Christmas 2012

Christmas eve we spent at home, just the 5 of us. I had to work that day, so Jeremy was in charge of our traditional candlelight Christmas eve dinner, prime rib and crab legs. He does such a great job, and it is seriously better than any prime rib you get at a restaurant! I look forward to this all year! It is the only time of year we eat at our dining room table and use our special Christmas tableware.  We enjoyed a birthday cake in honor of baby Jesus to completely overfill our bellies! 

After supper, the kids get to open their presents! 

The anticipation is killing them! 

Carter..PS3/DS games, marshmallow shooter, Nebraska lunchbox

 Claire..Leap pad 2, princess Legos, build a bear

Case..Elephant ball popper, balls, learning apple

After presents we checked Norad to see where Santa was. When we looked, he was heading toward Canada. Claire asked if Canada was close and I said, "well sort of" and told everyone in her most bossy pants way to get to bed! 

The kids actually all slept until about 7 which is a miracle for them! They were so thrilled to see what Santa had left them and filled their stockings with! 

 My kids ask for the most random things! For some reason the only thing they wanted was these giant stuff Tweety birds! Santa listened! He brought Case a little people wheelies car ramp.

We packed up the car and headed to Griswold to have brunch with Grandma Nancy and Lawerence. After filling our bellies there and adding to our loot, we headed to Grandma and Grandpa Berry's for more loot and more food. 

 Grandma and Grandpa Berry

 Grandma Mehlmann with great grand kids #10, #11 and #16

 Aunt Darcie and kiddos

 My 96 year old grandma rocking the Santa outfit! 

 Aunt Darcie got Claire her first ball glove. Although she had no clue what to do with it and put it on the wrong hand backwards, she still loved it as it is pink. I think little league may have their work cut out for them! 

Each Christmas we are reminded by how blessed we are with such great family and friends, and especially three healthy happy kids. As busy as we get with work, errands, kids activities, housework, etc, I try to take in every moment with these kiddos as I can. I know all too soon they will be grown and the thrill of Christmas will be different for all of us. We are excited to look ahead to 2013 and the big things we have planned! 

SNOW DAYS!

The last day of fall brought us Midwesterners a "life threatening storm" Apparently the worst storm since 1997. Can't say I remember 1997 all that well, thank goodness, as this storm was bad enough! The official total in Waukee was 11.5 inches with 45 MPH winds. It started Wednesday afternoon with freezing rain that turned into some very pretty snow, then stopped! Jeremy and I were both thinking, "Really? This is it?" Just in case Jeremy unburied the snow blower and I ran to the store for nothing in particular. Later that evening the "thunder snow" started, yes a thunderstorm during the blizzard. We got everyone tucked in and then the power went out! For some reason all I could think about was how was I going to get ready for work in the dark! Luckily it came back on around 5 am and I didn't have to go to work with nappy hair. School was cancelled Thursday and Friday with both kids somewhat upset as they missed their school winter parties. I made it to work Thursday and took my turn Friday to stay home with the kids. I love unexpected days home like this! We got our Christmas cookies for Santa made, frolicked in the snow, and finished up the present wrapping! 

We have a busy weekend ahead! Wrestling tournament tomorrow, Christmas service at church tomorrow night, and work Sunday. Jeremy and I both got some time off while Carter is on Christmas break. We plan to do our same routine we do every year for Christmas. We spend Christmas eve at home. Jeremy cooks up a mean prime rib and crab leg dinner with all the fixins and we have a candlelight dinner at our dining room table (we only use it at Christmas!) Then the kids open their gifts from each other and their gift from Jeremy and I. We watch a Christmas movie in our pajamas and then its off to bed so Santa can come. In the morning, we see what goodies Santa left in our stocking and under the tree for the kids. Then we head off to Jeremy's mom's for brunch then to my parents for dinner then home again! We are so luckily to have family close we can spend time with everyone at the holidays. I love talking about Christmas traditions with people. One tradition we started when Carter was a baby was to only give 3 gifts. This has helped us keep our spending in check, and keeps the kids from asking for a million things. Baby Jesus received 3 gifts from the wise men, why should our kids receive any more? 

