And there it goes...

So long 2011...

It was a year full of emotional highs and lows...heart bursting happiness the day that Bryan returned from deployment #4, heartbreaking sadness with the loss of a beloved Uncle...Welcoming 2 new baby cousins into our family..Packing up and moving from the midwest to the south...Celebrating birthdays #2, #6 and #4...taking a trip back to New England with the entire family...and wrapping it up with a wonderful intimate Christmas celebration.

Time to close this book on this year, but not before one last celebration...

...now it's time to close the book, let's not look back, only forward to see what the new year holds..

Bring it on 2012....we have high expectations for you so let's not disappoint!

On the twenty fifth day of December...

...it was pure Christmas magic!

Everyone was up at 6, coffee was brewing by 6:15 and stockings were opened by 6:22.  The kids were kind enough to eat breakfast and give the caffeine a chance to kick in for the adults before we moved onto the presents!

This was the first year that all 3 kids basically got the "Santa" concept and were very interested in opening their presents!  It was a little piece of heaven..

For the first time since we have been a family of 5, we were able to enjoy Christmas as that. just the 5 of us...the day in pajamas....new toys open and played with...and it was magic...

On the twenty fourth day of December

Finally Christmas Eve had arrived and the excitement level was through the roof..seriously, I think there is still a hole in the ceiling of the family room!

We had many things left to accomplish before we were ready for Santa's arrival!  There were cookies to be made..

Yes, all 3 off them are in pajamas making cookies, and yes, they ALL made at least one!

Christmas Eve mass, and the family picture to be taken..

Yes I know, it's blurry...but for 7:30 at night after Mass and everyone smiling...I'll take the one blurry picture thank you very much!

Christmas treats to be left...

If she could put "Santa Hostess" as a line on her resume it would be well served!

Seriously, how many kids would move the fire screen and push back the screen on the fireplace so Santa wouldn't trip!

Then it was time to spread some reindeer food on the front lawn, because even though it was raining, the reindeer and Santa were still working...

Then it was time to put on their new Christmas pajamas...snuggle up on Daddy's lap for a bed time story..

...then it was off to bed to wait for Santa to arrive!

On the twenty third day of December...

...she said she wanted to make a gingerbread house...

Looks like she just wanted to eat everything you were supposed to put on it!


At least she let Jack help, a little...

The whole project took 2 days and required me to make more frosting...hmm...I wonder why??

This was the day that she was playing with my iPhone and she found an app that I had put on there that was marked with a fun looking Christmas tree, so she started it up and lo an behold there was a video from Santa on there for her!  She just about lept out of her skin!

It had a picture of her and her brothers, it knew what state she lived in and that she had been doing well at school. It showed her that she had asked Santa for a doll house (there was no way to specify that it was the BIG Barbie House), and the best part was that Santa asked her to always listen to her mom...that was my favorite part!!

On the twenty-second day of December...

...we hoped in the car, set the radio to the Bing Crosby Christmas station...

..and off we went to the "Nature in Lights" display at the Belton Lake Recreational Area on Fort Hood.

This is a 5.5 mile drive of lighted holiday displays that is awesome!!  I loved hearing the kids gasp from the back seat as soon as we pulled through the entrance gate and there was snow blowing on the car from the snow machine.  (Poor Rory was convinced that it was real snow.)  Off we went on the amazing journey..

They had an area dedicated to the "12 days of Christmas"

5 golden rings

6 geese a laying

7 swans a swimming

Just in case you were wondering..Indeed we did sing the entire song lead by the very musically inclined Rory!

You didn't know that Santa knew how to drive a tank, did ya?

This was Jack's favorite..

We then topped off the evening with dinner by McDonald's and a kid "sleepover" in boys room.  Isn't it fun to be on Christmas break!

On the twenty-first day of December..

....it's time to make the "Merry Christmas" banner.  Somehow Rory went from very being very gung-ho about this project to "my hand hurts when I cut out the letters" in nothing flat.  (I should mention that her hand hurt 2 snips into the letter "M".)  She kept checking back to make sure I was making progress, so I had to push on.  She did come back and take charge of all of the gluing, and my goodness there was just soooo much!

After all of that...it was perfect!

On the twentieth day of December....

...Bryan and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary.  It's hard to believe that it has been 9 years already, make that 9 years, 5 moves, 4 deployments, 3 kids and 2 homes purchased.

We wouldn't change a thing, to include the bad and the ugly, because the bad times wouldn't have made the good times so sweet.

I love you Bryan.

On the eighteenth day of December..

...we pack up in the car and head to the Griswold house of Killeen, TX!

These people even had their own Santa, and Jack was the first one to him, with Rory to follow. 

Brendan was a no go, but he did say hi and bye and gave him a good wave!

When we piled back into the car Bryan was thrilled to hear that Rory had been taking notes for our house next year!  ha ha!