Christmas 2011

So much JOY filled this Christmas season with 3 boys in the house to celebrate this year! The week leading up to Christmas was fairly calm, and it was wonderful to have the older boys off school and at home (with only the occasional brotherly squabble over some Lego creation or which video game they should play next.) As the final countdown to Christmas continued, we enjoyed cranking up the Christmas music, arts & crafts, holiday specials on TV, our new snowfall, and outings to enjoy lunch with Dad. Below is a peek into the many fond memories of our Christmas 2011. 

          So excited for my 1st Christmas!
We made gift tags from these first few photos
to add some fa-la-la fun to our presents!

Reid-olph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Merry Christmoose!

 All dressed up for Christmas Eve Mass.

 After Mass, we returned home for a 5-course dinner.

One of our favorite traditions of the holiday season 

is spending time in the kitchen. We started the preparations

on Friday evening and continued some on Saturday afternoon.

 Placecards tucked in a cinnamon stick, along with special menus.

The menu included Cinnamon Crostini, Gingered Butternut

Squash Soup with Balsamic Drizzle, Greens with Prosciutto,
Caramelized Pears & Pecans, Tenderloin Chasseur

with sides of Rosemary Garlic Whipped Potatoes and

Sesame Green Beans, and finally two desserts of

Chocolate Macadamia Truffle Cups and

Bacon Salted Caramel Brownie Bites.

 Papa opens up his Christmas gift.

 On Christmas Morning, the older boys were up and at 'em

at 6:45. Grant on the other hand wasn't so sure why

the early morning commotion was necessary. But after

his bottle, he was ready to go, too!

 Look who got a new wallet!

 The boys with their new stockings,
complete with a spot for a fun photo!

Tree + Gifts

 Santa brought the new Harry Potter

video game for Luke...

 ... a Sonic the Hedgehog video game for Reid...

 ... and a classic Chatter Telephone for Grant.
(They were all out of iPhones!)

Boys & Toys
Luke was a sweet older brother
and helped Grant open his presents.

 Some gear for our resident Buzz Lightyear fan.

 Oh, the excitement of it all!

 Luke's BIG gift ... the Millennium Falcon

Lego set. 1254 pieces of fun!

 Mama cuddles up with G, all wrapped up 

in her new Pottery Barn blanket. It's like a sweater
on one side and a sheep on the other. So cozy!

Grant's New Push Toy. He's supposed to be the one

pushing it ... but we soon discovered he liked 

hitching a ride in the basket!

 After a low-key Christmas morning, we hit

the sledding hill. Grant likes to kick

back in his sled and watch from
the bottom of the hill!

 The sledding hill was starting to get some bare patches,

but it was nice and packed down ... and running fast!

Woohoo!

 Caution: Applying the brakes can result in snow in the face.

"Wait for meeeee!"
Luke chases Dad & Reid down the hill!

 Mom & Luke take a turn!

Snow Much Fun!

Two days ago it was 60 degrees, and we enjoyed a family bike ride soaking up the warm sun. A cold front rolled in yesterday and brought several inches of fresh glorious powder. We awoke this morning to bright skies and glistening white snow ... time for sledding! After what seemed like an eternity of shuffling snowpants, mittens, snowboots, hats, coats, more mittens, lost mittens, etc., we finally loaded up the crew and three sleds and headed for the hill. Toboggan Hill, that is. Hitting the sledding hill in the morning has its advantages (fresh powder for snow angels and no crowd) and disadvantages (the snow on the sledding hill wasn't packed down yet so the sleds were getting bogged down in the powder). Papa joined us, too, and we can always count on him to bring refreshments of hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookies to sledding excursions.

Oh, what fun it is to go on a

Papa-pulled sleigh ride!

Sometimes emotions just get the best of us,

especially at the end of a sledding trip.

Well, 2 out of 3 Leahy boys were happy 

on the hill at this point. Time to wrap it up!

