Christmas #1

We got to have Christmas four times this year! The first was on the 22nd of December with my Mom's family. We normally get together on Christmas Eve but Jason had to work this year at the fire department so we had to get together a little earlier this year. Which the kids loved!Alden picked out presents for Jason, Katlynn, all the grandparents and me at the Santa Shop at his school this year so we took Katlynn to the dollar store and let her pick out presents for everyone too. It was so funny to see what they picked out for everyone.Mama gave Brandon and Felicia and Jason and I $100 for Christmas!This is Jason and I pretending to be Briana and Taylor. We do a pretty good impression if you ask me :)This was Alden's second favorite present of Christmas(his BMX bike was first). He has even learned to play through the first four songs by himself! He had so much naturally ability that he picks up on things so quickly! It's amazing!

Look at that rockstar face :)

Christmas #2

Our 2nd Christmas started on Christmas Eve. Alden and Katlynn actually spent the night with my mom on the 23rd so Jason and I could get their presents ready for Christmas morning since he was going to be at the station on Christmas Eve. I went to my mom's on Christmas Eve and the kids and I stayed the night there and waited for Jason to get off on Christmas morning so we could all go home together.This is our annual picture in front of the tree. Jason and I have taken one with this sign every year since we were married. I'll have to put all the pictures from the past nine years on here later. It's amazing how much we all change each year. Especially the kids. The kids both got to open a present from Grandma on Christmas Eve. She also took them to Chuck-E-Cheese this week as the other part of their present. They loved that! Santa stuffs the stocking at our house and the kids gets three presents each from Mommy and Daddy. We started that tradition to try to keep some of the real meaning in Christmas (three wise men/three presents). Jason reads the Christmas story before we open any presents, too. Santa always puts DVD's and Candy and other goodies in the stocking! Alden's present #1 Katlynn's present #1 Alden's present #2 Katlynn's present #2Katlynn's reaction to present #3Alden's reaction to present #3Jason and Alden with their presents. I was able to really surprise Jason this year since he was working on Christmas Eve. He and Alden are wanting to start BMX racing next month and he has an old bike that he was going to try to clean up and use but a good friend of ours was selling his bike so I bought it for Jason and he let me keep it at his house until Christmas Eve. It was neat that all three of them were so surprised when they walked into Katlynn's room. And this is why we had to have the big presents in her room...... Jason and Alden built this playhouse bed for Katlynn and I made the curtains and put the stars and her name on the door. She loves it! The pictures don't really do it justice but it is a playhouse on the bottom and her bunk bed is on top. When you go inside the house there are stairs to get up to the bed. And we put all her babies and her tea set and table in there. The only problem is now she doesn't want to leave her room :) Jason enjoying his present

Christmas #3

Our 3rd Christmas was on Christmas Day at lunchtime at the Boswell house. We always start with Dad reading the Christmas story before we do anything else to remind us why we are really celebrating. Our kids get to hear it twice since we have made that part of our tradition too. We had a great lunch with Turkey and dressing and all that goes with it! And then we opened presents!The kids got lots of cool toys like these footballs and Nerf guns and slinkies?(I'm sure I didn't spell that right) and barbies and babies and of course Hannah Montana stuff!I think it took over ten tries to get all the kids looking and half-way smiling! You would think they would be pros at pictures by now but obviously they need more practice. We're just going to have to start taking more pictures :)The Kiddie TableCool Uncle Lamar! All the kids love him!

Zack got Danielle a very cool present this year that I'll write about later ;)

Christmas #4

We had our fourth Christmas on Christmas Day night at my Aunt and Uncle's house! Uncle Brad cooked E-Ka style and it was so good but we had eaten way too much at that point!..........and the kids had open way too many presents! But we still had a great time!This is Sissy (my aunt Lisa), her husband Brad and my two cousins, Cody and Bruce. Sissy is the one who kept our kids when they were younger and they still love going to her house! She's the best aunt I could ever ask for!

Christmas Concerts and Parties!!!

Alden had his "Wolfpack Holiday Gathering" on Sunday! It was so much fun to see him on the big stage singing! He is such a great singer already(so Jason has told me since I wouldn't know, both the kids have always sounded great to me) He is starting to get a little shy about preforming though. He told Mimi(Jason's mom) that he didn't want to play in her piano recital because he didn't want to play in front of anyone but he is going to do it.Katlynn had her Christmas Concert on Tuesday! She is such a performer! She sang all the words and did all the motions and all with a huge smile on her face! I think we have the next rockstar at our house!Felicia and Brandon are the best Aunt and Uncle! They come to every thing the kids do, Christmas concerts, soccer games, birthday parties, everything! They are so cool! ;)We had a very busy day today! I dropped Alden off at school at 7:45, went home to get Katlynn ready and dropped her off at 9:00 then went back to Alden's school for his Christmas party at 9:30 and left there to go to Katlynn's Christmas party at 10:30! It was busy but so much fun! Jason and I were just discussing this last night and he said "You know, you don't have to be super mom and volunteer to help with everything the kids have at school" but I love doing it. I always wanted to be the mom that was involved in her kids lives. I want to be at the schools so the teachers and staff there know me and can come to me if there is a problem. I want to be involved and know what my kids are doing all day long while I'm not with them. I want to get to know the other kids that my kids are hanging out with and especially their parents because I know the day is going to come soon when my kids start asking to go play at their friends' houses and I need to know if those kids are someone I want my kids hanging out with and if their parents do things similarly to the way we do things or not. So to all of you who think I'm crazy for not using my degree more and working full time so we don't have to worry about money at all, yes it would be easier but it would not be worth it. There is no amount of money in the world that could replace the time I get to spend with my kids while they are here to spend time with. I know the day is coming all too fast that they will be going to college or working or off living their own lives and I want to know that I did everything I could to build into them while I had the chance. I know I won't look back and think, "Man, I wish I had worked more so we could have had more money while the kids were young". I'll be glad for the choices I made even if it meant things were a little harder at the time, it will be worth it in the end!

Okay back to the pictures :)