Lots of Christmas!

One of Jacob's big presents, a Nerf gun and let me tell you this sucker can shoot!

The doll from Grandma Turkey, I told her no more cabbage patch kids but she saw this one with its front teeth missing and she had to buy it for her.

Yea, the DSI~ his big gift!

Oh man, Santa came through for her, the zhu zhu pet!

The zhu zhu pets house, we have Mr. Squiggles and Pipsqueak and Num Nums.

Jacob, Sarah, and Chase hanging out at grandpa and grandmas house.

He hasn't let this go for more than an hour since he got it. It WAS worth it.

I tried at least 3 times to get a cute picture of these two. Sarah would not just look "normal". She made crazy faces in all of them. Thank you Elizabeth for cooperating.

The Buschlen kids, barely fitting on the couch, we all got a good laugh out of that.
on a side note, the wolf in the picture was a gift from Jolie to Uncle Jeremy. When Joel was getting his presents around ready to bring over Jolie saw that he had a gift for Jeremy and she insisted that she bring Uncle Jeremy something also. So she went in her room and found this wolf. Sherry said that they tried to hide it from her before they came, hoping she would forget but she asked about it as soon as they started to get ready to leave. So Uncle Jeremy received this wonderful present from Jolie and we brought it all the way back to Battle Creek, how sweet. LOL just what we need!

and laughed even harder when mom and dad tried to get up off the floor in this picture.

some Christmas memories

The kids dressed in their holiday best. Getting ready for Christmas Eve service at church. Unbelievable how grown up they look, I have wonderful kids!

Jacob decided he better not miss the opportunity to sit on Santa's lap...just in case!
What a great Santa, "yes Santa I have been good, and all I want is zhu zhu pets" ARGH!!
This was the santa from Riversides holiday dance, what a fun night!
Mom visited Mrs. Warren's class with me to help out with the 1st grade holiday party. Sarah had a lot of fun showing off her class.

Jacob at the holiday program at 1st Wes Church.

Sarah singing her favorite song about Hannukah, no wonder she wanted to get the menorah out this year.

The kids love when Grandma Turkey comes to visit, cause she loves to play in the snow with them.

Christmas update....

I'm blogging from my inlaws house so there won't be any pictures. I hope to put some up tonight when I get home. We are waiting on everyone to arrive to celebrate Christmas with Jeremy's family. Waiting, waiting, waiting....kinda stinks cause once everyone gets here and we eat and do presents it will be time for us to leave and they'll all just be settling in. The car is packed so we'll be ready when we need to go.

We arrived in Bay City on Friday afternoon and after dropping my mom off at the Irwins in Saginaw and dropping Mya off at the Buschlens in Essexville we headed over to my dads. For once we weren't the last to arrive. It was a great day of catching up with the family. The kids played and my dad made the most awesome prime rib for dinner. We probably would've stayed later but Jacob threw up. Yup you read that right, he threw up. So we packed up and left. He ended up getting sick again in the night but was TOTALLY fine when we got up on Sat. I am guessing by the pile of vomit in the snowpile outside that he ate junk all day. Peppermint candies make pretty vomit!!

Saturday morning we went back over to my dads to have Christmas with dad and Lorraine, Josh and Allison, and Ryan and Lee. On Friday we didn't do gifts cause we don't exchange with the whole family. Dad and Lorraine made a breakfast casserole and we had yummy pastries. Once presents were opened with just visited for awhile. Later in the afternoon we went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks with Allison and Chase, cute movie. Jacob spent the night with them so it was a quiet evening.

Today we've pretty much just been waiting on everyone to get here. Dinner is done, presents are under the tree and now we're waiting. Notice I said waiting like a hundred times. LOL I would just really like to be heading home. The kids are anxious to play with their toys they got and I would really like to play with my new Sims game.

I got the cutest Vera Bradley purse too. I am pretty sure I got everything on my list this year. I'm looking forward to spending my gift cards. When we get home I'll upload some pictures and tell you all the fun things we got from Santa.

I miss Mason!

Oh I know he's being loved on and spoiled rotten but I just gotta say I still miss the little guy! Doesn't he make the cutest snow baby ever? He is currently visiting his family in Texas but I know he misses me too.

sshhhh

If you don't know who he is, that is fine by me. He can be my own new favorite man!

Christmas

So here is the yearly Jacob and Sarah Christmas tree picture. I didn't do Christmas cards this year. Although I love this time of year, I just haven't been into it as much as I usually am.

I guess I have put on a good show cause noone has really noticed lol. We still got a huge tree, I still baked cookies, and I still am excited for Christmas morning, so I guess thats all that matters.

A Christmas Post

My favorite things!

