The last few days...

I can not believe that today is the last day of 2008! Ahh...I feel like this year has flown by and I didn't know that there were even more things that I could fall behind on! Oh well I guess 2 kids and being sick will do that to you!

Since Christmas we have been bums and enjoying it! I think that we ALL were worn out from Christmas and it took us a couple just to get over that. I have started feeling crummy again so I am trying to fight that too! Anyways here are some pictures that show us hanging out and enjoying some of our new Christmas presents and I think that I am finally all caught up on my blogging! We had a great Christmas holiday and loved spending time with our families and friends.

Happy New Year to everyone!

Andi and her 2 new babies Katelyn and Sydni

TJ playing with his new "North American Game Animals" and his horse.

TJ enjoying some pudding with his spoon :)
He has also mastered climbing and can almost always be found on a kitchen chair or higher!

Andi sporting the "new way" to wear a scarf. I think she is trying to be cool like Stephanie but somehow it just doesn't look the same.

Travis enjoying some downtime.

Mommy and Andi wearing our new aprons from grandma Kate and making some pizza dough- yum!

Luckily Grandma Kate gave Andi 2 aprons- so our little man would not be left out!

Merry Christmas?! What a lovely surprise...rain and flooding at the end of December.

Christmas at the Ecklers

Christmas night we headed to mom and dad's to start the Christmas festivities at the Eckler household. Everyone was tired and worn out but we still managed to wait up a little later for Gina and Jason and to open some presents.

The next morning bright and early (well not early enough for some- Kyle Tom!) we got up and headed to the living room to see all of the presents. I didn't get very many pictures because we were too busy trying to keep kids out of stuff and better yet enjoying watching people open their gifts!

Andi trying to help TJ open his wagon while TJ thinks it would be more fun to ride on!

Andi sporting her new hat and scarf from Gina and Jason. She thinks she is pretty big stuff! I wish I had some pictures of TJ- the thinks he is pretty big stuff with it on too- which drives Travis nuts!!

Dad opening his present from all of his wonderful kids- a Wii! Think he was surprised?!

Mom opening the other Wii controller and games...she was a little surprised too!

Andi taking a picture of grandma Mari...she took over 200 pictures just in the 24 hours that she had the camera. Those pictures will be added later :)

Andi showing Sydni her pictures.

We spent the entire day hanging out at mom and dad's and most of the time we were in our jammies. Andi was the only one really motivated to do much..so she got to go outside and help do chores (while we stayed inside!)

What were we doing inside? playing mom and dad's new Wii of course! I think that everyone enjoyed the Wii- even if we just watched. It is pretty funny how intense you can get playing tennis (Kyle) and boxing (Jason).

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning was a little different this year...we spent it at our house and Andi and TJ got to open their presents from Santa that morning. TJ was awake early but Andi was sleeping in since she had such a busy day on Christmas Eve. We all went back to wake her up and to let her know that Santa had been here and left presents. She said she bet the tree was full with lots of presents. As we were walking to the living room Andi stopped and wanted to know if the reindeer ate all their carrots! So we checked to see and sure enough only crumbs were left where the carrots and cookies had been.

We were all definitely spoiled this year and the kids weren't the only ones excited with their presents!

Christmas morning at our house

TJ's new hat- a boy hat thank goodness!

TJ's big toy from mommy and daddy- he loves it!

Andi's big present from mommy and daddy...a "darbie house" She loves it and it stays in her room away from TJ. Notice Sydni playing with Andi.

Me opening my surprise gift- a new phone!! TJ immediately spots (from across the room) that it is a phone and wants it while Andi tries out her new camera from Santa!

my new phone!

Travis new coat...he was happy


After we opened our gifts we headed to Christmas morning mass and then home again for some downtime before we headed to Jim and Donna Kay's for supper.

All 9 Belt Grandkids

TJ in the middle of all of his stocking presents

Andi and TJ showing off their new gifts. Andi got a nice new doll buggy and baby doll (who's name is Katelyn) and TJ got a motorized 4-wheeler- just what we needed!

