Excitement lives on....

 Even with Christmas being over the excitement of life in children continues EVERY day. Mitchel pulled out (by himself for the 1st time) his own tooth and was so proud. Mitchel LOVES to wear the same clothing as Brennen and well Brennen doesn't care! And well my 2nd son shares the same love for hoodie strings as the 1st... must be a 'Witters' thing :)

It was even a 'WHITE' Christmas...

 ....and that makes my heart HAPPY! And Mitchel happy.... and Cory happy because he gets to use his beloved snow shovel! Yes, I'm not exaggerating when I say 'beloved' snow shovel! He loves that thing... and I love that he's such a good man that he goes around our entire culdesac and shovels all the driveways that day.

 Such a great man and such a great helper :)

Santa....CAME!

The day came, the smiles and giggles were endless and wrapping paper covered the floors....just how it's supposed to be :)  (and well Mitchel was WAY excited that he could open his presents and there wasn't ONE doll for him! hehee)  

 

....these really are the best times!

'twas the Night before Christms..

I LOVE my boys and all 3 of them are my miracle in this life. Cory survived Cancer as a child...miracle. Mitchel found us through his amazing birth mother....miracle. Brennen's light was guided right to our family by his loving birth mother....miracle. So, yes this is the season to really appreciate the Jesus Christ that gave me all this and so much more!

 Oh on a silly note. We read a beautiful Christmas story on this Christmas Eve, one that will become tradition. After the story we were talking to Mitchel about Jesus's birth and more of His story. After we were done talking about it we asked Mitchel what he thought... His remarks "I do really love Jesus. Everyday I love Jesus, but can I please just love Santa for one full day!" Oh he makes us giggle!

Brennen's 1st Christmas...

Yup that about sums it up.... (7 1/2 months)

'tis that season of food & miracles...

 The food is amazing and is the beginning of a FAT-astic season, which bribes my boys to bring forth the miracle of ACTUALLY going into a mall to shop! I know you are all in as much awe as I am seeing Cory in a mall... but like I said 'tis the season of miracles :)

And yes it was FAT-tastic!!

trim and slick...

All I can say is ........ WHAT a HAM!

Only 46 pictures....

 ....to get one where they are both looking :) WoW!!

~Peanut Cracker~

With life being as it is...I don't always get to go on field trips with Mitchel and his class. But everything alined this time and I was able to go. In our community every year they have a 'Peanut Cracker' performance for the kids. It's just a shortened version of the 'NutCracker'. I must admit it was perfect for me too! So we went, we watched and during one of the scenes when all the ballerina's came out to dance, Mitchel so innocently leans over to me and proclaims...
"Mama....there are WAY too many booboo's (boobies) up there for me to look!"
Me totally trying to keep the giggles in said "Oh honey just look at how cool their toes are!"
 All was fine then! Bless my sweet boy!

Teething...

Such a great...sloppy...sticky...yet cute time in life.... well the cute might be pushing it ;)

okay it is COMPLETELY cute!!!!

**deep sigh** then laugh

It was a Sunday morning, Cory and I were still in bed. All of a sudden I get the feeling that someone is staring at me. I open my eyes and Mitchel is right in front of my face.....

 Mitchel: Mama. What am I supposed to do with a doll?  

Me: What do you mean doll?

Mitchel: The present under the tree. Santa came and gave me a doll. Did he forget I'm a boy?

Me: WHAT... Mitchel did you open the gifts under the tree?

Mitchel: (he knows I don't wake up that fast so in a 'oh crap' way he shakes his head yes)

We go out to the living room. The night before I had wrapped all the presents for our friends and just put them under the tree. Well when he got up that morning he figured Santa had came and it was time to get down to business.....which he so willingly did!

Needless to say he helped me re-wrap everything and we laid down the 'Santa/Opening Presents' ground rules!

a secret surprise...

And this year was especially exciting to have our first time visit of this handsome fat fellow, Ralph the Elf came into our home! He's a little different than the traditional Elves that visit! He even left a little note upon his arrival.....

 "Mitchel & Brennen....Hi, I'm Ralph the Elf and I'm here to visit your family. I'm a great little Elf during the day, but I can't help myself with tricks at night. Every morning when you wake up my magic leaves, so you will need to find me & help me back to my spot. But NEVER play with me or my magic will disappear and so will I. Remember I might not move during the day, but I see EVERYTHING you do and I must report it directly to Santa...So BE GOOD, listen to your dad & mom because Santa is coming to town..... Love Ralph the  Elf"

 

...and the best season of all is HERE

 I love our tree and the feeling it brings into the house... and this little praying girl I've been placing on my tree since I was 5. I love her still the same today!

This was the first year in 11 years (we have been married 11 years) that I didn't put my tree up before Thanksgiving. I tell you it's that Canadian blood that rolls through my veins. Thanksgiving in is October, then Halloween and you get 2, yes TWO full months to celebrate a real reason, our Saviors birth. Even after 12 years of living in the states I can't adjust to their thinking on this topic. Come on there is no competition between a Savior of the world and a few hungry pilgrims ;)

~Happy Thanksgiving~

Do you know what's better than having an awesome husband... and awesome husband that COOKS!!! Well ladies I have just that and every Thanksgiving the turkey is 'his' thing. He always gets you tube and finds all these different ways to cook or smoke a turkey and then makes his own concoction! This year he wanted to try cooking the turkey after cutting it 'butterfly style'....

We have this tradition that we have been doing for 10 our of our 11 years of getting the turkey situated and then headed out to shoot things! Normally we bring our pumpkins that I've used to decorate for the season, but this year for some reason everyone of them rotted and well that's disgusting all by itself. So it was clay pigpens, and whatever else we could find!!

 I'd been meaning to get a family photo for Christmas cards and well since we were finally all together, it was light outside and everyone was happy, we got our family together for an
'All American' family photo! heheee

Some wondered if we didn't have Sophie anymore and I want to report that yes we do. But she had ran off and it took us 1/2h to find her and I was in tears so when she was found she was put in a strict time OUT! But still a firm part of our family!

 I love the concentration on both of their faces!

And here is my double awesome husbands turkey. I will report that our Thanksgiving was fabulous and the this turkey was finger licking, drippings to the elbow good!!

  And because he did such a fine job I couldn't object to him wanting to go and stand in FREEZING water @ the crack of dawn to go fishing! He was pretty proud of his first fish caught on a fly rod!! Great job Hun, now go thaw yourself in the tub ;)