The Never Ending Christmas Holiday

Probably after reading the title to this blog entry you might think that it is meant in a negative way but you are mistaken...I can't get enough of the holiday season.
It all started this year on December 22nd, we packed up the van and drove down to Bucyrus to have Hornak Christmas (my mom's side). My mom hosted this year and the house was full of family and kids. We ate and ate until we could eat no more! We always play a "white elephant game" which consists of everyone bringing a gift of $5 or less. This makes it difficult because trying to find something under $5 is virtually impossible. I lucked out this year and snagged some pool noodles on summer clearance. All the kids help us adults choose or steal gifts from one another and then we unwrap and laugh at what we recieved. Soon after the game was over...I am not joking it seemed like all the children began to meltdown at the same time...and the house went from full to the brim to just us. It cracked me up! Landon coughed his head off all night long and ran a low grade fever.

Maw Maw really getting into the game

My cousin Chad, his oldest Riley, and me

The boys in the box with Erin

The Prego Sisters

I was 5 and half months and Danielle is 4 and a half months

On December 23rd, Bob and I met some of my friends from high school to catch up. I have to tell you it is great getting together with them to see how much we have changed and see where life has taken us! Mom and D watched the boys while we were out and they decided to snag a few pictures of the kids together. Carter told me when we got back that Addie got hurt. She fell into the tree and scratched her face while they were taking pictures!

Landon holds onto Addie for dear life so she won't fall again

On December 24th, we celebrate Christmas at my Grandma and Grandpa Grochowalski's house. They live just on the other side of town from my parents in a small town house, the same one they have lived in since my dad was little. Wow, can we cram lots of people in a small room. We also play the "white elephant game" there too and it seems to get a little more aggressive with stealing there. My grandparents insist on buying the kids gifts and Bob and I also. Believe me I have tried to fight that battle but my grandma is a force to be reckoned with! She got the boys "Hungry Hungry Hippos" and "Elefun". They were a huge hit and kept the kids busy! My grandpa picked out matchbox cars for the boys which they have slept with in their hands since Christmas Eve. After that we head back to my parents house to get ready for Santa. Now you might say, "Heidi, I can't believe that you don't have your kids wake up Christmas morning at your own house." Right now my grandma and grandpa Grochowalski are still living and well and that is a Christmas Eve tradition that I just can't do without. Santa luckly visits Maw Maw and Paw Paw's house on Christmas Eve and then our own house when we get back.

Every Christmas Eve the kids get to open one present and it is always Christmas pj's that they wear to bed that night. We also read the Christmas story and sleep under the Christmas tree in sleeping bags...this year we didn't. The boys helped choose cookies for Santa. Carter insisted that we give Santa chocolate milk to go with his cookies.

The boys were checking out the chimney to make sure Santa could get down it

Cookies for Santa and carrots for reindeer

Christmas morning began with a trip next door to grab Christmas sprinkle doughnuts. Then when Addie woke up the unwrapping whirlwind started. The boys got Nerf guns from Aunt D and Uncle Edd. Once that gift was opened they didn't want to open anything else. Nerf darts were flying all over the house...it is a sight to be seen. Maw Maw and Paw Paw got the boys a matchbox car race track that mounts on the wall. Addie helped the boys open their gifts and she loved unwrapping her own too!

The boys unwrapping with help from Addie

Once the wrapping paper settles, we sing "Happy Birthday" to Paw Paw because his birthday is Christmas day! Then we packed up our van and headed back to Michigan. We stopped in Milan and had dinner with Angie, Katie, and Jeremy. Katie made chicken parm from scratch...even the noodles. It was yummy! After dinner we finally made it back to our house just in time to pass out from holiday exhaustion.

On December 26th, our plan was to head to Clyde, Ohio to have a dinner get together with friends from college (Bob's baseball teammates). Since there was a blizzard warning in Ohio they moved the dinner to the next day. This was great because it snowed about 7-8 inches that day here in Chelsea. Carter has been wanting enough snow on the ground to play in since November. Bob and Carter got bundled up and went out in the snow. We put all of Landon's gear on to play in the snow but he wanted nothing to do with it so him and I stayed inside and put puzzles together.

My snow buddies

Carter making snow angels

Early December 27th we repacked the van and headed to Clyde Ohio. We decided to stay in a hotel in Fremont so we could enjoy the journey. It was a new Holiday Inn Express and it was fancy! They had a pool that we jumped in as soon as we got there. It was a little chilly so the boys wanted to just stand in the shower by the pool with their suits on. After we swam we went to Kyle and Kristy Harris' house for dinner. Scott Bellamy and his wife Kate, Kasey Studer and his fiance Kelly, and us all ate and caught up with what was happening in our lives. I love getting together with everyone because it seems like the conversation you ended with last time picks right up there when you start to chat. We are very lucky to be able to stay in touch with such great friends! Kyle and Kristy have two little girls, Jaidyn and Lexi. Jaidyn is a little over 4 so she gets along with the boys very well. They played video games, nerf guns, dance party to Fresh Beat Band, and so much more. I wished that I would have taken a picture of all the guys together...bummer...next time. After the kids were exhausted we went back to the hotel. In the morning we packed up and headed to Defiance.

Warming up in the shower by the pool

December 28th we visited my college roommate and her family in Defiance, Ohio. We try to get together with them as much as we can but all of our schedules as crazy as they are it gets tough. They have three kids and when we get them all together it can be controlled chaos. Overnight it snowed a few inches which made all the kids so excited to head outside to sled. Bob wanted Landon to go out even though he didn't really want to but when he got out there he just wanted to eat the snow! Carter loved sledding! He would yell all the way down and say "Wow, that was great!"

Haley and Carter ready to go!

Landon eating the snow

All of the kids

On December 30th, we had the Boone Christmas at our house! This was the first time we had all been back together since our vacation so we all brought our photos to share. We ate quite a variety of soups, salads and rolls and lots of cookies for dessert! After everyone left Bob, Angie, and Katie headed to the movie theater for a late night show. Santa had yet to visit our house so the boys and I headed outside to sprinkle "reindeer food" for Santa's reindeer.

The boys slept in the next morning but when they woke up they ran downstairs to see the presents. It was so cute to see them open presents. Landon would stop opening his gifts to watch Carter open his. They wanted to play with everything the moment it was unwrapped. It's those moments that make your heart melt and enjoy the twinkle in their eyes.

Then Bob filled me in that he locked his keys in his car at the theater last night. He left his spare set in his coat that was left at my parents house...so this meant we had to get them from my parents. Before we left we met the Bingham's at the bowling alley in town. They only had one railing to use to push the balls down so we had to all share. While they were waiting their turn, Brett would run back to the table to munch on popcorn. The last ball all three boys pushed down together...too cute.

On New Year's Eve my parents always head to Port Clinton to watch the walleye drop just like the ball in NYC so we decided to meet them in Sandusky to get the keys. The boys and Maw Maw played in the ball pit at Kalahari for awhile too! Then instead of driving back to Michigan we stayed with our friends Matt and Katie Malear. The boys played Mario Kart, Hi Ho cherrio, and a frog launching game. We put on hats and blew noise makers to ring in the new year. Then the boys just collapsed from exhaustion.