I got surprised again with my new camera strap from Traci

TJ our little wildman!

Later we headed to my mom and dad's so we could have our Christmas bright and early the next morning....none of us realized that we would be up late opening a few presents before we headed off to sleep.

Stephanie, Andi and Kyle

I remember "back in the day" when it was always Kyle in the middle o me and Travis- haha

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a exciting day for us as we all received some great gifts and were able to see both sides of our families! We started off the day at our house with the Christmas story and a couple of gifts to open from each other including new ornaments for TJ and Andi and new jammies for everyone!

We headed to my and mom and dad's for lunch and then to Grandpa G's house for supper. Along the way we got to eat waaayy to much food, learn that Gina can keep a secret! (Congrats to the preggo parents), make cookies and spend lots of quality time with our cousins!

Andi and TJ opening their new jammies...this might be the only time that TJ actually sat still while we were trying to open presents.

TJ "saying" yeah and wearing his new "scarf" aka his new pajama bottoms.

Andi hanging her new precious moment ornament on the tree.

After the presents were opened we were trying quickly to load everything up for the day to head North but Andi and Sydni were super tired and we found them downstairs in the recliner all covered up as we were taking the 1st load down.

Gina, Andi and Kyle making another "ginger house" I think Miss Andi was caught red handed in this picture!

icing cookies with the help of uncle Kyle

sneaking a taste test in...

Belt Family Christmas '08

before we headed off to enjoy Christmas at Grandpa G's house...Andi (and TJ) were super excited to see all of her favorite cousins...and of course happy to pose with them!

Ally and Andi..both girl were happy to pose for me the whole night!

Curtis, Andi and Ally

Curtis was another happy poser!

Andi and Luke

Luke or Lukey-Dukey is Andi's latest favorite sidekick...I am not sure Luke got a moment to himself but I don't think it bothers him too much ;)

Luke helping Andi open her gift

TJ enjoying his new "boy toy" a big truck with blocks!

My two babies in their new Christmas jammies

I think that everyone had a very fun filled Christmas Eve. We left Grandpa G's house after 10 and figured both kids would crash. TJ didn't disappoint but Andi jabbered the whole way home and then laid in her bed without falling asleep for another 30 minutes!

setting the oh so important carrots out for Santa's reindeer! We bought these special even though Travis tried to convince us that we could just leave marshmallows for the reindeer instead!

Andi leaving milk and some cookies from ma ma Mari's house that she herself iced!

Christmas in Middletown

Christmas started early in our house this year. The Sunday before Christmas we headed to Middletown to see the great-grandparents for Christmas since we would not be there Christmas day. The good thing is that we left right after church so both kids got in a pretty good nap, the bad thing was that it was super COLD outside that day. Oh well we had lots of fun and TJ and Andi got spoiled!

First stop was Grandpa Tom and Grandma Barb's house. Andi was super excited to get inside and she asked grandma Barb to help with her coat. As soon as her coat was off she turned around and asked grandma where everyone else was? Where were Alicia and Kelly? I guess we didn't do a very good job of letting her know that not everyone was going to be there for Christmas...we were the only special ones to have it that day with them!

Andi and her new baby Sydni- she loves her and she goes everywhere with us!

TJ and his new tractor. He kept himself busy getting into all of the "new" things!

among other things he enjoyed climbing on the step stool.

Grandma and Andi making some hot chocolate.

Yum- what a good snack on such a cold day!

Next we were off to Grandpa Tainter and Granny Dot's who entertained us with a great hot meal and of course spoiled Andi and TJ a little more!After awhile Andi completely made herself at home by getting the Raggedy Andy and Anne dolls and grabbing an afghan for herself. I asked her if she was okay and she replied "yeah, I'm just waiting for Gina" She knew that Jason and Gina were coming home for Christmas and we were after all having "Christmas" So once again I got to explain that we were the only ones that were going to be there.

TJ liking his new piano toy.
Andi opening her coloring book. She also got some neat dominoes that she likes. Lucky for me Andi also loved TJ's gift and vice versa!

What a great way to start off our week of Christmas!