Goodbye 2017

Since Christmas, we've decided to flip turn our house upside down!! Moving rooms around the house, painting rooms, and trim and all sorts of stuff! It's a giant disaster around here!!! So New Years Eve plans weren't even a thought!! We did make it to church at 11:00 so the kids could enjoy the Grace Kids New Year's Party and so we could wrap up our Reconciled series. We went out for a bite to eat then it was home to watch the Chief's game! The rest of the day was spent cleaning, organizing, playing some games, followed by an early bedtime for us all. Whoop Whoop!

Wow, 2017 has been something else. Sooo many amazing times, sooo many hard times. Our series at church wrapped up today, talking about how we can face our struggles and our giants head on because we have Jesus fighting our battles for us! And we definitely had our fair share of opportunities to let Jesus battle for us- and it was amazing to watch what He accomplished!! It's incredible to look at all the amazing and beautiful things we experienced this year even in the midst of the hard times- spending time as a family (whether together or apart- thank you FaceTime!), a new job for Levi, a new life in Jesus for Grant, and SO much more! Our hearts our filled with so much joy at all the blessings we have received through it all!! 

We are so excited to see what 2018 holds for us!!!

Christmas with the VanIsenman's

It was finally time for the Van Allen, Isenburg, Broeckelman Christmas!!! Dragging Christmas out by a few days makes the holidays last that much longer, so its hard to complain about celebrating Christmas a few days late!! We got together with all my family on New Years Eve Eve. We declared it would be a day of games, food, and fun. And we were highly successful!!!!!  Once all the food rolled out and we made our way around the island a few times, we knew the kids were chomping at the bit to open presents! They've only seen them spilling out from under Mim's tree for an entire month!!!! So we headed downstairs and got busy!!

We let all the kids open first and then while they ran off to play, the adults could open our gifts in peace! Always so much fun!! I love shopping for my family, but watching them open their gifts is my favorite!!!

 Mimi bought all the boys these cozies at Target! Well, Wyatt picked his out on Black Friday and has worn them almost religiously all month long!!! Never too old for zip up jammies!!

 After presents and more food, it was time for games and puzzles!! Carmen San Diego, Balderdash, Meme Game, and even a spin at BeanBoozled (rotten eggs, ewwwwww!)!! My stomach hurt so bad from all the laughter, it was so great!!!!! 

It was a very Merry Christmas and well worth the wait!!!

Christmas at the Broeckelman's

It was an odd year, which means Christmas Day is spent in Western KS with the Broeckelman's! Good thing Santa is flexible with his schedule and could visit us a day early!! After we saw all our Christmas goodies from Santa and had our fun in the snow, we loaded up and headed west! We don't get to see the Broeckelman's as often as we'd all like, but the kiddos always have a great time together with the little bit of time they get!! 

We got there Christmas Eve, just in time for Grandma's favorite pizza! Then it was off to bed, because Santa said he'd also make a special visit to Grandma and Grandpa's! Lucky kiddos!! The boys woke up bright and early at 7am to check out what Santa brought- a new train set!!! (No pictures :(  They went upstairs to put it together and we all got ready for the day! Grant did have to help Grandpa shovel some snow outside. Always some work to be done on the farm!! 

Once everyone arrived, we enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch, opened lots of presents, and had a great family day!! I hardly took any pictures because I was too busy enjoying everyone's company!

The kids love a good game of Kahoot!!

 The Broeckelman Family! I love that we make a point to take a family pic on the rare occasion we are all together!

It was a wonderful day spent together!!

The boys really dislike traveling the 5 hours it takes to get there, but when you have your favorite bear and a cozy sleeping bag, you can't really complain!

White Christmas!!!!

You could wish and hope all year long and even sing the song in your head, but there is nothing as magical as a White Christmas!!!!! We haven't had a flake of snow all season and as the buzz of a white Christmas began a week before, we were all wishing and hoping that we would get a tiny Christmas miracle!!!! AND WE DID!!!! It snowed overnight, so when Grant ran into our room at 7:00 to yell, "SANTA CAME," he also said, "AND IT SNOWED!!!!" We'd already peeked out our bedroom window and saw that it had, I was so excited for them to experience the joy of, not only seeing what Santa brought, but also seeing a white Christmas! You know, its the little things in life!!

So after seeing what Santa brought, opening daddy's presents and our stockings, the boys threw on my boots and took a little stomp around!!!

 We were leaving for Western Kansas in a few hours, so I was bustling around preparing for us to leave and Levi was outside shoveling the driveway, so I told the boys they could go out and play in the snow! I didn't have to tell them twice :) But goodness, it was soooooo cold! 

