Christmas Day!

We had an amazing Christmas and hope that you all had the same experience. Preston started waking up every hour starting at 2:00 but we managed to get him to hold off till 7:00 - not too bad if I do say so myself. Of course the boys we ecstatic about what they got. This year, another tradition change, our normal morning brunch at my mothers got pushed back to 1:00 so we were able to stay home, fix a small breakfast and just relax and let the boys play with their toys till it was time to go. Mom and Dad could nap and get a bit more slept, really I quite enjoyed the morning. My mother food and Christmas was just great and we appreciate all she did for us. It was simply a really good day.

Santa's gifts to the boys

Prestons Santa Gifts

Weston's Santa Gifts

The big gift of the year - Nintendo Wii

Bryson's Santa gifts

Santa must have been here, no more cookies and milk

The entire view of Christmas before the mayham

Our Tree and Gifts

Bryson in the process of what we need to do with the Wii

Preston working his way through his stocking and showing us all he got.

Christmas morning of Santa!

Bryson and Preston looking at their Bakugons

Preston and his new Bat-man beanie hat

Bryson showing off his new PJ's

Weston getting the hang of this whole thing. He couldn't open them by himself and kept running to the big boys to see what they had. But he was a joy to watch

Bryson, my little scholar, he loves school and anything that has to do with learning. I hope he always stays with this love. This is him opening new chapter books.

Weston in the midst of his Christmas

Preston confused about something... we get this face alot around here.

Weston showing me his new cloths, he was too close to get them in the frame

Setting up the Wii, Bryson was telling Darren how to do it. "Dad just plug this in here and then turn it on. " If only it was that simple. Once Darren got it turned on, he let Bryson go through and do all the settings.

The spreading of Christmas all throught the house.

The aftermath... it was a perfect Christmas morning, and I feel we were able to get more "needed" things and not just fillers this year.

Darren got me this great Calphalon pot set so I could throw out all my old ones and new canisters for my flower and sugar.

This is Darren - my Husband?? - yes this is how he dressed for our day of visinting family on Christmas Day. This is what happens when my husband relaxes and forgets about work and issues, he becomse this funny, light hearted amazing loving man... it's who I fell in love with. Geek or not, I married him and I love him for his crazy stunts he pulls.

View number 2 of this amazing outfit.

The happy couple - only 7 days till their wedding and they cannot wait!

Bryson seriously LOVES breakfast foods, so it was hard to hold him back up at my moms for brunch.

Christmas morning table at my moms, completely re-done from Christmas dinner

The amazing Buffet

Every year my Mother puts this amazing tiny village together. The entire view of the villiage, it was about 7 or 8 feet long and about 4 feet deep. Amazing!

Another view, she is so maticulous and gets little details like the boys ice fishing and grandkids sledding. it is something you can look at for an hour and not see all that she did.

So much little detail!

My Mothers amazing Tree and way too many presents. She always goes overboard.

Most of the family getting ready to open presents

Preston delivering presents

Bryson bringing me a present

OK, so YaYa found this ear warmer and put it around his neck. It had it on the entire day and would not let us take it off. He even took his nap in it. Like Father like son

A tired content Mommy :)

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve started a new Era in the extended Willis family. This is the first year that my Mother and Father did not have anyone coming for Christmas Eve dinner. With Kyle now married and living in Logan, they go to Kami's families festivities which only works better for them with since they want and should have Christmas morning at home. With Kari getting married, she is now working with Jason's side of the family, and he has a solid Christmas Eve tradition so she is gone there. Kevin and his family is out of state and Kory and Mandy do every other year. So! I invited my parents out to our home for our Christmas Eve festivities, which isn't much and very humble compared to my Mothers usual spread. It was a different evening but a nice and new tradition for our small family.

My attempt to set a holiday table

Grandma Hydee and Weston

Anytime I turn on the camera, Weston runs up and wants a close up - I have a ton of these types of pictures

The boys getting ready to open their PJ's

Bryson opening his PJ's

Preston opening his PJ's

Weston opening his PJ's

Bryson wanted to make sure we got a picture of the tag - MARIO WII!!!

