Christmas posts

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, everyone!!!

I divided our Christmas festivities into five separate posts for your viewing facility and they are posted below. Whew, we've been busy, but we have sure had a lot of fun! We are currently in recovery mode until the New Year. :)

See you next year!

Christmas Evening at Mom's House

We spent yesterday evening at Mom's celebrating Christmas there with the fam. Here is the best picture I have gotten yet with all eleven grandchildren in it. Grandma Carol got them all pajamas, so they all put them on for the picture! I only realized now that I don't have a single picture with Grandma Carol in it! There is always so much activity when we all get together that I don't always think things through until after its already over! Next time....










The cousins drew names, and Jessica sewed this skirt for Dominique all by herself! Dominique *loves* it!

















Some of the boys tooting their own horns.













They continued to toot all the rest of the evening, so we sent them to the basement to toot away down there!











Suzy was a busy beaver and made a bunch of homemade jelly and cappuccino mix!












Joshua got some coffee can stilts that he has been enjoying all day long!

















Aaron made Scott a gilly suit so he could go hunting in style - sniper style, that is! Lots of hours went into this gift!

















Aaron demonstrating the proper usage of it.














They went all out and made gilly suits for Dillon and Gabriel too, so they can go hunting with daddy, sniper style!





















Gabe is too cute!














Joshua got A.J.'s name and made him a card to go with the gift.

















Suzy made Amanda the same style skirt that Jessica made for Dominique. Too cool!

















Lovebirds forever.















Aaron got a puppy for Christmas, and so did Scott's family, so they both brought their new dogs to meet the family. I forgot to get a pic of Scott's, but they are both adorable! This is Moxy.

Christmas Morning at Our House

First, Dominique had to convince Daddy to wake up!












Then he read the Christmas story for us.













Dominique waiting patiently to open her presents until after the Christmas story.

















I just love the things Israel does with his mouth!


















Joshua with his new books!













Dominique with her new books!













Everyone got new socks too!













Who can resist an angel baby face like this??













Joshua with K'nex - a building set













Dominique with her "new" cash register. :) (Maybe some of you know why I say "new"??)




















Israel and his new ball. It is the perfect size for him. :)

Celebrating Christmas with the Hispanic Group

Last Wednesday night, we had a Christmas dinner with the hispanic group. It was a good time, especially when we decided to bring out the game "Pit". It was a smashing success!







Esperanza and Maria and Chupis















Then on Christmas Eve, we didn't have plans, but got invited to Esperanza's house last minute. That was fun too!


The kids had fun being a train all around the house!





When Israel got tired, he got strapped on Daddy's back and went to sleep there.

















We took "Pit" again, and it was just as much fun as last Wednesday! Here are Angel and Tata, laughing so hard they can hardly play!















More "Pit"!













Esperanza and Edith

A Visit to Grandma Nita's

These pictures are from our visit to my Grandma Nita's house, my dad's mother.

Dominique, Levi and A.J.










Grandma Nita and Mr. Moon, her husband of five years.


















Grandma Nita and my cousin Daniel


















Uncle Bill and Aunt Kathy (my dad's brother)













My brother Aaron, wife Suzy, Jessica, A.J., Colton and Levi












Jessica with Brian and Shasta's little kitty













Enjoying gabbing. :)













Our friend Oscar was in from Ecuador with his newly wedded wife Lori. It was nice to see them and get to visit a little bit!











The best I could hope for in a picture of the three of them by Grandma's tree.












Jessica outgrew Grandma Nita, and it only took her eleven years! (It took me 13, and we have a similar pic of me back to back with Grandma at that point.)
















A less than ideal family picture, but at least we are all present. ;)












Israel at the four generation table. This was Grandma Nita's when she was little. Later her children sat at it, then her grandchildren, and now her great-grandchildren!


















So there!

Visit to Grandma Jean's

Here we are with my Grandma Jean, my mom's mom.

















Joshua and Levi sharing a bucket.

















My cousins Tim and Mike













My Aunt Nancy (my mom's sister) and her granddaughter Teagan (my cousin's daughter).












Meeting Alli for the first time - my cousin Aaron's first baby. She's beautiful!

















My mom, sils and I make scrapbook pages each year for the grandmothers. Here she is looking at this year's addition to her scrapbook.












Aunt Diane and Uncle Pat (my mom's other sister)











Israel and Great Grandma Jean


















Grandma played the piano for us and it was beautiful! She hadn't played in years and she plays beautifully by ear. It was so nice to hear her play.










The next up and coming piano player of the family: my neice Jessica. She charmed us with several Christmas carols and she is really doing well.











My cousin Aaron, wife Becky and new precious daughter Alli.