Christmas... with the lights out!

We had a fun surprise this year for our first Christmas in our new home... all the power went out! A big wind/tornado storm shook things up, and we got to light candles and run around with flashlights.

And Christmastime is always fun because we get to celebrate our anniversary too... 16 years!

 

Ruth's Chris -- no better food than here.

 

 

It seems like our fun wedding was just yesterday... we were just kids. 8-) But age is all relative - we're totally still kids ~ hence the post-anniversary dinner dogpile...

 

 

 

Us, 9 yrs into our marriage...

 

 

Cute Mom and Dad took the kids to Cici's while we were on our date... the kids enjoyed seeing pics of the Colloseum -- good memories.

 

 

Schmutz Family Christmas!

 

 

 

 

Well that was NOT worth it...

Poor little Kenny Boo went to sleep sad tonight.  We 'caved' into the pressure to let him believe in the magic and have the little magical elf that came down the chimney and leaves little gifts and moves around the house day & night.  Musical Snoopy G came down the chimney and left him presents  for 3 days (here he is the morning he first discovered Snoopy and he just stared and hugged it and laughed and rejoiced that we had an elf now, just like his cousins)...

Unfortunately, today Kassie started talking about how Snoopy was probably going to be following Kenny around.  By the time I put Kenny in bed, he was petrified about Snoopy coming after him in the night and giving him nightmares. After I explained to him that Snoopy would just be bringing cute presents and doing silly things, he still death-grip hugged me and begged to sleep in between Daron and me.  (No way Hosay) He worked himself up enough that Daron and I had to tell him that Christmas magic is real, but we did in fact bring Snoopy and the gifts.  It was SO SAD. He literally went thru all the details saying, 'so the markers - they weren't from him? He didn't come down the chimney? Who put him up on top of the door today?'  On and on, with this sad lonely look on his tired face. Finally he took my face in both his hands and said, "Mom, next time please tell me the truth.  People don't like to be tricked and teased. It's better to know for real."  By this point he was drifting off to sleep so I didn't even go there about Santa, but I believe we'll have to cross that bridge tomorrow or he may never forgive me. I may have to stop for donuts in the morning on the way to school to ease the pain. I'm just sayin, this is why I never perpetuated the myth with Stephen and Kas. Atleast we still have the dog to snuggle - she makes everything better.  This is what I found last night when I went to check on Kas... just the paws...

then her staring at me saying, why can't I stay here? She sleeps here, why can't I?

 



 

Cousin nighttime jacuzzi party

 

Datenight with Kas to "Nutcracker on Ice"

 

She decided she wants to play hockey. Probably just because she liked the gloves in the ice-rink store. We agreed she's got enough on her plate with guitar, fencing and piano.

Caught being good...

We were so excited for Stephen -- he was chosen as 1 of 10 students out of hundreds of 6th graders for his "good manners, high grades, and kindness to others".  Here he is with his 'Way to Go' gift from Aunt Kassie (so sweet!) and his reward coupons from the school. He said they called his name over the intercom, and some kid said "yeah, Stephen, you don't even act like a kid - you just act... mature." Funny.

 

Kenny helped me make the Christmas tree brownie I took to YW tonight...



 

Kas loves her guitar teacher Dave!

 

 

Our date night to Daron's HP Christmas party ~

 

The Ward Christmas 'Come to Bethlehem' party, otherwise I'd never go out looking so very wrong in this oversized bathrobe. But Kassie was a lovely singing angel...



The week of boo-boos...

Just a little gardening accident... the trimming shears I was using came apart mid-snip, causing me to lose grip on the tree branch I had bent over to cut, so the loosened tree flung the shears soaring high into the sky, only to come back down and stab 2 inches into my arm.  I AM SO GRATEFUL I stepped back in time or it could've blinded me or split my head open. 4 stitches, antibiotics, and a tetanus shot later and all is well... 8-)

 

We were the lucky recipients of a playset from a friend who didn't need it anymore... we've been out there NONSTOP! Stephen, Kas and I were out swinging at 9:30PM and I decided to do a very athletic dismount from the swing, in the process, my backpocket got caught on the side of the swing and we all heard a huge RRRIIIIIPPPPP before I fly into the air.  When they saw what happened, it took about 10 minutes to get them to stop laughing... Kas couldn't breathe. It's all she's talked about since then - me ripping my pants on the swing. But I did look way cool doing it.

After Thanksgiving, the 3 kids got to open 1 gift (instead of doing it on Christmas Eve... they were super excited when they saw gifts appearing under the tree...).  Kenny ended up opening his MAJOR gift, which was a new electric train - he's wanted one for... (how old is he, 7?) oh, for 7 years, so finally he got it. 8-)  Daron shwooshed it together with an older geo set we had.  That night at bedtime, he said “Mom thanks for always helping us with everything. If you didn’t, we would all be dead, and starving. And I would be so grumpy.”   I have to go write his quips down quickly so I won't forget his unique wording. 8-)

Thankful on Thanksgiving!

This year was our 10th annual trip to the Sea Mansion ~ our yearly Thanksgiving tradition where we do nothing for 5 days but sit, eat, talk, play, dig in the sand, and swim in the freeeeeezing cold water!  Our Galveston beachhouse is one of our family's favorite things to look forward to.   Non-stop football throwing, cooking, singing, playing cards... and ofcourse getting sick.  This year, only 2 went to the ER -- Kenny for the worst strep case the dr. had ever seen, and Cannon for poison ivy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kids caught sand crabs and put them in buckets, then the bigger crabs tore apart the littler crabs piece by piece. Kassie’s dead serious prayer that night: “Heavenly Father, we pray that Shrimpy (the small cannibalized crab) will be received into your highest kingdom.” 

And the best Thanksgiving present ever... welcome home to cute Michael! We were so excited to welcome him homeWhat a darling missionary -- all of Daron's brothers look so much alike, it's amazing!  He was just a little boy when I married Daron. How time flies.

I came home from our fun church event last night... (here's me with cute Emily) and found 3 of my 4 siblings waiting for me, in their swimsuits ready to hot tub and watch a movie at 9PM. What a hoot - I LOVE THEM!

We also recently celebrated Dad's 70th birthday -- love that man!

We had a fun surprise when we got back from our vacation  -- a young man 5 doors down was driving and TEXTING and smashed our  brick mailbox to pieces... glad no one was around. Bricks flew everywhere and damaged our neighbors car and driveway; Stephen's here holding the flattened metal box that was inside the bricks. Driving texters = deadly.

 

 

 
Kenny recently asked me, "I wonder if Geneve got hurt when she fell out of heaven." Shows how highly they elevate their dog... she came straight from God's side. A few minutes later, it was ~ "What would have happened if you didn’t show up on the day of my birth?" Well, I had to be there, I’m your mom. "But what if a criminal came and took me out of your tummy, what would you do then?"