December fun with the Manns!

Had a super duper busy December with Christmas outings and two birthdays in our house.  It was such a great time though and got to spend serious time w/ family and friends!  I copied this format from my friend Jiffy's blog.

Dec 2:  Polar Express train ride.  We took the kids to ride the train to the North Pole, meet w/ Santa on the train and have hot chocolate and cookies while listening to the story and Christmas music. 

Dec 3: Adopt a Family Christmas Party at the Wollenburgs. My amazing group of friends got together over $800 and purchased presents for a family at the Julian Center (women escaping domestic abuse situations). We went shopping and came back to their house to wrap--all while celebrating w/ a few adult beverages of course!   I am going to brag on Target real fast because they were able to give us 10% our entire purchase because it was for charity and then of course we got to shop tax free for the same reason.

Dec 7: Taylor's 8th birthday.  We went to BW3s for dinner because that is where he chose. (which was a milestone b/c it was the first time he didn't choose McDonald's!!)

Dec 9:  Celebrated Todd's 38th birthday by having friends over for dinner and to play a few games. 

Dec 10: Our friend Matt hosted a "Haunted Holiday Party". He lives in a restored 1880's home downtown Indy. The home itself is gorgeous and a good excuse to party, but he hired a medium to "read" the ghosts of the house. It was a blast. 

Dec 16:  Taylor's friend birthday party. Took 5 boys to the Pacers game and then back to our house for a sleepover.  I personally do not enjoy the NBA; I will take college bball any day.  But the boys had fun!

Dec 17:  Tried to go to Christmas at the Zoo but it was so crowded we had to divert and go downtown to look at Christmas lights on the circle, go to the top of the monument and get hot chocolate at South Bend Chocolate Co.

Dec 18:  Baked cookies with my mom and sister (our annual tradition) ALL DAY for 12 hours.  We made almost 1200 cookies-and passed them out to friends and family!

Dec 23: Friend outing with Turners and Josephs.  My mom and Derrick watched the kids for the night while Todd and I went out with friends to BW3s and then back to their place to soak in the hot tub with adult beverages.

Dec 24:  Spent the entire day at my mom and Derrick's celebrating Christmas.  We had breakfast (lots of yummy food), opened presents, played with our presents.....laid around, snacked, enjoyed each others company and then had dinner and left for the evening around 7:00.  We got lots of great stuff including my first ever COACH accessory (a wristlet).  Came home and set out cookies and milk for Santa and spread our reindeer food on the lawn so the reindeer could find us easily.

Dec 25:  Jesus' birthday (Christmas)!  We woke up, read about Jesus' birth from the children's Bible and went downstairs to find presents EVERYWHERE!  The kids loved everything, especially the Xbox 360 Kinnect that Santa brought for the entire family.  Santa and mommy and daddy spoiled them.  Then off to my dad & Carla's for more spoiling.  The boys got a boxing bag on a stand to use w/ their punching gloves.  Currently they try to beat each other with them...I am going to direct them towards the bag now.  Then off to Ft. Wayne to have Christmas dinner and celebrate with Todd's family.  A great meal and good time with family.

Dec 26  Up to Goshen to celebrate with Todd's extended family with lots of food and talking.  It was warm so the kids ran around outside, rode on the 4 wheeler at Tom & Sharon's and played football.  The adults went back to the shooting range and shot clay targets.  This too is a Christmas tradition :)

Dec 28  We finally made it to Christmas at the Zoo with our friends, The Turners. Then we tried to go out to eat and watch the IU game but it was shacked so we went back to the Turner's house for pizza and watched the game. 

Time to start 2012 and make many more memories!

EIGHT FRICKIN FRACKIN YEARS OLD!

I am not sure when or how, but my little 7 lb 10 oz firstborn baby boy turned 8 years old this month.  8 as in E-I-G-H-T.  As in "where in the world did the last 8 years of my life go"!  This has me a bit emotional, as every year that my kids age always does, but he is just getting so stinkin' old.  I know we can't keep kids young forever...our jobs as parents are to raise them to be fully functional adults and set them free in the world to thrive on their own.  But I have always told my kids they will always be my babies no matter how old they are. 

We had family over for lunch and cupcakes closer to his actual birthday.  On his actual birthday we let him choose where he wanted to eat.  He started to say McDonals but changed his mind to BW3s.  My baby really is growing up-no McDonalds??  Then for his friend bday party we took him and 4 of his friends to see the local NBA game and the boys spent the night.  They had a blast! 

Taylor, you are a good kid, you do well in school and I am proud of you!!  You are very competitive and love playing any sport.  Right now you want to be a professional football player with professional basketball player as your back up plan.  Okay, we need to work on your back up, back up plan.  You know, just in case you aren't famous.....You have recently developed a bit of an attitude and I see myself in you (and fight the urge to call my parents on an hourly basis and apologize).  I am saddened at the upcoming challenge we may have with this attitude, but I know you have a good heart and are a good kid, so I know that will come out in the end.  But please do not threaten to run away any more this week...I need a break!  You are so smart and I am proud of your progress in school.  You do especially well in math (like your momma!) and are competitive in the classroom too.  Which is good, because it makes you strive to do well.  I love you more than words can tell you-you are my world!!!!  Love, your mommy.

Is 2 too young for mascara?

Hmm...I don't know...she at least knew WHERE To apply it (except for the nose smudge)...although didn't do such a great job.....

Polar Express (and the Wild Wild West).....

Okay, so those aren't exactly the lyrics to George Strait's song Overnight Male ....they are more like....

"Like a pony express in the wild, wild west. I'll ride hard all night long. And I can saddle up fast, get you there first class" 

BUT if you know me, you know I screw up lyrics all the time....basically I don't know the true lyrics to any song...I just sing it the way my brain thinks it is supposed to be and then make stuff up if I forget.  That paired with my amazing singing abilities would make me an awesome entertainer.  Really.  You should line up for tickets if I ever make it big.

We took the kiddos on the Polar Express train to the North Pole last weekend.  We met up with friends of ours and their kiddos and it was a great time!  They serve cookies and hot chocolate on the train and read the Polar Express book.  There are chefs that work the train cars (like the movie), a singing, bouncing, annoying, I-wanted-to-stuff-a-sock-down-her-mouth elf, a conductor type like Tom Hanks that comes by and stamps the B for Believe in all of the kids golden tickets.  They play Christmas music and eventually stop at the North Pole where the town is decorated in a huge light display and Santa exits his make-shift workshop to board the train.  They then head back while Santa visits each and every child on the train.  The kids get to sit on his lap one at a time and he gives them a bell to take with them.  It was about a two hour ride and the kids wore their pajamas on the train (like the kids from the book/movie).  Taylor asked for an Xbox 360 (and Santa told him to get a job...)  Okay, Santa didn't say that...but he may have been thinking it.  Connor asked for a Leapster handheld device and Claire just sat there smiling not knowing what to do. 

We went with our friends, the Turners, for pizza aftewards and then headed home.....It was a great time and definiltely worth the shocking sticker price for the event.  We have been wanting to do this for a few years, but had to wait until we could sell off some of assets in order to afford 5 tickets to attend. 

Golden Ticket

Jacob & McKenzie

I love this pic, I am not sure why they are looking at each other like that though!

Could my daughter get any cuter?

Waiting for the train