new year

This past week was our annual Christmas party marathon week!  Overall it went very well (evidence that our children are another year older).  We've still ended up with some sickness, but nothing too bad.  All three of the boys are coughing alot and Levi has a pretty runny nose, but that's it so far.  I was up in the night with Levi's cough sounding bad, so let's hope it doesn't get as bad tonight.

Sunday morning Mike went to church by himself while I stayed home with the boys.  It was a late night Saturday, and knowing the kind of week we had coming up, we opted out.  (Had I known we'd be missing tomorrow due to them being sick maybe I would have tried harder to go last week...)  Sunday noon my whole family had dinner at my parent's, we celebrated the December birthday's (Natalie and Heidi), played Bingo, and then in the evening went to my parent's church for their special "family" Christmas service - several people from the congregation participate with testimony/song/etc.  Lea Anne and Katie sang a duet, Michelle played a piano solo, and my mom read a story.  All three of the boys sat very well during the service!  Afterwards the fam went to Culver's for supper and ice cream.  Of course, Mike knew plenty of people both at my parent's church and at Culver's and my brother likes to give him a hard time about it - I think Mike's new nickname is "The Mayor".  :)  Oh yeah, I also just remembered that in the afternoon there was another small haircutting incident...  At dinnertime Eric said "hi" to Levi and rubbed his head, a bunch of hair went flying...Eric asked Levi if he just got a haircut, and I'm thinking, "Um, no, he shouldn't have..."  He's got a couple small bald spots and as best we can figure, Caleb was the culprit.

Monday I actually got some major purging/organizing done in our room!  I was hanging onto too many clothes and it was time for some of them to GO.  Feels good to just get rid of a bunch of stuff.  Late afternoon/evening was my family Christmas party at my parent's.  Big breakfast for supper, carol time, prayer time, the Christmas story, and then presents.  Oh yeah, can't forget family picture time!  For the first time ever we did it BEFORE the meal, and OUTSIDE.  We're really shaking things up.  Was fun to see the boys get their presents - Caleb was excited about the fishing pole he got and couldn't wait to tell Uncle Harold about it, Logan got a big shark pillow that he's been reminding me about for a month now, and Levi got a tractor that he very happily played with right away.

Tuesday evening was the Krol party at Jenison Christian.  The boys sure had fun running around with all the other kids - and there are alot of them!

Wednesday (New Years Eve) we ended up staying home as the boys were starting with their coughs.  Had a fun movie night at home - watched Despicable Me 2 with the boys, and then after they were in bed Mike and I watched The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.  (Now that the third movie is out, it was time for us to watch the second!)

Thursday we went to my parent's for some hayloft play time, and ended up staying for lunch as well.  Nice, lazy holiday.  Now it's Saturday and Mike will go back to work on Monday!  It's been wonderful having him home this whole time through the holidays, and I'm not sure I can handle things on my own again.  :(