Hotel Christmas 2014

This year we were content to stay home for Christmas, BUT then Grandma invited us to her LAST Christmas she is hosting so we HAD to come to town.

Knowing this I had already made arrangements to again, stay in a hotel. We got an awesome deal for a decent size room. Plus it comes with free breakfast at their restaurant and a 24 hour pool.

Before we headed out of town we wrapped up our last weeks of school. I had my finals and the boys had a slew of  holiday performances. Unfortunately, in my attempt to organize my pictures I think I actually deleted some. Super depressing. Brayden did the cutest performance of Jingle Bell Rock. He wore sunglasses and a Santa hat. It was so cute. Ugh...

I also got together with my friends from OSU and we did our little gift exchange. It was super fun and we got some pretty fun stuff. We decided we should make it an annual thing.

Before the hotel, we stayed at my sister Jen's house. My Dad was up from California and it was easier to be at Jen's to hang out with him.

 

Christmas Margaritas

 As we entered Portland, Brent made a stop by Voodoo donuts. He let the boys pick out their own. Brayden got this one as big as his head.

August was a little disappointed he no longer fit in this ottoman thing completely.

He still found ways to make it fun...and scare the beegeezus out of his mum.

Jen had planned some cookie decorating. 

Her recipe didn't quiet turn out as she had hoped so the kids could  not cut shapes. The dough was too soft. So they just decorated the round cookies.

 

Brea came in and decorated ONE.

...and then ate it.

Jen made some chocolate chip cookie jars for her co workers.

 

We made won tons for dinner, and while I was opening up one of the sauce bottles it sliced my hand. Jen patched me up with some liquid skin. I need to buy that. It was pretty cool. I can see it being handy with the boys and their injuries.

 

We drank a lot of tea.

And had a lot of good conversation.

 

Dad bought movies and we had a fun movie night. 

He made popcorn old school style (one of the videos that got deleted).

He was very nostalgic and pulled out a brown bag to shake up the popcorn in while he added the butter and salt.

 

Brent had to work when we first got to town, but we met back up with him on Monday when we checked into the hotel. He had set up the tree and put the presents from Grandma and Grandpa under it. We decided to have this be our Christmas Eve.

The older boys went a long with it, and August has no real concept of time yet, so it worked out perfect.

We completed decorating the tree and then went swimming.

 

Abram had a Christmas party for his class. Carleen and I worked together making him and ugly sweater vest to wear.

 

While in Newberg we went to Abby's pizza with all the cousins.

This was the only picture that survived.

 

Taking some Christmas morning selfies...

It gets kind of addicting taking selfies, when you have kids sitting there laughing at you.

The kids woke up and Santa had come!

They had a lot of fun opening their presents.

Since we ONLY get them 3 presents it usually doesn't get too crazy, but with the grandparents chipping in this year it looked like more.

 The first thing attacked was the stockings...

After sorting all of those knick knacks we went for the big presents.

I finally got Brent a new wedding band. 

He  The kids lost his on our trip to the Red Woods a couple years ago, and I just never bought him a new one...until now.

I also made sure Brent got his Buck this year.

It was not the Buck we wanted, but...it'll have to do for now.

 

We got some pretty fun stuff in our stockings too. Unfortunately this thing is not nice to hair. Brent got a whole bunch of mine caught in it while he was whipping it around...haha.

After a few rounds of board games and some "free time" we went for another swim.

 

Brayden decided he was done (probably because he wants to go play video games?) His brothers decided to swim for another 20 mins.

 Another after swimming selfie.

It was super nice having Free Breakfast in the restaurant.

Especially since the continental breakfast times were much earlier. This went until 11AM.

Bray made a flag out of bacon.

 The cousins came over to swim on Wednesday.

Brea was kind of being lazy and ended up not getting in with us.

By the end of fake Christmas day, I was still able to put my feet up.

 

I took turns snuggling with my guys.

August is the best hugger. He loves giving little kisses too.

 

Brayden barely wanted to leave the bed, unless we were going to the pool.

It was a great fake Christmas. We were able to be so much more relaxed and pace ourselves.

It really is nice having no obligations except to hang out with each other.

 

I had got Brent some new boots for hunting, and some awesome binoculars. 

Mitch tried out the boots. They added a few inches and he had fun glimpsing at what being taller than Dad is going to be like...

 

 Brent bought me some new dragonfly earrings.

August had really, really wanted this game.

He was so excited to play it.

He had a lot of fun POP ing that pig.

 

The boys got a new millionaire monopoly game.

It is a lot shorter. (I may actually be able to stand playing it now)

 

While the boys played Monopoly, I watched August play skylanders (and tried to condense my pics aka erasing some)

Oh, and as if Brent hadn't already won the BEST HUSBAND of the year award, he also got me a tambourine! 

I have wanted one of these for a long time. I swear rafting trips are going to be so much more musical now.

Random:

The boys pointed out how the light made my gray hair stand out. Then argued whether it was more white or gray...thanks guys.

 

I teased my sister with a little snap of this picture.

We LOVE its its.

So she was pretty jealous.

 

After swimming selfie.

I thought it was cool to have the giant tree there int the parking lot.

 

 Breakfast the fake Christmas morning.

We made August try on his coat at Jen's. He was not happy.

 I got to wear my new hoodie with my dress. I clashed so bad.

Kind of on purpose. I love how weird Brent gets about what we look like and how we present ourselves in public.

Plus I tell him I can pull almost any look off.

And I do.

Brent trying to wake the kids up on actual Christmas morning.

We were checking out of the hotel to go to Grandma's house.

 

The boys very last dip in the hot tub. Brent likes to stretch to the VERY last minute of check out time. 

I like to get out asap. He makes us wait.

It is very stressful for me. I think this is one of those things I need to let go.