January 2015

After home on a Sunday the following Friday Alex, Max and Randy took off on a camp out. While they camped Henry and Timmy camped in our front room. Sophia snuggled in my bed with me and Lukey was still in his crib.

The boys built with legos as I put Christmas decorations away. Here is a dragon Henry made, Timmy added a little to it as well.

Henry, Sophia, and Timmy played play-dough for a LONG time while Lukey took a nap. Then Sunday the campers came home from a fun, but chilly weekend.

The next weekend was Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. So with the extra day off we switched rooms around. Lukey went in with Henry and Timmy and being the only girl, Sophia got her own room. The older boys were a tad jealous until we told them, if a new baby ever comes along Sophia will have to share her room with it. They quickly decided they'd rather share a room with each other.

This is the mirror she used her Christmas money to buy.

Timmy checking out the new room. (You'll see the changing table remains in Sophia's room.)

On her new bed! Some friend's of ours gave us this bed a few years ago when their daughter outgrew it and thought Sophia might enjoy it. They were right, she loves it!!

Of course, Luke wanted to check out the bed, too!

January 26 (a week after Martin Luther King, Jr. day) was the cub scout space derby. Henry is painting his rocket camouflage, while Luke and Timmy are enviously watching,wishing they had a rocket to paint and making towers out of the paints.

Randy teaching Max how to stain his rocket. Neither boy won the overall rocket race, but they both won an individual race, and had fun.

Chucky Cheese for Parker's Birthday!

It was Parker's Birthday while we were in Iowa, so we got to go to his birthday party!

Timmy, George and Parker in a spinning cup of hot chocolate.

Max and Timmy playing a game together.

Timmy and Braydon shooting hoops together.

Sophia and Madison playing a game.

Timmy and Henry's turn. Luke was there but too fast to get a picture of, and Alex was also there but 13 and didn't want his picture taken.  We spent another whole week in Iowa visiting family. Going down to Cedar Rapids again, celebrating Margaret's birthday, celebrating New Years and visiting some more. We were so happy to not get terribly sick this year! And as always we were sad to have to leave.

More Christmas!

On the 26th we went to my brother, Nick's house. We celebrated with his family, our grandparents, and our cousins and their families. We had 3 days together. This is all the cousins on that side. Henry with his arm up, then down the left side is Emmett, Kale, Max, Zac,  my grandma, and Mikey. Then down the right side is Timmy, Brady, Sophia, Luke and Matt.

Luke and Zac hanging out.

Grandma is watching Sophia and Brady play Trouble while Rick, Joni and Matt are in the background.

Zac mostly just wanted his mom (Joni) that weekend, unless Uncle Randy was around, then he was alright!

Sarah and her step-son, Emmett.

My brother making bacon for all of us the morning of our celebration.

Nick watching Zac and Joni make monkey bread in muffin pans. It was delicious!

This is later that morning on the 27th. We were tricked, the day before had been mild and beautiful. So we assumed the next day was as well, it was not! It was freezing with an extremely cold wind. So we only stayed at the park for about 10 minutes. It was still good for the little monkeys to get out and run around for that little bit.

I'm cold, let's go!

Henry, like most of the kids, enjoying the little bit of time outside.

Later we opened presents. Thanks Uncle Nick and Aunt Joni for the fart blaster - it is a well played with toy!

Uncle Pat as a Christmas present.

A few random shots of everyone as we open gifts. Rick, Zac and Joni, Kale and Sophia.

Randy and Luke, with Timmy and Alex in the background.

Grandma, Mikey, Matt, Emily, Sarah, Rick, Joni and Zac. Max and Henry in the front.

Mikey in the front, Emmet and Max in the background.

Emily and her joke box, the crib dribbler. A pretend box for a basically a hamster feeder for your baby so you don't have to get him/her out of their crib. We had some good laughs over it.

All the cousins. Back row is Kale, Brady, Tim, Sophia, Emmett and Lukey. Front row is Max with Zac, Henry, Mikey and Alex.

My cousin Sarah and her new husband Rick. We had never meet Rick and it was a pleasure to do so. The first night at Nick and Joni's he cooked an amazing meal for all of us.  And we had a great time getting to know him.

Emmett using Sophia's new hair styling kit on Sarah.

About 4:30 we went to my Grandparent's home. We used a party room to eat pizza and give my grandpa his gifts. Grandma had gotten everyone a jiggle bell to wear around their neck and the kids got a little gift bag with a blow up penguin beach ball, a washcloth and their jiggle bell. It was great because they could use those beach balls right there, and they had a lot of fun with them. They all had a good time ringing their bells, surprisingly, so did my grandpa.

The little guys eating pizza.

Me, Grandpa, Sarah and Grandma looking at the family calendar we made.

Sophia and Joni.

Emily and Mikey. Whose that creepy guy in the back, oh, wait that's Uncle Pat or Pa-pa as Mikey calls him.

Grandpa with his groceries, ready to go!

The next morning, Kale, Brady, Max and Sophia playing a little Jenga.

Merry Christmas !

Our Christmas tradition is to wake up on Chirstmas morning at Grandma Steffen's with the Shook family. The kids always get up way earlier than the adults (as it should be Christmas morning) and then we lounge around in our pj's most of the day. Then we go to Dale and Audrey's to celebrate at their house, usually still in our pj's. As you see here Alex finally got his own ipod for Chirstmas this year!

Max got his own gun. Well, actually Santa brought that to Timmy, but as always annoying toys are the favorites with everyone. (This gun makes lots of noise.)

All the Shook kids got scooters, Julia's riding her's before the sun is up.

Max and Randy playing with Max's new r/c car from Santa.

Everyone loved Parker's train set. Here's Lukey, Henry and Parker playing.

Timmy starting on his Legos from Santa.

Sophia in her new roller skates by the little blue candle she made. Unfortunately Santa's elves forgot to put this candle making set through quality control, the candle wouldn't burn !

Luke and Julia checking out Luke's new Lego train.

Henry got to work making a play dough creation.

Lots of kids tried out the roller skates, the carpet was a great spot for beginners.

Say cheese. Sophia and Julia, great buddies, having fun together.