Best 3 Day Christmas

Well, if I'm blogging... I guess I'll keep blogging to make sure I'm all caught up before the end of the year!  I'm quite proud of myself this year, I've done much better than last. (at least I think so)

Anyway, we had so fun this Christmas - we got to make it last 3 days instead of just one.  My dad had to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas unfortunately (time for a new job already!!!)  But...it did allow us to start Christmas fun a few days before.  So, on the 23rd we got together with my side of the fam and ate a delicious dinner that my parents made and then we got to open some presents with my parents and the Fanks.  We had such a great time together.  Sky and Matt's kids are seriously so amazing with my kids and they are just so sweet and kind and fun to be around.  We are so lucky! 

Zak, Luke, Gabe, Ella, Anna, Halle, Jax, Rio & Austin showing off their "grandparent" gifts

This was the "pre-opened" joy from Rio sitting on her present (and yes, those are her "Dorothy's" she's wearing)

Jax and Austin opening their Little People race track - with two tracks!  Perfect for little ones that aren't the best sharers just yet :)

Spence and I (with our little Lennox) showing off our gift of a "date night" -woo-hoo!!!

Sky and Matt and the kids got our kidlets THE CUTEST puppets!  They are so, so cute and so, so soft!  Aunt Sky showing Rio how to put it on her hand - they loved them!

Jax & Daddy with at least 3 of the puppets that he got... and of course "kankie" is present as well

Austin was thrilled with the soft puppets too but as soon as Uncle Matt showed him "another" way of playing with them, he was all in - Matt stuffed all 9 of the puppets inside Austin's shirt!  He thought it was so funny until he realized he was the little boy from Christmas Story and couldn't put his arms down :)

The ever performer and hilarious Gabe showing Austin and me that it's okay to "love the stuffing"

Grandma & Grandpa Anderson with Jax, Austin and Halle calming down after the craze

Then, on Christmas Eve we got to have our Morris Grandparents over to open up their special presents.  The kids loved to have them all to themselves! 

Grandma and Grandpa Morris helping the boys open up their trucks - they loved them and have been so excited about them ever since!

The boys playing and figuring out the trucks can move on their own  - so cute to watch them play.  Rio got the cutest Little People set with a horse and a swinging fairy - she would not let me get a picture because she was too nervous someone would take it and she LOVES it!  Two of her favorite things: horses and swings - couldn't get any better than that!

Christmas Day at Home:

Jax, Rio and Austin posing for the "forced" picture  - love, love Jax's face - he's so funny! Gonna have to curb that curiosity & suspicion I think one day :)

We got all of them a cute train table this year - we're kind of getting interested in it a few days later now but at first, it was WAY more fun to take EVERYTHING off the table - made for some awesome fun after Daddy spent at least 2 hours putting it together and setting it up!  Live and Learn....

Jax showing off his train pieces

Spence and the kiddos opening up some presents - did anyone else think that Christmas wouldn't change that much with having kids?  I did - I pictured the same kind of routine... oh no, we are on "kid time frame now mama!"  I think Spence and I opened our presents about 2 hours later - ha-ha!

Little Miss Rio as happy as could be with her new baby that actually uses a bottle, laughs and cries!  She takes such good of that baby!  (and really not that surprising, so do the boys!)  What a doll you are Rio - love you!

Me and Austin opening up his new "Elmo" puzzle - we're obsessed with Sesame Street around here!

The favorite present of the day has to go to "chapstick!"  We honestly could have just given Rio but even the boys 20 chapsticks and they'd have been just as happy!  (they must get it from their dad - he ALWAYS has some in his pocket)

It's trying to keep it out of their mouths and only on their lips that is the trick :)  Rio's was gone in about 15 minutes!  She was showing daddy how to use it and Austin was telling me that his was "orange"

Merry Christmas sweetie! Love you so much!

Even Lennox joined in the stocking fun - he was digging around trying to get out his new "chewy's"

Merry Christmas Spence, Jax, Austin & Rio!  I love you all so much!  Thanks for being the best thing in my life!

