Merry Christmas and to all a good night

Well, I am getting ready in about half an hour to wake the little ones to prepare for Midnight Mass (the moment we look forward to every year). But we started the evening with the best Christmas presents -- Nana and Aunt Katie put together photo albums for each child and Nana says she wants each one to come over at the end of the year and do another page with her. Then we had Chinese food with Nana, Katie, Blue Truck, Aunt Nancy, and Uncle Ed. We returned home and put everyone to bed. Then I decided to decorate Jesus' Birthday cake as I really don't like to do those while the kids are hovering. And guess what I backed up the sink rinsing RED icing off of dishes. (I am very grateful for a loving and understanding husband -- although at that point I was just glad I had a husband.) So some pictures to remember the evening by:

Peter's Birthday

Well another great thing about living around family is they all join you for celebrations. We had a lasagna dinner and dragon cake and ice cream for dessert. Great Aunt Nancy, Great Uncle Ed, Great Uncle Billy, Cousin Patrick, Aunt Katie, Nanna, and Blue Truck all joined us.

My dad (Blue Truck) recminising about Fruit Roll ups. The ones that say "lick here".

Aunt Katie, Uncle Billy, Nanna, Blue Truck, Aunt Nancy and Cousin Patrick chipped in on various aspects of the western costume.

One of the realitives asked if it was ok to get him a rifle. I said, "Why not? He turns every other toy in the house into a gun."

RA's feast Day

This had to be one of the busiest feast days yet. We let RA pick all the food for the day. So we started at QDoba for lunch. Then we met my parents (Nana & Blue Truck) at a beautiful and very creative park in downtown C-Springs call America the Beautiful Park. It was a 90 degree day so we took drinks and got ice cream. We think Blue Truck liked the park as much as the kids. We didn't take pictures but here is one I found. They have very creative ideas.
After the park, our dentist (whose kids are in the homeschool co-op with us) had an open house and one of the priests from the Community of St. Jean came to do the blessing. He gave RA a blessing on her feast and gave our family a blessing as well. They had a teenager doing face painting at the open house so the kids had a blast. Blake asked her, "How did you learn this?" She said, "I just picked it up." I'm impressed.

As I said RA chose the food for the day, so it was home to ice a cake and make dinner - breakfast burritos.

A fun and tiring day was had by all, especially the feast day girl!

Our Lady Queen of the Angels, Pray for us!

DG's 7th Birthday and celebration - in pictures

Did we pick the right present or what? LotR Risk, what could be better? Even RA looks excited!
Thanks G& G Helgoth

"It's my best cake yet, mom!" Boy he knows how to lay it on thick.

Mom isn't so sure, but if it makes the birthday boy happy.

Next day, The North Pole with cousins

Now this is hard to see, Blake and kids in back, Blake's cousin Cindy next, the boys next, Blake's Aunt Connie after, and first Cindy's husband Darrin. I'm not sure which cars Cindy and Darrin's girls are in but I think RA is with Blake. PG and I sat this one out.

Blake, RA and PG on a tilt a whirl!

Aunt Connie and the boys on the Tilt-A-Whirl

PG is flying

Cindy's daughter with a bird in the magic show. She dressed especially for the North Pole! What a doll!