Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a long, but exciting day for us. We left home early in the morning to head to my mom & dad's to help decorate Christmas sugar cookies. The Belts came over too and we all had a good time icing and eating the broken cookies. We enjoyed lunch there before heading to Shelbina for the annual Hunolt Christmas. This year it was at Jason's mom & dad's so we got there early to hang out before everyone got there. Santa & Mrs. Clause showed up while we were there so Kale had his first encounter with the big guy and he wasn't bothered by them. He sat on Mrs. Clause's lap just "chewing" on his candy cane (in the wrapper). We left Shelbina to head home (to IL) for church at 11pm. Kale was Baby Jesus and did a great job. He woke up as soon as we got to church and stayed awake during the whole service and talked almost the whole time he was on stage. I think he made everyone laugh and smile and got lots of compliments after the service on how good he was :). We got home a little after 12:30...it did not take us long to get everything ready for the next day so we could go to bed!

Travis, Jason, & Andi icing cookies

Kale hanging out in the jumperoo

Jessi bringing out more cookies

Uncle Justin, Kale, & Allison

Pollard Family picture before everyone arrived

MO Pollard Family

Gaines Family

Hunolt great-grandkids

Kale with Santa & Mrs. Clause

Alexa & Allison with Santa

Leslie with Santa & the Mrs.

Monday Night Football

Jason & Kale hanging out Monday night...watching football of course. We unpacked everything Sunday night when we got home so we didn't have a thing to do last night! Tonight & tomorrow are a different story though!

Root Beer Making

Sunday morning we headed to church in Macon to watch Allison sing along with the other little ones during the service. She did a great job singing and looked super cute, but I didn’t take my camera in…so no pictures. After church we drove to my mom & dad’s for lunch and the afternoon. Andi & TJ got to open a gift early- a root beer making kit. Luckily I checked it out before Christmas to see that it takes 1 day -2 weeks for it to be ready so they opened it early and we made root beer after lunch so it will be ready to drink at Christmas. We had to take a break during the beginning and when we got back to work TJ was asleep so Andi & I (with Grandma Mari’s help) finished up the root beer. Hopefully it turns out okay, but if not Jessi says there is always back up in the basement (aka A&W in a can)!

opening the Root Beer Kit

Showing off our labels

Kale & Grandma Mari watching

Making root beer & a mess....we had to move to the kitchen sink

Bottling the root beer

Pollard Family Christmas

Saturday we headed to Shelbina for the Pollard Family Christmas. After lunch, a movie, and all three little kids taking a nap (at the same time!) we opened gifts and indulged in lots of snack foods…oh yeah and a meat & cheese tray. I absolutely love snack foods and could live off of them alone so I love this time of year when it is okay to consider them a meal. In my book you can anyway :)

Kale got lots of great gifts- some cool new toys, books, clothes, baby food, and a rocking chair. The rocking chair was actually a Christmas present Jason got for his first Christmas from his grandma & grandpa. Lola had Justin paint it and got cushions made for it with Mizzou material. It turned out really cute and it is neat that it was able to be passed on and after all these years it is still in great shape. Jason & I got lots of nice presents too. After presents we got to visit and play some Wii. We had a great day and another great Christmas.

Kale & Uncle Justin

Kale & Aunt Leslie

Pollard Family

getting ready to open presents

Chase & his girlfriend, Kelli

Rhett opening a gift

Grandma Lola's turn

Chelsey waiting patiently :)

Allison with some cool new shoes

Kale sitting in his new rocking chair

Pollard Family

The other Pollard Family

Gaines Family

Chelsey & Kale

Rhett putting on chapstick....all over his lips & cheeks :)

All 5 grandkids

Kale with his Great Grandma Cile

Jason & Allison cheesing

Kale with Uncle Justin

Kale in his Christmas pjs

Kale's rocking chair

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Jason put the outside decorations up last week while Kale & I watched out our big window. He did a great job and we finally match the other houses on our street. One night last week we had been Christmas shopping in Springfield and were pulling into town a little after 9. As we came down the street I noticed our lights weren't on- what?!? Jason didn't seem surprised so when I asked about it I found out he had put them on a timer so they are only on for 4 hours...they shut off around 9. I asked if he would fix it so they stay on a little longer and when I asked him about it tonight he told me they are on until 10 and we didn't need them on after that because nobody is up that late! They sure do look great for the 5 hours they are on though :)

Last night we drove to Peoria with a couple of our friends to see the Festival of Lights. It was amazing...2 miles of all kinds of lights (similar to The Avenue of Lights in Quincy). Kale slept the whole way up there, but woke up just in time to see the lights. He really seemed to like them- he just stared and kept looking back & forth at all the different decorations.

Waiting on dad to leave for church

Christmas 2009

We were going to attempt Christmas pictures, but someone was a little tired :)

He was awake for a few before Jason got home

We finally got our tree Saturday afternoon. As soon as Jason got home from work we left for the Christmas tree farm I had heard about at work. Just go north on 29, you can't miss it....well, lucky for me it really was right on 29 and we found it after going over the river & through the woods:). It was sleeting a little when we left home, but seemed to be stopping. We got unloaded at the tree farm and out in the field, forest, pasture, or whatever you call it, to look for our "perfect" tree. It started sleeting like crazy. Kale was covered with a blanket and my face was hurting from being pelted with it. After 2 minutes (if that) I found it- thee one. We took pictures in front of it and Jason prepared to cut it down, stood back up, and told me I had to pick another one. This one's trunk was bigger than he wanted to cut down! Seriously?!?! We found the 2nd perfect tree just next too it- Jason cut it down, we paid & were back in the truck withing 20 minutes. We are speedy! As we were driving off an older (*not old, just older*) couple that arrived at the same time were still wandering through the trees. I told Jason he was lucky it was sleeting or we would still be looking too. We got the tree home and up in the house and it looks great. We even have some presents under it!

In front of the "perfect" tree

The tree we actually got

Waiting for our tree to be shook & baled

Ready to go home & decorate

Kale had fun decorating...or watching us anyway

Already trying to get into the presents

More pics from Thanksgiving weekend

We spent the entire Thanksgiving weekend in Missouri and got to spend lots of time with family. We were all worn out when we got home Sunday night, but had a great time. Friday night & Saturday morning we got to hang out at mom & dad's playing Wii with Steph & Kyle. TJ's big birthday bash was Saturday afternoon and after that we headed to Shelbina. Chelsey & 2 of her friends decorated the Christmas tree downstairs at Ed & Lola's house and then headed to the movies. Jason & I questioned her about her boyfriend before and Jason actually took the girls to the movie theater. He acted like he was going to park & go in just to tease them a little. Instead he & Les made a quick run to Macon to get a tree for Les' house so she & Chelsey could get it decorated! Sunday was a lazy day as I went to a Mary Kay Open House while the boys rested. We made a stop at Les' house before heading home later in the afternoon.

Kale looking worn out in his Turkey Day pjs

Jordan, Chelsey, & Jessi Mae- the decorators

Chelsey & Kale in front of the tree

what a poser!?!?!Kale & Aunt Les

Les getting Kale

getting big!