Saturday, December 31, 2011
Christmas with Grandma and Grandad
Thursday before we headed to Branson, we had some very special visitors. Phin and his mom and dad, Sean and Susan, came to see us. We have been praying for Phin since February when he was diagnosed with leukemia. He is a few days older than Layton and Sean is one of Kris' best friends from when he was in Australia. We have prayed many a prayer for this little guy. Praise the Lord, he had a bone marrow transplant and is doing GREAT! We were so thankful to see them.
After they left that afternoon, we got on our way. We had to stop a couple of times because we had Dash with us. I think it was around 8:30 p.m. when we finally got to Branson. We were meeting Bryon and Julie, some coworkers of Kris', at Golden Corral for supper. They were staying in a time share condo of Julie's dad's that night and had an extra room. They insisted that we stay with them. Right before we got to the restaurant, Layton threw up every where! He got car sick. This seems to happen every few trips by one of the kids. Those curvy roads on the way to Branson are NO fun! Anyway, we cleaned him up, ate dinner, and went back to the condo.
I wasn't sure how Mr. Dash was going to do. He is a WONDERFUL traveler. He is just so good, but I didn't know how we would work it with him in his crate all night inside. He is an outside dog, afterall. We put him in his crate in the bathroom and he slept without a peep from 10:30 to 5:30. I didn't sleep all that well that night because I was worried about the little guy. I hated the thought of him needing to go to the bathroom and not being able to because he probably wouldn't go in his crate. So, finally at 5:30 a.m. I got up and took him out. He went straight and did his business and went right back up and went to sleep. He was so good! He did the same thing at Grandma and Grandad's. He would stay in the house in his crate at night because it was super cold there. I would get up and take him outside and he would go and then go right back to sleep. During the day, he would either run around by himself some or stay in a dog pen outside that they have. I was just so proud of our Dashy!!!
Saturday morning after cousin Isabel had gotten there, some of us went for a walk out in the pasture.
Hannah and Isabel.
Aren't they cute?!
Awwww!!! Lincoln and his faces. Oh me.
Poor Dash.
Lindsey had brought a gingerbread house for the kids to do. However, the adults had trouble getting it to stand up. They worked and worked at it. It was so stubborn.
How many people does it take to put together a gingerbread house??
And then, poof! It fell down!!! Oh well. :0
I love this picture of the girls with Layt.
The rest of the family came for supper that night. Before we ate, we opened presents from Grandma and Grandad. Here is Kurt and Kris.
Lincoln and Austin playing with the Ipad.
A cool remote control car from Grandma and Grandad for Lincoln! It was a hit!
More Ipad playing for Alex and Austin.
Hannah got a little handheld sewing machine from Grandma and Grandad. She was excited!
Isabel got one too. She was ecstatic. Apparently she loves the show Project Runway on tv and was in heaven on a recent trip to New York City where she got to go to the store Mood Designer Fabrics--a fashion designer discount fabric store. I know she will love using her sewing machine!!
More present opening after supper!
Playing ball with the basketball that went with Lincoln's new Spiderman basketball goal.
Hannah got a Bead Weaving Loom from Uncle Les and Aunt Carol. Aunt Carol helped her make a super cool bracelet the next day.
Glow in the dark fingernail polish from Isabel.
No telling what these two were cutting up about. They are crazy together.
Hannah got some new boots and a really cute outfit to go with them from Aunt Mona!
I just love their reaction to the kids' picture!
After presents we played Hot Potato because Grandma got the game for Christmas. There was lots of laughing going on. Layton thought it was hilarious.
We had such a fun time with everybody!! Thanks Grandma and Grandad for a great Christmas!!!
I wasn't sure how Mr. Dash was going to do. He is a WONDERFUL traveler. He is just so good, but I didn't know how we would work it with him in his crate all night inside. He is an outside dog, afterall. We put him in his crate in the bathroom and he slept without a peep from 10:30 to 5:30. I didn't sleep all that well that night because I was worried about the little guy. I hated the thought of him needing to go to the bathroom and not being able to because he probably wouldn't go in his crate. So, finally at 5:30 a.m. I got up and took him out. He went straight and did his business and went right back up and went to sleep. He was so good! He did the same thing at Grandma and Grandad's. He would stay in the house in his crate at night because it was super cold there. I would get up and take him outside and he would go and then go right back to sleep. During the day, he would either run around by himself some or stay in a dog pen outside that they have. I was just so proud of our Dashy!!!
They finally got it up long enough to decorate it a bit.
Again, Layton needed a little encouragement to get his presents open.
Grandad thought it was so funny that Les and Carol got him a goat. Actually they bought a goat in his name for a needy family in another country. Great idea!!!
We got Lindsey a luggage set for Christmas/Graduation. We have gotten each of the grandkids a luggage set when they've graduated from high school. Lindsey will graduate this year and she is the last one until Hannah!! I can not believe Lindsey is graduating!!! She was the flower girl in our wedding!!! Such a great girl and so so good with our kids!
