Christmas time... mistle toe and wine...

Christmas was celebrated in Miami with family and Alex's family's friends as usual for Christmases here. We had a very good time and we were surrounded with great "babysitters" while enjoying spending time and talking with grown ups :-)

 

Christmas Eve was spent at farmor's and farfar's house with a very nice dinner.

Marlee and Noah in their Christmas Eve outfit :-)

Boys having a great time with Leon



Dave is doing tricks for Marlee while Sonny is "talking" with Gabriel.

Very good dinner!!

First Christmas gift!! (a dinosaur set with trees, volcanos and all kinds of dinosaurs) Very popular!



Doreen with Gabriel

Christmas Day was first spent "at home" chilling and opening presents from close family. Cory, Felicia and Eli came over. A wonderful dinner was served at the Reitnauers' where the boys got even more presents, and more attention :-)

Chilling in the morning.

Had time to visit the playground, too!

A piggy bank that can count!!! Now Marlee does not stop asking for coins to put in!! ;-)

Cousin Eli is soooo cute!!!!

Gift from Marlee to Cory's family

Pappa and farmor at the Reitnauers

Leon is reading Noah's new book (The hungry Caterpillar)

Me and Mr Handsome (thank you Felicia for great pics)

Time to go home!

Eli and Felicia

Cory and Noah :-D

We are so thankful for all the wonderful gifts we have received. But we are mostly thankful for being around family and loved ones.

This is for mormor and morfar who we miss a lot, especially during family times like Christmas! I am glad to know that they had a good Christmas with cousin Ailo in Sweden though!

Christmas countdown

Wow, the last week has been crazy busy, with so many fun things!! Crafting, wrapping, baking and decorating. I have tried to combine this with being outside in the nice weather and one day me, Marlee and Gabriel walked to the post office while Noah was napping. Marlee was on his bike and Gabriel in the stroller. Marlee did so good. He learned to make break marks.

 

Getting a few pieced every day in the advent calendar

Some Christmas decorations

Noah got very scared of Santa when he visited the preschool so now he does not even want to see he advent calendar...

Noah has learned to peel a clementine!

Our Australian friend playing with the kids on the beach. So sad that they are moving to Nashville!!

I wish I could get their attention like this!

Happy Gabriel (see video below)

Pimped some kind of shelf with hooks for the boys that I found in a second hand store

Living on the edge - letting a two year old painting a glass ornament!

Gabriel's favorite way to sleep (I'm making sure he can breath)

Such a happy boy!!

Jackie came over to have an early Christmas with us.

 

Christmas concert

We had the pleasure to watch the yearly Christmas concert at the preschool last week. Marlee surely enjoyed it, Noah not so much. It is funny how different they are. Marlee so enthusiastic, fun and adventures, Noah so satisfies with nothing, calm and easy. Something tells me that Gabriel is more like Marlee than Noah but time will tell...

 

Well, back to the concert. It was so much fun to watch! I am proud of Marlee staying at his designated spot on stage and proud of Noah participating in the show (although somewhat unwillingly).

Can you spot Marlee and Noah?

 

Christmas photo shoot

I took the boys to the beach one day to take some Christmas pictures. It was more complicated than I thought to get them all in one pictures and Gabriel fell asleep in the middle of it... But, I am still happy with the result :-)

Rain dance?

slightly bored

See out muscles!!

Enough mamma!

Dec 16 - Happy Birthday pappa!!!

My New Year resolution will surely be to be better at updating the blog more frequently so that I can keep you more up to date as well as preventing these very long (or many) posts added at the same time.

 

However, we have had some great busy times, preparing for Christmas ans celebrating pappa's birthday.

 

They boys have kept opening the presents on their advent calendars and Marlee has been busy doing his everyday "mission", such as giving a compliment, donating money, a toy etc and making Christmas cards and gifts. It was hard for him in the beginning but he got the point pretty soon and the last week he has been very generous.

Making real home made ginger bread dough

Someone rater ate it than baked it...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPPA!!!

"Little Drummerboy" live with Marlee and Noah

These two just love this video with Pentatonix. You can find it on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ_MGWio-vc

Visitors in Ormond and Miami

Last weekend Aunt Jackie and Uncle Doug came down to visit us for a day. Great day with good company! On Tuesday we all went down to Miami to see my cousin Bjarne and his wife Juanita. I had not seen Bjarne for five years and I had never met Juanita. We had a good time in Miami for a few days before they continued their trip to the Dominican republic, where Juanita is from. It was Cory's birthday while we were in Miami so we celebrated him (and Alex) before we left. Now we are back in Ormond me and the boys have had a busy day doing Christmas things :-)

Nice dinner out with Uncle Doug and Aunt Jackie

Chili weather in Miami but that does not prevent Marlee from going swimming

Visiting Shark valley

Chiling in the stroller while the big brothers go swimming

Noah is helping Eli to put in the binkey

A relaxed last day in Miami

Saying bye bye to Mario

Making Christmas gifts in Ormond

Making ginger bread dough

Smiling Gabriel!