New Year's with the Langes

We had some great New Year's Eve plans this year - spending them with the Langes.  We went up to Rochester and stayed at their house for the night.  The kids always have a blast together and so do the adults, so we knew we would have a great night.  As seems to be the theme lately, we didn't take nearly enough pictures, but here are a few from the kids' New Year's countdown (at 8:30!) before they went to bed.

Jaime found some old poppers that she had for years.  She couldn't remember how old they were or when she bought them, so we had no clue if they would even work.  We gave them to Bridgette and Cameron, saying that the poppers were only for kids who were at least five. Abby and Leah had no problem with that and were content to watch the big kids set off the poppers.

Jeff giving last minute direction on how to use the poppers.

We counted down from 10 and POP - they worked!

Cameron's popper

They all went running and spent the next 15 minutes playing in the streamers and confetti that came out of the poppers.  Jaime made the excellent call of doing the poppers in the tile hallway, which made cleaning up quite a bit easier.

They had a blast playing in it.

Another countdown from 10... and Happy New Year!

After the kids went to bed, the adults stayed up and played games until well after midnight.  We had a great night with great friends.

2012 was an amazing year for the Walker Family and we can't wait to see what 2013 brings us!

Shoveling off the Rink

We built an ice rink in the backyard again this year.  It has been cold enough this year for the rink to freeze by just after Christmas, but there has also been enough snow that we haven't been able to skate.  Over Christmas it just kept snowing and it got to the point where there was so much snow piled on top of the rink, we could barely see the boards around the edge.  Tim decided to go out there, while it was snowing, and clear off the rink.

About one-third of the rink cleared

See how it was just a couple of inches below the top of the boards?  That is why Tim was out there doing the thankless task of shoveling snow while the snow was falling!

Still a loooooong way to go!

Tim taking a break to come over and say hi.  Maybe he was asking for someone to come help him, but we just smiled and waved from indoors.

Family Picture!!

The promised family picture in front of the Christmas tree!

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's and Lunch with the Herdegs

On Christmas morning, we took our time relaxing in the morning.  Around noon we stopped over at Grandma and Grandpa's for a few minutes, then went over to Uncle Jim and Aunt Jill's to celebrate with lots of the extended Kinsella family.  It was wonderful chaos, as always.  The kids had lots of fun together and all of the "older" cousins were so good with Cam and Leah.  It is funny for me to write older in reference to all of the kiddos that were always the younger cousins to me, but for Cam and Leah they are the big kids to look up to!  The adults had fun together too, mainly centering our chatting and hanging out down in the pub and around the food in the kitchen.  The perfect places to spend time!

Yep, this is one crowded room

Cutie Leah

Grandma's turn to open a gift.  The room doesn't look quite as crazy and full from this angle!

Cam and Leah, decked out in Christmas hats and Bruins jerseys, opening a gift

That is a lot of people on the couch!  Aunt Jen, Maggie, Joe, Matt, Patrick, Tim and Cameron

Leah loved this little chair that was just her size

It was the same thing at this Christmas - not many pictures were taken, but that doesn't have anything to say about how much fun we had!!

On the 26th, we drove back home to Syracuse.  The Herdegs were driving up from Massachusetts and stopped at Mom's house on their way to Rochester.  We all had lunch together and hung out for a couple of hours.

Cousins, all grown up - Kristin, Paul, Matt, Brian, Nick and Ali

Add in some spouses and kiddos.

And of course, the required goofy picture!!

We are so lucky and blessed to have so much amazing family and so many wonderful times in our lives.  Merry Christmas!!

Christmas at Omi and Opa's

After opening gifts at our house on Christmas Eve morning, we drove to Rochester to stay for a few days.  We went to church and then went back to Omi and Opa's for dinner and opening presents.

Here is Amanda showing off her awesome Jamaica scrapbook to Jason, Leah, Cameron and Nick

Leah played Santa, helping everyone hand out their gifts.

Amanda's turn

Lots of people piled into the family room - it was crowded but we always have fun!

Very serious Leah - her job handing out gifts was important!

Paul, Mom, Leah, Ang, Michael and Ben

Cameron wrestling with Uncle Randy

We didn't take a ton of pictures - none at all in the living room - but that is mainly because we were having so much fun, laughing so much and eating so many cookies!

