The Driskill Family Christmas, Take I

"Christmas Eve" (December 23) with the Sawyers. The menu has been the same for as long as I can remember--Stephen's cheese dip and mom's wings are the staples--we add some new stuff every year but really we just love to chow on those!

Jack listening to grandpa read the Christmas story.

This year we decided to do the gifts from grandma and grandpa at night to save a little chaos the next morning and it was great--a little taste of what was to come!

Grandpa made these fantastic guns for the boys!

More weapons!

The children were nestled all snug in their beds (look closely--the boys have their guns!)

While we played Bingo (a serious tradition!). Those are all the prizes there in the middle. This year we had a couple kids join us on and off but we still got in some good rounds--I even won a whole dollar with my lottery ticket prize!

Have a Very Merry Christmas!

Christmas here starts in about an hour and doesn't end till Friday night...it really is the best time of the year!

Waiting for the tub

A first

Jack's poor table.

Ed actually had to shovel the back patio--after all the work he did laying the brick he wanted to make sure it makes it through the first winter!

Eight Weeks!

I think this is the first picture of the two of us since we left the hospital! Thanks to Amy for the super cozy sweater--we can't stop squishing her!

Boys and Girls

A couple months ago, our pastor was talking about the differences in boys and girls and it cracked me up at the time because right when he was saying it, Jack was pretending a piece of gravel he had dug out of his shoe was a car and he was driving it up and down his leg while Ava was sitting up straight patting her sweater which she had thrown over her shoulder and was pretending was her baby. It always amazes me how they can turn the same toy into two totally different things. Today they were playing swords with the empty wrapping paper rolls and after two seconds Ava decided hers wasn't pretty enough and she had to doctor it up with some winter pictures and stickers and by the time she was done Jack had already shredded his with too much pounding on the walls.

Jemma's big night on the town

We took Jemma to Spokane for Ed's work Christmas dinner. The tab runs about 100 bucks a person--thanks to $40 steaks, $8 sides (that's per potato or plate of green beans, etc.), plus several drinks and dessert. We were a little worried about having to take her especially because she woke up as soon as we ordered but she was surprisingly quiet and I think I'm the only one who noticed her (considering I had to eat one-handed!). It was the kind of night that would have stressed us out immensely with our first baby but by this point I always think, what's the worst that can happen? And the worst would be her screaming and me having to sit in the lobby--in which case I would have had Ed box up my pricey little dinner and eat it on the road! Here she is in a terrible phone picture next to my ridiculously large strawberry shortcake! (and empty martini glasses!) The evening was a success as she slept both there and back and we had time to have an actual conversation without any interuptions!

Getting even better...

I just tucked in my last little pumpkin (and the only one who will sleep through a flash picture!) for naps, we have tons of still-white snow, the sun just came out, and Ed is at Starbucks getting me a Chai tea and then taking off the rest of the afternoon! What could be better than that?

Hap-Happiest Time of the Year

I love Christmas. I really do. I love the whole month of December and all the parties and the shopping and this year all the perfect snow! I just checked our calendar and from December 1st to the 25th we have some kind of event on 19 evenings. Now if this kept up all year, I would be just be exhausted but for one month I love it! I was afraid that this year with a new baby, I would miss out on the fun but the only thing I've missed so far is playing in the snow and frankly I'd rather stay inside and watch anyway! One of the best things about Ed is how much he loves the whole season too (we both have serious sleeping problems leading up to the big day!) and now it's even better with kids. Like right now Jack has been coloring a picture which he said was a surprise for Christmas and then he couldn't help himself and he blurted that it's a Santa! We love the presents--it's the secrets that are problems at this house!

Jack hard at work this morning.

Jack saw his picnic table and said "oh no, now we can't eat lunch out there today."

Ava has been hard at work with her own presents--she colored some "wrapping paper", used stickers for tape, and placed her girfts under the tree.

Bee-you-ti-ful!

Last night was Ava's first Christmas Program--an event she has been anticipating for weeks!
Jack said, "Ava, you bee-you-ti-ful!" (He said I looked cute...it's not exactly beautiful but I'll take it!)

Ed did one of the readings so he had to get all decked out too.

There she is--4th from the right--so grown up! She's been practicing her song for weeks now and even Jack knows all the words to "Joy to the World", which I caught him singing during the program. Even Jemma sat up and listened!

I had to take Jemma and Jack home for bed while Ed and his mom took Ava out for a treat and on the way I commented how loud Jemma was crying (she is not a fan of the car seat!) and Jack said, "that's okay, me and her are just really tired." So I tucked them in tight and the rest of us watched Ava's performance on vidoeo--she thought she did great!

Feed me

This is Jemma's little-birdy "feed me" face--I see it a lot!

Some days...

Ava used to say, "being a mom is hard work!" and some days definitely more than others. The other morning the phone was ringing, the cable guy was knocking on the door, I was trying to fix a toy for Jack and apparently not doing well cause he sighed and said, "never mind, daddy fix it" while Ava was informing me that all the other kids had shoes to change into at school so while she clunked around in her boots the other girls were in their pretty Mary Janes and Jemma was screaming from her crib. I grabbed the phone, answered the door and went to pick Jemma up and as soon as she saw me, she gave me a huge smile and a little coo and all was right again.

Ava's big day (again)

Ava had another big day starting with her class Christmas party at Grandma's house.

They made play-doh cookies and then frosted and decorated (and ate!) real cookies

And they had a book gift exchange. The kid giving the gift was always more excited than the kid receiving the gift--their little faces were so full of anticipation about the gifts they were giving!

Jack was thrilled to attend--he loves the kindergartners and on the way out he said, "you think the kindergartens will like our new baby?" Grandma got out Stephen's He-Man for the boys to play with and Jack never even looked up, even during the cookie eating and present opening!

While Jemma spent the whole party like this.

Later in the afternoon, Ava had a Christmas ballet recital.

Ending the night with one more Christmas cookie!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

First snow means Christmas jammies and cuddles by the tree!

Warm and cozy

We had two whole nights to ourselves in the middle of this busy Christmas season and we took full advantage of them! We had a beautiful snow on Saturday which means we, of course, watched "Frosty" that night. And then Sunday night we snuggled in for the "Polar Express"

My kids love when I do a party and they get all the leftover goodies. Here they are with a feast--Jack chowed the brie with carmelized pecans and the goat cheese pizza and Ava ate all the meatballs and the sundried tomato spread. They love a good appetizer--just like me!

Sleepy boys.