A VERY Merry Christmas!

LONG LONG LONG post...I wont feel bad if you don't read!
Christmas this year was SO fun! Especially for being on our own! All of my friends here kept asking if I was SO sad not to be going home and I kept telling them no I think it will be kinda fun being "grown up" Really wondering to myself if I was making light of a big deal. Twas not so! Nate and Gina came to our house the Saturday before and the days leading to Christmas were laid back and enjoyable. Gina and I decided if we couldn't make Christmas with the fam we would have to make up for it in the food! And boy did we....On Christmas Eve we did home made Cafe Rio...yum yum yum! With some fruit salsa and cinnamon chips. Gina and I insisted on taking pictures before dinner in front of the tree, but Kade would have nothing to do with it so Gina looked like she was holding a limp dog...funny. We got a good one of our fam though! After dinner we opened our "one" gift....PJ's!!! We also had a little dance party with the boys and read the boys the Christmas story. We were also serenaded with Kade's singing along to Its a big big world...SO CUTE! After the boys went to sleep Phil and Nate set up Kade's basketball hoop...and went to town playing. They were a crack up picking spots to shoot from like "your left hip has to touch the couch" and so on! We cracked up! Then we played some girls against guys catch phrase! G and I won! WAHOO! Then we decided to switch it up and play spouses...that was interesting! We were both terrible with our spouses. Christmas Morning we waited and waited for Ko to wake up, Kade just kept saying "Ko Ko leeping" so finally after Kade had been awake for like two hours we woke Koen up. The boys were both so excited for the basketball hoop. And Koen loved his shopping cart. We all had a laugh setting it up with a basketball hoop for Kade and a shopping cart for Koen...slightly girly! haha. The boys couldn't open all their presents in a timely fashion cause they kept getting caught up on the one they had just opened. Gina and I opened most of them. All of the stuff was a big hit though! For Breakfast Gina and I made "Bubble Bread" also knows as cinnamon pull aparts. They were great! We lounged around ALL day in our PJ's, it was perfect! For dinner we made a ham, funeral potatoes, rolls, strawberry pretzel jello, green beans, and individual chocolate graham cracker pies! We also surprised the boys with some sparkling cider in my new goblets, and Nate made a toast. After dinner we were able to talk to the Olsen's on the web cam! That was also great! Some big hit presents....Phil and Nate got electronic tie organizers, I got the apron I've been wanting, with letters to embroider it, Koen LOVED his Leap Frog fridge DJ most(we bought this with his great Nana's money! Thanks Nana!) and he also loved the card my mom sent that opens to "its beginning to look a lot like Christmas" He plays with it everyday and when it is done he says "again" Gina and I loved the vest that Nana sent for the boys! SO us and SO Kade and Koen! And Gina got her long coveted GPS! Overall it was a great Christmas! Loved every minute! We are so grateful for this time of year to celebrate Christs birth and life! What a fun time to gather with friends and family to celebrate one of the most important events! I am so glad to have Nate, Gina and Kade close by. I know that not having any family here would have made it really hard, and having them here for Christmas could not have been better! Thanks guys!

Merry Christmas

The Holidays are here again! We hope they find everyone happy and well! With the year coming to a close we thought we would send out a little update.

Phil- Is still busy as ever with school, and studying hard as finals are approaching.  He is counting down the semesters until the school portion is over (3 more) and he can start his rotations. He is also tossing around the idea of working in the hospital.

Alesha- is just enjoying the mom life and livin it up here in PA! Making lots of fun trips to the beach, Baltimore, and where ever else being a stay at home mom can let her go!

Koen- Is talking up a storm and running all over the place. He is enjoying being Mr busy and Mr social. He loves to climb on EVERYTHING! And gets into everything. He goes a mile a minute, but still loves to stop and take those naps! What a good little boy!

Kids are silly

Kids are so funny. Koen refuses to eat an apple if you cut it up. Yet everytime he sees one he says "apple apple" And when you ask him if he wants it he says "yes" But if you cut it he no longer wants it. So this is how he eats apples. It is cute. I think I need to start buying like some small ones or something, cause he can only eat like 1/3 of it.

Koen really loves yougart. When my friend Laura went to Utah for Christmas she brought us her food that would expire while she was gone. She brought some of those drinkable yougarts, needless to say they have been Ko's favorite since then. I had to go buy more so that he can have one everyday. I punch a whole in the top with a straw and he goes to town. It was cute cause he was sitting in his little chair drinking away watching a show the other day. I just barley missed the drinking part. But here he is with his yougart. Everytime it is gone he comes and finds me and Phil and says "more more"

Congrats Phil!

Phil was just notified last week that he made Rho Chi. Rho Chi is a national honor society for Pharmacy Students. He is in the top 15% of his class, which means he is somewhere in top 19 students out of 130!(after first semester he was #6...let me brag a little) Yah Phil! We are so proud of him and his hard work! He is a great student and a great husband/dad at the same time! Way to go!
We love him! ♥

Mixin it up!

The other day I was making some corn bread, and Koen really wanted to help me mix it up. So I let him and then when I was done I put the mixer away. When I came back in the kitchen this is what I found...I guess he wasnt quite done with the mixer. He carried it around for the rest of the night. He even tried

to take it over to "Annie's", and threw a fit when I wouldn't allow such. I guess I should also mention that he took it to about every plug and plugged it in. YIKES! Too bad plug covers don't really work for our plugs. He loves to plug things in!

