Happy New Year!

We hope 2010 finds all of you happy and healthy. We had a good Thanksgiving, a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year! We are very blessed to have so much family that lives so close and this year we celebrated 7 different Christmases! It sounds crazy and busy I know, but it was so much fun. However, I will pass on the lengthy play-by-play on all 7 of them and let the photos show what a wonderful time we had!


Kael was excited to see Santa this year. Kylee was a little unsure but once Santa asked her about her pretty shoes she realized that this guy must be at least somewhat knowledgable and she agreed to sit on his lap. (I couldn't get a good picture of that though...)

Ankeny has an event uptown every year where you can go see Mrs. Claus, go on a treasure hunt and ride the horse-drawn carriage. We waited in line quite awhile in the chilly weather so Kent and Kael headed home but Kylee and I stuck around for the carriage ride. She loved it!

Kylee has the Christmas spirit in the picture!

Kael too. :) He had a pajama day at preschool and he wore his Santa jammies and a Santa hat the whole time. When I went to pick him up they had just gotten out of the gym and Kael ran up to me and said, "Mom, I'm sweaty!!!" Turns out he had even kept his Santa hat on during gym time- no wonder he was so hot!


Kael's preschool has a really cute Christmas program every year and I was so happy with how he did. It never ceases to amaze me how those teachers get nearly twenty 4-year olds to stand up in front of a crowd, and not only sing but remember all the words and actions all the while keeping hands to themselves and smiles on their faces!

After the program Santa always comes. Kael was very concerned about where Santa had parked his sleigh as the parking lot was quite full from all the extra visitors who had come to watch the program. Kids are so innocent. Kylee wanted nothing to do with this Santa so when we finally got to the front of the line Santa told me just to sit down too. And I did.



This is a picture from Christmas at my Grandma's house. Kylee opens her presents so slowly, so patiently. Kael, however, was so excited about presents this year I don't think he even saw what was in half of them before he had moved onto opening the next present!



This is a picture of the kids all dressed up for Christmas church.

Kael was so excited about the drums Santa brought him!!! And Kylee was equally excited about her Disney Princess vanity/piano set. (She might also be equally excited about the apple she found in her stocking. :)





Kael was such a good helper passing out presents this year. And yes he's wearing his new crocodile slippers from Santa.



At my grandma and grandpa's house there were a couple new babies there this year. Kylee was so sweet with Clara and just wanted to lay beside her and watch her.

My kids usually don't love taking pictures and it is quite a feat to get them to look at the camera and nearly impossible to get them to smile and keep their eyes open at the same time, so you can imagine how pleased I am with this picture of all of us on my side of the family.

Here's Kylee in her new pink Jordans which she got from Kent's brothers. Later she referred to them as her "dancing shoes". :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. We are very excited to share that we will be welcoming a new addition to our family in August of this year! The due date is August 7 and Kylee's birthday is August 9 so they will be almost exactly 3 years apart. Happy 2010!