Christmas 2012 and a Fresh Start

Christmas 2012
Every year I say "This year we are going to do....", Living the life of retail, wherein your world and finances are comsumed by "Christmas", it gets increasingly hard to create a true Christmas Spirit.  I'm hoping as the kids get older and can understand certain things, that will be much easier.  I wouldn't change the way our life is or the circumstances that have us here.  It is what it is and Mike loves having his own business.  It happens to be in retail, but it pays the bills, allows us to raise our kids how we would like, and we are able to spend wonderful time together.  The last few months of the year Mike gets a little cranky (he'll role his eyes at this), and we all just get exhausted.  There are parties to plan and attend, long, long hours on your feet dealing with unhappy shoppers, rude people, but also grateful people!  There are gifts to wrap, lists to be made, crowds to fight with a toddler running around, and then, in the sum of 24 hours, it's over.  And you think, we survived.  It wasn't that bad.  And you start planning for next year:)  While we love that the last few months allow us to live our lives comfortably, we also relish a fresh start in January!

Reagan has been in hip-hop this year and loves her teacher.  She had a great recital and was so cute :)

We traveled to our parents Christmas Eve and were able to spend a few days with family.  Repetative I know, but we are so grateful for them being close and that we are able to have our kids connect with grandparents and have their own special relationships with them and with cousins.  I didn't have that growing up.  Mike did, and it's something that is really, really important to us.  The kids had a great time and got more than their share of presents. Kade was awesome this year and was genuinely excited about all his presents and the concept of the holiday.  It is currently February, and he still tells Daddy every night, "Merry Chrismess Daddy".  It's turned into a little game who can say it first but we love it anyway.

 Man I love his cute little expressions :)

 This was our "tree" adventure.  We thought it would be fun to cut our own tree down this year.  I mean, we are only miles from some great forestry!  So we loaded up the kids in the truck on a dreary, freezing Sunday and purchased a tree tag in St Anthony (about 45 min away and only another 15 into Island Park).  As we started to drive into Island Park to the designated areas, the rain started drizzling down.  We drove several miles back into the forest praying we wouldn't get stuck in the mud drenched back roads.  We all got out as a family and began walking around looking for the perfect tree.  Then the rain got heavier and the kids got colder.  Notice Kade is missing a coat.  No thanks to the fantastic mom he has :(  Then we left them under a pine tree as we decided to go further along to find one.  The kids panicked because they couldn't see us and Reagan was screaming for us and Kade was bawling.  We threw the kids into the truck and we were all soaking wet, but by gosh, we were going to find a silly tree!! So Mike and I proceeded to get in and out of the truck at different areas as the rain is now pouring down on us.  Soaking wet, kids crying, and not finding a tree...we finally gave up.  Those trees are not as they appear :)  We drove home and the next night we went to the YMCA and found our BEST. TREE. EVER!!! Good times though, right!

We were SOOO glad we finally got snow as well and the kids were pulled around on the 4-wheelers at Grandmas house and then we were able to come home and do some sledding.  There is a perfect park by our house that has just the right size of hills for the kids.  And I love that they are willing and able this year to carry their own sleds back up the hill!

Kade is very creative :)

This was Reagan's earned reward that she loved :)

She also had her 2 lower teeth pulled in November.  I nearly died when I noticed the teeth behind her baby teeth one day.  To think, I ignored her "sores in her mouth" for a month! The permanent teeth magically appeared behind those and they were loose but would not come out.  She thinks all her teeth are going to come out with a little magic air and a nice reward from the dentist.  I fear her freaking out when the next one is getting yanked out!

January also brings promises of new beginnings. It's always a time to reflect on where you want your year to go and what fun things and goals you want to have. We did pretty good on our goals for last year and are excited for the upcoming year, and especially summer!