Monday, December 26, 2011

Christmas

Christmas is our most favorite time of year (isn't it everyone's)!  It's a whirlwind for all of us (especially us parents) and we are left feeling exhausted when it's over but we love every minute of it!

Christmas Eve

 Each year the kids buy gifts for each other and open them on Christmas Eve.  They're really starting to "get it" and shopping for each other has become a fun outing.

 Love the gratefulness.

 Christmas pjs!!!

 Playing with her new Barbie from Landon.

 Christmas Eve 2011 at Mom and Dad Warta's.  I've taken this same picture each year...so fun to see how we change from year to year.

 Keagan and Landon

 Kelden and Angie

 Claire opened a really cool crafting gift from Keagan.  Perfect for her!

 Claire and Bethany

 Landon and Claire made Grandma shredded wheat ornaments with their pictures inside.  Each one of the Warta kids have made these same ornaments in Kindergarten.  Now Grandma can add 2 more to her collection...hope she can find room! 

 Auntie Kate doing what she does best...entertaining nieces! 


Christmas

 Landon asked Santa for a basketball hoop this year for 2 reasons:
1. He thought it wasn't nice to ask people for really big gifts.
2.  He thought his parents couldn't afford a basketball hoop.
Santa delivered!

 Claire asked Santa for Tinker Bell roller skates!

 Look at all those presents!

 Claire and her American Girl doll.  She named her Sissy.

 Landon and his first set of tools.

 Christmas morning 2011.  Another one of those pictures that we take every year.

 Landon just being Landon.

 Grandpa Stan helped Landon and Daddy put the basketball hoop together.

 Landon, Blake, and Cody

 Grandma Kizer sent the kids on a treasure hunt looking for their gifts.

Claire and her Easy Bake Oven! 

Merry Christmas!!!! 

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Street

After our church Christmas sing-a-long, we decided to take a stroll down Christmas Street.  We ran into Grandpa and Grandma Warta along with Brian and Angie's family.  We joined them in walking the street and went back to Grandma's house for cookies and hot chocolate.

 Landon and Keagan

 Claire and Bethany

 Just the two of us.

 Daddy and Claire Bear

 Grandpa and Grandma Warta in the Candy Cane Forest with their California grands.

Landon and Keagan enjoy a wooden candy cane swirl. 

Beth and Claire join in.

Merry Christmas!!!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Ugly Sweater Party

Nothing says Christmas like an Ugly Sweater Party with your closest friends.  Everyone searched high and low for their sweaters, raiding closets, braving the thrift stores, and when all else failed some whipped out the fabric glue and battery powered lights and made their own.  In this case, the uglier the better!

 John and Jamie

 Our hosts, Keith and Katy

 My mom made Tim's sweater.  Isn't it ugly?

 Geoff and Leah

 The guys doing what guys do best...eating!

 Olga and Leah

 My partner in crime...man those sweaters are terrible!

 We had a White Elephant gift exchange and Paula was the lucky winner of this poster.

 Did you notice that Tim looks like Buddy the Elf?

 Jamie was the lucky recipient of a Shake Weight. 

 Hours of laughter!  Thanks Tim!

 Surprisingly, no one stole Jamie's gift.  Hmmm, I wonder why?

 Jimmy and Lisa

 Everyone just had to try the famous Shake Weight.

 It promises firm arms in just 6 minutes per day.

 Shake it, Katy!!

 The hostess with the mostess and myself.  

 I was worried there would be a fight over Edward but these two were able to keep it under control.

 Geoff was this year's winner of the Ugly Sweater Contest!  Congrats Geoff!

 Olga and Michael

 The turtlenecks were a hit.


 Our guys

 Look what Katy won!  Just what every girl needs.



Such a fun night!  Grateful for these special people and their friendship.

Merry Christmas!!!