SNOW DAY!

Well, it still feels to cold to go outside, but we were blessed this morning with a SNOW DAY! The boys and I have been playing and organizing. Everyone just needs an unscheduled snow day now and again :) Here's pics of the boys snuggling the other day, but this is what's been going on a lot this morning, too!

Next Stop, Christmas at the Brecht's

After staying at my parents for the week, Roger headed back to work the night of the 25th, we headed to Roger's parents for Christmas. It was a day full of surprises, literally! Let's see, Barb got a flat-screen from everyone, there was an afternoon surprise, retirement party for Jim, and everyone chipped in and got Jim and Barb box seats in a VIP lounge, parking, free food etc... at a May Sox game. It was a super fun time! We are going to continue the retirement fun with a cruise provided by Jim and Barb in February. That can't come soon enough with this cold weather! Barb was definitely shocked and happy!
Kids playing with new loot!

A toast to retirement!

Al, Rachel, Zeus, and Apollo Brecht,

we really need to hold those Mingos down and get their picture, too!

The Brecht boys in their new Christmas outfits from Grandma and Grandpa Brecht

Jim and Barb's friends doing the "We don't go to work dance," to their spouses!

Playing in the Snow

We had many snow adventures in December, good thing because it is too dang cold to go out and play right now! Is it just me or has it been cold forever?! The videos are of S.Jessen shoveling at our house and of Tate's first down hill sledding experience. The pics are on Christmas afternoon at Mom and Dad's. They got all four boys sleds, so we took them across the street and let them sled down hill. It was super fun! I was there, but taking pics as usual :)

Luke, Aron, and Isaac

Ayla and S.Jessen

Pops & Isaac

Tater relaxing, he did good until his mitten came off and he touched the snow. I took him in after that, because he had had his five minutes of fame.

Pops & S.Jessen

Even if we don't get to go outside again this month, we already have a lot of fun memories in the snow!

Roger and Aron looking troublesome. I can't remember who started throwing snow first, rascals!

Christmas at Granny and Pops' House

S.Jessen, Luke, Tate, and Isaac
Next on our break, we headed to my parents' house. We had Christmas morning there and the boys got the delight of Christmas all over again with big boy toys like: Power Rangers, Transformers, and Super Heroes galore! Nanny and Papa even got them a race car tv. It was a lot of fun with all four grandsons together. They always make the days more fun and busy! Thank you Granny and Pops for all the loot and for loving to spoil our kids, and us!

Pops and Granny helping the boys "whip their presents open!"

Christmas at our House

Yes, it is half way through January and I am now making time to give Christmas updates. We had such a busy Christmas this year, that I just haven't had the energy! This was the first year that Santa came to our house... that we understood anyway. S.Jessen was so funny because, we had to wait in Tate's room while Daddy brushed teeth etc..., and he didn't understand why we couldn't go into the living room. Then he said, "Mommy, I'm thinking of someping..." I asked him what he was thinking about and he said, "I think Santa came to our house!" After Mommy and Daddy were both ready, we let them out and the picture of their faces running in was priceless and worth all the effort of endless shopping days and wrapping late at night! They were so sweet and liked everything! It was a storybook Christmas at our house :)

Tate's Parties

We had a party with my parents on the second weekend in December (Uncle Aron and his family and Uncle Adam couldn't make it for the snowy weather, but we understood), we had one at the Brecht's the following weekend, and we had one at our house on Tate's actual birthday. I took that day off and Daddy surprised us and took that afternoon off, too. That night we went to S.Jessen's first Christmas concert. It was a great time and we appreciate everyone who helped us celebrate our sweet Po-Tater. Thanks for all the great gifts, too!

I really like making the boys at least one cake for their parties and this was the one I made this year :) Tate said " a cwue, a cwue!" ( a clue, a clue) as soon as he saw it!

Tate loves to help clean so gettin hiw own vacuum cleaner only made sense :)
Granny and Pops got Tate a really funny jumping zebra, he jumps like crazy on it!
Say cheese!
Grandma and Grandpa Brecht got Tate Sweepin' Sam so he can help sweep, too! He loves it! He's all set to be a great helper. He usually cries If I sweep without him.

Tate is 2!

Tate's 2nd Birthday
Tate's meeting Mommy on his "birth" day

Tate turned 2 on December 20. This big guy has changed our lives so much and is such a joy. He is very silly and has grown up so much in the last few days/weeks! He has gone from speaking very dutchy to using complete sentences. When he gets really excited he can tell a whole story without one clear word, but he does quite well with his words when he talks slowly. He learned 2 colors by looking at Christmas lights on the way home from "work" (daycare). Yellow (yewwow)and green (gween) are the ones he really knows well. Waving to Daddy and holding his hand

Tate enjoys doing whatever S.Jessen is doing and picks up on things quickly. He is already beginning to dress himself. He has memorized his favorite books that are by Mommy's favorite children's author Karen Katz. He likes to change his voice for every situation and is singing songs all day long. Among his favorite are: ABC's, You are my Sunshine, Twinkle, Twinkle, and Granny's You're My Baby. He has memorized them all! He has even started requesting songs in the car by saying "I Want ABC's".

Tate only 4 days old with his big brother S.Jessen

We are constantly working on manners, but he is very good about saying thank you, please (pease), and I'm sorry (I sowwy)! He will even try to say God bless you when we sneeze, but it's still pretty dutchy to understand. Tate is very sensitive and has the worst pouty lip. He's pretty tough, but can get those feelings hurt quite quickly, like Mommy... He can also go from sad to happy in 0.2 seconds. Mention food and you're in the clear! He definitely loves his food. He's also taken to growling when he gets frustrated, like S.Jessen, like Daddy... I'm working on them all :)

Posing with big brother on his 2nd birthday
Summer love at 6 months old

I wish I could remember everything to share about our sweetie Tate. He likes to color (curer) and play with cars, especially Lightning McQween. His favorite characters at this time are Blue's Clues' Blue, Elmo, and Lightning McQween. He is very into playing (chew chew) with S.Jessen while they watch Star Wars, too. The Chew Chew noise is when they clash their light sabers. Tate does still crash nearly every week. He has had about ten times more bruises than S.Jessen ever had at this age, but he is constantly tipping over! He always seems to have a bruise somewhere!

Wild hair at 9 months old
Tate is 1!

The weirdest thing about Tate being 2 is that S.Jessen turned 2 right before we moved in this house and that was last year (well it was last year on the 2oth). He is going to change so much more in the next year, it will be crazy!

15 months old

18 months old

21 months old

Having a December birthday is rough! We had to schedule the parties at random times, but they were all fun. I will add a few pics for those on my next update...