Its a Season to be Merry and Bright!!!

The Wonderful Thanksgiving with Ellen, Yummy

Mikayla making friends with Aunt Ellen's bird

Barely snow on the ground...before the 2-4 in and she hates it

Just us!

Playing with Aunt Deb and Uncle Steve's toys

Playing with one of her cousins at Deb and Steve's

Telling Grandma J how to open her gift

Can't go without a pic of the boys in their bells

Opening the bag of goodies from friend Kellie

Excited that Santa is Coming To Town

Praying or is it begging for all the toys in town

The growing present stack not to mention the ones we already opened as we got them...from family and neighbors, etc

The loaded Stockings

Sheet covered walk in kitchen

Blowing out candle on Jesus' birthday cake

Having her morning cup of Java

He-Haw....and away she goes

The new dragon getting a work-out

For the most part the holiday's are over ...just have New Year to go and that is not much as we do not do much for the New Year, we do more for the Chinese New Year which does not come until February. Thanksgiving we spent with my dear friend Ellen and friends at her house where Lee made the best Turkey ever as always, Thanks Lee. All the food was great and as usual we all ate too much. Soon after Thanksgiving we were in full Christmas mode with getting all the goodies made to eat and given away so we don't have to eat it all when the neighbors brought their goodies and we still had/have just as much to eat. We headed off to the in-laws for mom's big surprise birthday with the family....I hope to have a group photo soon from that event. The food was awesome and we got to see some of the family we had not seen in years which was really a treat to see how all the kids had grown so much since our last seeing them all. Mikayla got to meet and play with cousins she never met until now. She also got to meet some of the older cousins, aunts and uncles she also had not met until now. She was over whelmed at first but I think she liked the attention by the time the night was over especially since she is the youngest girl in the family right now. She got to eat her first real birthday cake and pies and so many sweets I am surprised she did not have sugar overload. Coming home away from the snow we got there, we received our white Christmas right on schedule. Christmas Eve Mikayla got to see Santa ride down our block in his sleigh for real...I am so sorry I did not get a pic as she was in bed when I saw him and dragged her out of bed and outside to see him just in time, if I was to find the camera she surely would have missed him. She slept well that night with all the fun we had that day and staying up late to see Santa go by and giving out candy canes. In the morning she was super thrilled to have Jesus' birthday cake (a large chocolate chip cookie) for breakfast. She got to blow out the candle and succeeded on the first try. Then it was off to the tree and stocking...she started with the stocking and could not believe all that was in it. Then when she looked under the tree she couldn't believe how many more gifts there were from the night before. It was so cute to see her amazement seeing everything new for the first time, the things we take for granted. She never even noticed the big item covered by sheet in the dining room right where the cake was...she did eye the covered sheet item in the living room only for a sec but stayed where the gifts were under the tree. When they were all gone and opened we asked her to pull the sheet off the living room item and she was not liking the idea (scared at what to expect I guess) so Daddy helped and the smile was so big on her face when she saw her new horse Lucky, I think her eyes shone brighter than the sun. She rode Lucky for a short journey listening to him talk and sing when I asked her to come look at the other sheet. She still was not interested in pulling the sheet off and once again Daddy helped. Once she got a glimpse of what was underneath she was in and in awe, she was speachless. She now has her very own walk in kitchen with grocery cart and more food then a person should be allowed to have in one grocery trip for a month. She has had the kitchen for all of what...a day and a half and I am not sure if she spent more time in it or on Lucky riding all day. Santa did bring the Kitchen and stuff but Grandma and her Aunt get the credit for Lucky. Of course the boys did get some edible goodies and a new dragon and squeek toy that is already getting a work out. Mommy and Daddy also got their toys and things. Christmas and Santa was good this year and we will all be paying for it for a while....literally. :-) Hope you all had a Happy, Merry and Healthy Christmas and Holiday Season. Happy New Year to all and hope to be back here with more soon. Blessings for now and through the new year too. AJ

Surrounded by snow with no where to go...awwwwJake high steppin in his boots when Louie comes to pick on him since he is not wearing his...I could not find Louie's but I found them now... cant wait to have both of them high steppin soon :-)

The unvieling of the Kitchen....