, chickens, and trampolines! We were also able to watch Olivia play a couple of volleyball games and see some of Megan's science projects. Camryn was even brave enough to take a combine ride!

Wednesday we headed to Britt for Grandma and Grandpa Keith's. The kids had fun checking out Grandpa's new golf cart and even playing 22 holes! Grandma wondered what had happened to them! Camryn filled her in on the details...

We had SOOO much fun and the weather couldn't have been better!