Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve, Andy and I had our work cut out for us. He was in the kitchen putting together the 4 1/2 hour kitchen and I was in the living room wrapping. We didn't go to bed until 3:00 am.

The Furries were there for moral support.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

The tree and loot.

Cookies for Santa

Almost time for bed. We checked the Santa tracker and he is headed our way, so we were preparing. I wonder what Drew is saying or thinking in this moment. Pouring the milk

Drew picking out cookies for Santa. He picked out one of the Santa cookies for him, how appropriate.

Jillian putting out some cookies.

I can just tell she is wanting to eat that cookie. This process is probably pretty confusing for her. She will get it next year.

I don't know if she is trying to take a drink or what, but she just ended up with a milky chin.

Jilli's First Piggies

Not quite enough hair yet, but here is our first attempt at pig tails. Drew said they were silly. I am hoping by summer it will be long enough to put up.

Still cute I think.

My munchkins sharing a chair and watching toons.

Jilli and her piggies and Drew and his polka dotty socks, what a pair!

Mama's Polka Dot Socks

Drew is learning the art of excuses. He knocks on his bedroom door and has different reasons why he need to come out of his room or you need to stay there or any reason not to sleep. This was the 2nd knock of the night and he told Andy that he needed socks because his feet were freezing. Andy said okay, then Drew said I need to wear Mama's socks. So we went to my drawer and dug around and found these. Drew said, I didn't know you had red polka dotty socks, that's silly.

Goofy boy!

Playing with New Toys

Jillian and Drew breaking in some of the new toys. Thanks everyone for a great Christmas at the Henke's. Drew and Jillian got lots of good stuff. Drew got a cars and mats to drive them on, a car garage, a remote control car, clothes and a cool chalking device that he wanted to go outside and use when he open it. Sorry to tell him that is was going to have to wait till it warmed up. Jillian got clipo, her chair, lots of cute clothes and a cabbage patch doll that she tried to kiss through the box.

A perfect size seat for my girl.

I have never been so scared in my life.

Friday we had to finish up some shopping and we were at Gordmans looking at clothes and we lost Drew. We both started yelling for him, just waiting for him to yell back or be hiding in the clothes rack. I started running up and down the aisle, pulling Jillian along in the cart, looking under the racks for little legs and when he wasn't in the area. So I ran to the front doors, so no one could leave the store with him. Andy went to the customer service desk. The radioed and he was with another associate and headed for the desk. I had no idea what was going on and my mind was racing. I could hardly believe this was happening. My heart was pounding and my world was crashing. Finally I saw Drew in Andy's arms and burst out crying. I was holding him and crying and you could see the concern on Drew's face. He was worried about his mama being sad. He said he would make me happy and gave me a hug and kiss. I asked him if he was looking at something or following another kid and he said that he was following the path. He ended up at the complete opposite corner of the store and he walked right past the front doors. Anything could have happened to him. It still scares me now thinking about it. On the way home I asked Andy how long he was missing and he asked me how long I thought it was. I said 15 minutes and Andy said it was 3, 4 minutes at the most. It was the longest 4 minutes of my life. When we talk about it Drew says, mom I lost you. Now we have talks about staying by mommy and daddy and of course Andy and I are much more attentive. I so am thankful that he is okay, I couldn't live my life with out him in it.

Dancy Pants

So the boys and I got mom and dad a big collection of oldies music for Christmas. Dad put in the first CD and Jilli just couldn't contain herself. This girl loves music and dancing. I see lots and lots of dance recitals in our future. The funniest thing about her dancing to the new CD is that when the song was over she would just start walking off toward the kitchen and then another song would come on and she would immediately start dancing again. I love this girl!

Nana and Papa House for Chistmas and Birthdays!

We found this Rudolph blinking nose in our Christmas stuff and Drew wanted to wear it to Nana and Papa's. He wore it almost the whole trip. We like to call him Drudolph :)

When we got there we celebrated Payton's 15th birthday. Her birthday is the 22 of December and we always have a separate thing for her, not fair to include it in Christmas.
She got lots of Mizzou stuff.
The Christmas tree and all the goodies.
Jillian opened her first gift and Drew yelled "clipo!" We have never played with this toy before, it must be from a commercial. Thanks Brett and Anne both kids like this toy.

Papa handing Drew a present.

Jilli liked standing on the presents, wrapped and unwrapped.

Nana and Papa got Jilli a little learning chair. This girl is always finding something to sit on and now she has a chair just her size.

Lots of love in this house. I love Kyle and I think.... he loves me too.

Jillian loves her Nana.

Jillian caught in the act of a no no. She is grabbing the ornaments. Tonight at our house Andy said she broke one. Curious little girl.

Drew and his remote control car. However, he calls it the "remote con-patrol car." What's wrong with an extra syllable or two?

The whole crew. Please take note of the little boy in the front with his finger in his nose. Even Bailey, Lucy and Cooper manages to make it in the pic.

Me and my big brothers.

The Original Henke Family

More Nana lovin.

Mom and Dad made each of us kids a collage of pictures from our old farm in Greenville, MO. Dad made the frames from wood that he saved from the farm. Seeing the picture of us three kids with Grandma and Grandpa made me a little teary eyed.

Bailey thinks she is a lap dog, when it is obvious to everyone else that she is not (especially the persons lap she is sitting on). Sorry Anne.

Surprise! Sunday morning we celebrated McKenzie birthday. She doesn't turn 9 until January 18th, but we never manage to get together for her birthday and that's not fair.

Kyle and Jillian

More Mizzou

I can officially say that is the earliest I have ever had cake and ice cream, 10:02 am. I obviously didn't mind.

Then back home and back to work that night, boo hoo. It was lots of fun while it lasted.