Lyla helping herself to some...marshmallows?
"Christmas morning" shots of Brent with his sisters, Lorren and Joelle. Brent got some sinus bug and wasn't feeling too well. He had such chap lips they were cracking into sores - poor guy!
My most useful gift this year? Behold...the Roomba:
Thank you, Mom and Dad Kruithof! Brent and I are seriously amazed each time we use it. I always wait for him to get home before emptying it so we can marvel together at all it picked up. It's my saving grace with these white tile floors!
After opening presents we just lounged around till the kids' nap time. Playing, snacking and snuggling up by the fire. Just how Christmas morning should be :)
My favorite photo series captures Pressley enjoying some cotton candy. Going, going, gone!
Kru got into the cotton candy too,
but then realized the lid was just as good.
This year's Santa picture proudly displayed in the Varner home. Don't you love this??
We were able to set up a quick photo shoot with all the kids before bed. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone got a shot with all five smiling. They're still unbearably cute!
Apparently I didn't take any pictures of the New Year's Eve party. Let's face it, there's a lot less cuteness after the kids go to bed. The highlight of the night was watching the three older girls enjoy their first slumber party via the video baby monitor. Their giggling and whispering were so sweet. I have a feeling there will be a lot more sleepovers in store for these little ladies!
I will always, always remember this Christmas. Living in another country made being with family even more precious. I'm sure this experience will teach me many things, but I'm already realizing how much I took for granted in the States. We are so blessed to have TWO incredible families to come home to. We love you all so much, and miss you daily!
Oh, Katie, what a great blog. Thank you for capturing the highlights of the holidays for us. Our only wish was that it was next week so we would still have it to look forward to!
ReplyDeletewish that roomba was there when we visited, my back still hurts from all the sweeping you MADE me do :) hehehe, jk
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, those kids are adorable.
ReplyDeleteWow!! So cute kids. Love them all. They look adorable in red outfits. Very happy to see them having fun. For my new year I arranged a party at LA venue that was really amazing. All the little ones were invited. Had great fun there and enjoyed a lot.
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