New Year 2008!

Happy New Year!!!!!

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man."

~Benjamin Franklin

Here we all are getting ready to make our rounds New Years Eve!!

This year, we continued the tradition of ringing in the new year with good friends and good neighbors. We party-hopped through the neighborhood, stopping at 3 different homes before returning to our own!

It was pretty chilly that night, so we were all bundled up...
The last stop was at our neighbor's, the Holbrooks, who share our cul-de-sac with us, and who also have 4 children. The kids shot off fireworks, and we all wore party hats and blew horns to ring in the new year!

This is Lisa Holbrook, probably handing out noise makers and party hats to the kids!

Here are Dan and Alex Holbrook setting off fireworks!

The kids had a great time staying up late and making too much noise! Courtney was definitely in her element!

Our neighbor Hannah Holbrook, holding Avery

Can you hear the noise through this picture??????

YEAH!!!!

Avery looks a little worried... But check out her party garb!

It's midnight! Happy New Year!!!

What a great bunch to ring in a new year with!!! Here I am with all little guys...

Thanks to everyone who invited us to spend time with you and your family this new year's eve!

All of the kids managed to stay awake until 2008, but when we returned home, Ashlyn Belle crashed HARD! She is in the forefront of this picture, crashed out in our bed. Look at her mouth hanging open!!!

May you see God's grace in 2008, and may He bless you with His peace and good health.

Christmas Decorations

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like CHRISTMAS!!!!

Each year, I put out the same decorations for Christmas, and so many of them make me ridiculously happy! I get SOOOO excited to put them around the house!! So this year, I took pictures of them, so I can log on and see them whenever I need a little mid-year boost!

Our family room Christmas tree

This one has all the kids' handcrafted ornaments on it, along with the ones I have had since I was small, AND the ones that have been given to us as gifts (newlywed ornaments, new baby ones, and souvenirs from MeMe and PawPaw's travels).

Our Christmas tree in the office

This one shows from the street, and it has Thomas the Tank Engine and some of his friends circling around the bottom of it!

Stockings!

My mantle is definitely weighted down! Only some of the stockings are on the mantle in this picture, because normally there are 7. Every member of the family, including our black lab Mosby, has their own. Mosby's is in the shape of a bone, and has the picture of him and the kids with Santa from PetSmart on it.

The snowman paratrooper

Mom and Dad found this guy for us when we were first married, and couldn't resist buying it, since Dan was in the Army Airborne. This is definitely one of my favorite Christmas decorations! He sparks a lot of conversation in our house!

Christmas Village

This year, the village lacks a little to be desired! The table that holds my Christmas village is within perfect reach of little Ashlyn Belle's fingers! She is constantly pulling the "snow" off and scattering it throughout the house! But, that just makes her enjoy the decorations that much more, so it's OK. But normally, there is not blue painters tape showing through the village snow! :)

Santa Pictures

Dan's company throws a big Christmas party each year, and they have Santa come visit for pictures, and he gives all the kids a gift. I updated my Christmas pictures each year to include the photos. These are from last year.

The Elf on the Shelf

For those of you who do not have a resident elf, you just might consider yourself lucky! The girl who wrote the book went to UT, so you know it's a good tradition! :)

Our kids named our elf Quimby. He comes to visit us each year on Thanksgiving, and he watches to see if the kids are behaving or not. At night, he flies back to the North Pole to report good (and bad) deeds to Santa Clause. But the problem is, the elfs like to create mischeif around the house at night. When we wake up each morning, the kids have to go find what he has gotten in to, along with where he is hiding.

Some of the things he has done around our house are: turn the kitchen chairs upside-down, hang shoes, socks and underwear from the Christmas tree, toilet paper different rooms of the house, hang himself by the toes from the parachuting snowman, etc.

Quimby left a few days after Christmas to spend the rest of the year with his elf buddies in the North Pole. We'll see him again after Thanksgiving 2008!

http://www.elfontheshelf.com/

Dining Room Setting

I love the Christmas dishes from my Mom and Dad, along with our nutcrackers!

Christmas Plate!

A good friend bought me this plate, and I LOVE IT! I use it constantly for holidays, UT games, birthdays, etc.

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas 2007

A Tender Tennessee Christmas!!!

This year, we had planned to spend Christmas with MeMe and PawPaw at our home in GA, but after a few last minute plan changes, we ended up at their house in TN!

The kids always enjoy being there, and they are spoiled to no end from the moment they crest the door!