As I was in the kitchen, I was looking out the window and realized I didn't know where they were and didn't hear Levi shoveling anymore! I looked out the other window towards the backyard and saw some people walking down the sidewalk heading out to sled, and I thought, "Awww, there's some kids off to sled with their dad!" Then I realized those people belonged to me!! Levi took them to the big hill at the airport to sled! But gosh darn, it was so cold, they only made a few runs before walking back home! But sure was fun while it lasted!!!

Now, they are hoping for at least one BIG snow, now that winter has officially arrived!!!

Santa Came! Santa Came!!

When the boys sat on Santa's lap, Grant changed his mind abruptly and asked for an army base for his army guys! For about two months prior, he was going to ask for a roll out drum set. But he thought the army base was a much better idea! Wyatt was torn between asking Santa for a bell from his sleigh, or the Imaginext Batbot Extreme. When he got on Santa's lap, he only asked for the Batbot and said maybe next year he'd ask for a bell! Tough decisions for sure...

The suspense was almost too much!! What was Santa going to bring them?!? Some years he's brought them exactly what they asked for and other years he's brought them something they didn't ask for, but that he knew they would love!!! They just couldn't wait to find out!

I always make them wait at the top of the stairs so I can get the lights on and get a sneak peek at what Santa brought! Lucky me :)

 Well, turns out Grant got his army base and Wyatt got his Batbot!

 Normally, Grant is a few steps behind Wyatt coming down the stairs, but this year, Grant was ready to go and had to run- not mosey- to check things out!! Cuddles in Grant's hand and Lovey in Wyatt's hand, as usual :) 

 They were so excited!!!!

 Grant made the realization that this was actually a Melissa and Doug castle and Santa's elves must've "tricked it out" with came duct tape!! Those elves are something else!! How special he felt to have a one-of-a-kind North Pole creation!!!!!

 Daddy also left a few presents under the tree! He got Wyatt an air soft gun set and Grant got his BB gun he'd been asking for!!! It was soooo cold and there was a little bit of snow on the ground, but they managed to go shoot a few bb's out in the yard! I think these will get a lot of use this spring time!! 

 And lo and behold- Santa also left a bell for Wyatt!!!!!!! He spent all day ringing his bell and asking everyone if they could hear it ring!! He loved that every one of us in the family could her the magic ring!! He couldn't believe that Santa knew he wanted it, even though he didn't say anything on his lap. He figured Shed must've told him :) He's so stinking adorable!!!!

It was such a very Merry Christmas!!! I love celebrating this special time with my family!!! My heart could not be more full!!

Pockets: December 17-24

December 17: Go See Star Wars: The Last Jedi

 December 18: Candlelight Dinner in Christmas Jammies

December 19: Christmas Charades

December 20: Make Gingerbread Boys

 December 21: Make Sugar Cookies (darn, no pictures!) New recipe and they were delicious!

December 22: Make Chocolate Chip cookies for Santa! The best cookies EVER! Secret ingredient- vanilla pudding :) Wyatt refers to these as Santa cookies :)

December 23: Get Ready for Santa!

December 24: Head to Grandma and Grandpa's

And that's a wrap on our Christmas pocket activities!! I don't know when the boys will decide they are no longer interested- hopefully YEARS from now! I love this time of year and enjoy these special traditions with my boys SO very much!!!! Time to start planning for next year :)

Getting Ready for Santa

After we cleaned up from our Christmas celebration, it was time to get ready for Santa to come! We did ask him to come a night early, so who knows what time he was actually going to make it- we didn't want to make him wait for us!! So we got all the snacks ready- two chocolate chip cookies and a sugar cookie, carrots for the reindeer, mini chocolate chips for Shed, and chocolate milk! Grant left some Starburst for Dasher- but only one piece each day! (After watching The Santa Clause 2, he just knew Dasher would enjoy some Starburst, in moderation of course!).  We said our tearful goodbye's to Shed- they just adore their little elf! Grant left him a note that said, "I hope Santa give you Elf of the Year!" Once we got everything ready, it was time for the annual reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas! Then it was off to bed to dream of sugarplums.....in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there!

Shed: December 21-23

We had so much fun with Shed this year! Our little tree turned out absolutely adorable!!! The clues he left us everyday added to the already exciting time of the year!! We found Shed on December 23rd, back in his favorite chair, next to our little tree. He had a stack of tiny Christmas- all mine from my childhood. Wonder how he found those? He was wrapped under his blanket Oliver made him, reading  'Twas the Night Before Christmas. He left the boys a letter and the boys said a tearful goodbye to him before they headed off to bed that evening! We can't wait til you come back again next year Shed!!