Bye bye 2012

We celebrated NYE with Megan & Ryan and a few of their other friends at Bordino's! Of course dinner was DE-LISH! It was the first year since Brady was conceived that we have actually done something to celebrate! And we still got home around 11! Ha!

Well, I have to say.....2012 hasn't been the BEST year. Lots of depressing things have happened this year...things I haven't really been able to totally talk about. Bubby passed away about 6 months ago & Bailey actually passed away a few days ago. We were surprised she made it that long without him, but still very depressing. They were our first babies & once Brady & Bria came it was a different world for them. It breaks my heart, but I know they are in a better place. And honestly, I would like to think that they have reunited & are playing together again! I'm really hoping that 2013 is going to be a FABULOUS year with lots of positive things to come!!!

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Christmas Day!

Christmas Day 2012

It was a PJ type of day...We had planned for all the snow to come and it wasn't there - it NEVER came!  But, we all got to be semi-lazy and we just grazed on food, opened presents and relaxed for most of the day!  They played with old toys, new toys and non-toys!  I can't wait until they get a little older and we can really instill the true meaning of Christmas.  We talk about Jesus and sing songs about Jesus and take them to Mass, but they just don't understand and I can't wait for that day to come...In the meantime...We will open presents and wrestle and enjoy the day and time with family!

 

The kids had so much fun running and playing and laughing.  Richie had crawled into the new little tunnel we had gotten for Brady and he thought it was so funny!  And Bria had all these toys and she wanted to play peek a boo behind the lil curtain by our front door!  These kids are so funny!

 

Here are our new hats!  Tom and Barb get a gag gift every year and these hats were the gift this year!  Little did they know, we actually LIKE the hats!  HAHA!!!  Brady didn't like the hat on my head, but I sure did!

 

What a great day!  These kids were so much fun this year!  All the instruments were a huge HIT!  So sad my family was snowed in down south (they got all of our snow and then some)...But, that just means that we will be celebrating Christmas all over again!  Hopefully the people down south will get power back on soon!  Now, on to the clean up...Whoa...I'll probably be cleaning up until New Years Day...

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Christmas Eve!

The above are pics before Christmas Eve Mass!  We decided that we were going to go to the childrens Mass at 4:30 on Christmas Eve since we were expecting 7-9 inches of snow.  We didn't want to have to get the kids out in the blizzard on Christmas morning...So, here we are on Christmas Eve night...

We took about 8 pictures trying to get a "normal" family photo...I get so sad because we NEVER get a "great" picture of us 4.  When I am behind the camera both kids somehow end up smiling at me and I get a pretty dang good shot (see below) but somehow the picture of us 4 turns out so silly...Richie had to remind me that we aren't your "normal" family...And these goofy shots are actually pretty humerous.  So, I'm just going to have to be ok with getting funny shots of us!

Santa comes in the morning and I think Brady is super pumped!  HA!  The snow is supposed to come too!  Guess we will see which comes first!

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Weekend with Baba and Papa!

I love a good photo opportunity (ESP when we are all kind of matching) and this is exactly what happened here!  The weekend before Christmas and we all went to Mass - the weather was nice and we all got a little outside time before lunch!  I just love this lil outfit on Bria!  And her and Brady matched so cute!

My handsome lil man playing in the leaves!

Baba stole her bow! HA!  How sweet are they?!?!?

Nothing like a little giggling with sweet Brady! 

What a big girl!  These kiddos are just growing up so fast!  Where does the time go?  Bria is just too sassy!  And, I'm just not sure about the cold weather coming...These 2 really love being outside...What a fun day!

This past week in pics!

The week before Christmas has been a good one - gearing up for company, good food and santa is always fun...Also, winding down with work and getting some extra time with the kiddos since they have been out of school has been great!  We have delivered all the gifts to teachers, therapists, Ms. Julie (gymnastics coach) and even the toys for tots and angel tree gifts too!  Everyone was so tickled and I think the kids enjoyed giving!  I know I sure enjoyed seeing all the smiles!  Can't wait til next week! 
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Gifts for mommy & daddy!

I have to say, sometimes you see little cheesy gifts that kids make & you're forced to like them bc your child made them (we will be doing this at some point I'm sure)...however, we were more than thrilled with what our kids made us for Christmas this year!!!!! Brady came home from school with a present all wrapped up tight like a drum stick & I couldn't imagine what it could be....

It's a Christmas banner to hang up!!!! It is adorable!!!! I wonder who comes up with these ideas? It's hanging in our kitchen for all to see! We just LOVE it! His teachers there are just great!!!!

Then, Bria came home with a brown paper sack all decorated for Christmas! Inside were several lil things - some Christmas artwork made from her hand & footprints, a clay handprint & a precious ornament with her handprint turned into snowmen! ADORABLE! Oh, and a really cute Christmas card with her picture on it that they made! Love it!

What a super cute idea!!! Its already on her tree!! Her teachers are so great & she really likes them too! What nice surprises to us from our sweet kids!!! And I just love that we will be able to have them for many years to come! So special!!!

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Holiday parties!

Here is a recap of our holiday parties for 2012 (the ones we were able to go to anyway)...


Girls dinner at bordinos back in November! Just a couple of friends & a nice dinner with a jewelry exchange!


A fun couples dinner at holihans in Rogers a couple of weeks ago! Such a great night catching up with our closest friends (without kiddos)...We almost got a free meal that night!





Station 5 dinner with the fire fighters & the wives! We went to Bleu Monkey in Springdale & it was soooo good!!! Richie actually walked out in an ugly Christmas sweater pretending that was what he was wearing that evening! Ha! The dickey made the outfit! They all died laughing! It was a nice time! Thank goodness he changed on the ride there!!! Ha!


The last of the parties...Richie's RFD company party! We at appetizers at Theo's before & then went on over...I was so proud of my hair but you can't see it in the picture so I attached it below...it's a sock bun! Best invention ever!!!


And, Richie and the guys at station 5 won a life saving award! The old guy got up & spoke & it was just precious! So emotional! Richie gave him chest compressions after he had a heart attack at Dillard's & the guys worked on him & brought him back to life & he's totally fine now! So proud!!!!





That concludes our holiday parties for this year!!! Maybe we will bring back our annual party one of these days!


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