December

I made a chocolate cream pie for dessert and this is the result...

Matt is a cute mess!

Topher saw that his brother got a picture and put some pudding on his nose too! Good thing bath time was next!

Dec 14th- Playgroup was at the riverplex. They had to turn off the water so Topher would leave. We had to leave because Matt's lips were starting to turn blue!

Dec 7

After the first good snow here in Peoria, I bundled up the kids and went outside to play. Topher is attempting to make a snow angel.

Matthew was pretty happy just to be going outside. He didn't even mind his snow suit-I was so impressed.

He loves snow!

Matt wasn't the biggest fan that he kept falling down...

My Cedar Chest

Here are some better pictures of my newest most prized possession. My favorite part is the locking hinge which keeps the lid at whatever point you leave it at. It is so big that I am pretty sure that I could hide in it!

Christmas in Charleston Square

This is the outside of the square in "downtown" Charleston where we went for the Christmas parade.

They gave the boys a balloon which they let go of after playing with it for approximately 3 minutes...

then they got another balloon which was also lost 5 minutes later. The parade included Santa and a real reindeer! (but the reindeer was lame so that was kind of sad.) The highlight for the boys though was the Firetruck and Elmo and Cookie Monster. It was so bitterly cold that the kids started crying about 5 minutes after the parade was finished so we didn't get to enjoy much else. But they had free cocoa and roasted chestnuts- which we had for the first time! They are really big and sweet- they were like nothing else I had tried before. They also had Santa there, but the line was so ridiculously long that it came outside of the courthouse and the kids were cold and crying...so we had to leave. But once we got to grandma's we turned on the fireplace and enjoyed the full use of our fingers again!

Matt's decorations

Matt wasn't as interested in making the Christmas decorations but he did enjoy the cookie...

And the Christmas tree...

and the big walking space

he did try really hard to be interested (for about 10 minutes!)

Topher's decorations

One of the Church's near Mike's parents had a free craft day while we were there. We went and the kids loved it! Topher especially enjoyed the cookies- as you can see!

Opening presents on our early Christmas

Opening our traditional Christmas PJs.

Topher loves his presents! Wearing his new pjs with his new stethoscope.

This was my big present that Mike's dad made me. A beautiful cedar chest-it took him two years to find the time to complete it! I love it and I can't wait to have it here with me! It wouldn't fit in the car with all the other new stuff we got! :(

We ended up without any pictures of Topher opening his own presents-he was that fast! So here Topher is helping Grandpa open one of his presents.

Luminaries

Setting up Luminaries to light the way for the Christ child on our early (and cold!) Christmas Eve.

Family Time

Topher enjoying one-on-one time with Aunt Michelle. He grabbed her by the hand and made her go sit downstairs with him while he watched the Disney Channel and ate lunch.

Grandpa, Dad, and the boys enjoying a Christmas book.

As you can see it is a very interesting book! J/K! Grandpa had to deliver babies the night before and was quite tired!

Sorry I'm late!

So the last month or so of school and the start of the holidays has made it pretty much impossible for me to blog... I did really well in school though. I got 3 'A's and 1 'B' so I am pretty happy about that. Matthew started walking on November 22nd. We did get it on camera, but unfortunately it was right after a bath so it will not be posted here. We had two Christmases, one in Charleston with Mike's parents and sister on December 5th, as well as one with just our family on the 25th. It was nice to not "have" to do anything that day or go anywhere. We did skype everyone else so we got to feel like we were with the family. So our Christmas lasted a long time with three different time zones! We are looking forward to a new year and maybe losing some more weight! Mike is getting ready to set up a "Biggest Loser" competition in which the winner will win a cash prize. I am getting ready for another semseter at school...14 credits this semster! (Am I a glutton for punishment or what?)