...And talk about making yourself at home!!! Check out Court in PawPaw's massaging recliner!!

We did a lot while we were there, including EATING TOO MUCH, a trip to the new dinosaur museum, lots of shopping, LOTS OF EATING, a candlelight service at their church on Christmas Eve, and UGH.... MORE EATING!!! Dad did his famous "low country broil," and ... did I mention we ate??? As always, it was GOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!

Here's PawPaw cooking in their basement kitchen.
Alex is hauling a paper mache Santa around for some unknown reason...
PawPaw shows off the feast!
Alex can hardly contain himself... He knows there are shrimp and crablegs in the pot...
The 3 oldest ones attempting to wait patiently...Look at those faces!!!
I was afraid he might actually pounce on the food.

MeMe and PawPaw allowed the kids to open one present from them for each day they were there, and the kids had a blast with it! One day, the 2 little ones opened talking and singing rocking horses! Check out Ashi all saddled up!

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house...

You could hear Ashi grumping because I was trying to take a cute "night before Christmas picture" of all 4 of my kids tucked into MeMe and PawPaw's bed!!!!!

Christmas Day, Alex read the story of Christ's birth:

Luke 2: 8-14, 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Courtney and Avery led everyone in singing, "Happy Birthday to Jesus."

I am so thankful that they really do grasp that Christmas is about the birth of our Savior, and not simply getting presents!!!!

Here they are opening all their gifts on Christmas Day...

Ashi knew just how to do it!

Thank GOD for car carriers and for my "stow and go" minivan. Otherwise, we would have had to mail a couple of the kids back to GA!!! We still had to leave some of the presents there! Here is a shot of our playroom at home after we got back...

We drove back home Christmas Day, and found that Santa Clause had visited our house, too!

The kids had a great Christmas this year, and we were blessed to spend the season with family and friends. God is good!

Thanks to MeMe and PawPaw for a WONDERFUL time in TN, and for their thoughtful gifts!

Thanks Grandpa Dave and Grandma Sue!

Today, a huge package came in the mail from Grandpa Dave and Grandma Sue, and it was Christmas presents for all the kids. Since we are planning to leave for TN tomorrow night, I let them go ahead and open them. It was like a big party at our house! They always know exactly what all the kids love...

Ashlyn Belle got a little dog that talks on command... She was amazed!

Avery got Cinderella dress up clothes... Her favorite!!!

Courtney got a scrapbooking kit, which is just WEIRD because we had just hauled all of my scrapbooking stuff up to my office so we can start using it again!! It has been in storage, and I was tired of not getting to use it. Courtney is SUCH an artist, she has really enjoyed playing with all of it, and I contemplated getting her a set of her own for Christmas!

Alex got another book in his "Dragonology" collection, which he finds fascinating... obviously! He began reading it immediately!

Avery imediately put the clothes on and ran around singing... "wash the dishes, do the laundry... Cinderelli... POOR CINDERELLI!"

And, true to tradition, the kids enjoyed the packing peanuts and boxes almost as much as the gifts!

For the life of me, I have no idea how all 4 of them fit in this box (although Court looks exhausted... maybe she stuffed everyone in!)! Thanks for the great gifts, Grandpa Dave and Grandma Sue!!

We've Been Elfed!!!

Check out the Vaagen kids as ELVES!!!!
Merry Christmas!!
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1152433189

Granddad's 1965 Pontiac LeMans

Thanksgiving Day
We're Thankful!!!

On Thanksgiving Day, we did a lot of celebrating! We met with a lot of members of our family (on both sides!) in my neighborhood clubhouse, and had a HUGE Thanksgiving lunch! It is always a blast catching up with everyone!

I didn't take many pictures of the meal or the family, because I was chasing the baby around... but I will post other people's pictures later!

One thing I DID take pictures of was when my wonderful Mom and Dad brought Dan a BIG PRESENT.

My Granddad was always one of my favorite people! He bought a 1965 Pontiac LeMans off the showroom floor in 1965, and was the only owner. We still have the original title! When he passed away in 1995, the car was left outside, and experienced some damage and rust. My Father rescued the car, and began restoring it over time. Mom and dad have spent years (literally) revamping this car!

On Thanksgiving day, they brought this car to Dan (who has tinkered with and restored cars since he was in Airborne), and completely surprised us!!! We had no idea it was coming! The look on Dan's face was PRICELESS!!!

Thanks, Mom and Dad!!!