We enjoyed a pizza dinner and then some fun cousin play time.
Sunday, December 23rd - Church. The boys were getting restless while everyone was chatting after church, so they all got on their Daddy's shoulders. Pretty cute! (Kellen is in a stage of not being able to pose normally for a picture.)
We enjoyed lunch at Olive Garden after church.
Once home, we decided to take advantage of being all dressed nicely and get our family picture. Kevin set up a phone and started video recording and then grabbed screen shots from that. We managed to get a couple good ones and some funny outtakes!
Sunday evening, we went to the Illuminations at Botanica.
Kevin took these beautiful pictures of Jenna in this area of all green lights - her favorite!
We went to a Christmas Eve service at 4:00 pm.
Then, back home for dinner. Owen & Lincoln serenaded us with "Jingle Bells." And Owen with "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." (See videos in Christmas '18 folder.) Kellen and I watched the local Wichita show "Santa's Workshop," that I enjoyed watching everyday after school when I was his age. Kevin and the kids called NORAD to see when Santa would arrive. Then, off to bed, so he could arrive.
Tuesday, December 25th - Christmas Day! Santa brought a tricycle for Lincoln.
And for Owen "an excavator" and a bouncy ball.
"Penguins and lots of fish" and a Nutcracker for Kellen.
And a Calligraphy set for Jenna.
And Lincoln and Owen enjoyed sharing the "motorcycle." Meanwhile, we prepared and enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch.
After lunch, more presents and playing.
I found this joke box and couldn't resist getting it for Owen (and mostly for David). So funny!
This was a sweet moment - Kellen reading to Owen in the afternoon.
Owen was fascinated with this Santa that answers questions. He says, "Santa Claus-it," for Santa Claus - so cute! (See video in Christmas '18 folder.)
The Wards came over for dessert and a cousin gift exchange. We had a nice visit with them.
Wednesday, December 26th - We tried (and failed) to get this cute cousins picture while waiting for everyone to get ready to go to Exploration Place. Kellen was sick in the night, but thankfully well by morning and able to go with us. We chalked it up to too much rich Christmas foods, lots of people in the house, and his headache.
"Fish Face"
The current traveling exhibit was Toytopia that featured lots of iconic toys from each era. Jenna completed this "extreme dot to dot."
Medieval Time Out - always fun!
Owen's favorite - tractor!
Lincoln and Kellen
Tornado!
The Wards joined us for dinner at a Japanese Hibachi restaurant to celebrate Mom's 70th birthday.
Back at my parents' house - sweet Lincoln by the tree.
Kellen convinced Kevin to sleep with him on the trundle bed. That's one cozy crew!
Thursday, December 27th - One last cousins picture attempt before Matt, Leslie, and Lincoln left for Texas.
Here they are in 2016
and 2017.
Jenna was sad for Mikey to leave and made this plan to run away with him.
We had actually planned to leave this day, too. But, a snowstorm hit western Kansas blocking both our northern and southern routes home. We made the most of the day (even though the water heater broke and we had no hot water all day) by taking the kids to a video rental store - a novelty since we don't have any where we live. And, I was able to have coffee with one of my dear friends. Thursday was her first availability, so if we had been able to leave, I wouldn't have been able to see her. We had a very Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 28th - We traveled home and then Jenna and Kellen could hardly wait to open their presents from us that we had not brought to Wichita. It was fun to see their excitement and gratitude. A very Merry Christmas indeed.
