Happy New Year!

On New Year's  Day the boys woke up coughing a lot.  We ended up staying home most of the day and then went up to Sioux Falls to pick up Mom and Dad Tintle from the airport!  We were excited to celebrate Christmas with them, excited that the boys could spend some quality time with them, and excited that we didn't have to travel this Christmas.  The boys were thrilled to ride on the moving ramps at the airport, see some planes, and to see Grandpa and Grandma!  We went out for supper at Granite City which was delicious, but it was evident that Dorian was wiped out from his cough and needed to get some rest. 
The next morning (Wednesday) we had a Christmas party together.  We ate delicious food (including some of the Christmas cookies that the boys decorated), opened gifts, listened to Christmas music, and enjoyed each others company.

The boys opened a new Beyblade dome and beyblades to go with it!  After getting it set up and figuring out how it worked, the boys were both having a lot of fun with it!!!

On Thursday, we went up to Sioux Falls to spend a couple of days there.  We stayed overnight at the Ramkota which had an indoor water park that was perfect for the ages that the boys are at.  They really enjoyed the big water slide!

On Friday, we went to the Science Center and Cinedome at the Washington Pavilion.  What a fun spot! 

On Saturday, we swam in the morning at the hotel and in the afternoon we went to the Butterfly House.  I decided it would be fun to touch a sting ray and also thought it would be good for my kids to see me being brave.  But the funny thing is that when I actually did touch it, I freaked out.  :) 

Nathan, Dorian and Levi each touched a baby shark!!!

The butterflies were beautiful and it was quite calming and relaxing to watch them.

Dorian and Levi had fun looking at the butterfly chart and identifying some of the different kinds they saw.

 

 

We enjoyed doing things together that the boys enjoyed doing!  However, we did not ever ask the boys where they wanted to eat because it would have been McDonalds, Chuck E. Cheese, etc.  Instead, Nathan looked up some fun new restaurants and we ate very well!!!  Nathan and I also got to enjoy 2 evenings of free childcare while his parents were visiting.  :)

 

It was a fun start to a new year!

Christmas is here!

Christmas Day
On Christmas morning, it was fun to wake up at Mom and Dad's house and the boys were excited that "Santa" did come to bring stocking presents.  It's not a secret at our house that Santa is not real...but Levi is at the age where he is having trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy and seemed quite convinced that Santa did bring him presents during the night.  :)

It was a super cold morning...I think there was a high of like 6 degrees that day.  After having washed the van the day before, we were unable to get our van doors to close all the way that morning.  So we listened to beeping all the way to church and even had to stop to push the sliding door closed after it was pulled open by the wind on our drive!  I've never had that before. 

We had a delicious ham and everything to go with it for lunch on Christmas day.  Lyle and Brenda, Jim and Lavonne, and Grandma also joined us.  After we ate, mom played Christmas carols while we all sang together.  I enjoyed that.  What I didn't enjoy quite as much was the fact that my 2 boys were pestering my cousin, Nathan, and didn't want anything to do with calming down to sing.  I am glad however, that they love to play with him so much.  :)

Almost everybody played games in the afternoon.  There was an intense game of Monopoly going on in the kitchen.

And there were a couple of good games going on in the sunroom.  Dorian learned how to play Dominoes and really enjoyed that.  The boys both bounced around to the different game tables, sitting on different people's laps.  :) 

Friday: December 28
Grandma had rented the gym at the Village to have the Bolkema Christmas party.  She treated us to pizza for supper and then those who were willing and able played a game of volleyball.  I would have played if my belly wasn't the size of the volleyball.  :)  It was fun to watch the boys though!

Then we played Bingo and picked some fun gifts off of the prize table!  And we laughed a lot opening white elephant gifts.  Nathan couldn't figure out how to button up his blanket...but Levi thought it was the best gift ever.  He cuddled up next to Nathan for nearly the rest of the night!

That's a nice look Levi!  :)

Dad looked good in his new reindeer antlers.  :)

And the girls looked quite handsome in their new moustaches.  :)

It turned out to be a late night, but it was a lot of fun!!!

Saturday: December 29
Nathan needed the day to work, so I took the boys to Sheldon to enjoy another day with family.  Dave and Judy and Holli and Matt were there so it was nice to visit more with them.  Dorian and Levi especially enjoyed playing with Caleb.  In the afternoon, we took the kids to the roller skating rink!  Dorian was quite hesitant about it, but after about an hour, he was skating on his own!!!  Levi's skates were a little easier and he did great on his own as well!

Dorian and Ashley came super close to winning one of the skating games.  :)

I'm thankful for family!  Thankful for all of the new memories that we could make together this Christmas!

Christmas Eve!

Our evening with the Bolkema's started with a delicious meal of homemade soup and fresh bread. 

Instead of exchanging names with my siblings, this year we decided this year to assemble gift bags for Compassion in Action which is an organization that Rodney had set up to help families who are dealing with Leukemia.  We put 12 bags together and Kerry was going to distribute them to the families who are staying in the wing of the hospital where Rodney spent so many weeks, and even one year over Christmas.  The kids drew pictures to put in each gift bag.  It was a good thing for us to do this year as we continue to miss having Rodney here with us.

Then Grandpa and Grandma had gifts that they wanted to give to all of us.  Grandma decided to use a spinner to determine who would open their gifts first. 

Levi and Dorian happened to be first and they each opened their very own camera.  Now I don't have to share mine!  :)

The boys also each got a new game!

When all of the unwrapping was finished, the kids had a blast throwing all of the paper in the air.  :)

 

We had decided to stay overnight at mom and dad's house so after the kids were sleeping, we enjoyed talking together until midnight!

Christmas party at our house!

December 23

We enjoyed our day together as a family!  The boys were super excited this year about the presents that were under the tree and couldn't wait to open them.  So when they woke up, they opened their first gift which was a remote controlled truck for each of them.  

 

After church and lunch, the boys opened up their stocking gifts which were a Lego man and a crayon ornament for the Christmas tree.

Nathan and I opened a few presents...mostly very practical gifts this year. 

Then the boys opened a tabletop Foosball Table which was a lot of fun to play together.  It was a relaxing day.

Christmas Cookies!

 

December 19

I went to Levi's preschool Christmas party!  He enjoyed making a nose so he could be Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer.  He frosted and decorated a Christmas tree.  And he sang some songs with his class.  It was fun to see him interacting with his teachers and friends and I'm glad that I got to be there!

December 20:  Dorian went to Crown Pointe with all of the Kindergarteners to sing Christmas songs to the elderly people who live there.  It was a blessing to watch him singing!  He is in the following picture...this was my view.  :) 

Yeah!!!!!  Time to make cut-out Christmas cookies!  The boys were both super helpers.

Friday, December 21, was the first day of Christmas break.  Nice!  Dorian came out of the laundry room looking like ME! :)  He likes to be silly and it was funny to see him in my hat, coat and boots.  Shortly after this, he put on his outdoor gear and shoveled the entire driveway, sidewalk and the deck by himself.  It was awesome!  What a huge help!

In the evening, we went to visit my Great Grandma.  It was nice to eat supper with her and see where she eats every day.  We felt special to be her dinner guests.  :)  Then we walked around the Retirement Home looking at all of the Christmas decorations together.  Dorian and Levi were especially fond of Mr. and Mrs. Claus!  :)  And lastly we talked in Grandma's apartment, did puzzles, and ate LOTS of snacks.  :)  It was also fun to bring Grandma some of the Christmas cookies that we had made.