Christmas 2013

Juju entranced by the christmas lights.

The great ice storm of 2013! :-P

Bonding over football! I've found a task that is compatible with football watching!  Feeding and holding babies!

Henry is our elf on a shelf.  Emmy was having trouble listening one day and made the naughty choice of touching him.  Well, Henry immediately became gravely ill, and departed for the north pole as soon as she turned the other way.  He returned the next morning but spent the day nursing himself back to health in Barbie's room.  Last time that choice was made!

We got a gingerbread Christmas village kit at Target.  Lucky for us there were unbroken walls to construct two of the five buildings!  Emmy worked hard to decorate them, and then promptly ate one of them for dessert (while I was detained with cleaning the dishes. :-P)

Making Christmas cookies!!  All of the kiddos got in on the fun this year!  We had so much fun!

Shopping for our adopted "Christmas kid" Ashanti at Target!  The girls got REALLY into it!  Emmy helped pick out her outfit (I signed off on it-Emmy has fashion sense when it comes to color coordination, but she's not afraid of patterns!)  Hannah INSISTED on holding everything.  It was pretty funny. :-P BTW, I ADORE the new cart at Target (that is a singular form of the word, I do believe there is just one at our local store.) They are nearly impossible to come by, but I feel as though it was created for my family!

We hosted the church group Christmas party again this year!  40 adults and kiddos was a new record for us! :)  We had so much fun!  Especially the part where we wrapped up all of the gifts for Ashanti...

Emmy wrote her letter for Santa!

All dressed up to go see Santa at the Opryland Hotel!

Our girls!

Hannah is obsessed with James and Jules is Emmy's little pet...It's pretty funny. :)  Everyone has a buddy!

Different kind of road march for Daddy!

Hannah was reaching for her beloved baboo. :-P

"Woo! Woooooo!"  Hands down, Hannah's very favorite part of the day!

I've got a monkey on my back!

On the 23rd, we went to Toys R Us and divided up into two teams, Mommy, Hannah and James and Daddy, Emmy and Juju.  We let the kids pick out small gifts for eachother, and it was SO MUCH FUN!!  We played it up by staying away from eachother (and being really dramatic if the other team was closing in on us!) to make sure the gifts were a surprise!  This is only going to get more fun as the kiddos get older!

We got back into our teams to wrap the presents!  Team Daddy!

Hannah guarding the door for Team Mommy!

Hannah trying to cheat!

Emmy did a wonderful job wrapping the gifts for Hannah and James!

Sissy put herself on tape duty.

The Saturday before Christmas, we went on a tour de Clarksville to surprise some of the people that matter the most to us with some Christmas cookies!  The kids were so excited!

Who needs a white Christmas when you can have a tornado warning?

My closet has never been more full!

Christmas Eve!  I totally spaced out and thought there was a church service, but instead our church had celebrated the Sunday before...It made for a much less rushed celebration. We had a fancy dinner in very casual clothes (jammies from the night before!)  Here, Emmy took it on herself to make a plate of cookies for Santa and carrot for Rudolph while I was embroiled in baby bath time.

Santa was here!!  He arrived a little after 1 when Mommy and Daddy finished wrapping!

SO excited!  A Cinderella princess dress from Grammy and Poppy!  This has worked it's way into her everyday wear!

Hannah's big gift!  A trampoline!  It has been a hit with every child that has been in our home!

Her beloved Caillou!

Juju with her gift from James and Hannah!

Jamesy boy in his new bumbo!

Gang's all here!

Emmy's big gift from Santa!  She'd asked him for this when she chatted with him at 

the Opryland Hotel!

This is how Sissy colors...Sprawled out on the floor.

Happy girl!

Sleepy boy!  Cuddled up with his new Simba toy from Emmy and Juju.

Our friend and babysitter, Ms. Ericka sent me a text when she was out shopping one day with a picture of this doll...I couldn't resist! 

So much excitement wears a baby out!

Later Christmas Day: "The Sacksteders are coming! The Sacksteders are coming!!!"

Nick's make-shift command station.

The kids table!

These two are absolutely attached at the hip.

They had a band!

Clairey led the trio into the room and announced to JP that he was their audience.  Nick really got into it. (I stole this from Kris' camera!)

"ought coco" is Sissy's favorite!

Nick makes fun of me for our stroller collection but we were able to seat 5/7 kiddos at our Opryland excursion to go see the Christmas lights!

The Sacksteders! (Courtesy of Kris!)

Us! (Kris, again!)

Us again! (Kris took this one too!)

I hear angels singing!  A picture with everyone looking!!!  Hallejuah!!

Thank you, Kris!

We noticed the girls were outside having a little gab-sesh one morning.

Movie for quiet time!

Sweet Emmy was worn out!

After years of trying, the big kids slept peacefully together!  The key? Books on CD!  They made sure to remind eachother to be quiet so that they could heard the story, and then fell asleep in the process!  Another brilliant idea by my Kris!

Making Jesus' birthday cake!

Celebrating Jesus' birthday at the Andrjeski's house!

Jace and Hailey!

Lauren!

Jakey Wy Wy (in Hannah speak) and Emmy girl!

They're first date! Jace and Hannah!

Collective effort decorating Jesus' cake!

Kris and little miss Maisy Jane!

Jakey goes in for the good stuff, which thoroughly ticks Emmy off.

Hands on Daddies!  Love them!

Children flock to Kris. :)

Brings new meaning to "hot mess."

Lucky for us, Snowmageddon turned into a light dusting.  Emmy's ensemble was lacking!

Kris took a bunch of great pictures...