Winter Break

...Winter Break...

...so in an effort to include all the right photos of Christmas...this post is later and a bit out of order...and still not including quite all of the right photos...but I don't want to delay any further...while almost all of the Christmas is down...the smell of pine is a distant memory and the dreams of Santa are rarely discussed...but it's still only January 15th...so I can still vividly remember these moments captured on film...

...like the gingerbread house that the kids begged to build from the moment I bought it...I think it was a week....but they must have asked 7-12 times per day for that week...until one Saturday morning at 7:45am I broke down and agreed....and to me, this is what life is all about, not actually building that gingerbread house...nope, that wasn't that fun at all....who knew they fall down until that icing sets....and keep falling down...unless you hold it without even a deep breath until it sets....but life is about how much fun they had....how excited they got as they sat down to work on it...how excited they were to know we would have our berry own gingewbwead houwse!...

...even Chase who is starting to become a little too cool for some of the little kid activities....yep, he was lured in by the squeals and put a few touches on the house....

...and while nothing is ever done, 2016 marked a year where things did move a little slower...I was actually ready for winter break...compared to 2015 when a work trip and a Cali trip lead us into Winter Break...the kids helped too...from decorating trees, to turning trees off and on daily to just getting us all in the spirit...

....this year, the packages were delivered and wrapped and on the last day of work and school we headed to our new favorite restaurant, Joey B's, and discussed our hopes and dreams of the break...

...and the first full day of break started with a trip to the theater with Grammie and Papa to see a Christmas show...and Mom and Dad got a lunch date and a chance to get final shopping done...

...Christmas Service was so sweet, simple and quick and these three were the best they have ever been in a service...complete with their glowing lights...

...We read so much about Jesus's Birth during the advent that Ava continued to remind her brothers about the true reason for the season...she prayed almost nightly about celebrating his Birthday and was so grounding during the season...she doesn't wish for things...she always chooses to pray about family and friends and experiences...in fact, her wish list was the least of the three and she kept picking things her brothers would enjoy too...it is perhaps the most endearing quality I could have ever dreamed of...and certainly isn't taught...it is simply who she is...

...they had the cookies made and ready for the big guy himself...look at the grin on number three...this epitomizes his personality...full of humor....

...Daddy read the night before Christmas...traditions....

...and just like that...the room transformed...I don't know how Santa gets down the chimney with this load...

...nor do I know how they 'earn' all these goodies...but I do know they are loved and I hope that they carry that with them not just in their lives but in the little moments...in all they do...

...Our gift to these two were Winter Classic Tickets...I love 'experience' Gifts...

...and not just loved by the things they receive...but by the memories they make...

...and they sure make them...playing games with Grammie and suiting up in new clothes and bringing Miley, her new American Girl Doll, to hang with Daddy by the grill...

...tradition is Grammie and Papa spending the night with us on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...and doing adult chocolate and wine tasting on Christmas afternoon...the initial idea was to settle some differences in opinions over the best in each category...but instead we end up hysterically laughing over the opinions of each others fav's...I think the notes this year included things like, fruity, but not too fruity, not worthy of the toilet and other off color but descriptive remarks...

...it is two days of family, feast and celebration of the birth of Jesus...

...winter break also brought some time to potty train...and we put it on our goals for 2016 so we had to get to it...and while we are still working on it...this guy has had less accidents than the other two combined...he did everything short of laugh at us in this process...he refused to use the little potty and jumped up on the big one...oh, after he reminded me, pwotties don't sing mommy!....when I asked him to try the singing potty...

...and he did so good the first two days...we suited up and headed downtown for a bit of a staycation...

...we started with time with Louie, the Blues Mascot, and Chase skating under the Arch with the little Blues program...

...followed by lunch at Urban Chestnut for true authentic German food...and beer for the adults...

...and like we do...we can't leave well enough alone...so after a fun lunch we headed to the brewery...and did the full tour...nothing like some horsey patoots and a dalmatian to round out an afternoon....

...and speaking of leaving well enough alone....Kirk and I are instilling some of our old ways into these three...to be spontaneous...to live life and to explore....so when the kiddos begged for a family meeting....and to ride the free trolley because Paxton loves Twolleys....

....we said sure...and we explored some more..the day ended with a trip back to the brewery after appetizers at ballpark village...we got to see inside Busch Stadium as they prepared the field for the winter classic...we ate sliders during the usual nap time...we rode trolleys and ubers...and most importantly, we had successful potty breaks at more public bathrooms than I can count...

...and this pic sums up the break...smiles, lights, hot chocolate and family fun....we had a few more days before break was over that we laid low...played with new toys...slept in beds with siblings...ate when we felt like it and really got to know each other...because these budding personalities change daily, weekly, monthly and certainly yearly...and only once a year does business slow down for both Mommy and Daddy for 11 glorious days...11 days with no babysitters...11 days of waking late together and 11 days reading stories and putting my loves to bed...

...because at this late hour and 15 days past break...the memories are vivid and the love is still surrounding me like a blanket...so the fights and the arguing...yep, that has faded...the potty accidents...all washed out in the machine...and all that is left is the smiles you see above....except they are not smiles right now, right now they are sweet little closed eyelids all tucked in their beds and ready for a great year....

...just like mom and dad...because we will all do it all over again to get more time like this...

...Happy 2017...