december (a month in pictures)

 Early birthday cards came in the mail for the twins.

 Movember....no shave november.

Birthday boys turn 4 years old.

Christmas tree hunting.  Literally hunting!

Fred looking so thrilled to be Rudolph. 

The Griswold's family Christmas tree in our house.

Decorated Griswold family Christmas tree.

Flu season.

First time meeting Santa.

Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning. Santa brought gifts.

Ficker's Christmas breakfast tradition.  Crazy eggs with strawberries and whip cream.

 New Years Eve we all went sledding.

Our month in December was busy and exciting and full of the Christmas spirit.  We started listening to Christmas music in October and there wasn't one day Everett would let me listen to anything different.  If I did put something else on, he'd ask, "Mom, is this Christmas music?" and if I replied no, he'd always ask to have it put on.

The boys turned 4 this December.  We had what was suppose to be a little party but then ended up getting way out of control with all the people we invited over.  Our house really isn't set up the best for having a lot of company.  We didn't realize that until we had around 35 people in it.  Now we know.  I think the boys had a good day.  Next year I will plan a little bit of a funner birthday party for them.  Maybe go somewhere and have it at a jump house or something.  This year it was just crazy and didn't really end up being a party for them at all.  It ended up being a get together for adults and kids.  I felt a little bad about it but they have plenty more birthdays to come.  And I think we made up for it with how fun and magical Christmas was this year.

So this year for Christmas we decided to go with some friends of ours and go hunting for a Tree.  When they said that, I thought they just meant that we would drive up to someones tree farm, drive around, pick out a tree and we would get to cut it down ourselves.  Well, I was sorely mistaken!  We drove up into the wild mountains and hunted.  The other 3 families whom we were with were able to find beautiful trees right near the road.  But not the Ficker's.  We hiked all the way up a mountain and crossed a ravine before we found our tree, all the while pulling two little boys around with us.  Now, this wouldn't have been so bad if I had worn the appropriate shoes.  I didn't know we were going on a hike so I wore my knock off Uggs.  I was wearing the equivalent to slippers in the mountains.  It was horrible in that aspect of the adventure.  Joaquin was getting mad at me because I was complaining the entire time about why we are the only family coming all the way up this mountain, and why he was dragging all three of us with him and about how badly my feet and ankles were hurting me.  As a side note, the boys were having a blast.  Well, Everett was.  I was holding Brock's hand and I was grumpy so I think that may have made him irritable too.  So after a what seemed like 3 hours but was probably only 15 minutes, Joaquin said stay here, I'm going to run over and look at these two trees.  He leaves me on the side of the mountain and literally frolics over to these two trees.  He's jumping over tree stumps and rocks like he's 10 years old.  Finally he yells for me to bring the boys.  He found our tree.  So I stumble over to where he is, and with out even really looking at the tree, I say "Good! Lets cut it down and go!"  I am over this! And he did.  It actually was a blast despite my bad attitude and we'll probably do it again next year but I will be better prepared and equipped.  Upon driving home, Joaquin tells me, I could have been out there another hour or two looking for the perfect tree.  He's such an Indian boy in his heart of hearts.

Another one of the highlights of the month was finally getting to meet Santa Claus.  He flew over to our local Cablea's for some unknown reason so we drove over to meet him.  They were so excited to see him in the flesh.  They were quiet and sweet and sat on his lap.  He asked them what they wanted for Christmas and Brock told him he wanted a remote control airplane and Everett didn't say anything.  Ha!  But Santa told him, he would bring him a surprise.  Which he did.

So much joy and fun happen this month for Joaquin and I.  I feel like having kids gives you an opportunity to feel the magic of Christmas all over again, through their eyes.  I loved it.