Christmas Whirlwind Recap

I am a bit behind on blogging. And behind on everything it seems. I don't even have all my pictures from our trip loaded on the computer yet. Yicks. So these will have to do for now. Where does the time go? I haven't been able to catch it since the holidays. Well there is lots to say so I will dive in.

We headed south for Christmas this year, thankfully on an airplane as, 1. my car was in the shop (a whole other story) and 2. it was freezing rain when we left. So hurray for air travel that gets you to Florida in 2 hours or so. My family and my brother-in-law's crew converged on the grandparents for a week of family fun - 9 in all counting great-grandma.

One of our highlights was the Medieval Dinner Theater. Javin was totally enthralled with the real live sword fighting and battles!! Awesome! And Kailyn was swooning over the knight who tossed a flower to her in the stands. Don't forget, eating everything with only your hands, a kid's dream come true! Good times!


Then it was on to a day at the beach with the overbearing sea gulls, 2 sand angels, a sand fortress and a sand obstacle course. The kids were covered in sand from head to toe. I am sure the restaurant we ate at on the way home appreciated all the sand we left behind.

Busch Gardens was the park we choose to visit this time around. Our ticket was good for 2 days so we were able to stretch our enjoyment. The rollercoasters were great! Sheikra, was my favorite by far. That was one steep hill!! Javin was intense about riding everything. He loved all the rollercoasters. Kailyn tried the log ride, which had a pretty big hill at the end. She was scared but choose to ride it a second time. They had 2 great kids areas that she loved. The fun thing about Busch Gardens is that they have animals as well. So we got in our zoo experience for year as well. The tigers were awesome to watch and feeding the birds nectar was a thrilling experience too.


We were so blessed at Christmas time. The kids have so much stuff they don't know what to play with it seems. Star Wars was a big hit with Javin along with an mp3 player to name a few. Kailyn was ecstatic about her Polly Pockets and Fur Real doggie and Cabbage Patch. We were so blessed just to be able to spend some time together since we dont get to see these relatives very often.

I had fun trying to get everything in our suitcases for the trip back home. Not to worry, I accomplished the goal and the bags were maxxed out.


When we arrived back home it was more Christmas celebrations with my family and friends. The Yoder celebration was filled with good times too, along with some clowning around. Star Wars and a Pet School computer game were big hitters for Javin. A doll house and more Polly's for Kailyn. And lots and lots more. This time I was able to load it all up in my car and drive up the driveway. (Yes, my car is back.)

Then the friend parties began and went on through New Years Eve. We are so blessed to have so many loving and supportive friends and family in our lives. I couldn't do it with ya! I love you all and wish you God's best for 2009.

School days

Javin's had some fun times at school lately. I got to come along for the Thanksgiving party this year. Which also happened to be Pajama Day at school. The kids had fun with the games and snacks. Everybody loves party day.

In December Javin's grade was part of the school Christmas Program. He got to sing lots of songs and had one line to recite. He was really excited about the performance. They were all colors from the coloring box, that is the reason for the cone hats. It was a cute program.

Snow much fun

Winter has begun in Ohio. We have had snow all day today and cold, snowy weather for the past week. However, it is too warm to stick, so there's not much to talk about but coldness. One day last week school was delayed for 2 hours, which prompted a sledding run for the kids. Even though there was barely enough snow to cover the ground, the sled did slide. Especially if you put the sled ON the slide, Javin discovered. I actually saw him exercise some caution and give the sled a test run without any passengers. It passed his standards and he hopped on for a fast ride down the slide.



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Kailyn's dream in life is to get married and be mommy. It is so amazing to see how God made us to with such a precious hope in life. She constantly talks about when she is a mommy and how many babies she is going to have and is fascinated with weddings. We scored a bride costume for her on the after Halloween sale rack. So cute.

Kailyn finished up her swimming lessons last week. She enjoyed swimming each week and improved her skills. She sure loves the water. Several weeks ago she overcame a big fear and jumped off the diving board in the deep end with her swimming belt on. Yeah for, Kailyn. Then on the last day of lessons she was really brave and took it off and jumped in. Way to go!

I seem to be short on pictures of Javin, maybe because he is always on the move. Here he is flying out of the jousting hut at the fall family festival. What a busy guy. He is taking drum lessons, which he loves. And he is finishing up his Tae Kwon Do commitment, which he is not as enthusiastic about anymore. A full year of lessons is a big commitment for a little guy. Well, he is not so little anymore. Did you know that his feet are almost the same size as mine??!! Okay... I have little feet, but he is only 8 years old. I can't imagine how big they will be one day!!

Here's a little video of Kailyn at swimming lessons. Don't mind the noodle battle going on the foreground. (The class was a bit out of control at times.)

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Flashes and Wheels

It seems that everyone is taking pictures this month. School, Preschool and Church. Javin seemed to have something against the camera though. Several of the pictures came out with some interesting faces. Sigh! This one turned out alright. The one from school he is not even looking at the camera.

The big excitement at our house has been getting a new car. What a long process! All in God's timing though. I had previously stated that I was going to get a CR-V. Well, that didn't work out. Then I was back to the drawing board to decide what I wanted to get. There are a lot of nice car out there these days. Making the desicion rather hard for me. I finally narrowed it down to the Nissan Murano. Then the hunt began to find a good used one with leather seats and low miles. My search took me as far as Texas and Minnesota on ebay. But I finally found one in Cuyahoga Falls that was just perfect for me. I am so loving this new car.

The other great news is that I had a buyer for my car even before I bought the new one. God's timing sure is great!

leaf piles

This year Molly joined in the leaf jumping fun. She was a crazy dog, tearing around in the leaves. The kids had fun with her, as long as they didn't get hurt. Which happened when speed dog crashed into sitting child.

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Pumpkin Patch Freeze

Last week was Kailyn's Preschool Field trip to the Pumpkin Patch and farm. In case you haven't heard, near winter weather has set in here in Ohio. So it was one frigid day for an outdoor event. I was wishing for my warm snow boots even though there was no snow. The kids had a good time despite the miserable cold. (I am such a complainer.)

They got to ride in a horse drawn wagon to the pumpkin patch and pick their pumpkin. Then tour the barn and see the pens and pens of goats and cows. The goats were very entertaining with all their jumping and tricks and trying to eat their coats. The young goats could jump on the momma's back and balance. The cow licked everything that came near him including your coat when you were least expecting it. Kailyn got to hold a 1 week old goat and bottle feed a pot belly pig with milk that she helped milk from a goat.

It was a very memorable trip for the kids, however my toes did not return to normal until late that afternoon.