The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

...has now come and gone and I'm stuck with cold, boring, depressing, did I say COLD, January (well...February now)!  I am thankful that January is not as fun filled as December was because now I can have a chance to look back at all the fun we had!

Every year the Madison Elementary Jammin' Bear's Choir sings at the Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. However, this year was slightly different for us because it was Logan singing this time. I would say that you might be seeing pictures of this event for quite some time (or until Zakk is out of Elementary School) but I just can't guarantee that. The choir is an "extra" activity for the kiddos and they have to get up to school by 7:45 to practice once a week and every day before a concert. I can't guarantee that Zakk will want to and I'm not sure that I will force him. I will let him if he wants to of course and I will be sad if he doesn't want to but I'm not sure I'll be sad about getting everyone out the door and to school by 7:45...no I will be sad...I'm so torn!

Every year we listen to the kids sing, the mayor gives a mandatory boring but nice speech, we light up the lights and watch the fireworks.  This year our new mayor worked Jesus into his speech which was a nice surprise because, that is truly why we celebrate this time of year!

This year we were a little lazy on the homemade gifts. We did manage to make these cups for the girl's Girl Scout Leaders...

 And Zakk and mommy made some lego earrings...

Zakk was super surprised when mommy took him to work at the West Bottoms First Fridays and Santa was there! This was his chance, he had the big man all to himself, he could tell him exactly what he wanted for Christmas...and he was speechless but very happy!  I think he did manage to spit out "legos" as the big man was walking away!

Our little Christmas Story boy...without the glasses!

Now that Tyler and Logan are playing hockey, they wanted to go ice skating at crown center this year and Tyler talked her entire Girl Scout Troop to come with us. So we made it a girl scout event and even a few girls from Logan's troop came to! It was sooo cold and Tyler's leader, Karla, bought all the kiddos hot chocolate after we were finished.

Logan's girl scout troop had some fun themselves this month. Aside from end of the year parties and cookie exchanges, they had time to write a funny little story about a monkey and his mustache...

I have to say this funny thing about Logan...for some crazy reason, she is obsessed with the name Bob. I have no idea where this obsession comes from but the other day she told me that she is going to name her first kid Bob? I'll have to remind her this if it's a girl!

Logan made this countdown to Christmas chalk sign in 3rd grade (last year) and it was Logan's job to make sure that it was updated but Zakk quickly took over the job. I think it was because he was so super excited for Christmas this year...so much that he was counting down the sleeps til Christmas (everyday)!

Our crazy elf made several visits to our house this year. Zakk was especially excited that Spark wrapped our toilet and that he found himself inside his stocking.  But the Grand Finale was when daddy brought home a boy-friend for Spark on Christmas Eve and we named him Sam. They both made their way back to the North Pole but I'm sure they'll be back next year. 

Another special thing about December is that I get to share my birthday with my niece, Sidney! We don't actually have the same birthday but we do get to celebrate together! This year we saw Sidney participate in her gymnastics recital and then we had lunch at Golden Coral...YUM!  All I have to say is chocolate fountain and cotton candy! I don't really like eating cotton candy (maybe a couple bites) but that giant pink fluffy cloud of sugar makes me happy just looking at it!

Nothing says Christmas like a Christmas Program and we had 4 of them this year!  However, Logan's was cancelled due to our snow/ice storm (or what Kansas calls a snow/ice storm) and then we were sick and missed King of Kings (our church) Christmas play.  There was still Zakk's Christmas Program which was the cutest thing ever. They all dressed up in their Christmas PJ's and sang songs. Logan and Tyler were in the front row but there were so many people there that me, dad and the grandma's and grandpa's had to sit at the back.  Good thing that our church isn't to big so we could still see the cutie pies.

The entire month of December, Zakk would sing all his songs at home and if he heard them on the radio, (because we have the Christmas song station tuned in from Thanksgiving up until Christmas day) he sang his little heart out!  I think his favorite was Silent Night because that is the one I caught him singing the most...and Santa Claus is coming to town!

 

Tyler decided not to join choir this year but it just so happened that her vocal class (which is an elective that she only takes for one quarter) fell over Christmas. So we did get to enjoy Tyler's program and her fun Christmas songs.

One of  the awesome things about Christmas programs here (besides my adorable kids) are that they are short and sweet. I appreciate that and I'm not sure why, maybe because I remember my choir concerts in high school and they seemed to drag on forever...maybe that's what's in my future. Only time will tell!