A singing cowboy and a pretty girl

Both kids had their class music programs this past week. Singing is definitely not a strong Berry/Freeman characteristic but the kids did great belting out the tunes on their big night. Carter's class did a western theme complete with old favorites like Skip to my Lou, Home on the Range,  She'll be Coming Round the Mountain and Happy Trails. 

Claire's program was last Thursday among all the sickness our house could manage last week. She perked up enough to make it to the program. Her class sang traditional holiday songs and although I think she did more lip syncing than singing, she still looked pretty doing it. 

No tears this year!

No award winning Santa photo this year! We had a chance to see the big man   at Jolly Holiday Lights. The kids waited patiently in line telling each other what they were going to tell Santa. They know Santa only brings one gift to our house so they were prepared to tell him their one thing, until they actually got their turn! They got close enough for the picture but froze on the spot when Santa asked them what they wanted! Carter just shrugged his shoulders and Claire stared dead ahead! Ha! So much for being prepared! Case did a great job! He smiled at Santa, then actually petted his beard! 

Change

Change is inevitable, if we don't change, we don't grow, if we don't grow, we aren't really living. We've experienced many changes lately. Our baby Case (yes he will probably be baby Case until he is at least 18) had to make the big move a couple of weeks ago from the infant room to the toddler room at daycare. I'm never sure who this is hardest on, the kiddo, mom or their caregiver. Many tears were shed on this big day. Case has spent the last 9 months of his life with our beloved Joy. She also took care of Claire as an infant and is truly the best. It makes me feel better about the whole daycare thing when I know he is so well taken care of by her. I know other parents probably think this too, but I know Case is her favorite! Joy has tried to convince me to have another baby just so she can care for my kids! Umm..I love her to pieces but NO THANK YOU! He is getting settled into his new room with his new teacher Marilyn and doing well. It was a rough first couple of days, but he is adjusting and making new friends! 

There have been a few changes on the home front as well! I had some time off last week and made a ton of changes to our house! We have been busy "depersonalizing" our home in preparation to sell it. All of our photos have come down, boring "neutral" paint now adorns the walls. It is bittersweet to think of all the memories we have made in this house we have called home for nearly 9 years. I had a few teary moments this past week while turning the room that has always been the "baby's" room into a new room for Claire. My mom and I decorated that room for Carter's arrival. I remember searching high and low for the right decorations, bedding, etc to make it special for our new baby. Many nights I spent in that room rocking a baby. It was hard to "let it go". Now 7 years later I think the house was trying to tell me to leave it alone as I couldn't get the wallpaper off! Ha ha! Finally after many late nights and a few blisters, Claire now has her own room and the boys now share a room! It was fun to pick out some girlie things for her after sharing a room with Carter for the last year, but hard to not go overboard since we are moving! So far the bedtime routine has gone off without a hitch with everyone in their new place! 

 She looks so big in this little bed! 

The season's are changing with the passing of Thanksgiving and onto Christmas. Our resident elf Sam has made his appearance, although he seems to be a very lazy elf this year as he keeps forgetting to move each night! I am running out of excuses to tell the kids why this seems to be his favorite spot! 

The trees (yes plural...we put up 4) are up and adored with special ornaments. 

Case is having a hay day redecorating the big tree. I gave up telling him "No, don't touch" It is so precious to see him waddle over to the tree and stare at it and ever so gently touch it and then look back to see if it is okay. 

The kids and I toured the Festival of Trees and Lights last week. This is a local fundraiser for Blank Children's hospital. The work that goes into decorating these trees is unbelievable! The kids each voted for their favorite tree. In true Claire fashion, she picked the pink one decorated with ballerina shoes and tutu's. 

Carter went for the all blue tree, "Just because I like blue" Good enough!

The kids got to play some games and decorate a cookie before leaving. Santa was also there but when I asked if they wanted to see him, I got a firm "NO!" I am hoping they brave up soon and want to see Santa and tell them what they want because I have no idea!

Change is good. The serenity prayer reminds of that. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference."