Saturday, January 17, 2009

Christmas on New Year's Eve

Taylor coming in from sledding outside. Sam got a two week leave from the army. He has changed so much since he left in September. He is so confident, respectful (not that he wasn't before, but even more so), and talkative. He talked so much the first couple days he was home that he was really hoarse. We all loved listening to him tell about his life the past couple months. He is such a hardworker, and so dedicated. Everytime I sit down to write him a letter or lift him up in prayer, I am absolutely amazed and inspired. Thanks for being such a great cousin, Sam!
I (Julie) made a peppermint cheesecake for the night. I melted semisweet baking chocolate and drizzled it on top, then I mixed Cool Whip with hot chocolate mix and piped it on the top. Since I had leftover melted chocolate, I drizzled it on a piece of wax paper, and then when it dried, I broke it into little pieces, and stuck them in the Cool Whip. To top it off, I sprinkled candy cane pieces all over. I'm not a big cheesecake fan myself, but everyone else said it was edible. :-)
Our cousin Ross and his wife Brittany came up from Lake Charles, Louisiana. We hadn't seen them since their wedding in August.
Cousins Carson and Taylor sporting their festive hats.
L-R: Amy, Brittany, Julie, and Hannah. Brittany fits right in, doesn't she?
I'm not quite sure how we made it through the night without wasting away. :-). Not in this picture were the grilled chicken, the cheesecake, and all the pop you could want.
This year we celebrate Christmas on New Year's Eve with our mom's brother and sister and their families. We had so much fun! What a blessing it is to have a loving family that enjoys being together.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

More fun with the twins!

Ella playing peek-a-boo by our dining room table. Kyle doing one of his favorite activities--eating and making a mess of it!
Ella loves it when we say "Oh, so pretty Ella!" She grins so big and then waits for us to say it again.
Kyle and Ella both love it when we talk on the phone. Our cordless phone looks a lot like a TV remote, and so when we brought out this broken remote for them to play with, they started talking on it like it was a telephone!
We continue to take care of Kyle and Ella 3 days a week. What a blessing they are! Kyle is the cuddle-bug, and he loves it when Amy sings K-k-k-kyle (the song "K-k-k-katie" with a few changes to the lyrics). Ella loves to play peek-a-boo and put on our fuzzy scarves. Her latest game is walking down the hallway, which has wood paneling in it, and pointing to the knots in the wood. Then we all say "Knot!" and she laughs and claps for us like she is so proud that we can do it. We all go through withdrawal on the days they are not here. After my decision not to go to college this year, I am amazed everyday at the blessings God has given me, and these two little munchkins are one of the best!