Christmas Morning

Nolan was the first person in our family to wake up on Christmas morning, and we let him be a bit loud so he would wake Rylee too. Once the kids were awake they went and found Grandma and Papa, because Rylee was dying to see if Santa had come. Once everyone was ready, the kids came into the family room to see what was left for them. All the kids loved what they got. Nolan immediately started playing tools, Rylee snatched up her new cell phone immediately, and Wyatt started playing with his new Cars Racetrack. After examining all the goodies in their stockings, and even eating a few, we started seperating all the presents under the tree, which was quite a process. There were several presents for the four kids at the house, plus all the other grandkids that were coming later, but when it was all said and done we had quite the pile in the middle of the room for the kiddos to open.

Rylee was all about tearing through each present as fast as she could, while Nolan was quite content playing with his tools. Eventually he caught on that their was more for him too, and started unwrapping a few presents with help from Daddy and Rylee. While Rylee wanted to go from one present to the next as fast as possible, Nolan wanted to take each present out of the box and play with it for a minute or two and then go on to the next presents. Both kids were spoiled out of their minds by us and their grandparents, but is there anything truly better then the excitement and joy of them opening their new presents, I mean really? They are so perfect, cute, adorable, sweet, and I could go on for ever but nothing makes me happier then making them happy. I love Christmas and we will miss you until next year Santa!

Santa

After the kids finally went to bed and fell asleep, Santa was able to set up presents and stockings. Rylee asked Santa for a new scooter and a new cell phone, her princess one is missing. Nolan is too young to really ask for anything yet from Santa, so Santa picked out a Tool Bench that he thought Nolan would like. They each got a few stocking stuffers and some treats too.

Our family tradition is to set everything out that Santa brings and not wrap them, so when the kids come out in the morning they immediately see what Santa brought them.

Rylee's Tinkerbell Scooter

Rylee's Stocking Stuffers

Nolan's Stocking Stuffers

Nolan's Tool Bench

Christmas Eve

We had a fun Christmas Eve filled with cousins, hot tubbing and even some presents. Every one came over except Uncle Mark's family, and they were with their other Grandparents. We had yummy pizza and lots of different treats to eat. The kids ran around 100 miles an hour because they were all so excited for Santa to come. After dinner and playing Monster with Grandpa, Uncle Travis and Grandpa took the kids out to the hot tub for awhile. After the hot tub we all got our jammies on and the kids watched a few movies. They watched Frosty the Snowman first and then they all wanted to watch the Disney World video that Uncle Travis had made. Once they were done with their movies Uncle Travis' family headed home, and Uncle Jason's family spent the night at Grandma's house with us.

Once we got the house picked up a bit, we read the scriptures together and then the kids each opened up one present. Rylee opened her present from Nolan, a bath tub for all of her babies. Nolan opened up a toy Rex that walks and growls. Both kids loved their presents. After presents we tucked them into bed, so Santa could come drop off his presents. Both kids took awhile to fall asleep, and I truly think Rylee was just too excited this year too sleep, sweet girl.

Rylee in the hot tub

Nolan hot tubbing

Rylee and Bryson watching Frosty the Snowman

Matt and the kids

Opening their present

Rylee and her baby bath tub

Nolan and his Rex

Cake and Presents

After the bounce house we all came back to Grandma's house for dinner, cake and presents. Nolan of course had a Mickey Mouse birthday cake and got lots of great presents from his cousins and Grandparents. He got Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse from Mom and Dad, a Mickey Airplane from Rylee, Gator Golf and a Word World Toy from Uncle Travis and family, a monster truck from Uncle Jason's family, a cars toy and a puzzle from Uncle Mark's family, the Dancing Mickey from Grandma and Grandpa, and a Mickey backpack and pajamas from Grandma and Grandpa Reinbold, like I said lots of great presents. He loved his cake and even blew out his candle without any help. All the kids loved the cake and had a fun night playing together.

Nolan's Cake

Gator Golf

Thanking Uncle Travis

Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse

Dancing Mickey

Blowing out his candle

Licking the frosting

The kids eating cake

Bounce House

For Nolan's Birthday Party we invited all of the cousins and went to a bounce house place and had a great time. The weather had been raining for almost a week straight, so the kids all had a lot of energy to get out! There were bounce houses, blow up slides, basketball hoops, and climbing things to play on. The kids all had a blast and it was so much fun to share Nolan's birthday with his cousins.

Nolan in the pop up castle

Bryson and Rylee

Kami and Nolan at the end of the slide

Kami and Nolan in the bounce house

Trevor about to jump down

Playing on the blow up slide

Alyssa and Kylie coming down the slide

Nolan coming down the slide

Guess Who Had a Birthday??

Yup, that is right, Nolan turned 2 three days ago. We are so lucky to have this little guy in our lives and as a part of our family. His personality and sense humor are so fun and bring joy and laughter into every home he is in. He is loving and caring and very protective of his big sister. Nolan loves anything to do with kicking a ball and will kick anything that resembles a ball as well. He is the most ticklish kid I have met, and actually comes over asks to get tickled because he loves it. Right now he is a little bit of a Mama's boy and I love every minute of that. Some of our favorite things he says right now are:
"Owww, that hurt."
"Wow"
"Awesome"
"mmmmm, I don't know"

"Yesssss"

"mmmmm, No."
He can make almost any animal noise, but makes the cutest fishy face I have ever seen. Just the other day I heard him count to 10 all by himself. We have tried to work on potty training a few times and each time it has been a complete failure, but we will keep working. I could go on and on about this little guy, but the bottom line is he is "awesome" and we are so lucky to have him as a part of our family.