Bryson in his Mario Wii PJ's and RED Slippers

Preston in his Spiderman PJ's and Slippers - Nice clean face I know :)

Weston and his PJ's and Cars slippers - He is helping Grandma and Grandpa leave

Grandma and Grandpa leaving for home

Bryson and Preston getting ready to read "We Believe in Santa", which Bryson read to us this year and "Twas the Night Before Christmas"

Daddy reading Twas the Night Before Christmas

Bryson's School Party

Bryson's class was making gingerbread houses for their party. I talked to his teacher on Monday and she said she has enough parents but I was welcome to come and watch. So I planned on that, which she said went from 1:30 - 2:30. So I had arranged for Darren to come home to watch the kids so I could go over to the school at about 2:00, As I approached his room it seemed quiet to me. Sure enough, the party was over, the houses were made and all the kids were on the floor intently listening to a story. I had missed it, i didn't get a picture of him at all, I couldn't even get the teachers attention to see if I could talk to Bryson for a minute to make sure he wasn't sad.upset I hadn't made it as we had talked about. So I left and went back home, I made a point to go meet him outside his door to help carry his house over to the car in the snow, that seemed to have made him happy. I was so worn down by the end of my run around day that I didn't even think about taking a piture of it at home. Bryson had fun anyway and his gingerbread house was really cute.

Preston's School Party

I MADE it... barely! Preston didn't really have a arranged school party, but we were invited as parents to come observe all week. So I went on Tuesday which was his last day before winter break, it also happened to be another snowie day. I had forgotten to pick up a treat for him to give to his friends the night before while I was at the store and by the time school started I hadn't gotten ready yet. No problem I thought, I have time to go home, shower, go tot eh store and make it back to school for Preston. I pulled in the parking lot at 10:45.. it has just been one of those mornings. Running into the school and through the halls, I plop on the floor of his class room and frantically start to take pictures the last 10 minutes of class. I did get to hear him sing a song and it that was really cute.

Who comes around on a stary night? Santa comes around on a stary night.

Must be Santa, Must be Santa, Must be Santa, Santa Claus

Weston in the background looking like a gansta. Still singing, and loving it. Miss Sherry is in the Santa hat, she is an amazing teacher and we will miss her when Preston goes into Kindergarten next year.

Willis Family Dinner - FEAST!

We usually have a large dinner on Christmas Eve, however with the new marriages/engagements and Kevin's family not coming up my mother moved it to the Saturday before Christmas. I say Feast and boy what feast it was! My mother knows how to put on a great spread. The food was amazing. Kevin's family flew up for the day and flew back out Sunday morning, Kami and Kyle drove down and the rest of us made our small gaunt over the hills to Grandma's house. It was so nice to have everyone together for just a few short hours and be able to talk and have the kids play. My kids don't see Kevin's family very often, we call them the "Willis Cousins" although Kory's kids would also qualify for that name. I think that it is easier then remembering all their names.

I love my mother's tables! I want this ability to decorate like her. This easily could have gone in Better Homes and Gardens or put Martha's mouth wide open!

Another View, Thanks Mom for setting the mood for the holidays!

Why is he not sleeping?

I put Westie down for a nap today - about an hour later he started talking, knowing full well that he hadn't gone to sleep yet I let him talk for about 20 more minutes and finally I gave up! I went into his room to take him out of bed - AND ...

This is what I found, a completely naked baby smiling with Joy that he has not only figured out how to take his shirt, pants and diaper off he has also emptied what was left of his bottle on his bed, AND then emptied the other portion of his bottle with peeing all over his bed! Oh happy mother moment number 5,489! As he stood up to get out of the crib he thought he should mark his territory one last time, yep! Pee on the crib bumper which now has to get dry cleaned. Oh how I love this child,he can frustrate me to the core and melt my heart all in the same minute. I simply started to laugh, in fact giggle. What else could I do, he was grinning from ear to ear - needless to say, I don't think he will be having a nap today.

More Snow Fun

Another fun snow day... it is the first thing my older boys ask when the roads are snow packed is if we can go out sledding, And Yes! we can! Weston was awake for this one and if you think for one minute he is going to sit aside while the big boys go riding think again.

Coming down the street to pick up Weston

All the boys ready for their ride!

Preston, he just loves the snow

Weston, you would think he'd want to go inside to get warm? No! he screamed and screamed when I took him in. His face was freezing, but he wanted to stay out.