Enjoying the Holidays

Our family with my Grandma and Grandpa Yoder.


The boys on Christmas morning in their new jammies!


Enjoying some time with their cousins!



We have had a fun time this Christmas. It is so good to be with family and to experience Christmas through the eyes of children. We had a fun time visiting with Brad's family on Sunday. On Monday and Tuesday we were with my family. The kids had so much fun playing with their cousins on Christmas day. They couldn't believe that it was already 7:30 at night and time to go back to grandma and grandpa's! One of the highlights of the day was listening to my cousin Marc play his trumpet. The last few years before we open presents he plays for us and we sing along. Connor was really into it this year and was singing along, although he didn't really know the words or tune to any of them! I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!!

Happy Birthday, Dad! Although we wish we could be with you today to celebrate your birthday we will be with you soon! We love you very much and two little boys think that you are very special - Brad and I, too, of course! We are very lucky to have a dad and grandpa like you!!

Jolly Days at the Children's Museum

Today we made a trip to the Children's Museum. My children love it and I usually have a lot of fun when we go, too, making it a win-win outing for us. This picture was actually from two weeks ago when we were there. It is all decorated for the holidays and they have a slide set up on the curved flight of stairs in the front entry area which they call the "Yule Slide." It is great fun and because there are two chutes Braden likes for us to race to see who can get to the bottom first. Today he won because he decided to lay back flat almost like being on a luge. It was quite an effective technique and he beat Connor and I to the bottom! We have a plus membership so that means if you are in the area and want to come along, just give us a call and we would love to get you in for free!

Okay, I know that Connor is smiling in this picture, too, and I am sure that some of you will comment on that. I guess that when I take pictures of him doing things he loves I get a great picture (licking frosting, playing at the museum). Braden is actually trying to look at the slide in this picture because it is right behind the tree. He was ready to get on with the fun stuff!!

In the Spirit of Martha Stewart

What would the holidays be without an attempt at making cookies? I have to say attempt because one would think that given the domestic talents that God has given members of my family that I would be baking with the best of them. I, however, have not been blessed with such talents! But, I still give it a try and we see what we get! We don't go crazy. A few cut-out sugar cookies are always a hit. The boys love to lick the frosting and shake the colored sugar on top. If we make too many than I just eat them, so a small batch is just perfect. We did a few of the pretzel, kisses and M&M treats this year and they turned out well. Braden did most of the work and he was very proud of himself! I like to be in the kitchen when it is fun and we definitely have had fun this Christmas season! Oh, and aren't they too cute in the aprons that their great grandma made for them?

Angel Breakfast

Every year at the beginning of the Christmas season in early December our church holds an angel breakfast for the kids. It is a great way to kick off the Christmas season with the true story that should be the focus of all that we do this time of year. The angel comes and tells the kids the Christmas story and each child can have their picture taken with her. This year there was a Bethlehem walk which had scenes from the Christmas story and ended with a live nativity. There was a petting zoo area at the end where the kids could pet camels, donkeys, sheep and goats. It was a chilly morning, but fun nonetheless!

Guess who didn't want his picture taken with the angel???

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas, everyone! I know that many of you have seen this picture of our boys, but I just had to post this picture on my blog. It is truly one of my favorite pictures of the boys together. We are going through a "stage" with the younger one where he refuses to smile whenever a camera is around. To catch him with such a great smile is truly amazing! I have actually taken pictures of him with a serious and even troubled looking face just to prove to him that I really was trying to take pictures of him, he just wanted nothing to do with it. I will have proof when he later accuses me of not taking pictures of him because he was the second child!

I have two very different children and that keeps my life exciting. Braden is very thoughtful and wants to know how everything works. He takes his time processing information and I know that his mind is always thinking. Connor, on the other hand, seems to have a quick comment for everything and is always cracking me up. It is very hard to parent him with a straight face. Just yesterday the question came up in our conversation about whether or not he liked having us as a mom and dad. I do not remember now how this question came up, but he said, without missing a beat, "sometimes yes, sometimes no!" Don't you just love it when kids are so honest?????