Our Christmas!

Wow! It's so hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone! Time goes fast! We all had a wonderful Christmas, despite our family trip to patient first 2 days before hand (Babe had a sinus infection and Buddy & Princess had ear infections)!!! Santa visited and made us all happy Harpers :) It was so enjoyable watching the kids excitement...seeing Christmas through their eyes makes the season!!!

I got the newest version of Adobe Photoshop for Christmas. I haven't had much time to play with it, but I have made my 1st ever video from it ;) So, enjoy our 2011 Christmas in just over 13 mins, but viewing the video below :) I know you won't enjoy it as much as I do...but hopefully it brings a smile to your face :) Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

We saw Santa Claus!!!

Can you believe there's just 1 more week until Christmas?

I never believed it when older people told me that as you get old, time goes faster.

I didn't believe it, and never thought it would go as fast as it does!

I feel like Buddy was just born still. That he was weeks old and I was just saying LAST year that I can't believe it's already Christmas. 

But here it is, the end of 2011, and it's almost Christmas again. 

Whew...I'm so excited...

but have so much left to do!

This morning, we took the kids to see Santa. He was going to be at Brown's Orchard at 11, so we got there a few minutes before then. We even beat Santa there! As we were getting out of the car Santa drove up in his red pick up truck! The kids were soooo excited!!!

We were the very 1st one to see him :)

Buddy went first. He asked Santa for the one and only thing he wants...

...an iphone 4s...

Santa said he can't promise anything but he's see what he could do ;)

Next, my neice E went!

She asked Santa for a pink and white jumprope!

And some other things ;)

Then it was Princess's turn. 

She was a little nervous, so instead of sitting on Santa's lap, 

she sat on Babe's, next to Santa!

She asked him for 2 kitties and 2 doggies. 

Oh, and 2 baby dolls :)

Not sure why everything must come in 2's ;)

 She didn't want to hug, so her and Santa high-5'ed :)

Last, but not least, it was Monkey's turn...

I think the picture shows you what he thought of Santa...

Even sitting with Buddy didn't help things...

 LOL. 

So sorry Monkey baby!!!

 And...the best group picture I could come up with...

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!!

Gingerbread house

Buddy did 98% of it all by himself :)

Heart shaped front door :)

Candy came chimney and tree out back :)

Side with lots of "windows" :)

So proud :)

Buddy with Ian and Ian's house :)

I left work early to help Buddys class with gingerbread houses :) It was so much fun! I dont get to do much in school so when in do, I make sure to enjoy every second :)

I made a wreath!

Friday night I went to Swamp Fox Farms with some awesome neighbors and my awesome mother-in-law

and we all made our very own wreaths!

From actually cutting off the branches to making the branches look like a circle, to making our own bows and gluing our decorations on, we literally did the whole things ourselves!

We all had SO MUCH FUN and will definetely be doing it again next year :)

Cutting out the branches :)

Chrissy making her branches into a wreath :)

Denise hammering away :)

Sue gluing on her decorations :)

The whole FUN gang :)

Denise's beautiful wreath :)

My beautiful wreath :)

I love it!!!

I just LOVE this time of year :)

Last weekend we put up the Christmas tree! We have  new one this year...a 9ft pre-lit tree! SO MUCH easier than our old one! I felt like we forgot to do something b/c we had finished putting it up and decorating it so much :) 

Monkey fits perfectly under the tree

2011 Christmas Tree :)

 I decided to TRY to get some pics of the kids with the tree to put on our Christmas cards this year! It was quite the adventure, a lot of hard work, and frustrating...and although I didn't get 1 good pic of all 3 kids looking at the camera, I did get some shots that i LOVE...A LOT :)

Thank you, Wyatt!

The stocking were hung by the chimney with care... :)

Buddy found jingle bells on the front door :)

Princess stood in the dark bathroom watching and listening to the snow globe :)

Monkey stood, pointing, at the pictures and saying "dat! dat!" :)

Our elf on the shelf, Wyatt, took some time today to decorate our house a little!

The Kids were so excited when they noticed things!

I love the magic that Christmas brings! I wish it were here all year long :) 

 Thanks Wyatt!

Thanksgiving 2011

We had a great Thanksgiving! We went over my parents for the big dinner and then to Babe's Aunts for some dessert! It's always crazy and hectic but we are so thankful to have family so close! I wouldn't want it any other way! I'm thankful for a lot! I enjoyed doing the "thankful" posts daily. And I might keep that up...so don't be surprised if you randomly see thankful posts ;) I'd say the kids are thankful for a lot, too...just on Thanksgiving I'd have to say Buddy was thankful for football, Princess was thankful for leaves to jump in, and Monkey was thankful for everything. These 3 kids, and their Daddy, are what I am thankful for day in and day out :) 

HAPPY 1st THANKSGIVING, OWEN!!!

These are some pics throughout our weekend. We didn't do too much but stay home and get some things done around the house :) 

He will never again be so tiny as he is today. I love how tiny he is.

So cute. I'll have to get a pic with all 3 of them standing in the window.

Hugs for his friend :)

J and J, waiting on Santa to come light the New Freedom Christmas Tree :)

Princess waving to Santa!!!

Santa came in a firetruck, was lifted to the top of the tree, lit it, and then was lowered to the ground. Very cool. 

Video to come!!!

Add caption

Buddy and Jocelyn

 GIANT OWEN TAKING OVER DORA'S CASTLE!!!