Nolan and the Notre Dame Mascot

While Nolan and I were in North Carolina we went and watched the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship game. We watched Notre Dame and Standford play and Notre Dame won 1-0. The game was absolutely freezing and we didn't even make it to the end of the game, but while Nolan and I were walking around Nolan became fascinated with the mascot, so I of course had to snap a picture. Nolan is trying to put his dukes up in the picture, but his hands were so cold he didn't really want to take them out.

Grandma's Christmas Card Picture

Grandma made all eleven grandkids matching/coordinating Christmas pajamas this year and wanted a picture of them in their jammies for her Christmas card. As soon as we got in town we had everyone come over to get a picture. We had one or two really good shots out of about 30 pictures, but in reality with as many little kids as we have that is not too bad. This guys are all such good friends and buddies it is great to watch them all play and spend time together.

Decorating Cookies With Cousins

Thursday following Rylee's surgery, Grandma, the kids and I drove out to California for the Holidays. Shortly after we got in town Grandma had all the cousins over to decorate surgery cookies. Nolan took more of an interest in dipping his cookie in the frosting and eating his cookies. Rylee did really well frosting the cookies, but when it came to decorating them she wanted to get as many candies on the as possible. She has so much fun with all the cousins, it is fun to be out here and let them all play.

Rylee and Kylie decorating

Nolan eating his cookies

Rylee and Bryson (Rudolph) eating lunch together

Rylee's Pharyngoplasty

On Tuesday, December 14, Rylee had her 4th and last procedure of the year. This surgery was to fix her soft palate disorder, VPI. In her mouth she had a 30% gap that she could no close by herself due to a week muscle in her soft palate, and as a result her speech was very nasally. She was a little bit more nervous for this surgery then the last few, but we thought she would do great as she always has. Her last surgery she went back with the anesthesiologist just fine, but this time she did not enjoy it. She was so upset this time that I actually dressed in doctor clothes too and went into the OR until she was under. Rylee typically struggles when she comes out of surgery and is really grouchy, but the doctor's played with the medicines a bit and she did do much better coming out of the anesthetic then normally. This surgery required an overnight stay, so after surgery Grandma, Daddy and Nolan came to visit us during lunch time. Rylee and I watched movies and played games on the iTouch, and I kept hoping she would nap but she never did. After work Daddy came back up to visit and the two of them had some ice cream together and watched some TV. In the morning all she wanted was to go home, but she was struggling to drink because he mouth was sore. So, once we got her to drink we were able to go home and later in the afternoon she actually went to her preschool Christmas Party.

She has had no complications from the surgery at all and is healing great. We are so grateful for her surgeon and his patience with her as she has gone through all of this in the last 5 months. We are excited to have everything done for awhile and look forward watching our girl develop over the next few months.

All dressed and ready to go

Having Ice Cream with Daddy

Christmas With Caity

Three days after getting home from Texas, Nolan and I flew to North Carolina for 5 days, and then the next weekend we celebrated Christmas with our best friend Caity. She is so great about getting gifts for the kids and even Matt and I, and the kids loved their gifts. She got Nolan a Mickey Mouse scooter and a birthday/Christmas present and she got Rylee a new baby doll! She got Matt a really nice new tie and I got a new scentsy. We always try to spoil her a bit to, and this year we got her the entire set of The Work and The Glory and then a one year membership to Costco, which by her reaction she really liked!

Caity and the Kids

Rylee and Nolan with Yahtzee Jr.

Rylee with her new baby

Nolan checking out Mickey on his scooter

Caity and her Costco Membership

Matt's new tie

Thanksgiving in Texas

It is amazing how fast time goes when in the last month I have been in 7 different states, some only being airports but still. I am now going to try to catch up on a bit of blogging.

We spent the entire week of Thanksgiving in Texas, and had an absolute blast. We all got to meet baby Amaya for the very first time and we got to spend a lot of time with a lot of family. The fist part of the week was spent at Grandma Kathi's house and Aunt Erica's house getting lots of cousin and play time in, and then the last few days we spent at Aunt Joan's with even more family. We bounced around sleeping from Grandma and Papa's, to Aunt Erica's and then out to Great Aunt Kari's and Gary's house. We are so lucky to have so many people willing to put us up for a few nights, we had so much fun.

Some of the events that happened during the week were:

Daddy's Birthday

Cousin Pictures

Family Karokee

Cousin Christmas

Thanksgiving Dinner with 70 people :)

and many other things I am sure I forgot.

We were the first of the group to head home, and it is always hard to leave because the kids have such a great time playing together. I know this is a short post for such a great week long trip, but sadly time has gotten away from me and I am in catch up mode now.

Holiday Pictures & Nolan's 2 Year Old Pictures

This afternoon we went and got the kids pictures taken for the Holidays and for Nolan's 2nd Birthday. They both did really well and were pretty cooperative, and we ended up with some good shots. The hardest part was keeping Nolan still, he wanted to move too much. After pictures they were rewarded with a quick trip to sit on Santa's lap, and I will post that picture later.

Playing in the Snow

This morning the kids helped me shovel the snow and they had a great time. They didn't exactly play with the snow as much as they enjoyed just walking through it. Nolan would follow Rylee wherever she walked and they had a great time looking at the tracks they would make in the snow. The two of them were doing great and having fun until Nolan's glove fell off. Once his glove fell off and he touched the snow with his bare hand he was ready to go inside. It was fun to watch the two of them play and I have a feeling we will be playing in the snow a lot more this winter.

The Party Has Begun

Sunday morning we left for Dallas for a week of lots of fun, family, and food. Last night these four were extremely excited for Granna and Double G to get to Grandma's house, so they sat on the front steps and waited for them to pull around the corner. All day Rylee kept asking Grandma how much longer until Double G got here, and Grandma would call and check and let Rylee know how long it was going to be. Well, luckily they got here soon after Megan and Connor, because everyone was VERY excited to see them.