December 2015

Starting the holiday season off the best way I know how at Jess' Annual Ornament Exchange Party.

Picking out and decorating our Christmas tree.  The kids were decorating machines this year as we decide to put up three trees.

The Lunds hosted their Annual Kids Gift Exchange/Ugly Sweater Party

Fire truck Santa making his way through the neighborhood.

Baking Christmas cookies with our neighbor Kaitlyn.

Celebrating Dad's Birthday!

Annual Christmas Get Together with my favorite people

Holiday Brunch at the Finkel's. Decorating Gingerbread Houses was the highlight.

Gift exchange with Sophie.  Mermaid Tail blankets for all.

Annual Gingerbread House Decorating with Papa.

Spending time with Lennon

Frankie was up to no good this year.

Holidays at the Gardens

Christmas 2015

I’m always so sad to see Christmas go.  We had such a holiday filled month that when Christmas actually gets here it’s over before you even know it.  Christmas eve is always the busier night of the holiday for us.  The kids went up to my parent’s house a night early so Jake and I could get some last minute holiday presents built and wrapped.  They had a blast decorating gingerbread houses and playing with Lennon. 

The next morning Jake and I came up early to assist with the tamale spreading.  This year we had a smaller group of spreaders and it actually made for a smoother process and we ended up doing them in record time.  Madden even joined in. 

 

By the afternoon all the family had arrived. Skylar and Madden were running around with Carmen and Jaylee most of the night.  I think Madden asked me 100x if it was time to open presents throughout the whole morning and into the evening.  Finally by 6:30 PM I couldn’t make the kids wait a second longer.  We put a blue line down and let the present opening begin.  All the kids were totally spoiled opening up gift after gift.  Lennon wasn’t quite as into opening presents as the rest of the kids, he preferred to make the rounds to each kids pile of presents and picking out what he liked.  By the end of it Madden left with two different race tracks and Skylar had a flying Unicorn and a swimming mermaid.

I think the highlight of the night was the white elephant gift exchange.  There were some fun going around.  A lava lamp, gift cards, duck soap on a rope, Bluetooth beanie and the best was my dad’s gift that consisted of Milagro Landscaping shirts and gear along with a stack of scratchers.  Jake ended up with the shirts and scratchers after a couple steals.

It was after 8:00 PM by the time we packed the gifts and kids up to head home.  Once we got home Madden put out his reindeer oats in the front yard that his teachers gave him and Skylar set out the cookies and milk. We put them to bed and Jake and I got to work setting up presents.  This year was a hard year when it came what gifts to give the kids.   Skylar and Madden weren’t giving us many ideas on what they wanted from Santa.  Especially Skylar, it was like pulling teeth for ideas.  Finally about a week and a half before Christmas she mentioned wanting a guitar.  So Santa brought her a guitar and karaoke machine.  Madden was a bit easier, once I found the 2 ½ foot dinosaur that walks, roars and shoots cannonballs I knew he would love it.

That morning we ate cinnamon rolls, which the kids barely ate because they were too excited to play with their new toys.  We headed over to the Rossitto’s house for more present opening for the kids.  Jess’ parents and Eric’s parents who are just the sweetest people both got gifts for Skylar and Madden. 

By mid-morning the present opening wasn’t done as my parents arrived with a car load for the kids and we hadn’t got to the gifts from the NorCal Ernest’s and Funks. There were unicorns, computers, glow in the dark race track (Madden’s 3^rd track this Christmas), Lego sets, superheroes, shoes and clothes.  That evening Aunt Elsa, Jon, Ron and the kids all came down and joined us for Christmas dinner. 

2015 was a great holiday and even a better year for our family!  Looking forward to seeing what 2016 has to bring us all (fingers crossed Madden will enjoy pictures in 2016).

Pino/Ernest Family Photos - 2015

This year my mom asked if the whole family could take some professional photos together.  I told her I was all for it, but warned her how Madden did for our holiday card photos, but she still wanted to take the chance.  Erin came up with the idea of taking them in a christmas tree lot, which turned out to be really cute.  Madden actually turned out to be a the star of the shoot (when he wasn't sticking his tongue out).  Lennon did as well as could be expected.  Getting him to standstill was nearly impossible and half way during the pictures he decided to go number 2, which turned out to be an almost number 4 it was so bad.  All in all, I think we got a good amount of shots and my mom was pleased, which was all the really matter.