New Year's Eve

Bring on the New Year as we go out with the Old in with the New!

This year we decided to keep the celebrating low key and just hang out as a family. Fun times like this are how fun memories are made.   Gotta love this kiddos and their cute personalities!

 

 

 

I had some cute photo booth props made and the kids loved getting the pictures taken with them.  It made a great way to make this celebration a little more exciting.  McKenna is now at the age that she has plans to hang with friends, so I got a few cute pictures of her before she headed to Salina.

 

 

We had a scrumptious dinner with yummy potatoes, turkey roast, salads, and rolls.  We had Rod, JoAnn, and Dillon come and eat with us.  Shortly after dinner, Dillon took Trey to Mayfield to go play games for a while with Shea Anderson at his Grandpa Johnny's house.  He came home from there and had so much fun playing games. 

 



 



Everyone stayed up to watch the ball drop at Times Square on TV.  Trey, Ally, and Lottie had fun counting down the time to 2015!

 

It's Officially 2015!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

We did a family toast after ringing in the New Year with a little bit of Kiwi Strawberry drink. 

"May we have a healthy and happy year!"  I can't believe how fast time really flies.  I often think about how it didn't seem that long ago that Jeremy and I had a big bash at our house when it was New Years 2000.  It is amazing to me how fast those years have flown by and how much has changed in our lives, all of which I wouldn't trade a thing!

May this New Year be healthy, happy, and prosperous, Happy New Year!

Okerlund Family Christmas Party

Even though Christmas day is over, the partying is still going on and going strong!  And of course, when there is a party, that means more food and more presents; all of which we all look forward too!  This year was so fun, our kids love nothing more than to hang out and be with their cousins.  I wonder sometimes if our kids realize how lucky they are to have such close relationships to their cousins and how fun these get togethers are to spend time with each of them.   I love all their cute smiles, funny personalities, and unique differences that make our Okerlund family complete. 

 

 

This year's party started out with Grandpa and Grandma's delicious Christmas dinner or should I say feast?  We ate everything from veggies, chips, dips, crackers, salads, rolls, ham, beans, potatoes, more salads, lots and lots of pies, etc.  The food was never ending and we ate till we could eat no more. 

 

When dinner was done, the kids made us quickly clean up dinner and take down the tables so they could open presents.  When you get this many people in one house with gifts spread everywhere, you would almost think Santa's sleigh got dumped here of his way back to the North Pole.  And not only are there a lot of gifts to sort out for so many people, but the anticipation of it all is very overwhelming.  There is usually so much excitement that it hard to contain the kids!

 

 

As usual, everyone was spoiled again.  We let the kids exchange their gifts with the cousin that they drew.  This year Allyson had Jaden, Lottie gave to Marshall, Trey had Allyssa, and McKenna had Kambree.  They had as much fun giving this year as they did receiving.  Once the cousin gifts were done, we let the kids open the gift from Grandma and Grandpa.  Ally and Lottie were excited to get their own set of the Frozen - Elsa and Anna Barbie's, and stuff for their AG dolls.  McKenna got a cute zebra mirror for her room as well as a nice jackets and cute headband.  Trey was excited over his Disney Wii game set of the Toy Story to go with his new Infinity, as well as a nice shirt.

 

 

After wrapping all the presents, we started the long awaited Bingo game.  This is our Second Annual Okerlund Bingo, and it couldn't have been more memorable.

Every family was in charge of bringing around six gifts in a $10 price range to add to the pot.  Plus on top of that, Grandpa and Grandma go above and beyond to add to the gifts.  Since Tyler and Ashley initiated this game last year, they have been given the responsibility to be the BINGO caller. 

 

Once everyone has their own BINGO card, we started pretty quiet as all the attention was to each letter and number called out.  It wasn't long after starting, that someone started calling out BINGO and instead of getting new cards, we kept them and kept adding markings to our cards.  So at one time, there could be several winners.  Grandpa and Lottie's card was pretty lucky this year because they walked away with quite a few BINGOs.  

 

The best was when Mary and Tammy both called out BINGO together.  Tammy went right for the pile of gifts and actually picked up one of my SNOW signs.  It was hilarious because Mary played smart in knowing that she could steal Tammy's item if she wanted and so once Mary saw it, she went right for it.  Look at those two, cracks me up!

 

Yes, Mary was able to defend herself after walked away with the sign.  Tammy, however, went back to the pile and was able to pick up one of my North Pole's signs.  In the game we set rules that the prize could have three owners, so each of these signs could have had the opportunity to be taken again, but who would want to mess with these two?

 



 

I had to laugh because Jeremy and Grandma O both drew lame cards.  We didn't end up switching out at all during the game for new cards, we just kept marking the same old one.  You would have thought that would have helped them out by hanging on to them and eventually they would get one, but when the gifts were all about divided out or dead from being stolen, those two finally drew BINGO.  Grandma ended up with a nice bathroom rug, but I don't think Jeremy got a thing!

