CHRISTMAS EVE

Well we started out Christmas Eve waiting for Daddy and his friends to get back from bringing the Playhouse back home, I was in the shower and all I could here was mommy, Daddy and his friends are back with the Fish-house. This is what the kids thought Daddy was building. So there it sits in the backyard on the trailer till the snow melts.

The kids watching and wishing it was a Playhouse

View of the Playhouse "aka Fishhouse" from inside the house

When we were growing up we were able to open 1 gift on christmas eve, so we let the kids each open up a gift, they loved it. So we start yet another tradition with them.

Tristian and mason opening as fast as they can........

After each opening a gift we went and got our Jammies on, and got some milk and cookies and put them out for santa, and wrote Santa a letter. They loved that.


We then told the kids that they had to go to sleep so Santa can come, so I went up and layed with them for awhile, it took Tristian a whole couple minutes, but took mason more like a 1/2 hour he just kept talking to me about santa. But they finally fell asleep, and my gosh Santa came, mommy and daddy even saw him, he's quick though.

Family Christmas

For as long as I can remember we have always had christmas with the Stevens side of the family. It for years was on christmas Eve, Grandma and Grandpa Stevens have passed away, some family has moved away, or now have grown apart. But the Family that has always stuck together is who we grew up with and always will be together forever. the pictures explain it all.

But in Spirit who we will all MISS so badly was there with us and made sure we all had a great Christmas get-together we could possibly have. I know we all thought about him that night.

Yes I am talking about Uncle Butch!!!! WE all love and miss you Uncle Butch {PAPA}!!!

Tristian with her Santa hat on....What a smile on her!

In front of one of Tami and Jason's christmas Tree.

"Mommy hurry up with the picture"

Grandma and Tristian.....what a moment and beautiful picture...

Baby Dominic....

Mason checking out the ornaments.......

My cousin Jason who purposley closed his eyes......

My cousin Devin and Mikey, Harry, Dominic, Angie and Deanna .....
Cousin Tim, Candi, Tami, and all my little cousins TJ, TyTy, Jaden, Maili and Mason

Tami, Kaili, Maili, Tristian Mason and TyTy

My Dad, Jewel, Aunt Claranne, My Mom and the kids

Maili and Kaili......... what cute little Girls.

The night was alot of fun, this year we started a new Tradition it's the dice game for the kids. WE all went to the dollar store and spent $10.00 worth of toys and wrapped them all and the kids played the dice game, then they opened them all up and they were able to steal toys if they chooose. I think they all loved it and did a great job playing. Yes this will be the new STevens' tradition, and we ate food. The Older boys all played pool most the night and stopped to eat food.

I beleive.......

I believe ....
I believe ...that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.

I believe ...that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe ...that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I believe ...that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe ...that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe ...that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I believe ...that you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I believe ...that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe ...that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe ...that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I believe ...that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe ...that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe ...that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe ...that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe ...that it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others. sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe ...that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world does not stop for your grief.

I believe ...that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but, we are responsible for who we become.

I believe ...that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I believe ...two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe ...your life can be changed in a matter of seconds by people who don't even know you.

I believe ...that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I believe ...that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe ...that the people you care about most in life are taken from you to soon.

I got this off of my friends blog and thought it was worth passing along. I think for most of us, we get so wrapped up in our busy lives we forget to remember what matters the most. I realize that people come and go in our lives but no matter how long they stayed .. .they still some how made a impact in our life some way or another.

Macy's 8th Floor

It was our 2nd year of Tradition to Macy's 8th floor, this year was "Santaland"

This year I asked My cousin Candi and her kids, Tami and her two girls and Tracy and her son Thomas. Of course Grandma, Auntie Angie and Dominic were with too, and Auntie Deanna came for Lunch.

Dominic, Maili, Kaili, Jaden, Tristian, TJ and TyTy......mason did not run fast enough

Tristian and Mason

Jaden, TyTy and TJ

Dominic and Tristian

"Ooh Mom look at that"

"looking down at the Huge christmas tree"



"wow Mom I want a tree that big"

All the kids and Auntie Deanna being silly in the skyway!

