Christmas 2011

Similar to Thanksgiving, scheduling for Christmas worked out wonderfully this year!  Eric worked until 3pm on Christmas Eve, then we went to the pageant and service at St. Thomas, and spent the evening with Eric's mom's family.  Today we started out with the Green immediate family in the morning, my immediate family in the afternoon and evening, and wrapped up with Eric's dad's extended family tonight.

The pageant at church was really cute, the kids who did solos have great voices.  Then at the VanBooven Christmas, we presented Paul with his present from everyone - a 40" Emerson LCD TV.  Eric got a KU hat from his grandparents, some new shirts (including a KU plaid shirt!) from the White's, and a Mr. Beer refill kit from the Wells'; I got some craft scissors and a photo album from his grandparents, a laptop desk from the White's, and a Vera Bradley purse from the Wells'.  Jen's kids had a blast playing games and messing with their new toys, and everyone enjoyed the snacks and time together.

This morning I started off by opening my birthday present at Paul and Debs - a Jayhawk pillow pet and a great stamp set that I'll use for Squish's birth announcements!  Then Deb made her french toast for breakfast and opened our stockings while we ate.  Deb is excited that Shannon is finally 21 because now she can add mini bottles of alcohol, hilarious! I got tickets to the New Theatre Restaurant from Eric, a new bath pillow from Shannon, and a wall mounted photo frame jewelry box from Paul and Deb; Eric got motorcycle gloves from Shannon, wireless TV headphones from me, a Mr. Beer kit from Paul & Deb, and some money to buy bottles for his beer - Paul and Deb also got us a crate to keep in my trunk to carry everything in and our own copy of Quirkle!!

When we got back to Mom and Alan's house, we started right in on gifts because Kris and Ashley were antsy from waiting for our arrival!  We were really excited to give Ashley a corkboard and pins (the same thing we got for Shannon), Kris an Achmed (Jeff Dunham) Snuggie, Alan a flying Duck Hunt game, and Mom her microwave slippers.  Then I got Logos the board game, Eric got Truth Be Told (a game similar in concept to Balderdash, but answering questions about other players), Squish got a perfect high chair and we each got a Barnes and Noble Nook Simple Touch!  Luckily the Nook's took awhile to charge, or we never would have moved on to stockings and lunch! Then our family actually spent time together playing our new games and watching Cowboys vs. Aliens, whoa!

Finally, we drove out to the Green's Christmas gathering to visit with even more family!  We arrived after a lot of people had left, but we still got to hang out with Paul, Deb, Shannon, Phil, Edie, Grant, Steven, Pete, and probably some other people too.

My favorite gift this year is actually looking pregnant! 

 The pageant at St. Thomas was really adorable!

Rebecca and Caleb

Shannon, Paul, Stephanie, Grandpa and Grandma VB 

 Scott, Eric, Deb, and Diann

Super hero men!

The gifts that we brought to each of our families! 

 Our Christmas card this year

My birthday presents!

Eric's new headphones!

My Birthday!

I'm 26!  I wasn't really awaiting this birthday with any excitement, but it was a really good day!  I started by getting myself a treat breakfast at the gas station, then I had a mostly relaxed day at work (even though Lawrence was one of 3 districts in eastern Kansas that still had a full day of school on December 22nd).  Kelli and Tracy made me a very thoughtful and meaningful Rainbow Fish ornament, and both Kindergarten classes surprised me!  

For one of the Kindergartens - I wear a walkie talkie so that I can be alerted quickly when a particular student needs help calming down or runs from the classroom and needs to be tracked down.  I got a page early in the morning that they needed help, so I made my way down to their room.  When I rushed in the door, I found all of the 5 and 6 years olds staring at me as they yelled "Happy Birthday!!!"  I almost cried because I was so shocked!

The rest of the work day went well, was somewhat productive, and I even got birthday snow!  Then when I got home, I packed up the car with clothes, presents, and Addy.  We are house sitting for Papa while he is in Michigan for the holidays, and figured that it is the most cost effective to just stay at his house.