Christmas Eve 2011

We had such a great Christmas Eve this year!  It started out with the annual "Anderson Family" scone breakfast - so yummy!  One of my very favorite traditions and always has been since I was very small myself.  It's so fun to have a tradition that I loved as a kid and now I can share it with my own kids - I love it! My sweet sister had it at her house this year and it was yummy!  My cousins and uncles came and it was so great seeing everyone that could make it this year :)

Then, later that day, we had a visit from our Morris grandparents to share Christmas with our family to avoid some of the chaos that can be Christmas Day.  It was so great for my kiddos to have grandma and grandpa all to themselves for a bit - it was a new idea this year and I loved it!  Part of the reason for the change was because Christmas was on a Sunday and everyone had church meetings at different times and it was getting kind of crazy trying to plan when we could all see each other but.. it worked out and was a great day of course!

That evening, we went downtown to see the lights.  GORGEOUS this year!  It always is but it was especially pretty this year to me - there seemed to be a lot more lights than usual.  We went with the Morris grandparents and Uncle Marc - so fun!! (and not too cold actually)  Well, except for Rio who kept saying, "burzee" because she insisted on wearing her "Dorothy's" (her red sparkly shoes) instead of her boots - she's turning in to quite a little Diva!

 Marc with Jax, Grandpa, Me, Spence & Grandma and Austin and Rio in their strollers

 Austin and Daddy

 Mommy and Rio

Grandma and Grandpa with Jax who got a little cold himself toward the end

All in all, we had a great time and  the kids loved seeing all the lights!  It was a brand new sight for them and they really liked it - love, love the traditions :)

2011 Christmas Card

We hope everyone had a very, Merry Christmas!  I've got to get posting the actual day but I had to post our super cute Christmas card from this year!  For those of you that really know my little trio, this card is true to form - Austin's easy-going, happy self, Jax's ever suspicious and mischievous (and most lovable) smirk and my little Rio just going with the flow...

Foto Fly had this awesome idea and since my little ones were not "santa" fans this year - this was perfect!!!!  Merry (late) Christmas!

Setting Up the Tree

So we had so much fun this year decorating the tree with the kids - they were so cute "trying to be so careful" with all the ornaments.  Mommy and Daddy had to use a lot of patience and close our eyes at times to let them help - but we had to!  They were so cute and happy at the tree and all the "pretty balls" as Rio said.

Above is Jax and Austin pulling out some of the ornaments out of the box - of course our little adventurer Jax climbed up on the chair to put them "higher" on the tree - just where we didn't want him :)  What a cutie!

Austin saw daddy pulling the tree out of the box (yes we went artificial a few years ago - too expensive every year for a real one).  Anyway, Austin saw daddy and had to help with the tree although he found the pieces a little "heaby" (heavy)

Daddy and the kidlets doing some decorating!  We ended up telling them that they could touch all the snowflakes and the bells so they ended up all at the bottom of the tree - PERFECT place!

Daddy telling Austin where his "A" ornament could go

Even Lennox joined in - he found his fun in the "bubble wrap."  And yes... he is wearing a sweater.  We are rolling our eyes just as much as you might be - but he was freezing after his haircut so we had to!

Mommy with the kiddos pulling out the rest of the "bells"

Last years cute ornaments for the kiddos - "J" "A" and "R"

After about 10 or 15 minutes, the kids lost interest and started their own kind of fun - they grabbed the empty diaper box and made a slide - so funny - they are so creative these days too - it's so fun!

And when that fun wore off... they made the chair a jungle gym :) to climb on and through

Another fun event this same week was talking to them about their stockings and that there are presents in them from Santa on Christmas Day.  Jax kept wanting to hold his and would say, "presents?  Where are you?"

Rio's favorite thing was all the snowmen - she would play with them all day long most days - pulling them around the house and singing, "Frosty" and "Once there was a Snowman" - she loves singing and these were a perfect audience for her!

