Christmas!

We had a fantastic Christmas (our first Christmas in Nebraska in a few years)!

Isaac packed himself in a box for the trip back to the other side of the state :)

There was some Christmas cookie decorating...

Notice how clean the table was to start with

Poor Ellie was too sick to participate

Grandpa even got in on the action

Emma is getting really good at decorating cookies

Can you guess where Isaac was sitting?

Unfortunately, there was a little more illness going around than we would have liked, but we still had a great time!

Isaac and Grandpa sharing some cereal

Christmas Eve...

Having fun playing with new bathtub toys

The guys having fun playing Brodie's new game

Isaac really wanted to join in

Snow!

We are getting excited for Christmas, although I don't think I am quite as ready as the boys.  We didn't get quite as much snow as the other side of the state, but we did get a little.  Hopefully some of that snow will hang around for Christmas!  Here is a little video of some fun we had in the snow ;)

Birthday week!

We had a great week celebrating Isaac's and Abel's birthday last week!  It was a long drive to the other side of the state, but it was definitely worth it!

Isaac packed the cooler for the trip

Are we there yet?

 We had lots of fun with cousins!

Lets play some music

The boys made their yearly gingerbread train with Grandma.

Isaac celebrated his 3rd birthday (and Abel's birthday had a '3' in it also):

Isaac was very excited about his cake!

Getting ready to open presents

We had fun bowling...

 And more fun with cousins:

Gabe fixing Isaac's train :)

We even got all dressed up for 'Beauty and the Beast'

We had a fantastic week!

Christmas Program

Brodie had his preschool Christmas program last night.  We were a little nervous because we had been on vacation for a week before the program and we weren't sure if Brodie knew any of the songs or poems.  Everyday before we left for vacation, I would ask him if he learned any songs at school and he would either say 'no' or 'Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer'.  Well apparently he learned more than one song and he remembered them very well!  We could hear him singing from all the way in the back of the room.  His teacher told us, the last little girl that sang that well in preschool went on to do all of the high school musicals.  She said he was ready for Broadway :).  You gotta love preschool teachers! 

Waving to Mom and Dad in the back

All lined up and ready to go (wearing their reindeer antlers)

Brodie was a little sad that his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins couldn't be there to watch, but thought that we could tape it so everyone could see it.  He was a little disappointed that I didn't tape the entire program.

Brodie's teacher told the kids that Santa would come if they did a good job and Brodie said, 'we must have done really good because Santa came!"

Telling Santa what he wants for Christmas

And on another positive note for Brodie...his stomach seems to be feeling much better.  He ate a ton for lunch today and said, "my stomach doesn't even hurt when I eat a lot!"

Preschool picture

Here is Brodie's official preschool picture :).  He picked out his own clothes for picture day. 

5 years old

Elf on the Shelf

We've had a lot of fun with our Elf on the Shelf so far.  I must say that Brodie's behavior has been much better since Chopstick has been keeping an eye on him.  He is very helpful and keeps trying to remind Isaac that Chopstick is going to report his behavior to Santa each night.  Isaac doesn't really care.  Brodie tried telling him that he was going to get coal in his stocking and then Brodie remembered that Isaac liked coal trains and would probably like the coal.  He then told Isaac that Santa would put rocks in his stocking, but then remembered that Isaac likes rocks.  Brodie's not really sure what Santa will put in his stocking if his behavior doesn't improve :)

It's begginning to look a lot like Christmas!

The 'Elf on the Shelf' and the Christmas tree have arrived, so it is officially Christmas time in the Luksan house!  I am so excited because we have a real tree this year and it smells so good in the house! 

Isaac helping Daddy get ready for the tree

"Chopstick" helping to decorate the tree

Isaac putting on the first decoration

Brodie put on the top decorations (using his tiger)

The boys decorated the entire tree!

And...since there is never a dull moment, Isaac somehow got a cut above his eye when I was in the bathroom, but a sucker from Grandpa and Grandma and a phone call from Daddy made it feel better!

Oh what a week!

We have had a fun packed week with a little stress squished in the middle :).  We went to Denver for Brodie's endoscopy.  Mom was an emotional wreck until Brodie was all done, but Brodie was very brave and did a fantastic job.

Brave and ready to get started

Checking out all of his attachments after the scope

Trying to smile even with the tube in

Yeah - the tube is out and life is good!

We also went on a Santa train while we were in Colorado and visited a restaurant Abel and I went to a long, long time ago :) 

Getting Christmas cookies from Mrs Claus

Getting a bell

Isaac loved the candy cane

View from the train window

The next group of kids on the train with Santa

If you look close, you can see Santa and Mrs. Claus waving outside the train

Ten years and two kids later, we returned. 

We then hurried home so we could get ready for the Bumans' and Hains' to come for Thanksgiving!   We had so much fun eating, playing, eating, watching football, and eating some more.

Ellie lost her first tooth!

Decorating Christmas cookies

Emma cutting flowers for the pumpkin vase center piece

Throwing balls up to the deck

Nice form Grandma!

Playing a little ball - maybe someone should set down the camera and catch the ball

Grandpa is getting a lot of help fixing the hole in the wall!

Emma may be getting more than she bargained for on this ride

The kids had fun helping Uncle Rob deflate the air beds

And we even got a family photo!

Now, we just have to get the Goekens' and Luksans' here: hint, hint :)