Steg Christmas

 Very hard to believe that Christmas is less than a week away.  And tonight we celebrated early again with the Steg grand family.  It was a lot of fun and wonderful to see family and sit and enjoy them.  Just wish we didn't have A LOT of packing and a VERY long drive ahead of us.  But we will make the best of it.  I love the above pic of all the "kids"...some not so small anymore....We have our 5 and Kev's 3 cousins (Harrison, Alyssa and Danielle...so glad the girls were home from CO and CA!) and also Kev's 2nd cousins--Rylee, Averey and Aubrey.  The kids had fun together, that's for sure and I think Logan's new cool guy bud is Harrison!

 The "kid" table eating their yummy dinner...minus the babies :)  Notice who rarely fails to be our comic relief :)

 Time for gifts...the kids fav time!  I laughed at this pic bc you can see poor Harrison in the back trying to tame the boys jumping on the couch :)

 Best gift of the night for the boys was this basketball game that great-grandma gave Dylan.  Logan claimed it right away bc you know him and "bababalls"!  Daddy tried to hide it and deter him, but Logster finally won and got to open it.

 Great-Grandma got the best gift of all...a new tv!  Nice!

 Most special gifts were the hand-painted ones by great-grandma...each of us got something (girls porcelein pill boxes and the boys got mugs).  Poppy picked this mug with basketballs and b-ball guys on it that g-ma painted herself.  Logan claimed it right away and wanted to drink his "wawa" out of it immediately.  Poppy was excited about supervising this as you can imagine :)

And I think you can see we have some "sticky toddler hands" that helped themselves to about a half dozen of the kisses off the pb-kiss cookies.  I think that is all he had for dinner.  We kept finding trails of these cookies minus the kisses on top! :) 

It was a fun night, but now it's back to the reality of packing and traveling!  Fun, fun!  Someone needs to invent a "blink your eyes and you are packed and in FL" magic potion!

All I want for Christmas is....more time!!

If I could have one pre-Christmas wish it would be...more time.  I realized today how terribly far behind I am on all things Christmas...and all things house-related.  I had a good talk with myself in the process of realizing this and I hope I can make myself understand that it's ok to let a lot of it go.  So, I am sorry to all you out there who won't get Christmas cards on time from us (or at all)...and for Christmas gifts that might be New Year's or even Valentine's gifts bc we have done little to no shopping.  And my teacher gifts this year are sad...mostly gift cards (practical and useful in my opinion, but not super creative)...and I had no cards this year to write in, so I had to use old ones and the kids had to make the envelopes for me b/c I must have used the real ones for other things. Have I mentioned I am so not a gift-giver? Anyway....I could go on and on and tell you how I hate that things like this come in the way of the true meaning of Christmas.....but I will spare you :)  Our day probably should have been spent prepping for Christmas and packing, but instead we spent it doing the "fun" activity below. The best part of the day was seeing my Dylan-boy at school with his finished Aye-Aye project!  YAY, Dylan!  He did a great job!

 Then we dropped the ol' Logster off at Nina Stegs and went to the north side of Indy to "enjoy" an afternoon arguing over brick and siding, flooring and cabinets, etc, etc.  But, honestly I was proud of us for narrowing things down much more than a week ago.  We still need lots of prayers and positive thoughts that on Jan. 5 that we make some good decisions when we go back here for the final decisions!

We are keeping the cabinet color a secret for awhile (just to torture Nina Gritz :))...but here are some of our options :)  I really admire people that think this is fun...I'm not sure I love making this many decisions.

Now it's onto the last day of school tomorrow, Steg Christmas, and packing, packing, packing....oh and that loooooooong FL drive.  Wish us luck!

My Five Favs :)

It's been a craaaaazy day and I am realizing how faaaaaaaaar behind I am on everything.  Not sure how we are going to get it all done and get some rest and get to FL in a timely manner.  Ugh.  Trying to keep it in perspective...and looking at what God's blessed me with helps me do just that...love these kiddos and all that they bring to my life!  Don't they look pretty in their Christmas attire?! :)

2nd Bday Funnies :)

 The day is almost done, but just had to post a few pics from Saturday night's early bday celebration for the almost-2-year-old :)  His cake fiasco was pretty funny and thankfully not harmful.  Nina and Poppy Stegs were sweet enough to get him a yummy ice cream cake from Meijer.  She got it all ready and brought it out.  This is the first time he has really ever gotten a cake that he will remember.  I don't count 1st bdays as they are mostly for the mommy-memory.  But he knew just what to do when Nina sat down in front of him. He got his dipping finger out and went to work. 

 Yummers...between this and his M&M dinner, he was in sugar-heaven!

 I am sure you can see where this is going....I personally am cracking up at Nina's face...it's like she's saying "ooooh, touch it"....then....