What a fun day and we were so happy to share it with our family. WE didn't visit Santa at Macy's we stood in line for 5 min. and the line did not move, so we headed to lunch in the Gavidae and met Auntie Deanna for lunch since she works downtown, and we all visited and ate lunch. Then Auntie Angie, Grandma, Dominic the kids and I headed to northtown to see Santa there and did some shopping.

Gingerbread Houses

The kids and I went to the Big Lake Library with some of our friends to make Gingerbread Houses. 1st time for the kids to do this they had alot of fun, although mason just wanted to eat the frosting {which was the glue to hold it all together} and of course the candy that went on the gingerbread house, but we still had fun.

Tristian loving making her Gingerbread House

Mason eating the frosting to make the house, MMMMM!!

"Ok mom I will use it for the House"

I love making memories like this with my kids, we really had a great time.................

Thanksgiving with Family

I Love the Holidays and it is even more fun with kids, to make our own new memories and Traditions. I remember growing up we would go to my Grandma and Grandpa Skogsberg's house. My mom would dress us 3 girls in our Thanksgiving dresses, and we would be there with our 3 boy cousins. We would all have so much fun. Since both my Grandparents are gone now, we now go to my Parents house, and now this year there were a couple people added to our family. We have a brother Sean and a new Neice Azaria so they came over along with Sean's girlfriend. We didn't see Sean growing up very often, it was nice to see him. He has had a rough life growing up so to come to our Dad's house is a treat, all the great food and a loving family.

So we all hung out and had great conversation and played with all the kids, and ate a GREAT dinner. Thanks Everyone for all the great food, it was so Yummy!!!!

The kids and I love being with our Family so we always have so much fun over there.

"Mom is it time for Dinner yet"

"Mom come on let's eat"

Poor Mason fell asleep from eating too much turkey
Brother Sean, Neice Azaria and his girlfriend

Mason, Azaria, Tristian and Baby Dominic

The Weekend!

On Saturday we were very lucky to be able to go out, the kids went to Grandma and Papa's for the night. We had a day of "Adult" time. It was alot of fun, we were first at a Benefit which had a great turnout, so everyone was happy as well as the Guest of Honor and her two little boys. We stayed for awhile after and visited with a couple co-workers. We headed towards home took a little detour to "TacoBell", yummy I have not had that in a long time. We then went to our friend's house and hung out for awhile, and then came home and just talked for a long time and had a couple beers. It was a nice day.

The kids hung out with Grandma, Papa, Auntie Angie, and Dominic and they all went to the Movies and saw Madagascar, and they all loved it and actually sat there the entire time and watched it. They had so much fun.

Thank you Grandma, Papa and Auntie Angie for watching our kids, it is always Very much appreciated, and we are all very Blessed to have you all in our lives.

Tristian loves to put her play make-up on, and pose for the picture.

Mason laughing at something Tristian said... he he

Family time

Mason ~ Dominic ~ Tristian

The boys with there matching shirts

I love that my kids and there cousin Dominic can grow up together, and hang out.

My sisters and I are close and will always will be and I want all of our kids to grow up together.

I help watch Dominic and we all love it, the kids get so excited when he comes over. Since I am out of work right now it helps them as my sister has helped watch my kids one day a week when I was working.

Grandma {my mom} bought mason and dominic the same shirts and wanted pictures of them together, so here you go! he he They are so cute!!! They all have beautiful smiles but I couldn't get them all to look at the camera at once or to smile all at the same time.

TRICK OR TREAT

We carved Pumpkins on Thursday outside it was such a beautiful day out~

Tristian and Mason "Tinkerbell and Football Player"

Papa and mason hanging out before going trick or treating

WE all went out trick or treating around 6:15pm and went with all our neighbor friends and there kids, have to have the entire gang together, all the kids love doing everything together.

Then of course Papa and Grandma and Auntie Angie and baby Dominic came over too.

Tristian and Lexi trick or treating
"Trick or treating"

Baby Dominic

Hunter at our house trick or treating

"Mason and Daddy trick or treating"

WE had alot of fun trick or treating this year, the kids enjoyed it. Tristian and Lexi between houses were yelling we want more candy. Mason would go up to each house get up to the door and want to walk in there house, guess I have to have a talk with him to tell him he can't go into strangers houses. Then we headed home the kids were tuckered out, went right in the house and costumes off, and daddy and I handed out candy to the kids.