Santa!

My boys have been begging me everyday to go see Santa, so finally today I caved...hoping to just get it over with.  So on my way I called my sister Jennifer to see if she wanted to take her kids.  So all of us got there just as Santa was coming back from his break.  Alyssa was still in school, so I'll have to take her on another day.

This was seriously the BEST SANTA.  He was so cute with the kids.  He literally talked with them for at least 5 minutes.  They wouldn't let us take our own pictures, but that was OK because Santa was so great.  He told the kids he knows if they are being good because their Moms and Dads will have a smile...and if they weren't smiling to ask what they could do to help them out.  My kids were eating it up!  So hopefully they will be good little helpers until Christmas:)

Alyssa's Gymnastics Performance

Lexi and Alyssa

Alyssa had her gymnastics performance.  She did a great job.  I think this is the most she's improved lately.  Maybe it's because she has a friend in her class so it's more fun.

Side note story:
So on the way home, Alyssa was telling us that a lot of girls got flowers after the performance.  (Which I think is insane, because I swear kids could care less..they'd be just as happy with a new lipgloss...that's my way of justifying the fact I didn't get my daughter flowers.)  And I said hmmm, that's weird?  (Hoping she didn't feel jilted by her crappy Mom.)  She said "I know, cause what if they're allergic to the pollen."  Thanks Alyssa, I'm glad you were looking for a reason to NOT get flowers...way to make us all feel better.  I got a laugh out of it anyway.

Christmas Traditions with the Mikesell's

Every year my mother in law Cyndy buys the kids a sweater to wear for her Christmas picture.  She has fabulous taste and I always love what she picks out.  This tradition is one of my favorites...second to the pajama tradition:)

 Cyndy always gets a gingerbread house for the kids to decorate and each family gets to take one home.  This year she did a little village which worked out perfect so the kids go to decorate their very own.  It was really fun!

 

Thanks for doing such fun traditions every year!  We love it!

FAMILY PICTURES-(McInnes family)

We decided to have our family pictures taken because all of my family was going to be in town for Thanksgiving. Here are a few pictures...and when I say "few" I mean almost one of each pose:)  ENJOY.

 The WHOLE group

 Just the grandkids...only 23.

 The 7 siblings and spouses

 The "origianl" seven...whew I can't believe my parents made it!

Alan, Dad, Matt, Chris

Missy, Janay, Mom, ME, and Jennifer.

 Alan's Family

 Matt's Family

 Chris's Family

 Chris and Jenni

 Mom and Dad

 Janay and Scott

 Janay's Family

 Jennifer's Family

 Jennifer and Nate

 Missy's Family

 MY FAMILY:)

 Missy and KC

 Me and Gentry

 Matt and Michele

Alan and Michelle

(notice the 2 Michelle's have different spelling:))

AND THAT ABOUT SUMS IT UP FOR THIS YEAR!  MAYBE NEXT TIME WE TRY FOR SUMMER SO WE CAN ALL HAVE A LITTLE COLOR?!?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving this year was super fun!  We got to go to both of our parents houses.  Lots of yummy food and fun visiting with everyone.

We also took the kids to see Tangled.  I loved it!  I loved the music, and Mandy Moore...loved her voice and singing etc.  (And that's saying a LOT cause I don't usually like animated movies.)
 

I started shopping for the whole "Black Friday" at midnight and got home at about 6:30 am...took a little nap and convinced my sister in law Michele to head back out for a couple more hours.  Got back just in time to take a shower and show up for family pictures with my family. 

Gentry took the kids sledding while I was shopping.  I'd like to think I was doing him a favor by shopping, but I think he wins for taking the kids sledding and going out in the freezing cold.

I took a picture when we got to breakfast at 5 am (to have proof that I stayed up)...but I'm too vain to post it...it was THAT bad.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

It's Official

So NORMALLY, the soonest I will decorate the house for Christmas is the day after Thanksgiving.  One year I let the kids decorate on Thanksgiving...but this year I decided to let them decorate LAST NIGHT.  I will be wanting to take down decorations before Christmas.