 



 



 

 

Everyone walked away with some pretty nice gifts.  Once again, our little family made a haul off of BINGO.  It has definitely been something the kids want to continue doing each year at Christmas time.  I am so grateful for this tradition, isn't that how memories are made?

 

We were fortunate enough to have everyone join us this year, except for Kambree.  Poor thing wasn't feeling good and she was heartbroken that she had to miss this party and we did miss her not being here with us.  We all felt quite lucky to have Oakley be here with Brynn, this year.  Since they are getting married next week, it was fun hang out with him and have a chance to get to know him.  Hopefully the chaos won't scare him off! 

Once again, another party has come and gone.  My kids always hate when the last party is done because then they say Christmas is really over.  I do have to admit that I hate it too because I love all the time we get to spend with family this time of year.   So you have to look at it like this, that even though it is all over, wasn't it fun to go out with a bang.  What a fun memorable party to end the Christmas season with!  Thanks so Grandpa and Grandma for hosting such a wonderful party, makes me excited for next year!  Happy Holidays!

Christmas 2014

Christmas morning . . . oh how we all love you.  The one day a year that you actually look forward to waking up early.  Unless, of course, it's 5:30 in the morning and since I woke up at the sound of Santa's sleigh leaving at about 2:30 that morning, 5:30 seemed to roll around a little early.  So with a little convincing, we talked them into going back to sleep for a little while.  Finally, at 7 o'clock the anticipation could not be kept in their bedroom for very long, so out they all came, smiles and all.  I have to say, I don't blame them, that last hour and a half wasn't much for sleeping, even for this excited mom!

 

 

Jeremy and I love nothing more than to see their faces come around that corning on Christmas morning.  Their expressions and pure excitement are priceless as they each spot their section of stuff that Santa left for them earlier that morning. 

Allyson and McKenna's Stuff



 

Lottie and Trey's Stuff

 



 

 

The opening of presents from Santa and those gifts wrapped under the tree brought so much happiness to each kids.  With four kids and so much stuff, we try to take turns so we are able to what everyone received.  This makes it fun for all of usto share in the excitement.

 

 

After about an hour and a half of opening gifts and sorting through all the boxes and wrapping paper, everyone had worked up an appetite.  We were so fortunate to have Rick, Kallie, Dillon, and Grandma Jo come down to show them all that Santa dumped out of his sleigh.  After a bit of playing with all the new stuff, Grandma JoAnn fixed a yummy breakfast for all to enjoy. 

 

 After breakfast, we headed right back home to hang out the rest of the day.  This has been our first year where we have literally been able to stay home in pajamas all day long.  The kids absolutely loved relaxing and playing with their stuff.  McKenna and Kallie got busy doing their Shellac nails.  McKenna set up a table with all her stuff and did almost every one's nails that day.

 

 

 Allyson and Lottie played dolls most of the afternoon.

Lottie had her barn all set up with her new tack for her horse and her doll dressed ready to go on a horse ride and then on a picnic with Ally's doll.  She did sneak in a nap for sometime today too!

 

Ally changed her doll's clothes a dozen times in getting her ready to go camping and then dancing.  She had fun driving round the jeep and trailer around the house to play.

 

 

 

Trey figured out how his new water feature speaker worked for his iPod and wore out the song 'No Time For What' as he cranked up the volume to watch the water dance around in his speaker.  He was consumed by that for quite some time.

 

We were excited when Grandpa Rod made it down, not only for the kids to show of their stuff, but to give him his gift.  Jeremy and I had this metal sign custom made for him to hang on his barn.  Jeremy thought it was awesome because it showed a guy on a horse looking at some buffalo out in the desert; similar to the Henry Mountain rides they take every year.  Rod was pretty excited.

 

 

And for the first time ever, we were lucky to have cousins come to our house for a while on Christmas Day.  Kambree and Laynee also got American Girl dolls for Christmas, so they had fun playing with Allyson and Lottie for a while.  We also had Grandpa and Grandma Okerlund stop by to see our stuff on their way home from spending Christmas morning with Tyler and family. 

 

Later that afternoon, we did decide to get ready and head to Salina.  We went and ate dinner at Kim and Darlene's.  This has been one tradition that we like to be involved in on Christmas every year.  This year was fun because of baby Reese; our little girls just couldn't get enough of her.  The older kids disappeared to Justin and Tammy's house.  They like going over there and hanging out with Marshall and Trevor and see all that they got for Christmas.

 

 

And what more could we ask for on Christmas Day than to have a white Christmas.  We woke up this morning to a couple inches of snow on the ground.  Nothing make the holiday more complete that snow on the ground.

 



 

Merry Christmas!  This definitely has been a wonderful day.  Our kids totally make it all worth the work!  In the end, they know how much we love them and that the holiday's wouldn't be what they are if we didn't have family to share it with!  I love the memories that we make and that we are able to share them with each other!