Christmas Vacation Highlights!

We had a lovely time celebrating the holidays with all of our family.  Our trio got to have some special moments together that weren't captured on film due to cold weather or forgetfulness, but we also got some really special low key time with the relatives.

It's been a tradition for me for my whole life to spend Boxing Day at my Grandparents' farm and I'm so lucky to have a husband that also enjoys heading there and taking in the festivities.  My Gramma's house is a place of laughter and love, a place of a million memories, of random and amazing things.

This Christmas Sam and Serry really enjoyed all their time together.  They would disappear and go play games on their own... it truly was awesome.  Both because we didn't have to entertain him the whole time AND because he was just so excited to play with his cousin!

Here are a couple sweeties enjoying their second Christmas.  Nixon is just the sweetest little boy and Harmony is pure comedy.  Love these littles.

Along with a huge Christmas feast, a wacky Chinese gift exchange, a gift of giving for the Women's Shelter and a bowling extravaganza we took a little minute to recreate a childhood Christmas photo of all the cousins packed onto a couch.  Terrible (or awesome) 80s outfits, jello-body babies, scruffy around the edge little people have grown into a group of lovely humans that I'm so happy to be associated with.

We were told to make our awkward kid faces and this happened.
*** Missing is a very special and important part of our herd.  We missed and love you Benner!

After Boxing day we had some serious quiet time out at the Connolley's.  Shaun was working away with his dad on the cabin (photos coming soon), so Sam and I hung out with Gramma.  Played games, watched movies, went to town for lunch, played lego... regular little boy stuff.  Though there wasn't much snow, one of the most fun things to do out at the acreage is toboggan.

The top layer of snow was more like ice so Sam really zipped down the hill.  I stood at halfway to slow him down a little.  He just loves it!

Perfect way to say good night to the sun!

Shaun and Roxy came to join us for the last run of the day.  I know this shot is a little blurry but I just think it's so funny.  Roxy always wants to be involved in everything but she got herself in a sticky situation on this one!

Best Buddies!

 Kaili was on vacation until the 28th, so Sam waited patiently for her to arrive to celebrate with our Connolley family!  He counted down the days until she arrived!

As close to normal as these two get! 

Sammy lifting his cousin!!!  What a good sport!

Just regular old weird stuff happening in front of a beautiful Christmas setting!  Love these two maniacs!

Merry Christmas to all the loves in my life.  I'm so lucky to have the family I have and there is nothing like the gift of time.

Christmas Day is FINALLY Here!

With our regular early morning wake up call from the down the hallway, we all got up to see if Santa had come.  Lucky for us, he should did!

A very excited little boy in awe of Christmas magic!

It was really cool to get some old flight charts from Shaun's work.  Santa left a note for Sam telling him that he used his Christmas Eve maps to wrap his gifts!  That is one well wrapped fishing rod!

Sam got a double light saber... first battle of the holidays with a clear victor!

XWing... we could hardly believe it!

Sam got his very own fishing kit complete with tackle box, fishing hat and all kinds of fishing type things!  He liked to look at the them and organize them!

After Christmas morning in our own home, we got on the road for our tradition of Christmas day at my mom's.  My parents have moved to Red Deer and it's been awesome for us.  Way easier to stop in and lots of great hiding spots if a game of hide and seek breaks out!  Second light saber battler of the day!  Things got intense!

Sammy and the girls in front of Gramma Bee and Grandpa Trev's little tree.

I asked for silly faces and Harmony tried to steal Sam's!

We headed to the Connolley house for the night.  It was a lovely day of excitement, thankfulness, giving, laughs and magic.  Love it!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

It was the day before Christmas and Sam was going batty so we needed out of the house.  We grabbed our new skates and headed to the pond!

Couple of guys on the pond at Nose Creek.  It was a pretty busy place so we stuck to skating around the outside.

First time on skates in probably... hmm... 16 years!  I'm definitely not a hockey mom but this level of skating commitment is exactly what I'm into!