The kids had a blast, meanwhile I'm getting stressed because they are unloading everything and I don't have a chance to say where I want each decoration, and let's be honest..I have a bunch of decorations I don't want to even get out.

Brock couldn't wait to put on the Santa outfit we got for Claire. Doesn't she look like she's enjoying it?

Brock got to put the star on the tree this year, but it turns out after getting a new tree the star was too heavy and we had to do something else anyway.

I am actually loving having a smaller tree so it doesn't feel so crowded.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Oh and I can't forget, Tara...the one who saved my life babysitting when the twins were little so I could work...GOT MARRIED!!!  I was so excited for her.

She looked beautiful!

  I'm so mad I forgot my camera, so this is with my phone...8 megapixels...so they say, I don't think so.

MEGAMIND

I told Alyssa I would take her and two friends to dinner and a movie yesterday for her birthday.  (I like to drag out holidays and birthdays as long as possible.)  So she decided to take her friends Bailee and Lexi.

When Katie, Bailee's mom came to drop Bailee off she I told her I wasn't very excited to see the movie.  I just don't love animated movies.  Katie decided to get her little boy Tyson and join us. Of course the girls insisted they sit on a completely different row than us. They wanted to be so grown up.
I actually really liked the movie.  It was pretty funny.  I'd definitely recommend it!  Gentry missed out.  (He had work stuff...he was bummed.)

Funny story:
So we took the kids to dinner afterward and while we were sitting there, I see Tyson and Brock trying to hide from Boston.  And Tyson turns to Brock and says "Lets hide from Brock!...wait are you Brock?" and Brock said yeah.  So Tyson said "I mean lets hide from Boston!"  It cracks me up they are such good buddies and he still can't tell them apart.  I guess he takes after his MOM:)  Just kidding Katie!

"Kids Say The Darndest Things"

This morning my parents stopped by and Boston and Brock both sat on my Dad's lap.  The next thing I hear is my boys asking my Dad "Grandpa, how come you have all those cracks on your face?"  My Dad...luckily has a good sense of humor busted up laughing.  And he said "Those are called wrinkles...you get them when you become a grandpa."  Then he proceeds to say, "You know what else happens when you become a Grandpa?"  (Keep in mind I'm thinking, Dad you shoulda never said that...you're opening yourself wide open for more insults.)  Anyway my boys said "You get extra skin?"  I don't know who laughed harder...Me, my Mom, or my Dad.  Then my Dad said, "well ya that too, but what color is my hair?" (Oh no Dad, please you are just asking to be tortured at this point.)  My boys response: "Well it's like white-ish and gray-ish."  Luckily that was the answer we were all expecting. 

Note to everyone:  DON'T ASK MY  KIDS UNLESS YOU WANT AN HONEST, SOMETIMES INSULTING ANSWER.

This is a pic of my parents with my nephew Tate, but I needed a "visual" for the blog.

Alyssa's Birthday

So I'm going to come clean...I ended up letting Alyssa open ALL of her presents the night before her birthday.  The reason why is because Gentry had to work really early the next morning and I didn't want to wake up the kids that early.  (We all know tired kids are not fun.)  And I didn't want her to have to wait until Gentry got home from work.  Believe me she was happy about the early birthday...she might take after me in that area:)

 One more area she's like her Mom..we both love Chick-fil-a for breakfast so we decided to go there for her birthday.

 She was so excited I got her perfume.  On a side note.  Do you see what Brock is wearing?  He bought it himself and wears it every time it's clean.

 Boston commented when she opened this jacket.  "Now you have your own black boyfriend jacket like Mom!" What kids knows what they're called?...my son:)

 Grandma Suzie and Grandpa Al gave her a doll that looks just like her.  She LOVES IT!

 Grandma Cyndy and Grandpa Kim gave her sea monkeys...I think all of the kids are excited about them.  And a sweatshirt that Alyssa told Grandma such specific color/style that Cyndy had to look everywhere...thanks Cyndy.

PS thanks Michele for taking the picture!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALYSSA!