'Tis the Season

So, I was all prepared to talk about why the average American gains 7 pounds during the holidays. The proof is in the pictures. Or so I thought.









It seems plausible that a person could gain 7 lbs, right? Well, I decided to do some research before I quoted this age-old statistic. Sure enough, I found many articles like this one that state that the only scientific research that has been performed on this topic has determined that the average person only gains one pound. Huh. Makes me want to dive into all those holiday cookies I've acquired from our numerous cookie exchanges and holiday parties. Oh wait. I've already done that.

'TIS THE SEASON. You know how I know? Because of this:



And this:



And THIS (that's a German Advent calendar, by the way)



Seriously people. If you want me to prove that 1 pound statistic wrong, I am well on my way!

I love the holidays. I really do. I love the get togethers, and the gift exchanges and the spiked cider and ornate cookies. I love eggnog. Eggnog lattes are THE BOMB. I would drink one every day if I wasn't afraid of the 7 pound weight gain. (And for the record, since I just de-bunked the 7 pound myth, I will enjoy daily eggnog lattes from now until 2012! yahoo!)

But mostly, I love seeing these faces when they do Christmas crafts



Or when they open playgroup Christmas presents



And especially when we take a trip down Eucalyptus with our best friends, The Robins, to see the Christmas lights















Do you remember my previous posts about our visits to Eucalyptus street in 2008 and 2010? As documented, in 2008, this man had 493,174 lights. My how he has grown. And so has our family. :)



I hope this becomes an annual Robins/Broxterman tradition. Because it is one I immensely enjoy. Last year, they captured a photo of us in this same spot. I only felt it fair to return the favor in 2011.



Four more days until Christmas! Santa is already TIRED and ready for a vacation!

Sibling Love

There are, on occasion, days when I can't believe how well these 2 are playing together. And thanks to technology, I can whip out my phone and start recording at any given moment. I don't video the constant fights and tears -- for good reason. These are the memories I hope to hang on to forever.



He loves to entertain her (and my reciprocal amusement doesn't hurt his cause, either)



I have to give myself points for taking 2 kids to see Santa by myself 2 years in a row. Truth be told, these 2 love themselves some Santa so the trip to the mall is (for once) a rather painless one. If only those kids ahead of us wouldn't talk so darn long to Santa! We could have been in and out of there in 5 minutes had it not been for those chatty kids (ha).

Waiting in line for Santa



Jacob telling Santa what he wants for Christmas. I love how patiently Maddie sits there and waits.



Maddie telling Santa what she wants for Christmas. And Jacob patiently waiting! I promise I did not drug my kids. I did, however, bribe them with ice cream.



Apparently Santa told Maddie he would grant every wish!



I am thankful for these not-so-shy-Santa-loving children!

Happy Belated Turkey Day

I know, I know, I've been neglecting the blog again. November was a busy month but really my excuse is that I have SO much to write about, SO many stories to tell, SO many things to share...and it's overwhelming thinking about how behind I am! So, I'll start with Thanksgiving.

We spent a week in Kansas with Nanny and Papa and despite the travel being long and exhausting, the week was an awesome one. I learned that if we had 4 older cousins that lived closer, me and Mark's jobs as parents would be 100 times easier! Jacob and Maddie were so entertained by their older cousins all week. It was awesome.

I also finally got to meet Eric's fiance, Kelly, and I couldn't be happier for all of us -- having such a wonderful addition to this family. She's a gem!

We started out the week at a children's museum in Topeka. This place was fantastic. The kids could paint on the walls...





Paint on your friends faces (Nanny is SUCH a good sport)...





And work with REAL tools



I had to walk away once Jacob grabbed a real saw. I was in a total panic.





The weather was incredible mid-week and we played lots of football and duck, duck, goose outside. Inside, we entertained ourselves with lots of Wii games and cards and even attempted a family gingerbread house. Attempted.



Maddie of course got involved b/c all she wanted to do was eat the candy.





I'm pretty sure a hair dryer is not one of the required gingerbread house tools. But they were trying everything to keep this thing standing!



Unfortunately, it didn't stay upright for long. But at least we got a picture of it!





Then it was time for a few family photos



Jacob is in love with his cousin, Caroline



Love the camera self-timers!



And a great silly one. This is a framer for sure.



Nanny and Papa and all their grandkids.



Eric and Kelly and their nieces/nephews!



The beautiful bride and groom to be!



We ended the week with a visit to the Indoor Aquatic Center. Jacob got to show off his new swimming skills (after months of lessons!)



Nanny also threw an amazing bridal shower for Kelly on Saturday. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera and don't have any pictures from that day but it was great. Again, so blessed to have such a beautiful family!

Thank you, Nanny and Papa, for a great week!