 Look at her face now....lol!  The Nina-look-of-terror...yes, he touched the flame. We think the only reason he didn't notice it or cry or anything is because he had just put his finger in the cold ice cream and it was probably still wet and cold which allowed the flaming heat to not be severe at all.

 But his reaction was precious.  He just held up his pointer finger like it was "this little light of mine".  He never cried or anything...but he sure knew not do that again!  Seems to me, we Stegs are starting a candle trend here....remember Hays and her hair on fire blowing our her 14th bday candles?  We'll see how his bday candle blow-out goes in FL next week :) 

 Here's a few pics from today....I spent half the day at school volunteering and seeing the kids...but the middle portion, I spent with my hubby driving around our new neighborhood looking at brick, siding, door and shutter options.  This is not what we are picking, but it is the spec house from the outside.  Boy, am I NOT a fan of making this many decisions.  We are heading to the design center on Thursday so wish us luck with that!

 Tonight was spent mostly at home.  Thank goodness.  This pic is for Nina in FL. Loggy wanted to show you his magnatile creation :)

 He made another one too....he's so goofy :)

 Shelb's day was made today!  Her AG doll from Nina and Poppy Stegs arrived...along with some accessories and new pjs! (remember what she wore for the AG fashion show?  This is them!). She was over the moon happy.  Her "patience" paid off! haha :)  Thank you, Nina and Poppy!  Claire is the new doll's name....isn't she cute in her glasses and with her short, curly hair.  Never had a doll that looked quite like this.

 Two of the gang set up their lil' trees.  Ash was the first one.

 Hays the second one.  We are slowly but surely getting the Christmas stuff out. Hopefully by tomorrow it's all out! haha :)

And, oh do I love it when big projects are due the week before winter break.  D is working on his Endanger Species project.  Nothing like last minute and late nights.  Ugh.

It's off to bed for this tired mom and dad!  Night Night!

The Christmas Crunch

 Well, it's mid-Dec and we're in Christmas-crunch time.  Oh how I love crunch time :)  haha :)  In honor of the crazy crunch...here's a quick run-down of our weekend....It started with Kev and I having a date-night on Friday.  YAY!  It was PNO (Parent's Night Out) at our church and we jumped at the chance.  We didn't get a full 3.5 hours alone, but it was still better than nothing. We did my fav thing (Christmas shopping...ugh), but we did get to eat at Chipotle. Yumm! My 2nd time there in one week.

 On Sat. morning half of us went to see our plot of land. We had just gotten our official site info with our house on it in an email and wanted to check our measurements.  Loggy and Shelb helped...well, Loggy mostly ran around and got muddy...but he did have fun!

 Measuring our house markers...he's very a very helpful buddy or at least good at running :)

 Then we picked up D and A from their church program practice...and off we went to see Santa...first we had to write him letters.  Loggy even did one himself telling Santa how he's been a good boy all year (mostly) :)

 Awww...my sweet boys by the Santa mailbox in the mall :)

 Leaving Santa a little surprise in the mailbox :)  Is that bonus points for more gifts?

 Seeing our sweet Santa.  Logan didn't love the bearded guy, but he didn't scream as bad as last year.  He didn't like how chummy Hays got with the jolly ol' fella though :)  I think she was laughing about a joke Santa made.

 Our Santa shot....at least Loggy isn't screaming, but that is thanks to a candy cane :)  Candy is the way to his heart.  Poor Santa has a headband bow in his eye...sorry Santa!

 Then off to eat our free Santa cookie at the shop in the basement.  Yumm!

 Then we raced off to Nina and Poppy's for Christmas with them and Brian and Anne.  I love their house at the holidays...they have the prettiest tree ever.  The kids love the train under it...and this year Poppy had two going at once.  Loggy was a bit of a scoundrel with this as you can imagine.

 Always yummy food...Nina goes all out.  Makes it fancy even for just 11 of us.

 The dessert table is always the highlight.  This didn't even include the ice cream cake for the 2nd bday boy.  My fav. cookies are the green ones on the right...best ever...and surprisingly they have no choc. in them.

 Loggy's dinner...M&M's. Heck, it's Christmas...who cares.  They have milk in them, right?

 The kid table...Hays got upgraded this year to the adult one.

 Biggest hit of the night was Ashley's new AG doll...she named her "Bella"...she wanted to name her Isabelle the 2nd, but I nixed that idea.  Poor Shelb was supposed to get one too, but she got lost in the mail and just came today.  This really tested Shelb's patience...and ours.

 We got to celebrate Loggy's 2nd bday a couple weeks early!  He was in heaven with his ice cream cake!  I even found a bday shirt I forgot I bought for him 6 mos ago.  He looked cute and had fun celebrating.  Best part was the candle blowout...I'm saving those pics for another day.  Thanks, Nina and Poppy and Brian and Anne for a fun evening. 

