Christmas 2011

We had such a great Christmas with our little family! We woke up at a fairly decent hour...7ish...to lightly falling snow. It looked like we were in a snow globe! Daddy lit a fire and the kids ran downstairs and saw that Santa did, indeed, come to the Kissell home! We had fun opening and playing with presents, talking to family on the computer, and eating a yummy traditional Christmas breakfast.

Sawyer's pirate ship

and his new camera...just like his big sister's that he has been coveting for ages. Unfortunately, Kate has misplaced hers so we are uneven again.

Clara and her soft doggie. It matches Sawyer's lion and Kate's horse.

all of Sawyer's Christmas loot

all of Kate's Christmas loot. The wardrobe in the back for her doll Isabelle was only halfway finished. Ryan did a great job on it but we just ran out of time! We'll show it to you again when it is finished!

Sawyer's car from Grammie and Papa

Kate's skates for herself and her doll from Grammie and Papa (her favorite present of the morning!)


here is Ryan unwrapping the present Kate made for us at school. She was so excited about it, can you tell?

She made it, painted the wrapping paper, and wrapped it herself. She was so proud! We love it!


The only thing Sawyer consistently asked for was the game Sorry and Uncle Devin got it for him and Kate

Christmas breakfast - cinnamon rolls and egg casserole

And then we got all gussied up and headed to church for a beautiful afternoon of singing hymns and listening to beautiful music!

After church I started preparations for dinner and when it was time to set the table, I started to get a little teary eyed. The morning was so fun with my kids that I didn't have time to be homesick, but thinking of my mom and her beautifully set Christmas dinner tables made me sad. I told Ryan and he went and looked up on the computer how to fold the napkins into elf shoes to make our table beautiful. Isn't he the cutest? It made me smile.

But don't worry, I got to go to Target for their Christmas clearance things and I picked up some tablecloths and napkin rings along with lots of other fun things so I'll be ready next time!

We have spent the rest of our Winter break enjoying sleeping in, staying in pajamas forever, not leaving the house unless it is for something fun, and cuddling together. Sawyer loves having Kate home and so do I. I'm tempted to not send her back to school! But it was a wonderful Christmas with so many happy memories. And now on to 2012!

Christmas Eve 2011

On Christmas Eve....


Clara enjoyed looking at the Christmas tree lights

Kate showed off her new favorite thing, holding Clara *while standing*!

We made cookies for Santa while listening and dancing to Christmas music

Clara watched....and yes, I am noticing almost all my pictures of Clara look exactly like this...her staring up at me from her bouncy seat! That is when I have my hands free for picture taking I guess...

Daddy and the kids enjoyed the hot tub

Instead of our traditional Christmas Eve Olive Garden dinner (because we are Olive Garden-less here in the upper valley) we went to Lui Lui's. It was a very fine substitute! This place is delicious. I am also noticing that because this place lacks decent Mexican food, I am craving it less and less. It was my favorite out to eat kind of food ever...but I'm losing it! I'm so deprived up here!
Sawyer got his favorite....

Kate loved the brick oven cooked pizza...yum

Daddy raved about his delicious steak

Kate showed off her toothless grin

And I was there too!

After we got home we acted out the nativity. This year we had all the most important figures for it. Sawyer took his role very seriously. I put on his costume and he said, "now I need my stick thing." We don't have any canes or anything...but I remembered our rain stick. He thought it was perfect.

Then we unwrapped our one Christmas Eve present. My kids apparently don't remember the tradition because they were very surprised and pleased to find matching pajamas! When Sawyer saw Kate's he said, "She already has those!" It is true, we wore these 2 years ago. But they are one of my favorites. Kate has grown out of hers and they are now passed on to Sawyer.

Then we tracked Santa on the computer

And wrote him letters

While Daddy and Clara supervised

And then we headed upstairs for our long winter's rest. It is so fun to watch my children and remember the feeling of not being able to sleep because you are just too excited for Christmas morning.

our "tivities"

We have enjoyed doing our activity advent calender this Christmas season. Each day the kids took turns and they were so excited when it was their turn to choose the slip of paper that told what we were doing that day. On Christmas Eve Eve we watched Frosty the Snowman and made a snowman pizza. We also drove around Quchee to look at Christmas lights...and realized no one puts up Christmas lights in Quechee. It might be because so many of them are snowbirds that are now back in Florida. Oh well, we had fun singing Christmas carols in the car together anyway!

Merry Christmas!

gingerbread houses

This year we are again doing an activity advent calender, where the kids choose a slip of paper with an activity written on it every day. The kids have really enjoyed it and I have put lots of easy activities in it so it didn't stress me out, which is always nice! Last Friday I was bathing Clara after a huge blowout when my kids start excitedly screaming and run upstairs with the slip of paper! It said, "gingerbread houses" on it and they kept squealing things like "best activity ever" and "this is such a special day!" Needless to say, they were a little excited.

Here they are with their houses ready to decorate

Sawyer with his house, he was loving the licorice. I had to pull them apart for him and when he first asked me I said, "How many do you need?" and he said, "105." I guess he wasn't kidding.

Here is my house

With a flower garden (this house is in a place that isn't 9 degrees like it is here right now)


Kate's house

And here is Daddy's house

He asked Kate, "What do you think the K is for?" and she said, "Kate.....and Kwanza!!" It is pretty hilarious when she comes home with these new discoveries at school!

Daddy's house came complete with a dog. Daddy has been a little obsessed with dogs recently, googling youtube videos of them and doing all sorts of research. Kind of sad because I am still anti-dog. He'll have to be happy with the one stuck to the side of his gingerbread house! He doesn't mind finding little junior mints in his gingerbread yard.

Clara spent our time gingerbread house making like this!