Journey of Grace: A Little Bit (urgh, I mean ALOT) of Christmas

I do realize that we are halfway through January and I have yet to post on our Christmas or New Years.

Believe it or not, we did celebrate the holidays this year.

Schoessow Christmas

Our celebrations started on the 17th of December with the Schoessow side of the family. This year, Toni, Tim’s older sister hosted, which was nice for us, because we only live 15 minutes from her house. Aunt Tami and Audrey, snuggling.

This year we had the adults each pick a child’s name to buy a gift for. I liked this approach, simple, fun to shop for and kids still got to open gifts.

After gifts and a lasagna dinner the kids played a game with Mommer and then we headed up to Green Bay to see the Garden of Lights. I love that we have this near us – we’ve done it a few times in the past and it is a great holiday tradition. Alexa complained most of the time (it was a little cold for her blood), but Treyton really liked it. I wore Audrey in a front carrier with a blanket around her, so she was pretty warm the entire time and I didn’t hear too much from her. (Treyton’s favorite part of the Schoessow Family Christmas – Wrapping Paper War)

(Mommer and Papa with the Grandkids)

Our Family Christmas

The original holiday plan was to do Christmas Eve with my side of the family and then Christmas Day at home with our family, but my mom invited our family to join her, my step dad and uncle on Christmas Day at her house. So last minute (and by last minute I mean 4:30 on the 23rd) we decided to spend the 23rd as our family Christmas, 24th with my entire family and then the 25th at my mom’s.

Because we kind of rushed our own family Christmas, we left out some of our traditions and treats – like Jesus’ Birthday Cake and Root Beer Floats, but that was okay because we ended up spreading these things to New Years – and you know what? I think Jesus was okay with a little belated birthday cake.

The kids each got their normal 3 gifts from Tim and I, but this year they also exchanged with one another – Treyton picked out and bought with his snack stand money gifts for his sisters, mom and dad. This was his own idea which he had started thinking of back in October.

For our “Nice Dinner” we had lamb, brussel sprouts, and mashed potatoes. Treyton got another Mario DS game, Angry Birds Knock on Wood Game, and Big Box of Legos from Tim and I. From Alexa he got a pogo stick and from Audrey he got Batman Jammies. (Side Note: it is extremely difficult to get pictures of Treyton opening his gifts because he’s so fast :))Audrey got a new play kitchen, a little monkey cabbage patch doll and a baby blackberry (alphabet) toy from Tim and I, for a little lagniappe she got some dress up princess shoes (a last minute buy that ended up being her favorite gift). She got a Remote toy from Alexa and a Disney princess chair from Treyton.

Alexa got a Rapunzel doll and dress up set, a Hello Kitty DS game, and a princess snuggie from Tim and I. A Princess Dress up kit from Treyton and Trio building blocks from Audrey.

Treyton got mom a Sonic DS game (LOVE it, by the way… I used to play Sonic all the time back when Sega was cool) and Dad the Cars 2 movie. He had told Tim at one point “I know you wanted to Cars 2 movie, Dad, but I got you something else instead.” So when Tim opened the Cars 2 movie, Treyton was way excited for “tricking Dad” – if you’ve never seen Treyton’s excited face – now you have ;) It was a nice Christmas, a little rushed, but worth it in the end. We are certainly blessed beyond measure.

Rebman Christmas

Christmas Eve we headed to my sister’s house. Everyone exchanged names, which makes Christmas fairly relaxing and enjoyable but everyone still gets to open something.

My mom always goes ALL OUT on the food for Christmas Eve, we love it. It’s a lot of work for her, and we keep telling her to simplify, and maybe one day she will, but until then we will enjoy our MANY options of yummy snack foods.

I apologize for too many pictures in advance – my brother in law Aaron LOVES taking my camera and taking hundreds of pictures that I have to clean out (and I’m not even kidding in 6 hours he managed to take over 500 pictures). And be forewarned, there are more of me than anyone else, partially I think because I had a glass of wine this day, which for some reason gets my family all gitty and it’s like they want as much “proof” as possible that Amber is a wine-o…. whatever :) This is me and my brother-in-law Aaron, we give each other a really hard time, but truth be told, I have a lot of fun hanging out with him (when he’s not crabby from lack of sleep). There’s a reason why my sister Skye likes the two of us so much, we’re a lot of like. When we're together we’re usually in some type of "heavy discussion” which we both actually agree with one another on, but are saying differently. We both like to prove our point…. Tim and Skye typically just stay out of the way and let us have at it. My man and his little girl. They are so cute.

Luke and Skye

Audrey being silly.

Aaron caught a picture of me doing my “Skype face”…. big funny.

My sister, Autumn and I, getting cozy on the couch together. I LOVE hanging out with Autumn, seriously, we laugh the most when we’re together. Autumn laughs at ALL of my jokes, seriously, she makes me feel like I should be a comedian. She’s awesome.

A rare picture of little ms. Peyton, not smiling .

Madison, being a little ham ;) It was actually Madison’s birthday on Christmas… so we sang a little birthday tune for her this day.

Audrey, my little princess.

Aaron, I’m really not sure what he’s doing here…. but this is called payback. A rare (or maybe the only picture of my brother in law Marv and I), yes, I still have a glass of wine in my hands…. I savor, I don’t guzzle. My Uncle Todd got Bewitched season 1 & 2 for Christmas – Alexa was very interested.

I have no idea what my man is doing to this baby doll, but this picture cracks me up, I apologize if others find it disturbing. My Grandma had bought all of her Christmas presents before she got sick in November. She had my mom’s name this year, so this is the last present my mom will ever get from her mom. It was a hard moment, but a moment I know my mom was really grateful for. Peyton and Treyton, the rhyming cousins, wrestling. Can I make myself any more clear, Aaron? Peyton, all wrapped up. Superhero Treyton. My Grandma had also gotten all four of us girls little sock purses, my mom and uncle added in a piece of silver and a small figurine from what we refer to as the “Aunt Jemima” salt and pepper shakers she used to have all over her house from her. Uncle Todd and Alexa cuddling. My man, with his “thinking face” on :) And the moment passed :) Two preggers…. aren’t they beautiful? Okay, here’s the scoop – since I was a teenager I have tried really, really, really hard to inflict some sort of pain on my step dad, Luke. We used to wrestle around quite a bit and I would get so mad, because he would just laugh. I’ll punch him over and over in the arm, and I know it hurts him, but he refuses to admit it and he’ll just laugh…. nothing makes me “madder”. (Yes, I know this sounds twisted, but Luke’s really weird, it’s too much to try and explain :)) Anyhow, this year, Aaron tempted me to give his arm a shot…. here he’s showing his red arm.

Here are some family pictures from the day:

One goofy….

Two serious…

And of course no holiday would be complete if Luke didn’t take his holiday nap :)

Christmas Day

Christmas Day was very relaxed at my mom’s house – she made a delicious meal and I didn’t lift my finger hardly all day. We did the kid’s stockings at my mom’s but other than that, there were no gifts this day – which was also nice.

What?! Nerf Gun Bullets!! Thanks Mom and Dad!

Lexie got a princess Charm bracelet from Disney. She really wanted it at Disney, but Tim said no, he got it for her (behind her back) and gave it to her for Christmas.