Girlfriend's Brunch!
First up in our month of celebrating the wonderful holidays was my Christmas brunch with a few close girlfriends. It was so great to have everyone together again since I skipped it last year to host one for some neighborhood women. It never fails to be a wonderful time!
Candy sleds I made...
There's nothing like girl conversation around a table of food and drink!
Those two kiddos couldn't help but be a part of the action.
Helping Erin open her present.
Super pumped about my Starbucks gift card!!
Miss Kathy's Daycare Party!
As if she doesn't already do enough, Kathy goes and hosts a party for all of her daycare families. Santa even comes and we get to eat pizza and subs and eat cupcakes. She's just wonderful, and it's fun to catch up with the other parents.
The entire crew!
The kids with their toys from Kathy - she nailed it!
Gwendolyn and Serena - friends since they were just three months old!
This was the gift the kids made for all of their parent's...I always LOVE opening these up and seeing what Kathy comes up with.
Barntsen Family Christmas!
Unfortunately, Tom got sick two days before we were to leave for Christmas with his family and stayed sick almost the entire time we were there. :( It was a huge bummer, and he missed out on pretty much everything and really only started feeling better on our last day. Oh, the horrible timing sometimes! The kids however didn't miss a beat and had the time of their lives with their cousins.
I convinced daddy to turn Conrad's car seat around for our week of traveling. He loved the new view and ability to watch movies with Sissy!
BFFs playing with dolls and wearing their matching vests...
Grant is so loving and great with little kids...Conrad had a new buddy!
These two are hilarious together. Can't even handle it.
Me and my Tenny!
Papa and Mimi took all FIVE (minus the baby) kids to the ZOO by themselves. No easy feat!
Gwendolyn and Conrad enjoying the zoo...
The girls in their matching jam jams - adorable!
Who is pumped for Christmas pj's and movie night?!?!
THESE GUYS!
(I would have been too if you had seen their giant box of candy options!! So fun!)
It's crazy to think that Conrad will be Lukey's age at Christmas next year.
Just a few presents...
#blessed
Reading the note left by Santa the next morning....
The wonder of being a child at Christmas...
Time to open PRESENTS!
Gwendolyn's cookie decorating skills greatly improved over the last 365 days...
(I was napping while they decorated, but I heard there was a lot of finger licking going on. Don't blame her one bit.)
Watching movies on Mimi and Papa's bed...
Merry Christmas from the Barntsen 4.5!!
Let's hit the road to Okobojiiiiiii!
Sinclair Family Christmas!
Upon unloading our hotel cart and settling into our room....we hit the pool!
He kills me in his swim diaper.
Conrad wasn't so sure about swimming UNTIL he met a little girl the same age and then the two of them kind of just followed each other around for awhile. He discovered that his body can float when he kept his hands on the ground in the kiddie section, which he thought was pretty cool. It was fun to see him learn something new and his whole demeanor changed when we were in the water park (he cried when we left, for instance.)
Mmmm.....grapefruit juice.
Homemade gift exchange time!
This year I gave away a mini family photography session stuffed in a jar filled with chocolate and Tom gave rein-beer.
Get it?
Beer bottles decorated as reindeer.
Knowing the talent in the family from previous years, we had low expectations for how our gifts would be received, BUT they were both widely popular! :) Finally we nail it!
Dad's homemade gift this year was a fabulous coffee table made from an old trunk.
Scott and Nikki scored my gift cert!
Of course it HAD to be Noah who opened the beer of all gifts (and people!) It was pretty hilarious.
Here's what everyone made...
Nikki: homemade cards
Scott: homemade pottery
Dad: coffee table
Mom: a cooler filled with frozen meals
Brent and Sara: Mission style candle holder
Robert and Becca: two pieces of artwork made from old barn wood
Again, this may have been the best year yet....everyone's work was outstanding!
Here's what we all went home with...
Conrad had us up earlier than the rest of the condo crew so we hung out in our room for awhile watching cartoons, of course.
She is such a snuggler.
Playing with her new Polly Pockets from Aunt Becca
Love this boy!
Weston had told Conrad not to touch his guys and Conrad actually listened!
But he reeeeally wanted to play with just one....
Breakfast....
And then it's time to open presents!!
We decided to have each of the kiddos sit up front and each open one gift at a time so it was more controlled mass chaos. Worked out great because the adults could actually see what they all got! And they all waited so patiently for their turns.
"I've always wanted this," she told me of her new (vintage) buggy and porcelain doll.
I think everyone looks pretty happy with what they got!
Their reactions to opening $50 from Grandma and Grandpa...
Merry Christmas from us!
Better late than never. :)
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