The Jay's Days: 2010

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Which is more fun - the toy or the box?

The boyz have been enjoying their "big" Christmas present. We put it down in the basement while it's still new for them to play with down there and then after the snow melted the first time they've already played with it outside in the yard and on the driveway. It's adorable! But the best part is they're still playing with the box! They won't let Daddy-O throw it out! They colored it and they've made it into a fort- perfect for movie watching! We may not ever part with this gigantic box. Maybe they didn't need the toy that was inside?!?

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Embracing Winter as a Friend

In our family, we're sorta strange. We love winter. From the first snowfall till the melt off. Ok, well maybe that's taking it a bit too far. But while others complain about winter, we get out into it and enjoy it. TJ has a magnet on his refrigerator that reads, "Winter doesn't last nearly as long when you embrace her as a friend." So we're trying to instill this love of winter in our children. Kids naturally love snow. It doesn't take a lot of convincing. It's edible, it's slippery, it makes everything look pretty and - did I mention it's slippery?

We went down to the lake during xmas break and the boyz went sledding down the hill countless times with Daddy-O. It's hard to tell who was having more fun.

Kiefer sliding down the hill - smile as big as they come!

Carter chasing after him

Carter sliding down the hill... Weeeeeeeeee!

Daddy-O towing them back up the hill

Griffin not sure he really wants to participate, but enjoying watching

Kiefer chasing after Carter

Daddy-O rode down countless times... not sure who's having more fun?!

Here comes Creepy!

When Uncle Creepy heard we were sledding he suited up in his Carharts and came over pulling the toboggan behind the four wheeler (or "Scrambler" as we call it in our family). He took Carter for a ride but when Carter slid faster than the Scrambler down the hill he wasn't too thrilled with the thrill ride. Instead, they just went for a Scrambler ride. Carter refrained. :)

Uncle Creepy and Kiefer on the Four Wheeler

Griffin & Daddy-O

Story Time with Uncle Creepy

There's nothing like a story about "Max the Minnow" told by Uncle Creepy!
Anytime Griffin sees Creepy he tries to crawl up in his lap. He puts on a tough guy act, but he always stops what he's doing to cuddle with Griffin. And Griffin is Creepy's #1 fan. He's always talking about "Tractor Creepy" or "Kunkle Creepy". Now we're hearing about "Creepy Scrambler" He sleeps with a four wheeler every night! How cute is that?

Log Splitting

Before we left Carter & Kiefer jumped aboard the John Deere with Papa when he was loading firewood into the bucket and before I knew it they were gone. They'd been whisked away on a Papa adventure where they met up with Uncle Creepy in the woods and they helped work the log splitter. They filled two buckets on the tractor with firewood and their job was to stack it in the bucket and then reload it and stack it in the wood shed. Once he returned to school Carter had to write and illustrate a picture highlighting what he did during Christmas break. Of all the things we did - THIS was what he chose to write about. He even drew a picture of the log splitter! (and labeled it so his teacher would know what it was). I'm learning so much having boys!

One of my favorite memories wasn't captured in pictures but we hiked over to Creepy's wearing snowshoes pulling Kiefer in the sled at dusk then hiked back under the blanket of stars. It was pitch black but the snow glowed a blueish hue that only snow can do at night. At first the boyz (and their mother!) were intimidated, but we carved away the darkness with song! It was one of those moments I want to store in my memory bank forever... hiking in the dark, all bundled up, towing Griffin on my back, Daddy-O pulling Carter & Kiefer in the sled singing 'Jingle Bells', 'Doe a Deer' and 'Jesus Loves Me' at the top of their lungs!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Top 10 Christmas Memories

10. Overhearing Carter say how he loves going to visit all the grandparents on Christmas Day because there are presents at each stop!

9. Going to church on Christmas Eve with Carter just the two of us because the others were sleeping. He wore his nice dress pants and suspenders from the wedding and even wore his cap! He sat on my lap the whole time and as we were leaving there were big huge snowflakes falling from the sky! We were going to have a White Christmas!

8. The kids singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and blowing out the candle with Aunt Susie.

7. Dressing the boyz in all the same shirts on Christmas Eve

6. Hearing Chloe, their cousin say "There's one!" when she was trying to round up the Jay boyz to open presents

5. Hearing the boyz spontaneously say "Thank you!" for presents they were opening.

4. Seeing the magic in their eyes on Christmas Eve as they set up the table with Christmas cookies for Santa and then Carter reminding me that "Santa said I had to go to bed early..."

3. Me going around to each bedside to video once they were all asleep and coming into to Carter & Kiefer's room right as Kermit was singing "there's only one more sleep till Christmas....!"

2. Sneaking down to see how Santa left things all perfect right before the boyz woke up!

1. The Magic of Christmas morning! The best morning of the year! They were so excited!

(Christmas Morning Top 10)

10. The blanket barricade. We made them wait till everyone was awake and Jim made a blanket barricade so they couldn't sneak down without us.

9. Stairs Photo Opp! Seeing all 4 of them waiting on the steps as they posed for pictures.

8. Hearing a genuine, "I wanted that!!!" As they rushed to see what Santa left!

7.That they were just as excited about the goodies in their stockings as the big gift!

6. That Griffin sat in the Gator the whole time sucking on a peppermint stick and didn't open any of his presents!

5. That Carter could read the gift tags this year!

4. That once they opened everything I laid Fletcher down in a pile of wrapping paper and let him have at it! The highlight of his Christmas was kicking, eating, tearing and slobbering on the paper!

3. That we all sat down to have a Christmas breakfast of waffles, spinach, bacon egg quiche, cinnamon rolls and orange juice on the Christmas china.

2. That we didn't have to be anywhere till noon... but it was actually not till 12:30! So we gained an extra half hour!

1. That when I tucked Carter in after a very long but wonderful day he said that he said his favorite gift was his Velveteen Rabbit and that he was just kidding about his secret wish and that he really wanted a Gator instead. (smart boy, because that's what he got!)

0.5 That Kiefer chose to bring his Buzz Lightyear costume as his favorite present that he received and that he changed into it at Mom & TJ's and wore it most the evening! He really likes it!

Carter was sooo excited to put out all the crafts he had made for Santa. He'd been begging to put up this table for weeks! Finally, it was Christmas Eve (he put it all up first thing that morning!)