Keep up on the Joneses: Christmas and some winter fun

This is a REALLY long post and I am sorry!!! I have been a bad blogger and I have so many pictures I want to share now. We had a computer issue and then once we got our computer back, I didn't know if I could connect my camera...I know, excuses, excuses!

So, first things first...We would like to say we missed Auntie Lynn, Uncle Scott, Katy and Andrew this Christmas! Here are a few video clips for them to enjoy (and the rest of you if you would like!)

And also, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all who

enjoy my blog!

Caleb with the favorite gift of 2008-a garbage truck.

Christmas with the Jones clan-Friday Dec 26th.

Chatting with Uncle Dave.

Playing the dice game. Grammy buys little gifts for all the kids and they play the dice game to get to open them. It's nice bonding time for the kids!

Christmas Morning 2008

Caleb with his gift from the Miners. He also very much enjoys this fire truck. He got a case of stuff to go along with the truck from my grandma and he thinks that's pretty cool! It even has a working hose-we won't be telling him that just yet!

Ellery enjoying her gift from the Miner family. It's a washer to go with her Rose Petal Cottage that Santa brought her. Both the kids are just having a blast in the Cottage!

Here, she didn't want me coming into HER house!

In the cottage.

My little police officer.

Christmas Eve at Grandma G's

Caleb has gotten into board games lately, so he was quite excited to get one-or two from my mom and dad.

Our 4th annual Christmas Eve Cheesecake. This year, Jon's girlfriend Sara dubbed Dec 23rd "Cheesecake night". This year, Jon and I made Peanut butter/chocolate Cheesecake. I wasn't as big of a fan, but it was okay. We started out making one for Sara-Jon asked for my help to make a nice dinner for her for Christmas, and then he decided that we should do it every year. It's nice time spent just Jon and me.

Caleb helped me wrap this gift for my dad and I told him that he had to keep it a secret! He did such a good job! My dad usually tries to guess what's in the package and he tried to get Caleb to tell him, but Caleb wouldn't do it! He just said "Papa, just open it"

Yes, it's a bottle of Hershey's syrup-my dad likes Chocolate milk, but taped on the back was an engraved tag to go on the mounted fish that my dad caught a few years ago. He won the contest for the biggest fish caught on our lake that year. It was 31 lbs and 49 inches.

Uncle Ben

Uncle Jon

Caleb with his next favorite toy of this year-a space set. He always says he wants to be an astronaut when he grows up so he can learn a bit now. That was from Grandma and Papa G.

Ellery opening her doll stuff from Grandma and Papa G. I couldn't

get too many good pics of her, she just wouldn't look at the camera.

Just some random pictures from this winter.

Ellery decided to learn how to climb out of her crib a few weeks ago-with some help from her big brother. One night, they just were having a grand ol' time up there-just laughing away. Well, usually if they are just laughing, I leave them alone but this night it had been a lot of laughing so I went up there. I found them both under his covers with a flash light just goofing around. I asked Caleb how she got out, and he said he had helped her down. I put her back in her crib and she just jumped right back out. So, we thought first of putting the crib tent up-and then thought that he would just help her out of that too. So, we took the rail off of her crib. Thankfullly, she has done so well. There was no "ET" that came to visit with this transition into a big bed-thank God!

Tim found them goofing around again one night. Apparently he had gone downstairs for something and came up to them laughing away because they got the idea to put on eachother's shoes and hats. I have to say, the picture is pretty cute!

Making Snow Angels

Playing with the Price clan. I thought this was funny-

all 5 kids in one tent. It got pretty crowded in there.

This is one of our attempts at a Christmas picture. I did get a good one-which I sent out to most of you, but I thought I would share this. See how "done" Ellie is. I was on the floor, head down, about to give up. I almost had Tim take a picture of me like that with the kids "checking on me" which they did once I was down for a while. I thought it would have given everyone a laugh since we've all been there, but we didn't get the picture. Only the story.

Making cookies at Grandma G's house.

Isn't this one funny? Tim decided to get the kids their own face masks this year since their cheeks get so cold all the time. Too bad they didn't want to wear them more than 2 minutes!