TCNJ Holiday Reunion

 I love my college girls! I love that my kids have many, many more happy "aunts" and "uncles"! And I love that, even though we've all moved away/come back/moved away again, we still make time to see each other.

Many thanks to Melissa for hosting us all at her place on the day after Christmas. It was wonderful to get to see baby Isaac again, to eat and catch up with each other, and to play with ALL-OF-THESE-BOYS!!!

 Isaac was suffering from a bit of a cold... poor kid had been travelling for quite a bit... snapped this picture of him with Daddy Adam before he dozed off! Above, Aunt Red and Ollie spend some quality time ;)

 Trenton just could not keep his hands off of A.J. In a few more years, he'll be able to watch him FULL TIME. And then Kim and I can have more time for drinks...

 But not these ladies!!! They'll all have babies!!!
This was the absolute coolest part about the visit, of course. Amy (in the middle) is due in January, while the other two share a March 21st due date. It is fantastically awesome to be pregnant the same time as your friends-- the stories you can swap! The advice you can get/use! I can't wait to see what each one of them have, and what names they will choose.

Ollie, on the other hand, is just happy not to be 'the baby' anymore.
Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day, 2011

 The Happy Family on Christmas Day!
We traveled to Mountain Lakes to spend the afternoon with Grandma Wilson.

 Oliver was the FIRST one in line for dessert.

 The boys love hanging out with their cousins. Trenton was surprised to get Angry Birds toys and a puzzle. Oliver loved his new magnetic shape play set, as well as a car that you can fix yourself!

 Afterwards, we headed back to Jim's parents house and opened more gifts the next day. We thank everyone for their thoughtful presents and generosity! The boys both love playing with this new Batcave... It is cute to hear them act out battle scenes with the Batman, Joker, and Robin.
Come by and play with us soon!

Christmas Morning, 2011

 Christmas Morning!
Look at that tree! (Fake, but still looks good)
Look at those presents! (Wrapped in the Comics... with ribbons and bows that can be recycled...)
Look at those bouncy things! (Ensuring that the boys will get exercise INSIDE this winter)

 Wait on the top of the stairs until Dad turns on the light!

 Running to the tree.

 It was great... they played with each toy as they opened it. Took a long time, but worth it.

 This was the one toy that Oliver saw in a catalog and wanted for Christmas... some kind of Play Doh game ;)

 Ahhh... the treasures of Christmas morning.

 With a note back from Santa, both kids eating breakfast. Hot Cross Buns-- requested by Trenton-- made from scratch. Traditionally an Easter bread, but don't tell him that.

Now its time to get down to business... and play!

Christmas Eve, 2011

 Hello there!

 We had a GREAT Christmas this year. A looong Christmas!
The night before Christmas Eve, we arrived at the Lacina house... and decorated cookies!

 The kids got a kick out of frosting in a can. Makes for some very FROSTY cookies ;)

 The next morning we woke up and... it was Christmas Eve! Yay! Especially when your grandparents & uncle are there with presents for you!!!

 Lots of superheroes, Wii characters...

 Angry Birds...

 Happy family...

 Goofy hats...

And books. Lots of books. 

We enjoyed hanging out in our p.j.s most of the day, and then headed to church for mass with my folks. Next stop: our house, to leave cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer!

Gingerbread House Building, 2011

Another holiday tradition for Daddy and the boys. Beautifully constructed and decorated. Thanks for the festive addition to our table, boys!

This Kid's Got Mad Talent

I think this started out as him writing down four things that he wanted to include in a story. I then wrote down what he dictated. It reads "Once upon a time, there was a sleeping monkey. And when the monkey woke up, a squirrel came along. The monkey said "Hi squirrel, do you want to play Mario Bros. 3 with me?" And the squirrel said "Sure!" So they played Wii together and lived happily ever after. They were friends, too.

Can you see the detail in these drawings? He used stickers for the characters and enhanced the scene with his own drawings. Click on the pictures themselves to get a much better quality scan.

Our Star and Shepard

This year, both boys participated in the Christmas Pageant at church. Oliver was the star and Trenton was a shepard. Before the play, we invited family over for an early dinner. 

 Trenton initially did NOT want to be in the play. Then he attended a practice realized that he could participate without having to say any lines. In the past, he was a shepard and a cow.

Oliver stole the show as The Star. I had the idea of putting glow stick bracelets all over his legs, arms, and chest. He also wanted two to hold and shake. Above, you can see him using them as drumsticks on my head. 

 Both boys waved to grandparents and uncles in the audience. Many thanks to my MIL for taking these pics.

Oliver kept waving and saying "Hi Dad! Hi PopPop!" I discreetly tried to feed him mini-M&Ms to quiet him down. He really got into his role, and was not nearly as shy as he had been during rehearsals. 

(I rehearsed for my role by lifting heavier weights at the gym, haha.)

Afterwards, the kids celebrated with a birthday party for Jesus.

I think it is a great thing that our family can celebrate both Christmas as Jesus's birth, and Christmas as a joyous, reflective, giving time of year. My kids are equally interested in Santa and our Advent calendar, the Christmas Tree and our Nativity set. A great time of the year for tradition and memories. :)