We had such a fun time with everybody!! Thanks Grandma and Grandad for a great Christmas!!!
Christmas at Home 2011
Our Christmas at home was a little different this year. This was our year to be in Kansas City for Christmas, so we had to figure out how we were going to work doing Santa. We had plans to leave Thursday evening and drive to Branson, spend the night, and then drive the rest of the way Friday morning. I think it was Monday night, we decided Santa might need to come Wednesday night instead of waiting till we got home the following Monday night. The kids sent their email to Santa that Monday night telling him that they were not going to be back until the Monday after Christmas and asked him to come then. They also told him what they wanted.
Our Christmas traditions have to be a bit different from the norm since we have to be out of town every other year. We don't get to do the whole leave Santa milk and cookies and wake up Christmas morning to open presents. That is ok though. We have made our own traditions--we usually send him an email with an email address that Kris created just for this purpose every year. Well, that night after the kids sent their email we decided we probably needed to go ahead and have Santa come before we left for KC. So, Santa sent an email back the next morning telling them
"Thank you for letting me know that you will be at your Grandma and Grandad's house during Christmas. How about I go ahead and make a test run with the sleigh and bring your presents a little early. In fact, I can probably bring them Wednesday evening--but you'll need to make sure that you aren't at the house when I arrive. Why don't you suggest to your mom and dad that you all go out for dinner and I'll probably come then."
That Santa is a pretty smart guy. Ha! Our little tradition has become that we go eat at Sakura, a Japanese steakhouse. It is always a nice little treat. So that's what we did. They were so excited to get in the house and see what Santa had brought. I barely had the camera ready before they walked in so I could get their reactions!
Lincoln's face cracks me up in this picture. He was focused on looking everything over!!! Hannah was just all smiles!
Lincoln was all smiles when he saw his Imaginext T-Rex.
Hannah pointed out Layton's 3-in-1 tricycle.
Layton quickly found his Little People ramping race car set.
LOVE his face when he found his tricycle!!!!
Hannah was so happy! She got her Lalaloopsy Doll that she asked Santa for.
Lincoln got his Spider Man String Net Shooter.
Hannah wanted a basketball. She has been playing basketball alot at school. Maybe she will take after her Momma!??
Hannah got a sewing machine. She was excited about it and couldn't wait to give it a try.
Of course, the boys had to add to their tool collection from Daddy. This year was a screwdriver set.
She got a much needed alarm clock/radio. She LOVES the radio!!!
Hannah was so cute. This year several weeks before Christmas she went and wrapped some presents for each one of us. She just took things from her room that she wanted to give away and used some of her scrapbook paper to wrap them up. We each got something that she thought we would like. She gave Layton a raccoon stuffed animal.
She was so funny. She gave me one of her ceramic dishes that goes with a dish set she has. It made me laugh. I love her.
Kris got me a couple of cookbooks. One of them was the Pioneer Woman's cookbook. Yay!
I also got a cast-iron Dutch oven. Love it!
And some rain boots that I wanted!
It was a little note pad! How hilarious is that??? She beats all.
I got Kris some boots
and some Razorback stuff--as he seems to have become quite the little Hog fan.
Our Christmas traditions have to be a bit different from the norm since we have to be out of town every other year. We don't get to do the whole leave Santa milk and cookies and wake up Christmas morning to open presents. That is ok though. We have made our own traditions--we usually send him an email with an email address that Kris created just for this purpose every year. Well, that night after the kids sent their email we decided we probably needed to go ahead and have Santa come before we left for KC. So, Santa sent an email back the next morning telling them
"Thank you for letting me know that you will be at your Grandma and Grandad's house during Christmas. How about I go ahead and make a test run with the sleigh and bring your presents a little early. In fact, I can probably bring them Wednesday evening--but you'll need to make sure that you aren't at the house when I arrive. Why don't you suggest to your mom and dad that you all go out for dinner and I'll probably come then."
That Santa is a pretty smart guy. Ha! Our little tradition has become that we go eat at Sakura, a Japanese steakhouse. It is always a nice little treat. So that's what we did. They were so excited to get in the house and see what Santa had brought. I barely had the camera ready before they walked in so I could get their reactions!
Lincoln's face cracks me up in this picture. He was focused on looking everything over!!! Hannah was just all smiles!
I stuck this picture in here to show her using her new sewing machine. This was after we had gotten home from KC. It is a little hard to do without help, but I think it will be fun to her!
Hannah Burton had this Bible a while back at church. I thought it was so neat, so I ordered it from Life Way. It is a Day by Day Kid's Bible. You read the Bible in 1 year, 7 minutes a day. I think this will be neat for Hannah and I to do together. She has been really good about doing the daily bible reading that Ms. Tina assigns for the Faith in Action class. I think she can do this!
New Leapster Game--Scooby Doo. We still love our Leapster.
Lincoln watching Kris open his gift from Hannah.
It was a great Christmas and I am thankful for my hard-working husband who helps make it all possible!
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