Our Trip Home~ Tota Time

After a night in the city, we headed south for a week to good old Romeoville. A place where we are always welcome and I have called my home. Every time we go to the Totas' its jammed packed with laughs, fun, oreos, and babies!!! They open their home to us every time with no hesitation and we are forever thankful!! All three of those bombshell blonde babies are so full of love and my heart melts every time I see their faces!  We had an amazing time!!

Play Time

Tunnel Fun

Can you guess this game???

snack time

Childrens Museum

Experiencing a Midwest Winter

Happy Birthday Aunt Abby!!

Happy 2013!!!

Our Trip Home ~Chicago

After a quick recovery in Peoria (12 hour delays made for a long trip) we headed north to Chicago to see our Van Ryn family  This was a long overdue reunion and we were so anxious to see everyone. It had been three years since we had all been together and we were still missing Ana, Japheth and our sweet Apollo (next time!!)

We drove up with Grandpa Larry and met Tara, Mike, and Ruby at the Field Museum. After a nutritious lunch.....McDonalds (HA!, gotta love vacation food) we looked around a bit before the Poussiers arrived. I have the best memories of Ruby and Lawrence. She  took his hand and showed him around. Such a beautiful , loving young woman she is. Lawrence adored her! and we do too!!

Alexa, Antoine, Jacques, Elisabeth, and sweet baby Nicolas came soon after. We all set out to explore. Again, I watched as the cousins immediately bonded, as if they were together all of the time. The older ones doted on the babies, the babies snuggled up to them, and they giggled, joked, and carried on the whole time. At one point our sweet Nicky was toddling along, showing off his new walking skills, while his siblings, cousins, aunties, uncles, and grandpa cheered him on. Some of my best memories are with my cousins. Im so excited for my boys continue to make more!

We ended the evening with a delicious dinner at Lou Malnatis(sp??) Love, laughter, and some darn good pizza, doesn't get any better than that!! 

......to be continued ;)

Our Christmas 2012

Just like most holidays, Christmas was a month long celebration. After all of the activities and celebrations with friends, we still had more celebrating to go. On Christmas Eve eve, we packed the kids and headed to Winterhaven ( a neighborhood festival in Tucson full of fun lights) We went with our friends, The Rooneys and enjoyed a night full of love, laughs, lights, and all around Christmas cheer. That night Santa came to the Van Ryns. He was so sweet to make a special stop for us, considering we would be traveling on Christmas Day.

The lights of Winterhaven 

Daddy and Lawrence left cookies and milk for Santa and an apple for Rudolph. The next morning was darling as ever as the boys discovered what Santa had brought them under the tree. It was a quiet and sweet morning and we all had a great time. Larry spoiled me after our "no gift" rule....I need to be smarter next year. We spent the day packing and cleaning for our trip and went to Christmas Mass that night.

Christmas Morning

checking his stocking

On Christmas Day we headed to the airport. This day was not  darling  or relaxing,  or charming in any sense. It was long, tiring, obnoxious, ridiculous......blah dee blah dee blah...not worth my blog space to tell again. All in all we were together, we were warm, ad we were safe. Our boys were so good and we had an end destination worth the long, long wait!!

Illinois Bound

When momma and dadda get too tired...good ol' big brother 

waiting.......

more waiting.....

Illinois :) 

So happy to be here!!!

Happy Birthday Jesus Parties

Lawrence and Evan had two back to back Christmas/Birthday parties this week. Lawrence is addicted to anything sweet and is a little more than obsessed with balloons, so he has been on cloud nine and pretty sugared up. Our first party was with our toddler loves for mommy school and our second was with our CCD friends at St. Ritas. his was also our last class after almost three years.... very sad, but we will be back as soon as we can!! Here are some memories...

Each little first grader brought in a non- perishable good as a gift to Jesus for his birthday . We then watched a cute skit and then a short movie. They also made nativity ornaments that I really wish I got a picture of...next time :) I am truly going to miss seeing these babes every Wednesday!!

Faith Formation (or CCD) 

be still my heart!

Mommy School

Our Christmas Tree letter matching game....in underpants before our friends arrived

Gifts for friends and Mommies

  Gina had her preschooler's teacher save milk cartons for us to decorate gingerbread houses. So fun!!  I have to admit, I definitely made 98% of L's house (on the right) while he freakishly tried to eat every thing is sight. He has some serious sweet tooth going on...wonder where he gets it?? ;)

Lawrence and G's gingerbread houses

Cupcakes!

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

yep, that's baby Jesus in his mouth.... we're still learning

 So sad it turned out blurry, but this is trying to show our gift exchange. I have to brag a bit, I was so proud of these little monkeys. They did such a great job giving. So here's how it went:

They each brought two wrapped gifts,  

"One for you, one for me, one for Baby Jesus (a friend in need). " 

We came to the carpet and picked names. Then, they presented the two gifts to their friend. The friend then chose one gift for him/herself and one to give to Baby Jesus. (which was donated to the St Vincent de Paul Society) We anticipated a little confusion and trouble giving, but not at all. Every single one of them gave the gift to their friends and to Baby Jesus so nicely and in return were grateful for the gift they got too.

 Darling darling babies!!!

Never underestimate what our little ones are capable of!!