Post-Christmas Photo Overload

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas!  Isn't it hard to believe how quickly it is over after a month (or more) of buildup and excitement?  I spent yesterday dealing with the aftermath - sorting and putting away the way too many gifts we received and taking down and putting away all the Christmas decorations.  I am thankful I only put out seasonal/holiday decorations once/year...that's enough for me!  However, my living room looks so drab and bare without all the pretty Christmas things.  But I digress...I know all you really want is to see my Christmas pictures.  I'll just torture you with my favorites and not every one (though it may seem that way) that I took. :)

Every year, Brandon wraps only one present for me.  The rest he puts in bags.  However, the one he wraps, he wraps with scraps of paper leftover from other wrapping jobs.  This year, he even made a scrap bow.  I had to open this present before we even ate dinner on Christmas Eve - why - because it was a new camera...he figured I'd want that for the rest of the gift festivities later in the evening.

Here is Luke, anxiously wanting me to hurry up and take the darn picture so he could start opening his presents.

Ginger liked her present too.

Brandon and Ginger posing so nicely so I could try out my new camera.

This one is Luke taken - so a little shaky, but we were so excited about the present he made us for a gift, that we wanted a picture.  It's a tree ornament with reindeer painted on...so cute.  That's one I'll treasure every year when I put up the tree.  Have I said how much I love his teacher this year...this is yet another reason.  How sweet and thoughtful to help the kids make a present for their parents.

Luke posing with his new real football that Santa brought.  Thanks to the nice weather, he got to spend some time out in the yard throwing it around with whomever he could talk into going out with him.

Brandon's brother went all out in buying us gag gifts this year.  First up, was a "Best of the Brady Bunch" CD for Brandon.  His brother had to apologize...he'd already opened it up & listened to it before giving it.

Next up, was a family-themed gift - Bullhaulers.  If you read my blog about when we traveled to Colorado in July, you might remember that it is a Spaeth family tradition to count bullhaulers when we travel anywhere.  This is Brandon's - "American Bullhauler Assoc. - Ain't No Feelin' Like Cowmobilin'"  Nice.

Me - I'm a "Bullhauler Extraordinaire"

Luke - "My Daddy Says...Ain't No Feelin Like Cowmobilin" and his very own bullhauler (and $20).

Moving on to my parents' house, here is the best picture I could get of the 4 grandkids.  I can't imagine how hard it's going to be next Christmas when we have 2 more to include!

Luke and Brady - future trash collectors?

Ellie and Cooper could not get enough of Ginger.  I thought this picture was just too cute of Ellie trying to love on Ginger.  All day, she and Cooper probably said "I being nice," about a million times when it came to getting some Ginger time.

Kristen forgive me, but this just made me laugh and think of a conversation you had with Cooper earlier in the day: 

Kristen - "Cooper, don't pick your nose." 

Cooper - "Why?"

For some reason, we decided to try to get pictures of the kids together again later.  I'm not sure why - this was the best of my bunch. 

In addition, my parents are also celebrating 40 years of marriage this week!  Happy anniversary, Mom & Dad! 

A final shot from our last Christmas celebration at Brandon's grandma's house.  It was a long, but very exciting and fun-filled day for all of us.  We are so blessed with wonderful families!

Go figure...

Last year, I gave you a little taste of my "festive" holiday attire for our holiday assembly at school.  As part of the teacher group performing as carolers, we all agreed to wear ugly Christmas sweaters.  When I put out a plea for something ugly to wear, my friend and now teammate, Valerie, produced this:

This year, I got to don the shirt again.  The best part of it was that both last year and this year, I had so many kids tell me how much they liked my shirt.  Brandon thinks they tell me this because they are embarrased for me that I am wearing something so ugly.  I think it's because they like sparkly and shiny things.  This year, though, I had the perfect complement to the shirt, a pink skirt & belt straight from my Grandma's closet.  When she gave it to me, I'm not sure her intention was for this, but well, I'm not sure I have any other ocassion to wear it.  See for yourselves, the glory that was my outfit for today:

 I'm not going to lie...I looked amazing today.

Merry Christmas from the Spaeths!

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We don't do Christmas cards anymore...we JibJab.  Merry Christmas from us to you!

You Be the Judge

Case Study #1:
So Brandon and I were getting ready to walk yesterday...everyday, we walk before we pick Luke up from the bus stop.  Sometimes, Ginger is excited to go when we tell her we're going to go walk and get her brother.  Sometimes, Ginger goes straight to one of her beds and curls up and looks at us like, "Look at me, I'm so comfy and cozy...don't make me get out there and walk."  Yesterday, we got ourselves all bundled up and start looking around for Ginger.  She's not in any of her usual spots.  We're hollering all our encouraging words that, depending on her mood, may or may not excite her..."Let's go walk!" "We're going to get your brother!" "Let's go outside!"  We're wandering around the house looking for her when I finally walk into Luke's room and see this:

There she is all snuggled up in Luke's comforter which was stuffed in his closet while the sheets were being washed.  Later in the evening, again, we can't find Ginger in any of her regular favorite spots.  What we forget is that she has another favorite spot when Luke isn't home (he's at Grandma's for the weekend)...

Luke's bed!  She just makes herself right at home.  So, you be the judge...does she miss her brother or is she just staking out his territory for her own?  I choose to believe that she misses him. :)

Case Study #2:
Before Luke leaves for Grandma's, I see a homemade Christmas card on the floor in his room.  I'm all, "Oh, what's this?" and pick it up.  Luke says, "It's a Christmas card I made for you in art today."  And I'm all like, "Oh...that's so sweet."

Then I open it up and read what he wrote on the inside.  And at first, my heart is melting because I've got just the sweetest little guy.  I keep reading and I'm not sure what to think...here is the inside:

"Dear Mom and Dad, You are my favorites. (Awww)  I do not know why. (huh?)  Merry Christmas.  Love, Luke" 

I could not stop laughing, but I've got to be honest that it made me just the tiniest bit sad that he couldn't think of one reason we're his favorites.  So you be the judge...are we really not his favorites, or was he just too lazy to think of a reason?  I'm going to go with #2 because I want to believe that we'll always be his favorite people in the world...haha!  Regardless...this is a definite keeper that I will enjoy pulling out and re-reading for many years to come!