Favorite Christmas movie~ Right now would have to be "Elf" and I think a big part of the reason is I love to hear Sarah and Jacob laugh. The real belly laugh, Jacob has the goofiest laugh I hope it never changes. I also love the ABC Family movies this time of year. Polar Express is another favorite.
Favorite Christmas gift~would definitely have to be my Coach purse from Jeremy last year.
Favorite Christmas cookie~I have an old family recipe, I think it was my grandmas but my Aunt Kathy claims that it was originally one that she found. And the best part is that I don't give it out to anyone, kinda makes it extra special.
Favorite Christmas candy/snack~I love puppy chow, I don't like to make it but it sure is yummy. I also like ritz crackers with peanut butter dipped in chocolate.
Favorite Christmas commercial~Folgers, love when the son comes home in the early morning and makes coffee, waking everyone up.
Favorite Christmas drink~hot cocoa and egg nog
Favorite Christmas meal~pierogies and polish sausage, makes me think of grandma. I hope to pass the tradition down to my kids. If I could only get them to try them.
Favorite Christmas decoration~this is a tough one....I love my tree every year, no matter how big it is...but I also have several others. I love my nativity and it will always make me think of my grandma Hartley who bought me most of the pieces. I also love my snowmen, several people know that I collect them now and I usually receive several for Christmas gifts.
Favorite Christmas book~The one about the Herdmans. I think its the Worst Christmas Pageant Ever.
Favorite Christmas carol~traditional would be The Christmas Song or Winter Wonderland but I also love Baby It's Cold Outside and Mr. Heatmiser and Thisel Hair the Christmas Bear and All I Want for Christmas is a Real Good Tan hahahaha
Favorite Christmas tradition~Just being with family. I struggle every year with the thought of not being in Bay City for Christmas. My kids are ready to be in their own home. They want to open presents at home and stay here and play all day. I miss being with my extended family. I know that they all get together and I want to be with them too. I also enjoy going to church on Christmas, I love the worship and the reminder of why we celebrate this holiday.

What are your Favorite Christmas Things?

No Title Needed!

Guess the Buschlen's had a tiring day today, 5:30 pm on a Monday!

Love love love them, to cute (especially since the drool hasn't started yet)!

Finally, the Christmas spirit!

Some of our ornaments....
Newly purchased this year from the Christmas store downtown Disney!

always have to believe

oh, look at that, more Mickey

My favorite new ornament from Josh and Allison for my birthday, ah Mickey

For all my BFF's

The manger...set up with love by Sarah...

Sarah's designer tree, thats what she called it, haha

The advent calendar and the yearly pictures of the kids decorating the tree in their Christmas pjs.

The beautifulest tree ever!! haha what the heck does that spell....
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care....

This is my favorite decoration, doesn't he look like "our" Santa!!
Not so much for the decorations, but dontcha love my new hutch. Thank you to my wonderful in-laws. It only took me like 10 minutes to fill it up. After the holidays my china will finally come out of the box that its been in for about 11 years!

Some of my snowman collection, oh I have many more!

AHHHHH FINALLY!!~

Although this is an awful picture....I am pretty proud of the Christmas lights that I put up all by myself this year. I love December!

So I don't have to tell you how happy I was today. This is one of the reasons I love Michigan!! Let the Christmas season begin!!

Finally some snow! Hopefully it keeps falling, we shall see in the morning.

Searching for a Doll

My mom bought me a doll for Christmas every year until I was in high school. As I got older they were more like the porcelain dolls that you don't really play with but I loved all the same. This year I am pretty much done shopping for Sarah but I haven't bought a doll. She hasn't asked for one but I really would like to find one for her. So last night I was searching online hoping to find one. Something a little different, maybe a little more grown up. These are some of the ones I came across. I was thinking we could get this one and put it with our other nascar collectables (no, we don't have alot of them, I'm kidding). I was thinking of all the fun things we could do with him for nascar weekend. I could take him to the fence and try to get junior to sign it....he could shop at the flea market with us....we could tuck him under Jeremy's arm while he is passed out on the tailgate....the list goes on and on.

But then I came across this gem.....

Mesha if you buy this for me we're gonna have problems. All I could think was, REALLY who would buy this....then I scanned down for the price and sure enough "SOLD OUT"

Old Pictures

I was going through an old shoebox and I came across this picture of me and Patrick back when we were dating. To bad my fantastic husband Jeremy came along and I had to break Patrick's heart. He's aged really well don't you think!

?????

All the blogs that I follow just disappeared?????? It says "you are not following any blogs"

WHAT????? I finally had a good list going. I am going to turn it off, get up, walk away, and when I return whenever that may be they better all be there!!!

Goin Green

I think that Jacob would stay on the quads the entire time we are up at the cabin. He didn't get to ride that much this time due to dad deer hunting. Notice the gun case, no gun in it I hope!! They had to sit on a blanket on the back of it cause the rack has blood all over it. YUCK!! Sarah can't wait until she is old enough to ride the quads by herself. She gets a little braver everytime we go up there. She still doesn't like going back in the woods, she's perfectly content riding around and around the yard.

We planted some trees over the summer. The kids and Grandma wanted us to take some pictures to keep track of how big the trees and the kids get. One of them is growing really good. Then there's the little bitty one. Still alive but not growing so big. Jeremy pulled out some brown branches and we're hoping that they make it. We'll have to check in the spring when we get back up there.

Wolvertucky Thanksgiving

We spent the weekend up at my dads cabin in Wolverine. They had the annual lighting of the tree and Christmas parade on Friday night. Yes I was making fun of the red necks up there. I was cracking up at the floats in the parade. Every one had a four wheeler or snow mobile or truck or something. Jeremy informed me that our parade has similar things. I don't recall any snow mobiles at Battle Creeks parade.

And I certainly don't remember any lit up ICE SHANTYS!!

Awesome!
Before the parade we were able to go to the town library to drop off letters to Santa and listen to a Christmas story. The kids enjoyed some hot chocolate.

Three things about this picture...

1. Dontcha love Sarahs new hat, we bought it from the craft bazaar up there, its currently airing out from the smokey cabin.

2. Check out Jacob, he's such a goofball.

3. Check out the Santa wannabe in front of Santa, he had a HUGE beard.

It was a fun weekend and I think it put us all in the holiday spirit.

The Thanksgiving Narrator!

Sarah's 1st grade class put on their Thanksgiving play on Monday. She had several lines to learn and she did fantastic. She was very nervous. I did notice while I was there that this must be the time of year that 1st graders loose their front teeth. There were several children with one or both of their teeth gone, so cute.