My Favorite Day!

I know I say that a lot, but today was right up there with the best. I have had to work just about every day since my family has been back. I had two days off for a weekend and have not felt that I have been able to be with the kids enough. Right now I am on a four day weekend and so far it has been unbelievable.

Paxton has been waiting for a week now to put this gingerbread house together. I promised him that today was the day. We went for a drive, went to Betos and dined together, we napped, watched MORE Christmas movies and then we got started on our house.

All I have to say about this house is...Thank goodness for Wilton!

Already put together, treats an all.

The boys waited patiently as I mixed the icing and got it ready
Shelby did the best she could to keep herself occupied. Ryan, took lots of pictures.
That's right, she is standing. She doesn't quite walk around the furniture but she stands wherever she goes. We're getting close!

Getting started with our decorations. Gauge was so serious about the house that it didn't even occur to him that he could eat these candies. He is getting better too. If you will remember, last year he sucked on each individual candy and then put it on the house. This time we were much more cleanly!

Like her brothers, Shelby keeps herself occupied with firearms. There is nothing like walking into a room and your 10 month old little girl looks up at you and points a revolver at you...then smiles. Surprisingly, even that will warm your heart!

Wait a minute...Gauge WAS sucking the candy!!!!

Ryan and Shelby hung out. Can you see her reflection in the dish washer?
Daddy is helping now, the boys love it when Dad helps!
Gauge is telling me Merry Christmas Mommy
Paxton is taking a beverage break
and then we were done. We are all very proud!

After we finished the gingerbread house we sat around for about 2 minutes trying to decide what else to do. Then it came to me...

Lets get bundled up and go for a night walk. We can check out the Christmas lights!!
W all got bundled and we were very excited to get outside. Its been snowing for two days straight and it's actually warmer tonight than it has been for the past week. We have seen temperatures at zero and even below.

All bundled up and ready to go!

Dad pulled the wagon and I took Porter, who was happy to be out and about.
So many people in our neighborhood had lights up, or Santa Claus outside, even Frosty was in windows.

Porter and I became really close when the family was gone. We went on long walks every day. We got lucky, we have a really good dog!! I absolutely love him!
There is nothing like taking a night walk in the winter. Everyone is inside. They are watching Christmas movies, having dinner and doing family things. Meanwhile we are outside in the awesome silence that is winter. No one is on the streets, beautiful decorations are out and the moon lit our path.

When we passed a park, Ryan took off running. He ran the kids through the park and back

We all loved it and I couldn't help but hope that we would continue to do things like this every year! When we hit the end of the neighborhood and were deciding whether or not to go back, Gauge yelled in his little Falsetto voice... No daddy, go farther!

That's when I knew we all loved it.

After a long while out though, we started to freeze!

So we headed home for Hot Chocolate!

This hot chocolate was special though. It had candy canes in it!!

After hot chocolate we sat down and watched the Grinch in our pajamas

Then we went to bed. The boys snuggled into their new crisp sheets that we had changed earlier in the day. Grandma and Grandpa Kerlee had brought the bedspreads to us and they couldn't wait to get into them.

I hope the kids remember this

because I will never forget it!