Christmas with the Rowlands

Any doubt we had about traveling this Christmas quickly faded as we celebrated Christmas with the family! The cousins are all close in age (eight of them ranging from ages 1 to 10), which makes for equal amounts of fun and chaos that we just can't replicate with our little family of four. So the day was relaxed, yet busy. Filled with copious amounts of food and endless amounts of smiles.

We started out taking turns on the new Big Wheel! Look at that grin!!

Watch him go!

Hollis takes it for a spin (just as happy)!Gramps and Mema open a few gifts. Trent and Abbigal....such cuties!

Owen and Cash!

The kids table, filled with stickers, coloring books, candy, crafts and hats....so fun!

Time to wrestle on the trampoline!

Mug shots to follow:

Jaemie & Robin.

Vince and Robin (aka the Rockstars).

Owen and grandma. Ross and Jaemie.

So another holiday season comes to a close! Total fun. Total exhaustion. Perfection!

Christmas Morning @ Grandmas

After our little family Christmas in the hotel, we went to Grandma's because apparently Santa comes twice for the very best little boys! :-) Santa brought Owen a BIG WHEEL! Which was very, very exciting!

For everyone!

Santa brought Nathan a bouncy turtle....which Owen loved. Nathan has since warmed up to it and climbs on and off it about 100 times a day. How much do you love Christmas Nathan? Thhiiiiiisssss much!

Santa came a bit too early for Uncle Joe!

The boys were spoiled! And so happy! WE LOVE YOU SANTA! Thank you!

Christmas Morning

We really struggled with how to do Christmas. Once we made the decision to travel, we then had to decide what we'd bring. Everything? Nothing? We went everything. We told Santa where we'd be and believe it or not, he found us in our little hotel in Victorville.

Owen asked for camping gear and Nathan a basketball hoop. Santa had it all set up for when the boys woke up. I feared that Nate would see that tent and hi-tail in (sending Owen into a complete meltdown)....but he ran right past that giant blue igloo for what he KNEW as for him and proceeded to play basketball for rest of the morning.

Owen got to savor his camping gear without distraction!

Christmas comes early!
But don't worry, he can rally!

You would think that Nathan would get bored with another ball, but the look on his face proves otherwise. He was thrilled every time.

I don't have any profound thoughts or beautiful imagery to portray our holiday. We were up way too early (think pre-5am early). We were tired. But we were together and happy. Is there more to it than that?

Hollis Turns Three

Disclaimer: I have to post our Christmas pictures in segments because we take too many darn photos and well....I can only do so much at one time!

We drove to Southern California for Christmas. And once again, our little boys proved to be fantastic travelers! While I appreciate it, I'm not planning a long drive again for a long while!



First order of business: Hollis's Birthday Party!

Making gingerbread houses. Fun for everyone!! A great idea and we had some serious masterpieces!
Nate and Avry hang!
Nate, Momma and Grandma

I mean how unbiasedly cute is this kid?

Ah, yep, that's a gun.

Happy Birthday to HOLLIS!!! (This one's pretty darn cute too!) I'm a little thankful these two don't live near each other. They spell trouble with a capital T come 15 years old! (Take a peek at Cash's boots, please!) They're clearly up to NO GOOD!

Again....how cute? Another great party! Lots of fun and can you believe Hollis is THREE? Here's his FIRST birthday party!! The time....someone stop the time!!!

Playgroup Christmas Party

Our Wednesday Playgroup had it's annual Christmas Party and as always it's a blast! We've been with this group since Owen was about 10 months or so and before all of them were walking so it's so cute to see them grow up and mature and play!

We were getting ready to open gifts and take a group picture....the boys were the first ones to the couch. To get the boys sit is a challenge, but offer gifts and make it a race and you get this (Owen, Warner & Jacob):
All the kids: Annabel (cut-0ff, so sorry) Elin, Emma, Luke, Sheri, Owen, Warner & Jacob. It's not easy to get a group photo. So we took what we could get! Still pretty stinkin' cute!

Owen got Lincoln Logs from Sheri and was super excited about it! Then back to the real reason we're here....to PLAY. Apparently this is a look Owen's a fan of! Remember this? Still makes me laugh!

The Christmas Season

I like to do as many local Christmas activities and events as possible. It keeps us in the holiday spirit.

We've gone to the San Carlos lighting festival, the Redwood City Holiday Day and walked our local "candy cane lane" (that's what a similar street was called in Ventura). We've also put up our tree, outdoor lights, made cookies, gone to parties, made a gingerbread house, and opened up our advent calendar every day and seen Santa. We've been busy! Next to Grandma's house we go!

Nate & Maddie enjoying the lights.


The chaos that is my life!

Matt and I were shocked that Nathan was not a Santa fan. He'll run up and hug any random off the street. Santa, not so much!

This was the first year Owen talked to the guy. He had his catalog in hand, got right down to business and was done.Like we said, Nate wanted none of it.

He did however LOVE the tree!

As did Owen. I love this picture. Happy, Happy!

Owen on the rides at the Redwood City holiday fair! Nate LOVED the petting zoo! LOVED IT! Did you see the pig slapping video?

Owen always picks Matt to ride the tiny trains with him! Makes me laugh. I always think of the SNL skit "big man in a little coat"! Owen having the best time at the San Carlos Festival of Lights. He was having the best night! Nate was cold and ready for bed!

Back at the tree! Seriously, a tree full of balls.....not our smartest move! But oh, so happy!

Those were our pre-Christmas festivities! Now on to the real thing!

Happy Holidays!