Koepsell Christmas

All the rush, excitement, anticipation, planning and preparing....and then it's just DONE.....whew....I feel bad, but I am so happy it is! Christmas Day after we opened our presents at home we drove to Shawano to celebrate with Jason's side of our family. We finally got to meet Brandon's girlfriend Trixie, and she is such a doll! She was great with the kids and even got down on the floor to color with Avery. I think Avery liked her the most, well they are just about the same size! haha! Sorry Trixie, I just had to crack just one joke! : ) Before the extended family arrived we opened our presents. Here's just a few pictures of that.

Trixie and Brandon

Papa Bruce

Avery and Mema
Carter opening his new "Cars" golf set

Avery modeling her new High School Musical jacket
Wow Wow Wubzy....one of Carter's favorite presents this year!
Carter modeling his new Elmo slippers...I've never seen a kid to LOVE wearing slippers like he does!

SHARPAY!!! : )
High School Musical Megaphone from Doreen...this was hidden at Mema and Papa's!!! Have you guys found it yet?! haha!
The Koepsell's

Santa came!!!

We drove home from my sister's house Christmas Eve in time to set out some milk and cookies for the Jolly Old Man himself.

The next morning we woke up and found he ate EVERYTHING! But Avery thought he was "kinda messy about it".
And used Avery's new Blendy pens to leave us a note!!!

I had to include a picture of how our tree looks after being up for a month with a 19 month old....almost all the ornaments on top of the tree!

Avery always has the best bed head in the morning! haha!

1st present from Mom and Dad...a new Dvd player for her room!

A Langfeldt Christmas

The kids and I drove down to Sheboygan Falls on Tuesday to spend the night and Jason came down the next day. My parents are leaving for Nebraska today and staying for a few weeks with my brother before traveling down to Arizona for the rest of the winter...I'm jealous aren't you? So it was nice to spend some extra time with them before they took off. Here's a few pics of our Christmas celebration with my family.

Avery and "my" Hannah playing in the snow. (When Ave was really little she always called her cousin "My Hannah"...it still slips out sometimes! haha!

Thank You Hannah for being such a good sport with your lil cousin! She sure looks up to you and even says that when she grows up she wants to be a "big" sister like you! ; )

Carter playing with his new trains from Aunt Mawie


"Cheese"

Carter and his new buddy Emily

Emily never lets Avery near her but Carter sat right next to her and pet her for over 5 minutes!!! None of us could believe it!

Uncle David, Aunt Mawie and Avery with one of her gifts from Nana and Papa

"YES! Blendy Pens!!!"

Carter opening his sit and spin

Avery and Papa with her presents from Nana and Papa

The kids with Nana and Papa

Snowstorm Carter

Tuesday we got hit by Snowstorm Carter (at least that is what our local fox news channel was calling it). School was canceled and Jason decided to work from home. While he blowed the snow from the driveway and sidewalk the kids and I bundled up and went outside to play. I don't own snowpants (and to be honest I don't like snow, or cold!) so Jason jumped in and played with the kids once he was done. Carter had a hard time walking in the snow...probably because the snow was deeper than his little legs!

Guess she didn't like getting buried in the snow! haha! We are some mean parents!
Still mad at us...

A Gille Christmas

Last weekend we drove down to West Allis for the Gille Christmas at Aunt Laura's house. It was great to see everyone again, eat some food, watch the kids open presents and fight over the white elephant gifts. This year Jason got lucky and got TWO gifts, a Milwaukee Brewers t-shirt and a small keg of Heinekin (the heinekin was mine, but since I don't like that kind it's now his...or maybe I'll regift it! haha). The kids were both tickled over their presents! Avery got High School Musical stuff from everyone and Carter got Elmo stuff and a big digger truck. We also got to meet Ron and Amy's baby girl Grace. What a doll! I fell in love right away with her great big smile! But then again, there's not a baby out there I don't love! : ) And before you ask....NO MORE FOR ME THANK YOU VERY MUCH! haha!

Gracey giving Carter a big smack on the cheek...he's going through a phase where he doesn't like lip kisses, he just turns his cheek!

Someday they're going to have a blast playing together!!
High School Musical has invaded our house!

Carter's big "tuck"

Little peanut

Kaukauna Christmas Parade

December 2nd was Kaukauna's annual Christmas parade. Avery joined Daisy Scouts this year and with the help of all the Daisy Scout's moms a float was put together for the big parade. She had so much fun singing christmas carols, waving, shouting Merry Christmas and throwing candy that she didn't even care that she didn't get to actually see the parade herself. Jason, Mary and Carter missed us by one float so didn't get a chance to see us. : ( By the time we were half way through the route the girls had already gotten through their entire candy stash, so I was a bit curious why Avery still had 2 handfuls at the end of the parade. She looked up at me and said "I didn't see Daddy, Mema and Carter at all...so I saved some for them!". Oh, my sweet sweet daughter! Here I thought she was stashing it away for herself! Avery is the one in the middle
The back of the float...our Christmas tree actually rotated! Pretty cool!
All the girls singing Christmas carols

So happy!

Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree.....

Last night we got our tree up and decorated. I was pretty surprised by how good Carter was about the whole thing. I thought for sure he'd be ripping the ornaments off the tree every chance he got! When we first put the tree up he was all about touching and fluffing it like Mama, but once I put the lights on and turned them on he was very cautious and saying "pretty pretty". Then came the ornaments....the first 15 minutes was pretty crazy, but soon enough he learned they were not toys. Now he just walks around the tree and just stares at it with a big smile on his face. Deep down I know that I'll walk into the living room one of these days and he'll have a whole line up of ornaments on the floor, but for now...he's doing good!

The finished product...I decided not to put beads or garland on it this year, but now I'm re-thinking that...looks kind of blah. And if you couldn't tell from the picture...I have a slight obsession with snowmen.
Carter held onto his Elmo ornament for dear life, didn't want to give it up to the tree!

No fire place at our house...so this will have to do! :)
This morning after breakfast Ave and I busted out the village. Since I got a new computer and now use my antique desk that my Dad refinished for me for that I had no where to go with it this year. So out came a card table. I didn't have enough room for all of my village though : ( But I think it looks very pretty.