Feliz Navidad!

Another Christmas season has gone by in a blur.  Even though we are still living in our rental house, things happened pretty much as they always do.  The tree went up just after Thanksgiving.  It's the same tree we've had for the past 10+ years.  And every year it seems like more and more work trying to figure out which branches go where (nearly all the labels that used to be on the branches have long since fallen off.) 

Owen was Mom's big helper getting all the branches sorted and put on the tree and even Cole pitched in to help out.

Owen helping to sort through the branches

Cole helping with a branch

Owen putting the branch on the tree

Shane and Cole helping with a branch

William testing out our hard work

Taking a break from the tree with my boys

Finally the tree was up, the lights and garland were on, and Owen eagerly got to work on the ornaments, that is, after trying on his stocking to see if it actually fit!

Owen wearing his stocking

Owen with his "First Christmas Together" ornament

Shane and Owen decorating the tree

Shane decorating the tree

Cole decorating the tree

Eli watching us decorate the tree

Zoe posing with her ornament

Cole with his "First Christmas Together" ornament

Owen in awe of the tree

Of course, all our hard efforts of decorating the tree and getting each branch in its place were very much appreciated by William who left no time to spare climbing up the tree, knocking down ornaments and bending branches on his way.

William destroying our beautiful tree

With the tree up, there was only one thing missing to get us in the Christmas spirit...snow!  Christmas just isn't the same without it.  And a few weeks before Christmas, we got our first real snowfall.  The snow came down hard and the boys bundled up to play in the winter wonderland...

Owen, Cole and Shane

Owen playing in the snow

Cole too deep in the snow to move

Owen doing a head dive into the snow

Before Christmas arrived, we paid a visit to Santa so the boys could tell him exactly what they wanted.  Owen was so excited to see the big guy up close and chat about his Christmas list, but Cole would have rather been anywhere else.  He did NOT want to visit Santa.  After seeing how long the line was, we thought we'd come back another time.  But Owen insisted that we stay and wait our turn.  Owen and Shane waited in line for over an hour while Cole and I walked around the mall.  Finally it was our turn.  Owen got up on Santa's lap with a big smile on his face and Cole...well, see for yourself...

Cole was not happy to see Santa.  After the photo, I whisked him away as he screamed, "All done Santa!  All done Santa!"  Owen stayed with Santa and had a nice little chat.  Thank goodness he filled us in on what he had asked Santa for.  The first request...dinosaur stuff.  Check.  He had been asking for the generic "dinosaur stuff" and I had that covered.  But his second request was very specific - "a Spinosaurus".  Uh-oh!  More shopping to do!

After freezing our appendages off last year at the Holidazzle Parade, we decided to skip it and instead went to the Holiday Lights in the Park at Lake Phalen.  It's our 2nd year going to this and a great way for the kids to see some fun lights in the comfort of our car!

Before we knew it, Christmas Eve had arrived.  We spent Christmas Eve with Shane's family at his grandparents house.  It's become a tradition to hide a pickle in the Christmas Tree and for the kids to find the pickle for a gift.  The little kids go first and then the pickle is hidden again for us "big kids".  Owen was super excited to find the pickle on the tree.  He had been talking about it even before we arrived.  He was very intent on finding that pickle!  And luckily, he was the first to spot it.  So he (along with all the other great-grandkids), got a gift.

"Where's the pickle?"

"I found the pickle!!"

Owen with his pickle present

We had a wonderful time enjoying some delicious food (including a yummy birthday cake for Jesus) and opening present after present.

Great Nana Dineen and Cole reading a new book

Owen very excited to get chocolate

Cole's a chocolate lover too!

Jaden and Owen looking through their stockings

Uncle Jason giving Cole and Owen lots of tickles

Jess and Owen

Jess and Cole

Great Popi Dineen and Owen

Owen with his remote control Spiderman that crawls on the wall!

Great Aunt Donna and Cole opening gifts

Shane and Cole opening gifts

Later that night after church, the boys begged to open up a few of their presents under the tree.

We spent the rest of the evening playing with all the new toys and goofing around...

On Christmas Day morning, we woke up bright and early to discover that El Niño Jesus (Baby Jesus) had left gifts for the boys.  They were so excited to wake up to such a wonderful surprise!

After playing with their gifts from Baby Jesus, we headed downstairs to see if Santa had also stopped by.  And he did, leaving more gifts for the boys to play with.

Opening Santa's presents

Cole testing out his new vacuum

Cole playing with a new game

Owen excited to get more dinosaur stuff

"This is AWESOME!"

Owen and Cole watching a Dino Dan movie

"Cheese!" Cole showing off a big smile

The boys both really like crafts.  And they were not disappointed!  They got enough crafts to keep them busy all year long!

Owen painting his dinosaur

Cole painting a penguin

After lunch it was time to open the gifts from Mom and Pa.  This year they got a new kitchen set complete with pots, pans, utensils, play food, and coffee pot.  It took me two days to put the kitchen set together and I had to be pretty sneaky to keep it a secret.  The boys ripped open all the smaller presents under the tress and then they had to go wait in another room while Shane and I carried the very heavy kitchen set out of its hiding place.  When we told them to come take a look, they came running down the hall.  The look in their faces was priceless!  They quickly got to work cooking, cleaning up, making coffee and talking on the phone.

Cole and Owen opening up their gifts

"A new kitchen!!"

Owen checking out the new kitchen

Cole and Owen looking over the kitchen

Cole making coffee for Mom

Owen already busy cleaning the kitchen

For dinner we had our traditional holiday meal of ajiaco soup (a Colombian potato soup).  It took me all afternoon to make, but it sure was yummy!!

"Where's the soup?!?"

The day after Christmas, the boys and I loaded up the car and off we drove to visit my family in North Dakota.  We took a pit stop in Fargo to visit my Grandma Klein, Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Bob.  Then it was on to our final destination to visit my parents.  My Grandma Schatz was in town for Christmas, so we got to spend some time with her as well.

Nana Bev, Owen & Great Nana Schatz

Upon our arrival, the boys quickly located their Christmas presents while I unloaded our car packed full of all the necessities.  They were both so excited to see their presents.  Cole got a trampoline just his size - perfect for a little boy who loves to jump!

And Owen FINALLY got his Imaginex Mega T-Rex.  He had been waiting months for it.  Every time we went shopping at Target, he would beg to swing by the toy department to pick one up so he could play with it while we shopped.  And now he had one of his very own.  He was a happy boy!

I had a relaxing time in NoDak while the boys kept everyone else very busy.  Owen loved going to work with Nana Bev in the morning and Cole was happy to have Great Nana Schatz and Popi Jerry to pull around all day long.  The boys had fun doing all their favorite things at Nana and Popi's house: playing with bubbles, playing the piano, walking on the treadmill, and riding Buttercup (my old rocking horse). 

Owen covered in bubbles

Is that Santa??

Owen, Cole and Great Nana Schatz playing piano

Popi Jerry and Cole on a wild pony ride

My Mom and I even had time to perfect my Grandma Klein's delicious fudge recipe.  We had been trying to figure out the recipe for years.  And after many failed attempts, we finally got it!  It was so exciting that I had to make another batch.  The secret is in timing everything just right.  And the 4 hour process is definitely a test in patience.  But so worth it.  Yum, yum!  Just like Grandma's!!  Well, they may have not looked quite as good (I still need to perfect my presentation), but they tasted just the same!

Sure makes me want to whip up another batch of fudge!  Merry Christmas!  Feliz Navidad!