Yes, that is what we have been doing... Or I guess it depends on what part of Christmas you mean... I am talking about the part "spending time with friends and family and exchange gifts". Alex went down to Miami with Marlee and Noah two days before me so the last night we had in Ormond together was our first little Christmas. Opening presents that we had received by mail so that we did not have to bring them to Miami and back, and to be able to give each gift a little more focus. I knew it would be crazy when we got to Miami :-)
Yes, it was cold enough for the boys to wear these :-)
The next day Aunt Jackie visited us to have another mini Christmas and we had a very good day together!! She helped us to put up a "surprise bunk bed" for the boys while they were over at at friend's house. Later that day Alex, Marlee and Noah left for Miami and I started with some fun Christmas gift projects :-) I was so excited about it I slept less than I do when I have all four kids at home. It was just so much fun I could not go to bed :-)
Project #1 - Making Super Brothers t-shirts from regular white t-shirts
So relaxed
Project #2 - Turning their room into a room for three, including a fort :-) This is Noah's and Marlee's beds
Gabriel's corner
The big day came and the boys were truly excited!!! They waited so patiently to open their gifts. When we started, some of us still in their PJs it was literally like saying "Ready, steady, go!" and all the kids (ours and Cory's and Felicia's) opened all their presents at the same time. Me and Alex tried to keep track of who opened what and from whom but it was difficult.
Craziness by the tree
All about cars, with so many boys in the house!! Here with cousin Eli.
Christmas gift
Christmas gifts. Maybe future "The Newman 4", as in "The Jackson 5"
Later, the normal "Miami Christmas Crew" (except Kristi and Alex, who got married two weeks ago and was on their Honey moon :-) came over and had delicious or appetizers and food!!!!! After dinner it was time for more gifts. The boys were totally spoiled!
Playing with new gifts and cousin Andy
Today we would probably have preferred to just relaxed but with all the energetic boys (not talking about the ones over 6 years old ;-) around here that was not an options! Me and Kathy started the day with taking all of them but Andy to the playground. They had a great time.
Noah in one of the trees by the playground
Marlee up in the same tree with a new found friends
Find Marlee, chilling and eating a Clementine in the tree
Having fun with farmor
Selfie with Noah <3
Back home we had lunch Cory and Felicia had to leave. Me and Kathy took the boys in the pool. It was kind of windy outside and the boys got cold quickly. Dinner and then off for Pinecrest garden to see the Christmas light. It was a perfect little trip with the kids!!
By the Cinderella horse buggy
Polar bears
Cherry blossom Christmas lights. Does not really makes sense to me but still so beautiful!!
Beautiful Christmas lights looking like small oak leaves
The boys went on a Ferris wheel (looks more like a moving cage but they loved it, G was a little scared, but brave!)
Noah on the Merry-go-round
Marlee on the Merry-go-round
They also got to ride a pony but those pictured did not turn out so good. It was such a perfect little trip before bedtime :-) How lucky we are to have so much loving people around us, near and far!!
Now we have a few more days here in Miami to catch up with friends and family before we go back to Ormond.
I want to start this long post with mentioning my mormor, my mom's mum, who passed away right after Thanks giving. She was a wonderful, sweet woman, born in 1916, so she had a long life. She was the kind of grandma who never got upset with you and always did what she could to please you. As a granddaughter I thought she was the best. Rests in peace! See you later, mormor!
Me and my mormor in 2007
Beach walk with farmor
School bingo with kids
Not much school for this little guy :-)
And so December got here. Surprisingly fast!!
Noah playing with Jules...
Sweet Noah and his Trutti
Put a Chalk board on the side of the shelves I am working at.
Lunch outside by our new table (that someone was throwing away :-)
So, we did not have any Christmas lights to put outside but then our Neighbor had some that he did not want I we got it. Wonderful!! I did not have to spend the money and, more important, I did not have to put all the boys in the car and go buy some. Anyways, I used the lights we had as a gift on the advent calendars Marlee and Noah have so it was their gift for December 4.
And this is the result...
Living with boys, you get used to this...
Lol, I found him like this. He had gotten the diaper bag out, opened it, gotten the wipes out and laid down! Totally ready for a new diaper!
Last weekend, me and Alex, and Rafael, drove down to Miami for a wedding on South Beach. It was literally ON the beach and so much fun! The older boys stayed with some friends up in Ormond Beach and did not miss us a bit. So grateful for such wonderful friends who dare and offer to take all three of them!!!
The wedding was at an hotel ON the beach.
Yes, this is what we looked like
And this is handsome Rafael
At the same time in Ormond Beach :-)
Passed out
Uncle Cory and cousin Eli and Andy. So cute!!
I have always wanted a Rudolph outfit for our car, and now I finally got one!
So focused when playing games on the computer! (look at their mouths)
December 13th and Lucia. The first ornament in our Christmas tree
Luciafika with Lussekatt and pepparkaka
Yep, he sleeps a lot.
Doing Christmas ornaments
Simply so sweet...
Good night Mr Cool!
It was Alex's birthday was yesterday!!! Happy Birthday, pappa!!!
Noah is always hungry in the morning, so he ate while celebrating pappa in the morning. Lol!
We took the chance to join a ice skating field trip on Alex's birthday and it was so much fun! I am so glad that he agreed to take a day off from work to do that, and I think he had a great time ice skating with Marlee and Noah :-)
Noah did so good! It was his first time and he was out on the ice the whole time we were there!!!
Marlee did very good, too, and found a friend who he was racing
Today our church had the yearly Christmas concert and it was great! Good music and lots of fun acticitivies for the boys. A lot of our friends were there and the kids could just run around having fun! They had snow and Gabriel had so much fun in the snow. Unfortunately, I do not have any picture of him in the snow but I hope to get some from my friends.
