New Year's Eve

We are not fans of getting out on New Year's Eve. Rather than going out to celebrate, we decided to bring the celebration to us.  We invited a few neighbors over for food and fun, which was perfect because no one had to drive anywhere.

We even decorated a little.

Stetson made a sign welcoming everyone to our party and we put out all the necessities to ring in the new year.

We had a great time!  Here are the Mommies being silly.

And the Daddies laughing at us.

All the kids wore pajamas and played and played and played.  

I had to post a picture of the lone boy.  He's such a trooper!

Amy and Aaron (Jordan's Mom and Dad)

Nicole and Brian (Morgan and McKenna's Mom and Dad)

Happy New Year (with J)!!

Happy New Year (with me)!!  

These two thought they were BIG STUFF drinking their sparkling grape juice.  They had three glasses each!!

May 2013 bring each of you health, happiness and prosperity.  Here's to Lucky 13!!!

Cassidy's Pictures

I thought I would post the final outcome of Cassidy's pictures.  I think they turned out cuter than expected!  

Christmas Vacation

Both kids have been able to enjoy the Christmas break this year.  They have stayed home with Daddy and not had to go to daycare, which they totally need and deserve.  In my opinion, that is the best Christmas gift of all.

Since they are home, they have time to play with all their new toys.  Cassidy LOVES her new bike and feels like such a big girl.

While her brother is figuring out how to be tricky on his new bike.

I even got to get outside and play!

The dogs have really enjoyed the kids being home too.  Cassidy has spoiled them rotten!

She covers them with her blankets and pats them to sleep.  What a life!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas morning is by far THE BEST time of the entire year!  It doesn't matter how old you are either.  You just can't escape the magic! We have all been waiting not so patiently for it to arrive, and finally, it is here!!!

Wow!  Look at all the loot Santa left!

Santa left Stetson the blue ipod he requested.

As well as the pink guitar that Cassidy requested.

Aunt Allison, Uncle Chris, Alyssa and Brendon gave Cassidy Alyssa's old princess bike and helmet.

We all received so  many wonderful gifts and I wish I could post pictures of all of them.  Thank you all for making our Christmas so magical!!

After we opened all our gifts it was time to clean up.  As we were cleaning, Stetson noticed that his stocking was hung back up and there something in it.  None of us did it nor knew anything about it.  He took down his stocking and found a letter inside.  It was a letter from Santa that said what an extraordinarily good boy he had been this year and that he got him something special.  He had the elves working hard to make it just for him, and he had to make a second trip to get it to him.  Wow!!  Santa came to our house a second time and we didn't even know it!!  The note told Stetson to go to the garage.

To find a new bike!  Not any bike, though.  It is the bike he requested...blue with flames, foot pegs, and handlebars that spin!

What a wonderful Christmas morning!  That afternoon we had Gramps, Natalie and Finn over for our Christmas meal.  Once again, the kids had a blast playing together.

It also snowed on Christmas!!

By the end of the day, this is what we all looked like.  Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!

Christmas Eve

We were invited to our neighbor's house to spend Christmas Eve.  The kids were so excited to get to celebrate with Jordan!  J and I were happy to celebrate with her Mom and Dad too.

We had quite the array of foods and snacks to nibble on throughout the evening, and they were all so good!

We let the kids wear their Christmas pajamas.

Cassidy and her idol, Jordan.

We also exchanged gifts, which was perfect for anxious little ones on Christmas Eve.  Stetson received a Yoda hat, spy sunglasses, and lots of other little goodies.  Just for the record, he slept with his Yoda hat on because he loved it so much.

Cassidy got this Cinderella doll, a Cinderella snow globe and a princess flashlight.  Another huge hit.

We gave Jordan a snow globe ornament and lots of jewelry.

After opening gifts, Amy had everything for the kiddos to decorate cookies for Santa.  Great idea!

It was getting late after all these activities were complete, so the kids decided to see where Santa was.  They all got on the computer and tracked his progress on Nexrad.

Lastly, we had reindeer food for Santa.  Jordan, Stetson, and Cassidy all spread the reindeer food in the street between our houses so they knew exactly where to land.

