Kruschel Family Christmas

Our annual "Kruschel Family Christmas" was last Saturday (the 20th). This annual family celebration includes my immediate family (my parents, sister and her family, brother, me and my family, my dad's brother and my dad's sister and her family (her hubby, daughter Tracie and her family and my cousin Clay and his family)). This year, though, due to snowy weather, Clay and his family was not able to make it. We had a great time, nonetheless...good food, fun times playing the dice game and great company! I am a little disappointed in myself, though, because I hardly took any pictures at all...the five I have here were the best of the bunch...but we did do some video taping, so we will have those memories as well.

I'm looking forward to the rest of our Christmas festivities coming up this week. On Christmas Eve, we head down to Minneapolis and Edina for my mom's side of the family annual get together. We also have a guest come to stay with us every year...our friend JJ who is a disabled man who lived in the group home that we lived and worked in 3 years ago. He is so much fun to have stay with us and we wouldn't have it any other way!

Grant's sister Anna and her family will be flying in from Florida on Christmas Eve and will be here until New Year's Eve. This is the first time in a long time that they will all be here over Christmas and we could not be happier! Christmas morning we will head over to the IL's house and celebrate Christmas with the Lindberg clan. I always look forward to spending Christmas morning at the Lindberg's because my MIL bakes the most delicious tea ring and we slowly make our way through the many presents we all give each other. I'm also very excited for Brendan's cousin Audriana and Brendan spending their first Christmas together...

Well, that's it for now...I'm sending out wishes for a Happy Christmas time to all in blogland!!!

Foto Friday...:)

Just some pictures that I took of Brendan over the last couple of days to share with the world. We are looking forward to spending tomorrow (Saturday the 20th) with my family and my dad's sister's family celebrating Christmas "Kruschel" style. Lots of little kids will be running around the house and our annual dice game free for all usually make the festivties so much fun! Oh and my dad is making his W-Famous (that's World Famous to those who don't speak abbreviations...hahhahahaha) beef sandwiches. Well, I hear the laundry calling me...that's it for now!

Brendan at 6 months

This is a little late...Brendan turned 6 months on November 27th...but I wanted to write about what he's up to right now.
He loves pulling the corner of this lay down toy onto his head!

Playing with Benji McArton

Holding Lucy McArton's hand....awwww!!!!!

Brendan at 6 months:

*is eating like a champ...butternut sqaush, oatmeal, bananas, summer squash, sweet potatoes, applesauce (we're starting green beans tomorrow!). He also likes to grab whatever we are trying to eat and bring it to his mouth.

*is working on using a sippy cup, because he loves to grab cups we are drinking from and bringing them to his mouth to drink from :)

*wears 6-9 mth, 9mth and some *gasp* 12 mth clothing

*wears size 1 shoes and 18-36 mth socks (which I think is crazy, but the 6-18 mths didn't fit)

*is chatting up a storm...using more sounds. He still loves to watch people talk and moves his mouth to mimic talking or singing. He's even chatted so much that his voice becomes hoarse.

*is an awesome sleeper...sometimes he sleeps the whole night through, but usually he wakes up around 4 to eat a little something and then goes right back to sleep.

*has started to roll over more and more...he still works on it really hard and HATES to be on the ground or his belly for any amount of time, but we're working on it.

*still loves to play in his exersaucer and jumping horse.

*loves, loves, loves his plastic keys and is awesome at passing them from hand to hand.

*we sometimes think he says "Hi" after we say it to him...

*giggles up a storm when Mr. Pibb licks him or we tickle him (but you have to catch him at the right time for a perfect giggle)

*simply has a blast when he takes his bath; he LOVES bathes

*reaches his arms out to us when he wants to be picked up (this is so my favorite right now!)

*is getting better and better at sitting up on his own to play with toys.

*Is easily the number 1 person in his daddy and mommy's eyes!!!

I hope you enjoyed our Elf yourself video! It features our little Lindberg family (with Mr. Pibb of course!) and the main elf himself, my brother B.J.! (B.J. was convinced in 6th grade that he was an elf and told my sister and me that he went to Santa's workshop each night through a magic door in his closet. My mom even made him a little elf costume with a hat.)

We've been elfed!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Yes Brendan, there is a Santa Claus

Is this not the cutest Santa picture EVER?!? Ahhhh...I love it!!! We took Brendan to meet Santa a couple of weeks ago at the Downtown Minneapolis Macy's. Oh course Grant was with...he can always get B to smile this big. I know that this was a fluke and next year he probably will not be as happy about meeting Santa, so I'm so glad that we got this picture this year.