A very lovely time as a family.  Wonderful what fresh air and exercise does to calm everyone's pre-Christmas excitement!

There isn't much that's more fun that being spun in a circle on skates!

Couple of glides all on his own... he's no Gretzsky but each time on the ice he gets little more brave and a little more confident.

Skating and hot chocolate go hand in hand!  This was pretty much the most fun hot chocolate ever made.  Period.  And seriously, I don't believe there is anyone in the world that could say no to that little face! 

Pretty much the best ever.

My Christmas Eve surprise... onesies for everyone!!!

Noodle soup and Home Alone... Christmas Eve in the Connolley house!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Fun With Grannies!!!

We headed home for the first weekend of Christmas break to have a visit and see our freshly delivered cabin.  Though we won't be in it for Christmas, it's a beautiful home away from home and I can't even wait to have this special place to call our own.
During our visit, we got to pit stop at both Grandparents' houses and both Grannies quickly got Sam to work on making some sweet Christmas creations!

Karate Kid / mini baker!  Super fun and easy recipe making homemade turtles at Gramma Connolley's!

Proud Granny taking photo of proud chef!  Love it!

Grandpa was put in charge of bath time... things got a little bubbly!

Sam-ta Claus!

We spent Sunday shopping with Gramma Bee and hanging out at her new Red Deer home.  Sam did some crafts and created a gingerbread tree!

Sam had a couple days at home with just me before Shaun was able to take time off.  We had an awesome play date with a long lost friend.  It was great to catch up with my dear friend, watch her newest little boy wiggle and grunt and see our kids hang out and play!

We were on a snow globe mission today and after finding the last snow globe in all of Airdrie, we earned a well deserved Happy Meal!  Nothing like mom's fancy cookin' over the holiday season!

Sam wanted to build the tower exactly like the one  on the bin.  We worked hard and I think we nailed it!  He was pretty happy with our team effort, but what he enjoyed most was...

DEMOLITION!  A successful lazy day of winter break!  Excited to see what Christmas Eve brings to our home this year!

Kinder Christmas Concert

Try to imagine 150 kindergarten students up on a stage for 45 minutes... it was quite a sight!  Lots of proud parents, lots of cute outfits, a few nervous break downs and a ton of sweet moments.  Here are a couple shots of the concert... what a success!  His teachers deserve some sort of medal!

Yes, I was that parent that dragged my family to the school 1 hour early to be first (and we were actually second!) in line to get our seats.  Luckily that also gave me time to find Sam's art work.  This is his super cute elf application.  I LOVE the old school look of his school... love all the very hand made art work taped right onto the wall.

It takes a fair amount of time to herd 150 kinders onto a stage but they did it with great success.  The kids sang and recited at least 12 poems/songs.  The kids were pure comedy and so incredibly well behaved.

Along with the singing, they also made the world's cutest iMovie.  The kids were asked their opinion on different Christmas topics and answered only the way 5 year olds could.  Sam's beautiful face was the first to appear on the movie... no I didn't cry, but I was awfully choked up!

We tried to get a shot of as much of the whole group as we could before they were swept off stage.

On the First Week of Christmas...

December has arrived in all it's glory and I can't even believe it's here.  While kicking off a new basketball season, I'm trying my working mommy best to not stink at being festive and excited about the upcoming holidays.
We've been decorating, had the kids Westjet Party, our annual dinner party with the Daytons and Gordays, did a Christmas card photo shoot and played in the snow.
Here are couple moments captured for our first week of Christmassing!

Busy writing to the big guy!

Proud little boy! 

All I wanted was a nice pic of decorating the tree... this was not it...

...neither was this...

But I did capture this.  He may or may not have been bribed!

Decorating the mini tree at Gramma Connolley's with Kaili!

There's nothing funny about getting festive...

Or maybe there is!!!  This will be a great shot for his wedding slide show someday...

Crazy Christmas guy photo bomb!!!!