Just one more ______

I am always telling Koen either "only one" or "just one more" So now he holds up his finger and says "one one"


This is Koen crying because he could only have toothpaste on his toothbrush one time. He held up his finger and crying said "one one"


Only one dog treat for Koda. He loves giving Koda treats, when he sees them on the fridge he says please until I get them for him, and giving him one is just not enough.

He also holds up his finger when he asks for candy cause he knows I am going to say "only one." He is so funny with all his little things he picks up from us. It is so fun to watch him learn so many new things.

Loungin!

Koen really loves to lounge on my bed and watch a "show". He goes up to my TV and says "show" whipping his hand around like he is signing something. (meaning he wants to watch signing time) I prop him up on some pillows, give him some milk and he is set. He loves it! He also has to have the alarm clock with him cause he likes to push sleep then snooze so the water sounds go on and off. Just incase he gets bored with his show. :)

No Wonder my phone is now broken....

So yesterday I went to use my phone after Koen had been playing with it in the car. When I opened it only the buttons lite up. The screen was black and has been ever since. Too bad. I guess I am back to my 1950 samsung.





Had to put this on, cause Koen's little face is SO cute.

Favorite Toys!

Some of Koen's favorite toys are not quite your traditional "toys." He recently learned how to unsrew things so his new favorite toys are bottles and milk cartons. He also loves brushing his teeth, HIM brushing his teeth. Also other Real toys Ko still loves.

With the beloved gatorade bottle. He loves taking the lid on and off. I swear when people come over they probably think we are so ghetto because we have empty bottles and milk jugs all over. Notice his other "toy" on the floor.

Eating them is fun.

Love love love toothbrushes. I have 4 of them lying around and an electric one for mom to use with me. I come up to mom and pretend I am brushing with a brushing sound when I want to brush.

Carrying my chair around, then sitting/standing in it. Mostly just carrying it though.

And my bike. I love to chase Koda with it, trying to run him over. And sitting on it while I watch TV.

So latley he hasnt been doing very well in nursery during "toy time" Maybe I should try taking his bottles in for "his" toys. Wierd kid. What do I get him for Christmas?

A Christmas Questionnaire

1. Eggnog or Cocoa? I would definitely go with Apple Cider (not a choice, but my first) with a close second being FLAVORED hot chocolate, as in peppermint or mint.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? I think we had a little bit of both growing up. I like the idea of one bigger present from Santa, unwrapped, for Koen. We will have to discuss with Phil. haha

3. Colored lights or white? I am totally white! Except for on the house, I LOVE LOVE LOVE big colored lights that are perfectly straight and the same direction. Gina's parents house is my inspiration! Poor Phil will be up there cursing my name as I am demanding straighter! haha

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Sure don't

5. When do you put decorations up? This has been a big debate at our house, Phil thinks mid November and I am SO STUCK on thanksgiving weekend. We shall see who prevails each year, I dare say me! Ü

6. What holiday food do you most look forward to? Wow...everything! haha Probably my moms English trifle(however you spell that) Which I will be missing this year. May have to try and bust it out myself...yikes!

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?? Hmmm...I don't really know. Probably my whole family sitting around the TV in our old house in Sandy watching Home Alone...when it first came out! haha I was so young, but I loved it!

8. What do you want for Christmas? Random nonsense mostly, cookbooks, Cd's, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE an IPOD but that doesn't really fit the student budget!

9. Do you open one gift on Christmas Eve? Yep, PJ's! Every year gotta get new jams!

10. Snow, love it or hate it? Love it for Christmas, I am always "dreaming of a white Christmas" I really like it from inside looking out but I HATE driving in it. I have anxiety the whole time, and sometime cry. haha, I am actually better since we moved here, I have really had to learn to drive in the snow!

11. What's your favorite holiday tradition? Wow I have so many, which I feel like wont be happening this year, time for our OWN traditions. I love making chocolates. We have done it since I was little and it is always a good time. I love Christmas music too. Strictly Christmas music from Black Friday on.

12. What's on top of your tree? A silver star

13. What was your most memorable Christmas? Is that sad that no one specific one stands out. They are all great!

14. It's just not Christmas unless you watch...? 2 things...Christmas Vacation, but only with my dad around!:( and Home Alone! Love that show! Love Love Love!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Seeing Santa!

Koen and I don't do very well at staying home all day, but since he has had a cold, we decided to stay home yesterday. It seems like on the days we rely on our house to keep us entertained for the day we both go crazy! So today I decided we weren't doing that again. With no where to go and nothing needing to be done Phil suggested going to the mall....without my wallet. So I headed to the mall WITH my wallet. haha! Anyway Koen was so good, and so happy to get out! As we were heading back to where we parked we were walking past the Santa display. Koen kept saying "whoa" to the big gingerbread man on a sled. (He says whoa to anything big and lighted) I asked him if he wanted to see Santa and he said "yep" so I decided to give it a try. Here is his "I am not so sure about this" smirk.

Mama Mama Sink ...Peeese!

Koen's most favorite thing to do is play in the sink. He is so into water! I have said this before but I think he was meant to be a fish. He would take 3 baths a day and play in the sink 5 times if I let him. So, latley he goes over to the chair starts tugging on it and says "mama mama mama" until I reply with "yes Koen" then he says "peese peese peese" and I say "Please what?" Then he says "ya ya ya" Out of those 3 words repeated so many times I am supposed to get that he wants me to take the chair over to the sink to let me him play. So we are working on saying "sink Please" Here are some pics from yesterdays sink fun.


He really loves to dump water into everything, and then line them up along the side of the sink or bath.


Here is a "Im so happy to be playing in the sink" smile! Ü