Finally, it was time to go back to our house and prepare for Santa's arrival.  We put out the brownies we made earlier in the day, the cookies they decorated tonight, a little plate of a cookie and M&Ms for Pickles (our elf), and celery for the reindeer.  I think they will all enjoy the goodies!

Merry Christmas Eve!!

Last Item on the List

Well, it is the morning of Christmas Eve and we only have one item left on our to-do list. It is a very important item too...making treats for Santa!!  The kids have been waiting to do this and are so excited that it is finally time.  

They helped make the treats and waited patiently as they baked.  Another one of Aunt Mo's little gifts came in handy to help pass the time.  I can remember doing these when I was little!

This year we decided not to bake cookies for Santa, but rather, to make him a treat that he may not get at every house.  What would that be? Well brownies of course!!

The kids did a great job cutting out all the different shapes.

The most fun, though, was decorating them! We had red icing, green icing, and mini red and green M&Ms.

Mommy and Daddy were not asked to help this year.  They are growing up so fast!

Messy but fun!

The best part of it being messy, though, is the clean up.  Isn't this how everyone does it?

I love seeing the excitement in their eyes and the smiles on their faces.  Christmas really is magical!

Here is Cassidy's tray...BEA-U-TI-FUL!!

And Stetson's tray...UH-MAZING!

Santa will surely love these treats!  Awesome, awesome, awesome job!!

Mission Accomplished!

Agent Stetson and Agent Cassidy have been very busy!  Christmas Mission 2012 has been in full swing since it arrived.  There has been tons of Christmas Joy spread all around!

One of the "bonuses" of the Mission was, of course, the extra gifts Elfmo (Aunt Mo) included to help keep the agents going as they complete their Mission and near the best day of the year!  One of the items they opened was glow in the dark silly putty.  SO COOL and there was even a blue one for Stetson and a pink one for Cassidy!  Thank you, Elfmo!  You, too, have spread Christmas Joy!

Remember the ICJs?  These cards have been given to family, friends, teachers and neighbors to give Instant Christmas Joy that will last all year long, not just at Christmas time.

As explained before, the agents received another $10 each to give away to groups that can help those who need a little bit of extra help.  I have to say, having done this last year, they were really into this task of the Mission and sought out those they could help.  While at Firewheel Mall, they found an opportunity but they are not quick to just give their money to anyone.  They want to know who they are helping and why.

Here I am explaining what this cause was and what their money was going toward.  Great job capturing this moment, Daddy!

Once approved, the agents asked me for their Mission Bux (MBs).  They REALLY wanted to help this cause so they decided to give half their money each.

Stetson donated $5.

As did Cassidy.

Any idea who they are giving their MBs to?

They supported our veterans!  The man in the picture above is also a veteran and helped explain exactly what a veteran is and why they need help.  Stetson really related to this cause and said that his Gramps, Papa, Uncle Kevin and Uncle Chris were all soldiers too.

At another destination, they came upon a woman sitting at a table.  She asked if they would like to make a donation but the agents asked what they were donating to and why it would help.  The woman explained that she was a recovering drug addict who lost her kids because of her poor choices.  Their donation would help fund the same program she went through called Victory Outreach Special Service Homes.  This organization is designed to reclaim and restore lives that have been consumed by drugs, alcohol, physical abuse and/or other substance abuse.  Each Victory Outreach Home is free of charge.  The course of the recovery is one year, and all individuals live in a 24-hour "Home" environment.

The agents decided to donate $3 each.

Cassidy shoved her money in the bucket!

Stetson was a little more gentle.

Agent Stetson and Agent Cassidy are now down to $2 each.  They know exactly what the red kettles are and asked to find one for their remaining MBs.  Luckily, they are not too hard to find.

And that makes the Mission accomplished!

We are so proud of our agents and know that Elfmo will be too.  The lessons they learned during last year's Mission have stuck with them and even helped guide their Mission this year.  I have no doubt that they learned even more during this year's Mission too. These agents are experts in spreading the joy!  Thank you again, Aunt Mo, for making this possible.  They will remember these Missions and the memories they create for a lifetime.