Merry Christmas!!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  We celebrated Christmas with just our family this morning. It was nice for the kids to wake up in their own home and not have to leave or go anywhere today.  However by lunch time we were ready to go out and do something! We are celebrating Christmas with the Dudley side in January so we get to have Christmas several times!

What would Christmas Eve be without watching Polar Express and drinking hot chocolate?  This has been our annual tradition for the last several years.

Last night after the movie and reading Twas the night before Christmas we sat out the Christmas cookies we had made earlier in the day.  The next series of shots are of my attempt to have the two older boys sit in the chair by the table with the cookies for santa.  If you know Keagan, this will not come as a surprise to you............

Keagan: "I want cooooooookie!!!!!!!!!"

Mommy: "No, sorry Keagan.  It's bed time and those are for Santa" 

Keagan: "waaaaa, whine whine waaaa"

Keagan: "uuuuugghhhh!!!  Cookie!!!""""

Keagan: getting louder and more out of control

Mommy: "Keagan, you're going to go into time out for your fit"

Keagan: I'm going to get one..I don't care what this woman tells me

Keagan: "Please mommy!!"

Keagan: "I'll get as close as I can"

Mommy: "Don't you dare touch those!"

Well, that about sums it up!  I wasn't even going to tempt him because I knew this would probably happen.  But I really wanted him to be involved.  Oh well.  A couple of time-outs later he was cool as a cucumber.

This morning the milk was gone and so were the cookies.  Santa left a note for the boys explaining how yummy the cookies were and that he shared them with Mrs. Claus and his reindeer.

We attempted to read the Christmas story with everyone but Keagan wanted to play ball and Kade was being a sleepy head.  Hey - two out of five isn't too bad!

The boys enjoyed opening presents and played the rest of the morning.  Karsten and I decided that Christmas is over way too fast! 

Kade finally woke up and joined us.  His first Christmas!

Laying on his new pillow pet.

The best picture I could get out of all three...had to include Bailey's tail!

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year!

Christmas with friends

This week we celebrated Christmas with our dear friends the Oldhams.  They drove in from El Dorado for the evening - a big drive compared to the last several years.  It seems crazy that they aren't just a mile or two away!! 

We had our usual spread of junk food/appetizer-type food and fondue.  It was sooooo yummy.  All four big kids of course had to sit at their own table.

Kade soaking it all in

After dinner we opened presents - that was over in a blur and I didn't get any pictures taken of that part.

Kade enjoyed the wrapping paper the most.

Keagan doing what he does best....drinking milk and playing trains

After we opened presents the big kids decorated gingerbread houses.

They took this very seriously.

At this point Keagan was begging for icing

After cleaning up all the mess, the kids watched just a few minutes of a movie.  I love this picture with all of them dressed in their Christmas pj's. 

We had a great time visting with them and I know the kids had a lot of fun.  I missed a picture of baby Liam though.  Or should I call him baby "Lam" according to Kellen.  Until next time!

Where's Keagan?

One day I went into Keagan's room to check on him during a nap.  At first glance my heart skipped a beat because I didn't see him.  After coming around the other side of the bed I saw a hand and part of his head sticking out....

Apparently he needed pillows to cover up with. 

Slater Christmas

This weekend we celebrated Christmas with Karsten's side of the family.  We decided to meet in the middle at our house because most of the family is in Springfield and Karsten's sister and her family are in Georgia.  They came up Friday night for dinner and stayed in a hotel.  All the kids went straight to the hotel after dinner to swim.  They had a great time but I know our boys were pretty exhausted when they got back.

The next morning we met for breakfast and then came back to our house to hang out and open presents.

The first order of business was the acting out of the Christmas story. It was a pretty modern/up-dated version and was very amusing to watch.  Can you guess what is happening in the pictures?

I think Kellen was Mary and Preson was Josesph telling Mary that they needed to leave. ?

Keagan just pretending he knows what is going on

Kendra and Bennett

Keagan and Kobe

Keagan was more concerned about the piece of tape (or sticker as he calls it) than the actual gift

Kellen playing with Keagan's new guitar

Mama and Kade.  Kade slept for part of the chaos but woke up early to enjoy opening his first Christmas gift.

The Slater cousins.  Kaylee is out numbered!

We had such a great time although it was too short! Merry Christmas!

Our first snow day

 Last Sunday was our first big snow of the season.  The boys were pretty excited about it so I promised that they could play out in the snow after naps....

Well the weather changed drastically over those couple of hours and it was really too windy for them to go out.  However, I had promised Kellen that he could and he was willing to brave it. I told him that he was only going to be out there for 15 or so minutes because of the wind.

He was very patient and got all bundled up.

Bailey (and Murphy) LOVE the snow

Keagan was apprehensive

and just stood out on the patio and cried.  He was so upset because I think he really wanted to play but he was just too cold and miserable.

Kellen had a great time.  Daddy joined him for a few minutes and then it was time to come inside.  Maybe we will have some snow without the wind soon.  It was enough to cause school to be closed all week so Kellen was bummed about that.  I figure if it's going to be cold we might as well have snow!



Sleepy morning

 I love this picture...this is what are mornings (for a short time) look like.  All 3 boys in their jammies drinking milk and hanging out on the couch.

Kade is 5 months!

Oh my sweet boy - I cannot believe 5 months have passed already!  Last night I was trying to take pictures of your chubby knees while holding you up at the same time....well it was difficult and Kellen decided to take over for me.  So these next few are courtesty of Kellen's photography skills.

Mama and Kade

OH how I am lovin' those legs.

Oh you make my heart melt....

You are practicing sitting up supported by the boppy pillow and are doing a pretty good job.  You love to be up and looking around.  You don't last long on your back.

This month we have made great strides in your napping abilities.  You now take usually 2 good naps and then about 11-12 hours at night.  You are nursing 4 times a day now and are taking solids like a champ! We have started cereal, veggies, and some fruit and so far you haven't met one that you didn't like. 

You get very frustrated when you can't get something into your mouth.  There are several things that are attached on the exersaucer and you whine and whine when you can't lift it up or pull it out to put into your mouth.

You are such a blessing in our lives and we all adore you and are so thankful for you.  Can't wait to see how you react to your first Christmas!