Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Christmas Has Finally Come and Gone

To begin, I'm going to post some pictures that I really wanted to post in my last blog but I had to wait until after Christmas because they were used in a present we gave to MeMaw and Paw-Paw of their grandchildren:
All the Burdick grandchildren (Ansleigh, Josie, Caden, Jolie, & Joel)


The Burdick Girls- Josie, Ansleigh & Jolie

The firstborns- Josie & Caden


The Burdick Boys- Caden & Joel



Okay, now I can pick up with our week. Monday after work & school we were going to go to see Santa at Bass Pro Shops. We had lots of coupons to eat at the restaurant there at BPS, so we thought we would eat first and then see Santa. Well, you remember the stomach bug we thought Jolie was over, well she wasn't. Although she had gone all day Sunday and all day Monday at school without being sick, shortly after sitting down at the table she got sick all over the table. So we got her cleaned up and she got a new shirt from BPS and then Joe dropped Jolie and I off at Pri-Med. It was about 7:30 p.m. when we got there and we got out at 10:00 p.m. It was only that a stomach bug, not the flu or strep, thank goodness. Sheila came and picked us up and we dropped off her medicine at Walgreens. They told us her prescription would not be ready until 11:30 p.m. So we went and hung out at I-Hop until the prescription was ready. It was midnight before we got home. My dad stayed home with Jolie the next day because we were told to keep her out the next day. Thank God we have such an amazing family. Tuesday Joe and I had a Christmas party with some friends from church. Daddy and Other Mama stayed at home with all three kids. We were so grateful because we really needed that night out. Wednesday night the girls spent the night with Quint and Sheila so that Joe and I could get some wrapping done. All three kids were already supposed to stay with Sheila on Thursday because their school/daycare were closed and I had to work half a day, so Sheila, being a great aunt and sister-in-law, offered for the girls to spend the night. Of course I took her up on it. Joe and I got a good bit done that night. The next morning I dropped Joel off with the rest of the gang.
Joel sleeping at Aunt Sheila's (the outfit he is wearing, the woman who keeps him during the day Ms. Debbie, made it for him for Christmas, isn't it adorable):



The girls told Sheila that morning that they wanted ponytails (later that morning Sheila's sister Stacey came over and french braided their hair, we didn't get a picture, but the girls were so excited about it and were so mad at me that night when I took their hair down):

Isn't growing up with cousins great:


That evening we had our Christmas with Chris, Crystal, Elias & Annaleigh. We had homemade soup, exchanged gifts and attempted to make homemade candycanes. We didn't do something just right and came up with this very yummy, gooing, sticky concoction:


Friday we were up and at them bright and early to meet Quint & Sheila to head down to Greenville to have Christmas with Becca, Angie, MeMaw and Paw-Paw. We met at the clubhouse at Joe's work where we ate breakfast and exchanged gifts:



Then Joe took us on a tour of one of the four courses there at the golf course:

Aunt Becca & Polar Bear Joel:

Aunt Angie, Aunt Becca, Josie, Joel, Ansleigh & Caden (not sure where Jolie was):



We had a great day and it was a lot of fun. We got home just in time to clean up and head to church for the Christmas Eve candle light service at church. Christmas isn't Christmas to me without that service. That night when we got home the snow angle that watches the girls to make sure they are behaving had left them and Joel a present (all lined up as Josie would tell you)-- Christmas PJs. We made cookies for Santa, put out the reindeer food, and got the kids to bed. It was a late late night for Santa and Ms. Claus. I wonder why Ms. Claus doesn't have a name??? Anyway, the next morning the kids woke up to find Other Mama and Pap-Paw at their house as well as all these toys:


The girls got bikes and Joel got a ride on dinosaur, the girls also had pillow pets, makeup, books, snuggies, dresses, socks, hairbows, barbies, walkie-talkies, Baby Alives, bottles and other accessories for their bottles, and a ton of other stuff. Joel got his first tool bench, diapers, formula, soap, lotion, some books, toys, an outfit, and a ton of other stuff. Then they opened up their gifts from us, and then their gifts from Aunt Lisa, then their gifts from Aunt Elisa and Uncle Tim, then their gifts from Other Mama and Pap-paw, and then I finally got them to eat some breakfast. A little later Quint, Sheila, Caden, and Ansleigh stopped by so that the kids could exchange their gifts, and then we all headed to the Burdicks for lunch. We ate and then exhchanged gifts with MeMaw, Paw-Paw, Aunt Holly, Uncle Lynn, and Gigi. Later that afternoon we headed to Aunt Pams to do Christmas with the Andersons which included Ben, Tiffany, Tanner, their foster sons, Aunt Pam, Uncle Mike, Nanny, Kevin, Ami, Shelby, Sydney, Other Mama and Pap-Paw. An extra bonus to the day-- it snowed. It snowed on Christmas. We got home around 6:00 or 7:00 We got the girls bathed and then they passed out with Joe, Joel, and I shortly behind them. The next morning (Sunday) we decided it was best for us all to stay home and rest. So we rested. We didn't even get out of our PJs except to move some furniture around. We got Quint & Sheila's couch and love seat so Joe and Quint got that moved around. My living room is slowly getting put back together. The girls are out again this Thursday and Friday and Joel is only out on Friday. My dad will keep the girls Thursday and then I will be off with all three on Friday. Joe works this weekend, so no New Years plans for us.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I can not thank our family enough for all the ways they helped out over the Christmas season. We are so blessed to have such a loving and involved family. My heart overflows everytime I think about how blessed we are to be raising our children in such a family. To top it off one of the greatest Christmas presents I got came this morning from Jolie's teacher. I was dropping off the girls at school and I had taken their back packs and jackets to their classrooms and when I walked back Ms. Pat told me what a good mother I was. There are so many days when I question decisions Joe and I, or wonder what we have done that they don't behave, or I regret how I have reacted to a situation so to hear someone say that really is so reassuring. Again, my cup runneth over and I know how blessed I am.

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year.
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