Catching Up Part 2/Insta-Friday

Happy Friday before the kids go back to school!

Somebody is excited for school to start again.

And it may not be the kids...

The holidays were crazy fun in these parts.

The best part of this holiday season was having my sister and her husband join us for all of the festivities.

It truly made the entire Christmas experience more authentic to share it with someone so dear to my heart.

In preparation for our holiday company, we cleaned the house like no other.

We should really have holiday company every year so my house gets a good cleaning...at least once a year.

While they were driving across the picturesque state of Kansas, Andy was madly running around finishing last minute shopping...and I was baking cookies...

with my adorable little helper...

After Tami and Joey arrived, we ate an amazing smoked brisket and decorated the said cookies.

This is my all-time fave cookie...

Ab's reindeer...

It just about sums up Ab's personality right there...in a cookie.

A spastic, passionate, happy, colorful girl...

with an appreciation for potty humor.

After dinner and cookie decorating we boarded the "Ploar Express" to enjoy our peppermint hot cocoa and snacks as we looked at Christmas lights.

Love so much about this pic...

I love that AJ adamantly believes that how you wear a Santa hat...

I love that Abby is like "Who is this crazy person next to me on this train?"...

I love that Joey is completely unaware that Brody plotting to steal his snacks...

I love that Tami and Joey were up for all our crazy adventures...

Such a fun tradition. And although not pictured...

I love that Andy drove us around wearing a pink conductor hat the whole time like it was totally normal...

We have nicknames on our group sorella text and Zoe gifted us with these awesome glasses this year...

We put them to good use many nights playing games.

Such dapper gentlemen...and such a funny little girl.

She specifically requested "Beauty" hair like Belle with a bun up top and curls in the back for Christmas Eve...I tried.

Sorellas all dressed up and ready for dinner.

Then we came home and turned the living room into Santa's sweatshop getting ready for a magical Christmas morning.

We blew balloons up till we were light headed and quietly filled the kids' rooms up.

Then we secured the doors...

But next year we are using duct tape...

Because someone removed the bottom strips, army crawled out of her room, and snuck down stairs before we got up...

And was totally busted by Aunt Tami and Uncle Joey...

Although we would have figured it out with one look at her doll...

or Santa would be in for quite the scandal...

Love that girl with my whole heart.

She keeps us on our toes to say the least.

AJ was super excited with every gift.

Such a sweet boy.

And Brody hasn't gotten out of his Coupe...

The partied on at Nana and Papa's the rest of the day.

Then went skating the next day.

AJ wants to be a speed skater.

Brody is fearless and just gets out there on his own and skates.

Abby is terrifying on wheels.

Andy and I put this puzzle together...

which doesn't look like much

but that damn thing took 4 hours and is harder than it looks.

The completion is blog worthy.

This little guy loves hats.

And posing for pics.

I started a little project this week...

And finished that little project this week.

#jayhawknursery

This dapper fellow was ready for a New Years Eve par-tay...

And par-tay it up we did!

Twice baked potatoes, steak, lobster tails, crab cakes, shrimp, champagne, peppermint fudge, and good friends. Awesome way to ring in the new year!

Whoop! Whoop!

Stay tuned for my 2014 word of the year!

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