JoJo's Journal: 2010

Christmas Day...

Tom is still working on the puzzle of our area of Elkhart County. In the center of the map/puzzle is a house shaped piece locating our house. Can't wait to see it finished!

Lego!!! Nicholas is thrilled!

Another morning of the Lego structures begins!

Before the Legos, they opened the usual....pajamas, etc.

Jason listens as Nicholas tells his daddy about the calendar he made for him at school.

"I wanted this all my life!!!" says Blake.

Alexis needed something to push around so PopPop and I found this little cart.

Blake creates!

Alexis loves her new toy!

Busy...busy...busy!

You'll never guess what he made...............yup!

The 24th......Christmas Day at our house

The "other" grandparents really went all out this year and found a Lego (that's the magic word right now!) Advent Calendar. Every day, one of the boys opens the little door and the brother gets to put the little lego item together. It is really really cute. Don't you just love the expression on Blake's face??? Pure joy!

Layla and Marley pose for me while we anticipate the arrival of Aunt Kendra, Uncle Jason and Alexis.

Layla and her PopPop do lots of hugging.

PopPop will take all the hugs he can get!

Elizabeth actually didn't have to work this year on this day. I think it was a first!

"Ok Alexis. You can open your presents now. Oh.....you already did!!!"

Brent, Elizabeth, Layla and Marley are underway!

If it's a Dora anything, Marley is in heaven!

Alexis loves her new "car"!

"It's a perfect fit and gets great mileage. Thanks Aunt Dizzy and Uncle Brent!"

Layla got makeup from KK and Uncle Jason. (I can't imagine!)

Marley has just a moment of sadness! Couldn't help capturing it. Seems so cute somehow. It only lasted 30 seconds when she thought that Lexi was going to "take over" her new Dora dollhouse. Sometimes it is very hard being 3 years old.

Lexi is sorry that she took over the dollhouse and is willing to let Marley have it back.

It wouldn't be right if Kendra and Layla didn't have their "makeup" time together. Tradition!

Music, music, music!!!

Nothing like a good game of Hungry Hungry Hippo............

.......unless it's winning at Tic-Tac-Toe!

Another Lego set for each boy means........................

.... more and more..............

...........following the directions

......checking it twice

and spending hours and hours building and creating.

We are constantly asking the boys (recently Nicholas) how they do it? They never ask for help and never need us for anything. Nicky replys calmly (as if we grownups are nuts) that he "just reads the directions!" Duh!!!

Unbelievable!!!

"Ready! Set! Go!"

"Get 'um Marley!"

PopPop is keeping out of trouble with his jigsaw puzzle of the map of River Drive and this area of Elkhart. It is really cool. He said that it is challenging. Hurrah!

Layla and her Daddy are putting together their map of the world. Not quite as difficult as Tom's.

Good job!

While in Denver this summer for Betsy App and Zach Zaslow's wedding, we found a pop-up book about pirates.

Blake really gets into the details of the pop-up pictures. Glad we carried it back with us.

Marley, Elizabeth, and Layla share a Christmas hug together

Layla loves her little Lexi. Time to eat so they can get ready for church at 5:00.

I wasn't in the right spot to take any pictures and I didn't want to annoy anyone or embarrass them even though is was before the service at Trinity started but I just snapped in both directions and this was all I was able to get. I put my camera away.

Alexis checks out the beautiful sanctuary. She was soooooo wonderful during the service and I think that PopPop wasn't too sad about holding her after Nicholas was finished. After the service, Brent and family headed home and Kendra and family headed back to our house. Tomorrow, the boys will wake up to open their "Santa" gifts and head to Kokomo to be with Jason's family. Tom and I will head to Battle Creek to be with my mother and Debra. What a wonderful day it has been.

Christmas Eve Eve

Layla and Marley came over Wednesday afternoon (the 22nd) to play with Nicholas and Blake. Tom and I had returned from Noblesville bringing the boys with us since they had no school. It was a great time to have them visit and time for the girls to come play with their cousins.

Our basement is just that...a basement. It is for storing junk. It is not pretty. It is not cozy. BUT...it is room for the kids to run and play. Layla was given the very very old Barbie dolls and clothes that used to belong to my younger sister Debra, 50 years ago. She loves playing with them and it will make my sister very happy to know that they are still being used.

I think that this dress was made from my sister's wedding dress scrap. Not sure about that. It was somebody's wedding scrap. I'll find out for sure.

Blake found the mini cars and trucks that used to belong to Uncle Brent!

Marley would swing all day if she could find someone to push her. This IKEA swing was the best purchase I have ever made for the kids. It has had hours of use for a few years now.