Well, here we go…it’s the biggest blog of all and I am ready to share all the latest with the crazy bunch. November was busy with school for Jeremiah, church activities, getting ready for the holidays and changes at work for John. Shortly before Thanksgiving our family lost a very dear friend, Linda Palmer. Aunt Linda, as we called her, has been my grandma, Yvonne’s best friend since their preteens. I didn’t even know she wasn’t a blood relative until my teens! We miss her greatly and have been keeping her husband, Uncle Bud and their kids Chris and Wendy and their families in our prayers. Jeremiah put it the best when he said to John(about her passing), “It’s ok, this just happens sometimes and God will help us feel better”. Have I mentioned how much I love that little boy?! They had a really nice memorial service at the church and although it was not the best of circumstances, it was nice to see family and friends that we haven’t seen in a long time.
Later that week was Thanksgiving and I got really sick that day and ended up spending it in bed-the kids and John had a good time eating dinner and John ended up taking me into the ER for my meal later that day….a couple bags of saline with a side of Zofran! I was much better the next day and so the kids and I went over to my parents house for their annual Pie Night….we ate entirely too much pie! It was so fun though :)
A few weeks later we went on our trip to Seattle (see previous post for the details). While we were on our trip we did a small celebration for Alison’s birthday, so when we returned we planned a party for her. Unfortunately, she got a terrible cold and so we cancelled her party…Papa and Nana came up for dinner anyway though and she opened presents and enjoyed her Dora cake that I made for her. She was such a trooper and even though she was sick she looked adorable with her rosy cheeks. 
Jeremiah had his very first school Christmas program at Helix school. It was so adorable and he did a great job. He liked getting all dressed up and singing with his friends.The kids got a surprise visit from Santa that weekend as well….Santa was delivering gifts for Mrs. Hansell, Jeremiah’s teacher….Alison broke down briefly afterward because she was sad she didn’t get the chapstick she wanted for Christmas…we had to explain that he would be back later on Christmas Eve with the rest of the presents! Jeremiah couldn’t figure out where his sleigh and reindeer were so we explained that Santa had a special driver that day so the reindeer could rest and be ready for Christmas :)
We had an early Christmas Eve at Grammy’s with the rest of the family the weekend before the actual holiday. The kiddos had fun and they loved all the gifts they received. It was great to see everyone and play! Reminded me of when I was little to see all the aunts, uncles and cousins playing with all our toys! lol 
We had wonderful, relaxing very low-key Christmas at home this year. We attended our churches Christmas Eve service and then enjoyed homemade cinnabons and coffee with my parents, Uncle Aaron and Grammy. The kids opened their stockings and gifts from out-of-town family and our fav Auntie Genevive :) -thanks Auntie Gen, the kiddos LOVED their gifts! Although John worked both Christmas Eve and Day, he was able to be with us after a long nap. The kids love having daddy to play with and they are always so excited when he comes home from work! So when he came home the next morning Papa, Nana and Uncle Aaron returned to open presents and have brunch with us. While we were waiting for everyone to arrive, I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom when Alison, with sleep still in her eyes, walked by on her way to the living room. About 10 seconds later, she came running back to the bathroom and jumped up and down with arms flailing, "Mom, there is a lot, a lot, a lot of presents!! Santa came last night! Santa came last night!!" I tried not to shower the bathroom with toothpaste as I laughed...she is so funny! The kids had SO much fun opening all their gifts! We are so blessed!! Papa, Nana and Uncle Aaron left after brunch for a power nap and then Papa and Nana returned for a nice turkey dinner. It was a very good holiday and we enjoyed the simplicity of just being home with each other. (there were only about 500 pictures for me to go thru to post...soo after choosing a few, i opted to post them as a little video)New year’s was uneventful in our house. The kids were in bed at a decent hour, John was working and I got some much needed quiet time. Now we are back to normal…whatever that is! School has started and routine is back in place.
Also, the week before Thanksgiving, Judah started taking his first steps. John was home with him and called me on my cell phone to tell me...I, of course, couldn't wait to get home and see for myself. He would take a couple of steps and fall down laughing or saying uh-oh….he started walking across the room about two weeks later and now he is virtually unstoppable! He is so cute with his chubby legs and waddle! As you can tell by the video, there is never a dull moment in our house! Whip out the camera and you have four show-offs!