Christmas at Our House

We celebrated Christmas morning at our house on Christmas Eve morning.  Luckily, once again Santa was very accommodating and agreed to deliver our gifts one morning early.  I don't actually think the kids knew what day it was - they were just excited to have presents to open in the morning.

Our tree on Christmas morning

The other side of the Christmas tree

Cam and Leah waiting on the steps for Daddy to go down and turn on the Christmas lights and get the camera ready.  They were so sweet and excited!

Pretty excited to see what Santa left them!

They started out by digging into their stockings

In their stockings, both kids got stickers, shovels, chocolates, KinderSurprise eggs,  tattoos and some other fun little things.  They both really liked everything that they got in there.

One of their favorite gifts - a balloon animal kit, complete with balloons, a pump and a book to tell you how to make the balloon animals.

The kids took turns wearing the Mickey santa hat

One of their favorite gifts from Mama and Daddy were Bruins jerseys.  Here is Leah modeling hers.

Opening a gift with Mama

Leah's gift from Cameron - a Disney fairy set.  She loved it!

The aftermath of Christmas on our family room.   It was quite a mess!

We did a really bad job taking pictures during our Christmas this year!  We normally take one with each of us and our gift pile, or at least a family picture.  We ended up taking a family picture a few days later - I'll post that another time.

Leah's big present was a bike (a Strider - no pedals).  She also got some princess stuff, DVDs, a Wii game, books, her own Tag reader, some Trios and other fun stuff.  Cameron's big gift was a huge Lego city set.  Leah got him a really neat remote control race car that drives on the wall. He also got some books, DVDs, HexBugs, other small lego sets, games, Transformers and other toys. 

My big gift from was a beautiful file cabinet that Tim built.  It looks like a nice piece of furniture but inside it has lots of file cabinet space.  It is really perfect, exactly what we needed.  And it makes it so much more special because Tim made it himself.  He was quite the craftsman this year, also making me a little pouch that holds crayons to put in my purse - before that I was always using a plastic bag that would rip!  Tim's gifts were a hand truck, tall step stool, some clothes, scotch, a game, some DVDs and other things.

We had a special breakfast of cinnamon buns, eggs and fruit - all some of the kids favorites.  We spent the morning playing with Christmas gifts and then drove up to Rochester for our next Christmas!

Christmas at the Kinsellas

On Saturday afternoon, we started the first of our many Christmas celebrations.  This one was with Nana and Poppa, Paul and Ang, and Matt and Gina.  We went over to Mom and Dad's house in mid afternoon and the eating began!  Usually we do an appetizer dinner but this year we decided to try the grazing concept.  We made and cooked food and just ate a bit here or there as the afternoon and evening went on.

The Christmas tree with lots of gifts underneath

One of our fancier apps, courtesy of Ang

Cameron playing on the treadmill

Leah's turn

One of Cameron's favorite things to do - wrestle with his uncles!

Making more appetizers

Eating more appetizers

 Time to start opening gifts.  Stockings are first (and only for the little kids).

Happy elf

Excited about his glowstick sword

Leah in a very cool chair from Uncle Matt and Aunt Gina

Cam tearing into one of his gifts

Leah was very excited about the book that Poppa got

Leah and Poppa reading all about Guadalcanal

Uncle Paul and Aunt Ang got Leah a princess bathing suit.  She wanted to put it on immediately and wore it the rest of the night.

Cam doing more wrestling with his uncles

A swimsuit-clad Leah opening up one of her gifts

And working out

One of Cam's gifts from Nana and Poppa was this really cool straw kit - it came in a bunch of pieces and you can build whatever kind of cool straw contraption you can think of.  Cam came up with this one and then tried to drink up the blue and yellow colored water.

It was pretty tricky but he did it. And turned the yellow water green!

Playing with Leah's princesses

Whoever threw this gift at Cam must have known what was in there!

Cameron was very happy and excited to get a Bruins pillow pet (to go with his Red Sox and Patriots pillow pets)

Poppa working hard on a puzzle

Leah with the finished product

 Leah eating for the fifth time that night

Leah was dancing in the family room with her princesses, so Uncle Paul decided to join her.

They are such pretty princess dancers!

Family picture!

A wonderful way to start our weeks of Christmases!