After dropped the gear and cat off at Papa's house, I headed to Mom and Alan's house.  We waited until Eric got off of work, and then we all brought Ashley to her first Cinema Suites movie for my birthday!  Ashley left her ID at home, so Mom and I both ordered a strawberry daqueri for her to drink out of.  We saw the new Sherlock Holmes, and it was pretty awesome - very cool special effects.

I was really excited to get a pair of KU shoes for Squish from Ashley, a Miche purse with two covers and an organizer from Mom and Alan, and Just Dance 3 from Eric.  Funny story behind Eric's present... we saw it on sale 2 weeks ago and I went "oooo, Just Dance 3!", Eric noted that it was on sale and asked if I wanted it for my birthday, I said sure and he paused and then asked if he could just buy it then - and he did!  But I waited until my birthday to open it :)

Then on Friday, Eric and I had a fun date night.  We started with dinner at Cheddar's by Oak Park Mall, followed by shopping at Town Center Plaza, and wrapped up with a walk around Oak Park Mall.  I used birthday and Christmas money to buy a pair of leggings, a sweater, two long sleeved shirts, and a pair of boots, and a bag of jelly beans (Dr. Pepper, buttered popcorn, and toasted marshmallow flavors - all for $125.

That was it, Happy Birthday to me!

Mmmm, special breakfast!  I usually do hot chocolate with 1/3 french vanilla cappucino - this time I did 1/3 white chocolate caramel cappucino and it wasn't as good.

Rainbow fish ornament!  Complete with glitter, sequins, and laminated! 

Very very cool! 

The kindergarten also had birthday donuts for me and another student. 

The kindergarten classes watched The Grinch, and loved it! 

Addy...not thrilled to be leaving home...

Andrew's 2nd Birthday

Today was a trio of events - we went to church, back to Mom and Alan's house for Andrew's birthday party, and then back to church again for our final Financial Peace University class.  

I thought Grammy would have appreciated that the war in Iraq was finished on Grammy and Papa's anniversary.

We didn't have candles...so we put two matches in Andrew's cake.  Kris was an awesome Dad and spent the weekend teaching Andrew how to blow out his lighter so he would be able to do it by himself for his birthday cake - success!

Andrew making faces while awaiting his birthday cake!

"C'monnnnn, I'm two and I blew out my candles... cake, please?"

Om nommm

Emma, Andrew, Dad and Eric

Sean, Deb, and Mom

Me, Alan, and Kris

Mmmm, sugar!

Andrew, Ashley, Kris, and Dad opening presents

Me and Squish sitting on Chaos

Ashley's 21st Birthday!!!

We will be celebrating two 21st birthday parties within one week.  I am laaaaazy, so they will both be picture posts with captions!

Before heading to the Legends for Ashley's birthday celebration, I went to Grace Cathedral in Topeka to celebrate Chad's service to the youth of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas over the past 10 years.  This is him and The Mustard Seeds playing music for us.

Kitty Fapp made a t-shirt quilt with the shirts from all of the events he served in the past 10 years.

Dinner at Johnny Carino's...

Dinner at Johnny Carino's...

Dinner at Johnny Carino's...

Dinner at Johnny Carino's... (and then we went to a comedy show at Stanford and Sons)

Ashley and I playing the anti-DDR.

Alan must have said something really funny!

YAY!

Aweeee, Mom with her grown up girls!

Fun at Dave & Busters

They are all posing for a picture for mom.

Ashley is sad?

Ashley could no longer walk and text, she had to stop and lean on the rail.

Wild Bill's is closed, so Ashley didn't get to ride Bodacious the Bull!  Steven stepped in to complete her birthday experience!

Aaaaaand, she got knocked off the bull in less than 5 seconds!  He pitched her over his head, very dramatic.

This is what Squish will look like if it's a girl!

This is what Squish will look like if it's a boy!

This is what Eric and Steven "mutually beneficial arrangement child".

Paul, Steven, and Eric with their "biggest alcohol bang for the buck" girly drink

 The boys playing Guitar Hero

More Guitar Hero 

Deb and I won tons of tickets on the "fun games" while the boys wasted tokens on the "boring games" that don't give tickets! 

Steven kept picking up Batmen, and then Eric would put them back upside down. 

Eric and Batman playing in the pod game 

Steven assisting Batman in flying down the escalator 

Flyyyyy!