What an amazing Christmas!

What an amazing Christmas we had as a family of 4. We spent it right here at home this year and enjoyed every minute of time we got to spend as a family. Christmas eve started out with a bang! We were up and at em' early that morning. Gage helped me make breakfast and then, it was time to fix the big Christmas dinner. We decided to do it Christmas eve instead of Christmas day, so we could spend time with the kids putting together and playing with all their new toys. On the menu: Ham, mashed potatoes, carrots, green beans, and rolls. For dessert, Gage and Daddy made Jesus' birthday cake. After lunch it was nap time for kids, clean up time for Mommy and Daddy. Quick cleaning of the kitchen, and then off to get ready for Church. It wasn't till 4, but we left about 3:15, to ensure we got good seats. We let Gage stay in "big church" with us for the singing, and he was mesmerized. It was so amazing to see him clapping and singing along to the songs. And he was quite enamored with the drums! After church, we headed home for a quick "left overs" bite to eat, then we were on the mission to make reindeer food. Gage and Daddy put it on the lawn while Stella and I watched. Gage is very much into "I will do it myself," so we couldn't do much of anything but watch ;) Quick baths for the kids were in order, then into their Christmas pjs, before opening 1 present and putting out cookies for Santa. Surprisingly, Gage went right to bed without a fuss, which is a task these days.
Apparently the kids were on the nice list this year, because there were tons of presents around this house. Christmas morning started about 7, when Stella woke up and her brother just a few minutes behind her. We SLOWLY opened Santa gifts, because Gage will accept NO help and wants to open every package/present/box/bow himself. By 9 we had gotten through Santa gifts and a few gifts from Grandparents, when it was time for Stella's morning nap. While she was sleeping, we let Gage open a few more, then we put everything together or out of packaging and let him play till she awoke.
After a quick hour nap from sister that ended with a diaper malfunction, crib sheet changing, and bath for Stella, we were back at present unwrapping. We seriously didn't stop till about 12 when we realized maybe we should stop and eat something, which was almost impossible for Gage to do. Short afternoon naps for the kids followed, then we played/put together all toys that they got. It looked like Toys R Us in our house. But on this one day a year, I wouldn't have it any other way. Experiencing Christmas through the eyes of children, is absolutely the best most rewarding way to experience it. God is so good and we are so thankful for everything he has blessed us with in 2011. Can't wait to see what he has in store for us for next year.
I will leave you with a few pics of our special weekend.

(Christmas Eve, Eve!)

Christmas Eve




Christmas Morning:

Long time...no blog!

Well I decided after seven long months off of blogging, I would get back into it again. Life in the Hansberger household is as busy as ever. We have settled into our new house nicely, and are loving the added space, as well as the huge yard. We have been in here for seven months now, which just doesn't seem possible.
Updates on the kids:
Gage is turning three at the end of the month, and is every bit, a three year old. Everything these days is "I'll do it myself" or NO (which I think is his favorite.) He is a sweet boy but definitely pushes the limits sometimes. I miss my cuddly momma's boy, but hope to have him back someday. :) He can't wait for Christmas. We count down every morning, by moving the candy cane in our Christmas calendar. We also have an Elf on a Shelf, name Jack, which he enjoys hunting for every morning. We celebrated his birthday this passed weekend, since his actual birthday is the 29th and so close to Christmas. We had a trains, planes, and automobiles party, which turned out to be a big hit. (I will include a few pics at the end.)
Oh, and Miss Stella, she is 10 months now and just as high maintenance as ever. She is getting around great, and I think in the next few weeks here, we will see her start to take her first steps on her own. She LOVES to be held however, and as long as she is doing that, she is happy as a clam. If I put her down or walk out of the room for just a second, she screams. Needless to say, there is lot of screaming in our house throughout the day, because I can't hold her all the time. She will get over it at some point however!! She eats pretty much all "people food" now and pulls the spoon out of your hand if you try to feed her baby food. She will take the baby food in the pouch, if she can do it herself. Some of her favorite foods are blueberries, bananas, strawberries, mac n cheese, and cheese. She is an eater, and there are days where she out eats her brother. I wonder where it all goes because she is still so tiny. Well not tiny, but much small than what her brother was. At her nine month check up she was 18 pounds and in the 50%.
All in all the Hansbergers are doing great. Gearing up for the holidays and getting ready for the cold Oklahoma winters.