Early Christmas Gift exchange.

Final product. Pictures never seem to do it justice. Looks better in person.
The boys and one of their new sleds.

They always help each other open gifts. We'll see how long that lasts?

Isaac just wanted to eat the presents.

Busy Holiday Fun!

Our annual Pizza Bake. 18 loaded pizzas in total. Ken and I have decided to do this together every Christmas. He does the shopping for all of the supplies and I help chop and make them. It is quite time consuming but will save us lots of time on meal prep in the long run. Great bonding time!
The boys all got new dress shirts from Nannie and Grandad in Nova Scotia and they fit perfect. Luke's came with a cute little tie and Andrew and Sam's shirts matched ties they already had.

The boys got new sleds for Christmas so we didn't waste anytime trying them out. We can't wait to go to the cabin for New Year's and test them on some real big hills.

These are the reindeer bags we made for the boys teachers. We filled them up with Homemade chocolates that Mel and Denise and I made. 25 dozen chocolates in total.

It was quite a lesson about gift giving while we made them since every time the kids finished one they wanted to keep it for themselves.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

So we headed out a week ago to Christmas Tree shop with the boys. They had been counting down for almost two weeks. Sam had been noticing Christmas trees decorated in people's homes for a month already and couldn't understand why we hadn't gotten ours yet. Little did he know they were all fake trees. We went to Home Depot and loaded four little ones into the fancy truck type shopping carts in search of a tree. The last 4-5 years we have always gotten a tree at Home Depot...well they were sold out so after much resistance from Luke to get out of the fancy shopping cart we headed to Canadian Tire where the trees were super overpriced. We reloaded again and headed to Superstore and bought a beautiful bailed up tree for $40. The kids were super excited when they went to bed and we left the tree to thaw out over night. In the morning we decorated and had a great time. It was cute to see the kids climbing on stools to try to put ornaments on the tree, and to see Andrew on Ken's shoulders to put the angel on top. Andrew was quite scared because Ken stood on the stool with him on his shoulders.

I love seeing the kids get so excited and to see them checking out each and every ornament. A lot of these ornaments were given to me as I grew up from my mom and are very special to me. The angel on top is very special because it was a patterned angel that my mom had picked out to make and never got around to it. Denise my step mom came across it in their basement after her and Dad got married and she decided to make it for me and I LOVE it. The fact that my mom picked it out and Denise made it means so much to me.

This little manger scene was made by my mom for me one Christmas too and I still have the card she gave me with it that says...Shelley...For your someday home and little ones! Love Mom...Little did she know that I would have four little boys that love looking at it when I set it up each year.

So Sam now informs me that all we need is some presents for under the tree. Soon to come my dear little boy!

Special Delivery for Nana and Papa

Preppy boys!

Sam was not too interested in posing.
Once again a failed attempt at 4 smiling boys. I promise you sometimes all 4 are happy at the same time. I just can't seem to capture it on camera.

Sunshine Isaac always has a smile for us.

I went shopping with Tracy last week and got the boys new outfits for church. I shouldn't be bragging but I just thought they looked so handsome and grown up.

Can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man!

Taste testing.
Decorating.

Posing.

Saturday we made some gingerbread men. Everyone loves the candies and the frosting, but not the cookies so much. I think the molasses taste is kinda strong. That's okay we still had lots of fun and the gingerbread men didn't run away.

Adventures with The Vander Heide's

Like I said before...if Isaac isn't being pulled then he isn't happy.
Luke.

Don't ask me how Sam could see but he wasn't complaining.

That's Tracy giving all of her boys a push.

Good ol' Daddykins having lots of fun! Sunday night after church we met the Vander Heide clan at Taylor Mountain(the big sledding hill in Coaldale). It was a perfect night to hang out with good friends and to share grilled cheese sandwiches.