Ten Years!!!

In the midst of all of the Christmas festivities, Tim and I celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary! We celebrated back in May with a trip to Yellowstone National Park (where we spent a lot of time in the early years of our relationship).

Then, the weekend before our anniversary, Tim and I took the weekend and went to see his new office in Mena (we had just found out that he was hired to be the District Ranger of the Mena/Oden District on the Ouachita NF) and had a yummy lunch. Next, we drove up to Queen Wilhelmina State Park where we hiked around in the bitter cold and spent the night at the lodge and enjoyed just being together. We are so lucky that bloth times our parents were able to watch the boys! Thanks!

It doesn't seem possible that we have been married 10 years and have 3 precious little boys.... where does time go? Life with Tim has been one great adventure and I couldn't have asked for anyone better to share it with! We are blessed beyond measure and I love him more every day!

Christmas Day 2010!

Well Christmas finally arrived at the Oosterhous House! On Christmas Eve the boys were very excited about Santa coming. We tracked his where-abouts on the computer, got his milk and cookies ready, read the Night Before Christmas and the Christmas Story and then, "the children were nestled all snug in their beds...." Not a peep out of those kiddos until 6:00 the next morning!

This year, around the beginning of November, the boys and I began talking about Christmas and we (meaning I) decided that they could ask for however many gifts they wanted, but that I was going to write Santa a letter asking him to only bring them 3 each. I explained to the boys that 3 gifts were good enough for baby Jesus, and that this would allow Santa to spend time making more gifts for boys and girls whose Mommy's and daddy's wouldn't be able to leave very many presents under the tree. Well they weren't thrilled about this in the beginning but it didn't take long for them to adjust to the idea. It really worked out nicely in the end and I think they were all pleased with their 3 Santa gifts as well as the numerous gifts left under the tree by mommy and daddy! They are at such fun ages for Christmas! Zac's favorite motto this Christmas was, "Santa is the fun part of Christmas, BUT Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas!"

The boys spent the rest of the morning playing with all of their new gifts! It was a great low-key morning just spending time together as a family.

Later that afternoon Tim's parents came down to spend a couple of days with us. My parents came up that afternoon also and we all had Christmas dinner together complete with a birthday cake for Jesus and the "Happy Birthday" song!

After a yummy dinner and good conversation Nana and Pap Doc headed back to Arkadelphia and we "had Christmas" with Grandma and Grandpa! It was such a wonderful day spent with 3 precious little boys and their grandparents!

Christmas with the Mills Crew!

December 23rd and 24th is when we "do Christmas" with my family. The 23rd is spent hanging out playing in Nana & Papa Doc's yard, riding ride toys, going on walks, meeting up with old friends, and just "being" with family. I love it because it is so low key and because at this point all presents have been bought and wrapped and there is nothing major left to do but eat yummy food and enjoy family. Not to mention the fact that the kiddos are sooooo excited about Santa Clause and the gifts that they hope to receive.

We always spend the night of the 23rd at Nana and Papa Doc's and this is our "Christmas Eve" with them. The next morning we all get up and sit at the top of the stairs while Nana and Papa Doc finish getting everything ready. Then we usually take a group photo of the kiddos on the stairs (tradition) and we all go into the den where we began the excitement and chaos of opening presents. We have learned it is best to let the kids go first and the adults open there presents later! N, Z, & B loved everything that they received and it was so fun to watch their sweet little faces! Nana made the most yummy cinnamon rolls this year which we munched on amidst the chaos! It was a wonderful Christmas with my family in Arkadelphia!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas....

Well as everything seems to do these days..... Christmas came and went in the blink of an eye or a twitch of the nose or something like that! I always think that I'm going to be really prepared and just sit back, bake cookies, sing carols, sip cider, gaze at wrapped presents, ponder the nativity, read Christmas stories and so on.... So very Norman Rockwell! Well, it never happens that way but it is wonderful all the same!
We stared the season off by cutting down our Christmas Tree at a tree farm in Bismark! Nate kept wanting us to get a bigger tree but we assured him this one would be perfect... and it was (except for we think they make Tim really sick so this might be our last year for a real tree .. boo hoo!)! After all of that hard work we ate a good greasy dinner at a little place in Bismark!

When it comes to decorating the tree, I always envision another "Norman Rockwell" moment.... Christmas Movie playing, cookies baking, everyone watching in awe and wonder, the littlest one placing the angel atop the tree while my adoring husband looks on.... all in front of a blazing fire! Well Tim tended the fire, Nate watched the movie, I don't think I got around to baking those cookies and Zac and Ben decided they'd rather crawl under the Christmas Tree and grab the ornaments that pleasured their little hearts as opposed to the ones that were nonbreakable that I was trying to give them! And oddly enough, there is no angel... and I don't think I remember Tim casting me any adoring gazes! LOL! Well no ornaments were broken and the tree was still standing upright when we finished so I guess you'd call the tree decorating a success even if it was a little chaotic!

Our Elf (elf on a shelf) ELFIE... came to visit the night we put up the tree and stayed until Christmas Eve. Elfie found several places he liked so sometimes he would go to the north pole and return to the very same spot! Nate left Elfie a Christmas list to take back to the north pole. I told Zac one night that Elfie would tell Santa about the "not so good" choices he was making... to which he replied, "it's O.K., I'm already on the naughty list"! Hmmmm.... I told him that if that were true he needed to work really hard to get on the nice list! I know I have some pics of Elfie somewhere!

Each of the kiddos had a Christmas Party at their school and had a wonderful time with their buddies! They each have such wonderful teachers this year!

All of these festivities led up to Christmas Day at Nana's (which is really Christmas Eve Day) and Christmas Day at our house! That will be my next post!!