Don't Cry Nev!

Genevieve doesn't cry like this very often but I wanted a little proof that she isn't smiling all the time :)! Actually she just looks too cute and I couldn't pass up including it in my blog. She has always worn her hair clips without complaining or touching them but lately she has been pulling them out (along with a little tuft of hair) as you can see in the picture below! I am hoping this is just a phase...

The Most Wonderful Day of the Year

Okay, so maybe that's an exaggeration but I do love the day after Christmas! It has become a tradition for a big group of my girlfriends to get together the day after Christmas to celebrate my friend Christy's birthday. This celebration begins with an early lunch and then hours of shopping. It is so much fun to catch up with everyone and to shop! The only problem is that the time flies by WAY too fast!

   

Julie, Amy, Brandy, Sheri, Sandy, Me, Christy & Liz

 One more shot!

 

Me with the Birthday Girl!

Christmas Day 2009

What a great Christmas! Our kids are at such fun ages for this magical time of year. On Christmas Eve Chad and I stayed up until 2:30 am playing Santa which included setting up our 'new' game room with a comfy shag rug, bean bags, new TV and, finally, a Wii as well as putting out the stockings and other presents under the tree. It was all worth it when we all went downstairs at 8:00 am (we told the kids they had to come to our room first so we could head downstairs together) and felt the kids' excitement when they saw the presents under the tree!

A picture of our tree taken at 2:30 am Christmas morning

Though it was torture for our kids to wait another second, I did get them to pose for a picture before they started opening up their presents!

Here are some happy faces after opening a few of their favorite gifts...

Elle really wanted these soccer shoes

Cade loved his (used) PSP player!

 

Willem really wanted this New Holland chopper with a corn head AND a grass head!

  And now some pictures of most all their gifts from Opa's house and Christmas morning...

 

And, finally, a picture of the big gift: the Wii and game room transformation...

After opening gifts and playing for a while, we headed to Grandma and Grandpa's house for the rest of the day. It was a relaxing afternoon (after the craziness of opening gifts) and a fun evening of games, football and eating. Grandma spoiled us all with a great brunch and a yummy dinner. It was so nice to just relax and hang out. We got home at about 9:00 pm and Chad and the kids played the Wii for a couple hours before finally heading to bed! It was a perfect Christmas! I really feel so blessed to have a happy, healthy family. I found myself looking at my kids and hubby and really trying to savor and enjoy these past couple days. 

The busy scene of unwrapping gifts!

The boys mostly played video games together (Andy, Cade, Will)

Aunie Carrie knitted the CUTEST Duck scarf and hat for Genevieve!

Cade loved his 'Peter and the Star Catchers' books

 

When did my girl grow up? She looks so grown up to me lately!

  

The two newest Ficek cousins. Nithera and Genevieve (with Estri and me)

A Konyn Christmas Eve!

I love Christmas with my family! It is crazy, busy, loud and so much FUN! Our kids adore being with their cousins and we so enjoy hanging with my Dad and my siblings and their spouses. We decided to do the Konyn Family Christmas on Christmas Eve this year for the first time. We had a great Dutch-style meal in the early afternoon followed by church then desserts and lots of presents throughout the evening. What I will remember most about our day was watching Genevieve so happy amidst all the commotion of unwrapping gifts. She was walking and crawling in the middle of it all for the full two-plus hours we unwrapped gifts. She clapped and laughed and played with paper and sucked on presents and 'visited' all her aunts and uncles, cousins and Opa. She would check in with me every once in a while but mostly was just content and independent and most of all, very happy!

Every Christmas Eve, the kids know that they must endure getting a family picture in front of the tree. They don't enjoy it much but they all do it for me :) I was happy with the outcome!

I have so many pictures, it is hard to know where to begin and so hard to pick from the 300+ pictures Amber and I took, but here goes...

Jacoby wasn't so into getting a family picture but I think it worked out. Amber and Tony got a great family picture anyway!

And here are a few more pictures in front of the tree...

 

 

 

It's always great when Duane and Mary come down from Portland. They always add a bunch of fun!

 

All the cousins wanted to play with Jacoby. Here he is with Meleesa...

We took so many pictures of Genevieve! She was so happy all evening. How could she not be with all her great uncles and aunts? Here she is with Uncle David...

And here she is having a blast with her cousins...

And a bunch more...

 

Uncle Marcus was pushing her in a box...

 

She walked across the floor several times and then everyone would clap and cheer for her which she loved :)

 

 

She was too cute biting/sucking on presents...

 

 

 

Here's my favorite of Genevieve...

 

The kids had a lot of fun with Opa...

 

 

 

 

But it wasn't just hugs and presents. His granddaughters somehow convinced him to paint his toenails with the nail polish Gabrielle got in her make-up kit! I think this was a first for him!

 

 

 Jacoby having fun with his new gifts...

 

Selene and Denisha, sisterly love :)...

 

Genevieve got so many cute outfits....

 

  Amy, Carsten and Frances...

 

Athena was an AWESOME helper all night!

 

 Gabrielle loved the make-up kit Uncle Marcus gave her and Denisha put it to use right away!

 

 

 

A sweet picture of Gabrielle and her daddy...

 

This is the best I could get from Cade, Pascal and Willem...

 

Uncle Marcus spoiled Gabrielle and me. Thanks, Marcus!!

 

And finally, all you moms out there might relate. Here's my classic mom-Christmas shot; nursing a baby amidst the commotion! This will me my last Christmas with a baby. It was a great one! More pictures tomorrow of Christmas Day! Merry Christmas everyone!