New Year's Eve...

We have lived in our home for just under 2 years now.  Sadly in those almost 2 years, I haven't gotten to know our neighbors as well as I would have hoped.  Though this past month, we have become more friendly. 

They are wonderful people.  They have a daughter the same age as Liliana and a son the same age as Ava.  Hopefully this year allows us to get to know these wonderful people even better.  It's looking promising since they were kind enough to invite us over tonight for a "firework" show!  The kids all sat on the sidewalk next to each other as John (our neighbor) lit the first few fireworks.  The kids watched in style sitting on a nice comfy warm blanket with "wine glasses" filled with sparkling cider in their hands.  The "show" lasted about a half hour and then after it was all over they got to throw poppers and swirl sparklers.  Normally our kids are in bed by 8PM the latest but New Year's Eve is such a special night, that we promised to let them stay up as late as they could! 

The girls played at the neighbors house until 10PM (yes you read that right!), Garrison fell asleep shortly after the fireworks were done at around 9:30PM and Dillon almost made it to 10PM before curling up in the corner of the couch and crashing hard! 
As New Year's approached Marc and I sat watching the New Year's Eve TV specials.  Once New Year's 2012 officially arrived, we called it a night since we had family coming over the very next day for Garrison's birthday!

Happy New Year 2012 Everyone!

ZooLights...

 Every year the Phoenix Zoo has what they call "Zoo Lights".  Parts of the zoo are all decked out with a really nice display of lights.  Instead of Christmas trees, snow globes, and ornaments they decorate with lights shaped like zoo animals!  The children LOVE seeing all the different displays and sometimes having to guess what animal is what!  Over the past few years we have picked certain years to take the kids.  Although it would be a fun yearly tradition, it is insanely busy and has gotten quite pricey for our large crew!  The last time we went was right before I gave birth to Garrison (3 years ago).  This year I wasn't sure we were even going to find time with our busy holiday schedule to go but we found a day and decided to make the best of it.  (Did I mention it's insanely busy!?!)

We arrived over an hour before the zoo lights were scheduled to open.  There was already a line but we knew it would be busy.  Despite the crowd, the kids enjoyed their night out at the zoo lights.  As you can see everyone smiled for pictures... well except Dillon (but are you really shocked by his lack of cooperation in the smile department!?!)

Happy 3rd Birthday Garrison...

3 whole years have gone by!  Our little guy isn't so little anymore.  Well he is still tiny for his age but he has still grown a lot in the last year.  These days he enjoys watching Mickey Mouse any chance he gets.  He enjoys Lightning McQueen anything!  He likes to be a typical older brother to Rosalia.  Those of you with multiple children... you know what I mean by that statement!  He is a little love bug.  He loves giving kisses and hugs.  I take um anytime I can get um because I know these days will be non existent in the future if he is anything like his older brother!  He is one LOVED little boy.  Determined to always make his birthday special despite it being only 4 days after Christmas, I made him some cupcakes with Lightning McQueen candy toppers which he picked out at that store one afternoon.  He got lots of presents and had a couple friends stop by on his actual birthday.  Even his "girlfriend" Lexi made an appearance on his birthday!!

Just like everyone else in the family... birthdays equal local freebies along with picking what meals everyone eats for the day.  Garrison's breakfast choice was dunkin donuts (not a shocker at all!), his lunch choice was hamburgers, and dinner was "noodles" (aka pasta and sauce).  He had a wonderful day and enjoyed everyone singing and saying Happy Birthday to him throughout the day!

Taking His Girl For A Ride...

Santa brought Garrison a nice new ride.  Lexi (Garrison's girlfriend) came over and he wanted to take her for a ride.  They wanted to go to the park.  This particular park has a really cute pretend gas station and round concrete pathway circling the main play area.  Garrison drove Lexi around this area for over an hour stopping each time to "gas up".  It was so funny and cute!

Silly Elf...

Wondering where our elf, Mickey, found himself the days leading up to Christmas?
Well take a look...

He was writing his Christmas list.  Some items included elf size clothing and cookies with milk on Christmas Eve before departing back to the North Pole.

Playing cards with our Nutcrackers.

 Taking a nice marshmallow bath.

 Climbing a paper chain to hang an ornament.

 Eating cupcakes that were for Daddy's workers.

 Sneaking a Dilly Bar in the freezer.

 Playing video games while snacking on M&M's and drinking milk.

Hanging on a sign that read "Be Naughty Save Santa The Trip".  Ironically the children were fighting the day before Mickey was found hanging on the sign! 

24 Weeks...

Merry Christmas...

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE SIMPSONS!

Christmas began right at midnight when Dillon was up and awake while Santa brought presents.  He heard the big guy shuffling around presents but didn't sneak a peek!  Fast forward to 6:45am... I could hear the whispers of Dillon waking every single one of his siblings up.  He could see the large items from the top of the stairs and used those items to his advantage in order to wake the usually grumpy children! 

Dillon whispering "Garrison come on buddy get up, Santa came and brought you a McQueen car!"

"Liliana I heard Santa come last night your presents are waiting, get up"

"Rosalia, Rosalia, come on baby wake up and go see presents"

While he went from room to room and child to child, I listened and smiled in bed.  Marc woke soon after, we stared at each other waiting for the kids to come in and wake us up.  Instead they stood whispering to each other about all the presents they could see from the staircase.

We got up and let the crew of 5 down the steps.  Garrison jumped in his car as quick as possible, Rosalia jumped on her quad and pushed the button to go forward.  Liliana, Dillon, and Ava ran over to their piles and anxiously waited for Marc and I to say the magic words "Go ahead and start opening".

There was wrapping paper everywhere.  The only one not interested in opening presents was our little driver, Garrison.  He was busy driving back and forth in the front foyer and family room area. 

It took the children a little over 30 minutes to open all their gifts.  Once the opening was finished the words "Can I open this and this and this and this" were pouring out left and right.  Having so many children is such a blessing but on Christmas it is so unfair that there are only 2 of us and 5 of them!!  Our hands can't move quick enough!

Once we got the bare minimum opened, I worked on breakfast.  Later that afternoon Papa, Grandma, and Uncle Jarrod came over for an early dinner (Grandma had to work).  They also wanted to scope out all the goodies everyone got.  It was a pretty low key day since the rest of the family had plans separate from our own. 

Another GREAT Christmas has come and gone!

Christmas Eve...

A couple years ago we decided to begin a tradition where we go to Grandma and Papa's house for Christmas Eve.  That way the kids can open gifts from Grandma and Papa separate from Christmas Day.  With all that the children receive, a good majority of the gifts stay at Papa and Grandma's house so that when the kids go over they have things to play with.  It's worked out nicely and so the tradition carries on. 

Before heading off to bed in their matching pj's I snapped a picture... Look at Dillon's smile!!