Triplet Christmas Party

Well... let's just say that Santa was not the "trips" favorite thing this year - last year however, we loved him and I remember Austin totally smiling at him and everything - what a difference a year makes when you're two right?  Anyway, Spence and I thought this was a priceless picture and always will be!!! You can't see Jax but he was saying, "no, no, no..."  It was a riot!  We had a very fun Triplet Family Christmas Party with my triplet group and loved it!  Thanks to a few dear friends, it turned out really good (minus the fact that Santa was just a bit late - those reindeer... sometimes they fly slower than others :)

Some of my cute triplet mama friends: Angie, Roxy and Marci with two of her kiddos

Roxy took this picture and Austin loves her so he was waving :)

Angie, Roxy and I

Austin and Jax found the piano of course while waiting for Santa :)  Jax was on the tail end of saying, "cheeeeese"

Had to throw another shot in of the kids and Santa - so funny!!!  Priceless...

Another fun thing we did this year was to get our picture taken for our Christmas card at Thanksgiving Point with our Morris cousins so afterward, we got to go out and look at all the reindeer too!  The kids were mesmerized by them and thought they were so cool!

Me and the kids - so cute and SO FREEZING!!!!

Spence's b-day (just a month or maybe 3 late...)

Happy birthday Spence!  Sorry I didn't post this sooner - if I don't see the pictures - these days, I almost forget that things happened.  So I was looking at his pics on his phone and there were a few cute ones of his birthday this year.

Since we have our 3 little cuties, we don't get to do the fun things that we used to for bdays like NFL games or cruises or other fun trips... So... we went to a REAL soccer game and there was a "One Republic" concert afterward.  It was so fun since I can't remember the last concert we went to. 

Just wanted to say how much I love you Spence and how grateful I am for you and the great husband and daddy you are to our adorable kids!  Love you tons!  Happy late (extra late) bday!

Thanksgiving 2011

So this year Thanksgiving started early... 740am with the Annual Human Race Run.  We've never done it before but my dad's work was willing to support the "cause" so my family decided to all participate this year.  It was so much fun - I really think it was a good way to start off the day - if the weather is nice other years, I'd love to keep doing it!  Our little kiddos did so great too - although they really wanted to get out of the stroller, they did great considering they were stuck in the stroller for 3 miles :)  My dad's work gave us these awesome hats as well - full turkeys and headband turkey legs - so funny!  Austin wore his the whole time - what a cutie!  Jax and cousin Luke weren't having any part of it though - my nephew Luke told his parents "NEVER!!!" when he saw what he could wear - silly boy.

 After the race, we came back and did the usual day time stuff here and then we went and visited Spence's family at his parents house for awhile and then went and ate at my parents.  Everything was DELICIOUS as always.  Thanks mom and dad - you're the best!  This pic below is my family's annual tradition of "Thanksgiving Bingo" - my parents get a bunch of little gifts to win and the kids love it!!! We usually play too but this year, it wasn't happening... too long of a day and too much candy and they were not going to sit happily at the table :)

 So... we went downstairs at my parents and played with most of the kiddos - my dad was very sweet and took turns swinging my kids around and around - one of Rio's favorite things these days - what a cute grandpa!

 Here was the kids attempt at playing "Thanksgiving Bingo" - they looked at their cards and ate all their candy and well... they were done!

 Family Pic this year - one day... one day they'll all be looking :)

And then... I did something I've never done before - BLACK FRIDAY!!!! Full cart below!!!! I didn't really intend to initially but it turned into that for sure - my cute triplet mama friends Marci and Roxy.  We ended up at Target and got all our kiddos shopped for - WOO-HOO!!!  Marci has another little girl too besides her triplets so we got 10 kids done in about 3 hours - so much fun!  We didn't go until early Saturday morning like around 630 so it wasn't too crazy at that time.  What a blast though - my cute friends are so fun and we got some awesome deals too!