Despite all the Christmas plays and activities, I was afraid that I wouldn't truly get into the Christmas spirit without snow. And then it happened...a couple days before Christmas. It wasn't much but we did get out in it for a bit and we took advantage of the dirt piles with a little snow sledding.

Christmas could NOT come soon enough for Zakk and it was finally here.  He counted down every single day...5 more sleeps til Christmas, 4 more sleeps til Christmas, 3 more sleeps til Christmas, 2 more...you get the idea! I wish I could write down the excitement in his voice every time he said it but I wouldn't be able to describe it justly.

Each Christmas Eve, the kids get to open 1 present and I make sure it's pj's for them to wear on Christmas day but this year, instead of the girls wearing their new pj's, they wanted to wear the ones they received last year because they matched their American Girl Dolls. I'll have to remember that next year! Zakk is wearing his new ones though.

This was the present that Zakk was waiting for all winter long. Mainly because he has every other Super Heroes Lego that Lego has ever made. To add some excitement (not that my kids needed to be more excited), I always wrap a few presents and put them under the tree before Christmas. This was one of them. One day, Zakk came up to me and said, "mommy, i so excited, i have the black widow airplane." I'm like, I know you want that, maybe Santa will bring it...and then I always add, "if you're a good boy."  So he walks over to the Christmas tree and brings me the present and says, "but mom...i ready have it." I'm a little shocked because he wasn't there when I bought it and didn't see me wrap it. He did see it in the store so I'm guessing that he guessed by the size of the box???  Can't pull anything over on any of my kids anymore. I guess I'm going to have to get more creative in the future!

This giant present was for all the kiddos and their daddy...a hockey bag big enough to hold all of their hockey gear! Fun and extremely useful...the best kind of present...is it a sign of old age that I get excited about extremely useful presents?

 Tyler bought Zakk these Iron Man pj's and slippers from the Disney store. She thought he would LOVE them and she was right, he did LOVE them! And the girls both got volleyballs since we're back into volleyball now a days. And look in the background, that's daddy holding up the new hockey bag. Yes, it's big enough to fit Zakk and probably Logan at the same time!

After we opened our presents at home and made ourselves presentable, we traveled to Platte City to celebrate with my parents.

Mom made the BEST German dinner ever...just like Oma used to. Spaezle, mashed potatoes, brisket, german potatoe salad, red cabbage...my mouth is watering right now.  Nobody cooks like my mom and oma. I actually received my very first spaezle maker this Christmas and I'm sure it will take years of practice to get it right.  Maybe one day I'll be able to cook like them but until then, I'll savor every meal she makes!

 And after the presents were all unwrapped...we had a wrapping paper party!

 And we had fun with Marcus' new stocking hat...

One of Zakk's special present requests was Hungry Hungry Hippo...apparently, it's an oldie but a goodie!

Grandma and grandpa's pond dam makes the perfect sledding hill. By the time I got out there, Zakk wiped out so he's not in any of the pictures but he was sledding until he took the nose dive!

The following weekend we celebrated Christmas with Kevin's side of the family in Alma.

By request we bought the new Fur Real Friends puppy for Annie this Christmas. It was one of the first presents that we bought so in an effort to stay on top of my Christmas wrapping, I wrapped it up and stuck it under the tree. You would not believe it, but that puppy barked every time we turned the lights on and off. I guess he didn't want me to forget about him like I did with one of Izzy's presents. I still don't know what I did with that Monster High Blanket? I'm sure it'll turn up sometime!

Playing with all their presents. It's amazing we made it home with all those little lego pieces.

One of the girls favorite things to do...Christmas Caroles! I think Uncle Dave and Matt wanted to join in but the girls wouldn't share their books.

The very next day we had our second Christmas in Alma and celebrated with the Ringel side and it also just so happened to be Izzy's Birthday (and Grandma Chris' in Platte City) so Grandma Trish and I woke up early to make her some Monster High cupcakes!

The Gang's all here...sadie, izzy, tyler, zakk, shelby, trey, emily, trent, ty, annie and logan (looks like we're missing bailey)

Santa always makes a personal visit to the Ringel house every year. We're so special! Do you like Zakk's shirt. This is what happens when you let dad dress the kids. He puts him in his Freddy Krueger shirt!

Another year of a million smiles and a handful of tears. Learning as we go and where we'll end up, nobody knows. But we're having lots of fun on the way! Merry Christmas!