Say "Cheese" Schuelers

We had a fun afternoon and evening with most of the Schueler family in town today! It was great to see most everyone (a few members are off in foreign lands, well that and Oregon...) so we all posed it up at Yuen Lui for photo evidence:

Mark altered the image just a smidge so we wouldn't forget anyone. ;) We will have the real images to share soon as well!

Christmas Dinner with the Martins

As tradition goes we celebrate Christmas with the Martin family, and this year Tina and fam hosted dinner. So after nap/quiet time we duded up and headed out. The kids were spoiled all over again with gifts from Nami & Danpa, and Cassie & Dashel as well. 

 

H, opening up a wonderful book 

Q opening Farmopoly and Todd checking out one of our many new ornaments

Nami has made us ready to be "The Zackey Band" with gifts of ukuleles for the kids, and an auto harp for me, and Todd received a beautiful piece of native art for our living room. 

 

 The kids also had fun playing with all their new playmobil sets from C & D and Santa too! 

  

Oooo, a pink princess set with more pink unicorns!

Oooo, pirates with a canon! 

We love you Cassie and Dashel!

And there was heaps of fun times with the exciting older cousins. 

H was particularly a tease this year!

 

Our kids loved sitting with all the big kids for dinner, and the food of course was delicious. 

The "kids" were all downstairs in the action this year (as apposed to upstairs doing their own thing) and we even had a sing-a-long led by Mom and her ukulele!

We surprised Mom by all singing her a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday"!

 

Of course Q & H had to help with the candles.

And to end the evening we attempted a photo of most of the cousins:

 It was a marvelous Christmas night! Thanks everyone!

Christmas with Gigi

From our home, we went on down to the road to Gigi's later on Christmas morn. She spoiled us all once again with her lovely gifts for all! The kids were present experts by this point, so they got right into it, after the obiligatory photos that is:

Then they were off, 

 

 

There were legos, books, and toys oh my! Q, was SO thrilled with his lego jet, "It's just the one I wanted!" was said over and over with a huge grin. H had exclamations of happiness over each gift, but it may have been the pink unicorn pj's that were the biggest hit for her (as they continue to be!). 

The kids helped Papa and I open our gifts as well.

 

Beautiful gifts of jewelry and cashmere, gift cards and soon a fancy table saw, and more. Yep, we were all spoiled indeed.
 Of course, the kids enjoyed sharing our gifts with Gigi as well.  

Then it was time for H's naptime walk, and a little tree climbing time for Q:

 

Thank you as always Gigi!

Christmas Morn

Christmas Morn 2010:

Santa came!

 He knew the drill!

 We clued her in, though that didn't keep her eyes open!

 

Q peeking around the tree to scope out the bounty.

Q and his big gift!

 

H already appeased by her pink candy cane.

H and her big gift, pink legos!

In the midst of the stocking opening fun!

Papa all excited about a big box for him, a vest!

H helping Papa open Theo's stocking.

The tiny elf came too, and left treasures right under Q and H's trees in their rooms!

The kids requested eggs cutout from cookie cutters, so they got those, sausage, fruit, and tasty fresh cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

 

And a quick Mama snuggle to end this photo tour of our Christmas morn:

Christmas Eve

We celebrated Christmas Eve this year at Gigi's with the traditional German fare for dinner and some of the plethora of tasty Christmas cookies Gigi made. We also let the kids open their first gifts from Gigi.

 H was thrilled with her tiny doll and baby room set for her dollhouse,

 and Quin quickly plopped down with Papa to dive into his massive book on all things science.

 Back home we let the kids open up one of their little gifts to each other, 

H was a bit ecstatic about the kitty soap Q got for her (she had ooggled over it in a store and I wouldn't get it, but Q was allowed to as a gift to her!).

And Q was likewise excited about the matchbox car toy she had for him.

 

Knowing Santa was to bring more items in the morn, we let them each open a gift from Mama and Papa as well. So, Q opened up some fun zoobs,

 and H a pink baby!

 Yep, that's Hazel right now, dressed in pink, with her new pink unicorn from Uncle J, a pink soap from Q and a pink baby too! She can't get that look off her face can she?!

Then it was time to leave out the milk and cookies,

 + a note to Santa in case he forgot, and a quickly made ornament gift from Q

We read the Night Before Christmas together and following tradition posed together to fake capture the moment, and then off to bed it was! They were just a smidgen excited for the big day!

60 Years Young

My Mom is celebrating her big 60th Birthday today! She is an incredible Mom and Nami, a wonderful counselor, wife, and ukulele playing cowgirl. We love and appreciate her every day of the year, but today especially, Happy Birthday Mom!
 
Mom spent her special day at the spa, her good friend Kathy and I joined her for lunch!

Advent Time: Workshop Time

Advent Day 22:

Papa and Quin have been working away in the shop. Papa cuts out items Q designs, but mostly has been working on H's dollhouse "garage" (which will make her dollhouse taller and more play friendly).

 Quin loves his time in the shop by his Papa's side and hammers, draws, and constructs away quietly.

 Meanwhile, H was hammering away with me as well,

hammering candy canes into bits for peppermint bark topping that is!

Advent Day 23: Continue to craft away, wrap gifts and enjoy the advent toy calendar!

 

Some of the many, many ornaments that we added to our tree this year:

 

 

I think next year the kids will need their own full sized tree to decorate!