Christmas 2010

We started our Christmas celebration the Saturday before Christmas with my family.

It was fun watching the kids rip open their gifts from Granddaddy and Mimi. I didn't think they would ever get through their pile...the gifts just kept coming!

It's always a lot of fun to get all the cousins together.

There are now nine total with our recent addition...

Miss Mary Claire

We were so glad she was able to join us for Christmas this year. It was just amazing how TINY she is!!

She was just 6lb 11oz at our Christmas celebration and has now gained another pound and a half. She is so sweet and was the perfect, sleepy baby the entire day. She got passed around a LOT!

After we ate and the gifts were all opened, the kids started to work on their traditional ginger bread house. I thought it was the perfect time to share our little secret...

Izzy was so excited she couldn't hold it in!!

The boys weren't too concerned about baby news...there was candy to be eaten!!

And eat they did!

We had a nice, restful afternoon. The big kids played outside in the pretty weather and the babies napped. Perfection.

Our growing family...oh what a handful they will be next Christmas!!

We enjoyed our second Christmas in NWA with Billy's family. We went up a few days early so he could tend to some business matters and Raegen and Lynden LOVED the extra time with their cousins.
The morning we left...

{he LOVES his Florida gator!!}

One thing we have learned since traveling with children, stops are necessary!! We chose to stretch our legs at Stoby's in Russellville so Raegen could enjoy the suspended model train in the restaurant. We dined in a real train car for lunch...a first for us! We are usually seated in the main eating area.

When we arrived in town it took Raegen no time to completely take over cousin Brody's new Christmas toy, a Ford F-150 PowerWheels. The weather was too perfect to not be outside and with the coming colder temps his parents just couldn't resist letting him play with it early...too bad Raegen showed up and took over!! :)

So now I am on the hunt for a gently used PowerWheels. I think it would make the perfect birthday gift for Raegen. I've been scouring Craigslist, but no luck yet.

We partied in the Bader barn...the only place large enough to house us all!!

Sean and Raegen helped Nana with her dressing...

And even Nana played a game or two of pool.

We had a delicious Cajun turkey...

{Robby did a great job of carving!}

And the kids enjoyed just being together. I love this picture of Gracie just before her mommy "rescued" her... hahaha

These kids are picture perfect...

Nana and all her grandbabies...nine and counting...

{look at Lynden's face...he was in LOVE with that wagon!}

Before we opened gifts Billy read the Christmas story...

It was a great time to reflect and remember what Christmas is truly all about.

The cousins all exchanged gifts with each other and Pawpaw and Nana also got each of them something. This is Lynden's gift from Pawpaw and Nana...he loves it!

I don't know why the Lord is so good to us, but we are blessed beyond measure. We are so thankful for our wonderful family.

We were very excited to share our baby news with Billy's family, but I think we were more excited to see if there was any other baby news. Confused? We had been praying for Billy's cousin Amber and her husband, Marc to have another baby. We know this is something they've been ready for and I had a feeling they just might have some news to share. Well, they did! While we were eating lunch Amber showed us their new "family picture", a.k.a. the ultrasound!! What an answered prayer!

Of course we were all very excited. After lunch the kids opened their gifts and then the adults had a little "dirty Santa" game. So while they were engaged in that, I changed the boy's into their "Big Brother" shirts to announce our news.
These are our babies side by side.

Baby Stain is on the left @ 10w 5days and Baby Ibarra is on the right @ 9w 0days.

We were all amazed at what a difference almost two weeks makes on the US. I used the US picture that was not zoomed in to compare the two. The one that was zoomed in as much as Amber's made my baby look like Godzilla!! :)
That makes THREE {April due in April, me due in June, Amber due in July} babies we will add to the Bader-Stain clan before next Christmas! There's still time for more!! haha

We finished the day with more games and Billy's dad was even able to join us. We had a great time, but we always do when we get together.

We enjoyed our Christmas together at home.

This is Lynden's first ornament. It is a "baby ABC block" and has a place for a picture on the side. Raegen chose a Lionel train this year, but I don't think I got a picture.

Lynden also got a stocking {or sock as Raegen refers to them}. We will be adding another next year!!

Lynden was in such a good mood Christmas morning...

{despite the cut/bump he got on his noggin the day before}

until I wanted a picture of him and brother in front of the tree!!

He hadn't had enough mommy/daddy time just yet and wasn't ready for the separation!!

It was SO.MUCH.FUN!! watching Raegen open gifts this year. It was so sweet to see his eyes light up.

Each of the boys got three gifts. One of the three was hand picked by daddy. Lynden received a car, train, and plane because Billy said he didn't know if he would like cars, trains, or planes! :)

And Raegen got an RC car!!!

We wrapped it up without the box so when he started unwrapping Billy started driving it. It scared him at first, but when he saw what it was he was thrilled!!!
He was also thrilled about his Razorback jersey and "fancy" {as he calls them} new Nike shoes he received. He wore the jersey for three days straight!

Lynden also received a wagon. I was so thrilled to see him get so excited when he was put in one when we were in NWA. I knew then it was a great choice!

I'm just thinking ahead to next summer with new baby...what better way to get around the yard!

Raegen got a train table and he LOVES it!

{check out Lynden in the background!! ;)}

Can you tell?!

Billy and I weren't suppose to exchange gifts, but I got him a little something for his stocking...

the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie on DVD. :)

And I was SHOCKED!!!! when he handed me my stocking that had a gift in it! It's a Pandora bracelet! I still don't know how he even knows about those things. ha I've never mentioned it and he's not exactly savvy on jewelry {or so I thought...}. :)

I LOVE it!! And he's excited that he's got the next 30 years worth of gifts all figured out...a charm for this, a charm for that, etc. hahaha

Lynden's last gift was a Toy Story Woody doll. Raegen has one and I just think it is too precious.

Look at his expression!!!
So did he!

I went ahead and wrote his name on the boot just like I did for Raegen's doll.

And then I got out the "tough as nails" glue to repair Raegen's Woody bc he had a splitting headache!

These are all the cards we received from family and friends. Thank you all so much, I love going to the mailbox and pulling out a big stack of cards. The notes inside are always so sweet to read and I love seeing the pictures. My genius friend Jenn came up with the idea to use magnets to stick them on her metal door a few years ago.

So of course I had to copy her! Soooo easy! I've already packed them safely away in a scrapbook. It's always fun to look back at the cards others have sent and see how their family has grown over the years.

My parents joined us for Christmas day and it was such a nice, relaxing day. The kids got to nap in their own beds and we still got to visit with family.

What a wonderful life.