 Today was Christmas musical time at Church.  Ash and Dyl were both in it (Shelb couldn't be since she has violin on Wed. nights).  It was a very cute musical, "The King is coming to town".  They did a great job!  Dylan, especially, is so animated on stage and loves to get into the music...and Ash is always smiley :)  Thanks to Nina and Poppy Stegs for driving down for it...and for Nina G and Auntie Sue for watching it on the live feed from the comforts of home!

 Lots of kids in the musical this year...it was fun to watch...this Elvis was great :)

 Then raced off to Shelb's violin solo concert with Nina and Poppy and Auntie Sue...Shelb played Witches Dance and did it perfectly...the best she's ever played it.  We were so proud of her! 

 The violins just put the poor boy to sleep.  I cannot blame him. I was tired too!

 We all woke up to eat celebratory Red Mango yogurt!

Then you'll laugh at what we did tonight....a week before we leave for FL, we decide to put lights up outside. I know it's crazy, but it was a warm day (50 out!) and Loggy apparently loves "it it lights" (Christmas lights)...he points them out each evening as we drive, so I wanted to put them up one last time on this house.  I will miss this lil' home next year, but our new home is very similar in how it can be decorated.  Notice Loggy playing golf with our big candy cane and his bball.  Pops would be proud.

It was a crazy weekend...and this week will be even crazier with house decisions, school stuff, parties, gift shopping, packing, etc.  Yikes.  In a week we hope to be almost in Ft. Laud.  I can't wait to just be there.  I want to relax and soak up sun and warmth. 

Trying to be Non-Bah-Humbug

Well, I think I have made it no secret that Christmas is probably my least fav. holiday. I don't know how this happened, but I think it has something to do with the increasing pressure to do too much during this holiday season and not really focusing on the reason for the season. I instead am stressing about decorating (ya' know b/c it's soooo important that we have decorations up for the one week we have left that we will be in town! ha!)...and getting gifts for people (I have done NO shopping and I think you know it's one of my least fav things to do)...trying to get gifts for teachers, treats made for classrooms, volunteering for parties, Christmas celebrations, Christmas programs...packing for FL...and I did I mention we are moving soon?  Ugh.  I am not sure we could add a lot more to our plate....and honestly I have become "Scrooge" to the extreme.  I told Kev last night that next year this all HAS to change. Everything needs to be done MUCH earlier (maybe Oct?) so that I don't feel pushed to this bah-bum-bug state.  I cannot keep feeling worse about Christmas each year.  All I want to really do is enjoy family, enjoy the reason for the season (Christ's birth) and sit and veg in my house.  I feel we never get to do that this time of year b/c of all the hustle and bustle.  And I have a great fear this year that if I burn out super early on Christmas that I will have no energy left in Jan. to move.  I cannot burn-out before then.  But I am feeling pressure from all angles...to do this, buy this, celebrate this...sigh.  Where to draw the line? I want to just do none of it (I am an all or nothing person).  I pray this feeling changes in the next week.

In hopes of staying positive about this season...we did try to decorate our tree last...I say "try" b/c it's still not fully done (I can't find some of my fav ornaments)...and we were up til 11pm trying to get a Christmas list on paper so we can do all our shopping this weekend (hopefully tonight since Kev and I get a date night thanks to church).
                                                                       

Pretty sure this tree needs some more lights on the sides....but honestly I don't care.  It's the best we could do with our haphazard Christmas decorating this year.  Loggy LOVED putting balls on the tree....I think he broke a half dozen trying to get them on the tree, but he sure had fun doing it. I love our decorations under the tree too...a random shoe, some blocks and cars and magnatiles.  You can tell who plays under the tree all day :)

 And I think you can tell what the "baby" decided to do after a while.  He could not figure out how to get hooks to work so he starting throwing the balls into the tree :)  Genius (aside from the fact that the balls are glass and half the things on the tree are breakable)

 Ash got the "putting the star on top of the tree" honors this year. 

 YAY!  Look at that beautiful crooked star!  But it stayed up there!  We have had many years where it did not!  Kev makes fun of our star every year, but we got it when we got married at an Eddie Bauer Home store and I love it...it's very simple.

 Loggy and Hays made an effort to try to put the star on the tree too...

 I think you can see what happened here....Daddy thought the boy would be interested in the star, but he instead found an interesting ball ornament that he could not reach before.

 Yes, THIS happened. He did eat some ball ornament once or twice.  Took a good bite out of it.

 At one point he wrapped Ashley's princess blankie around himself and ran around the house like this. I thought he looked like ET :)  He is the goofiest baby.  We were all cracking up.

 Gotta get a group shot in front of the semi-finished tree.  Logan has never seen Shelby looking like this :) (yes, that is for our rudolph-mobile that we will have soon since it never went on the van last year when I got it)

 He thought she was very funny :)  Love these kids and although I am not lovin' Christmas now, I am trying to focus on reasons to be joyful this Dec.