Jolly Ol' St. Nick

On today's to-do list ... Visit Santa Claus! He was mighty popular this morning and drew quite a crowd, but after waiting 30 minutes, we stepped up to the giant candy-cane striped chair where Santa greeted our crew with a hearty "Hello, boys!" He chatted with Luke & Reid (who thought he was pretty funny), and Grant sat calmly on his lap. Merry Christmas!

Hoops

Over the last 2 months, Saturdays have been spent at the YMCA playing basketball. They had a great schedule where the team would practice and then play their game immediately following. Scott coached once again, and Luke had a blast!

 Luke shoots!

 Playing Point Guard

 Luke dribbles up the court, while his team watches!

 Sometimes the boys thought that stacking up defense

in a single file line was effective...

 Coach Scott & his team

 Way to hustle!

 Luke's defensive skills really improved with each game.

Luke & Coach Dad with some adoring fans

Sweet Tooth

Goodbye, Tooth #7. Luke lost another tooth (on the top this time). He was eating a holiday favorite -- a peanut cluster -- when the tooth suddenly popped out! 

Peanut Cluster 1, Luke's Tooth 0

Bells Are Ringing

 Reid walking in for his Pre-K Christmas Program

Reid with his Pre-K classmates

Nothing quite compares to the sweet voices of children singing at Christmas! This morning Reid's class performed at his preschool's program. Each class sang a song about the birth of Jesus with an artistic prop they designed, and Reid's class performed "Bells Are Ringing." The lighting in the chapel was a little dark, so Reid re-enacted the hit performance in front of our Christmas tree at home with Grant in the audience. Enjoy!

A-Hunting We Will Go!

Since 1934, the nearby town of Palmer Lake has hosted a Yule Log Hunt. What's that, you ask? Well, it's a chance to gather with the other local townspeople, hike down the hill, and search around the snowy woods in hope that you find a log tied with a red ribbon. If you are the lucky searcher who spots the log first, you earn a chance to ride the log up the hill, sip the first cup of wassail after the hunt, and have bragging rights for a year. While no one in our search party could claim victory (a 10-year-old boy found the log), we certainly enjoyed the afternoon filled with holiday spirit, great laughs, small-town charm & Christmas traditions. 

Over the river & through the woods...

About 200+ people took part

in the Yule Log Hunt festivities.

 The Fellas

Scott & the boys with our friend Peter

 The Ladies - Julia & Jami

We weren't kidding about the trek

out into the forest to look for the log!

Scott helps the boys down the hill.

 We were close to where

they found the yule log. The men

dusted off the snow and hoisted

it out of the ditch.

 Hauling the yule log up the hill

required human power. 

Everyone took a turn pulling...

even dads and babies.

Thanks to our friends Julia & Peter

for joining us on this adventure!

Let It Snow!

 Frosty trees. Beautiful morning.

 Our view toward the mountains, 

only this morning they were covered by fog.

 "Hey, little bro, I'll pull you!"

Grant enjoys a sledding expedition

in our driveway.

 The Reindeer                      Santa Grant

Wheeeeeeeee!

Do U Snowshoe?

In the winter, the amount of time between school dismissal and sundown is about 90 minutes. Better use your time wisely after school, kids!

And we did just that today after school. We picked Luke up from school, raced home, bundled up, loaded the snowshoes & baby backpack, and drove the 7-minute trek over to Fox Run Park. We only have one pair of kiddo snowshoes (maybe Santa will bring us another pair!) so the boys took turns wearing the snowshoes. Luke and Reid spent much of their time running on the trail, picking up sticks to use as light sabers, throwing snowballs, making snow angels, you name it. Grant was happy as could be watching it all from his perch on Mom's back. Moments like these are the true treasures of motherhood.

 Here we go!

 Reid has never snowshoed before, but he

picked it right up and was off and running...

literally. He had a blast!

 This is our "show your snowshoes" pose!

 The Tree Hugger & His Sidekick

 RUN!!

 "Mom, don't look now, but I think someone

is sneaking up behind us..."

 It didn't take long before a stick 

transformed into a light saber!

 Frosty has fallen...

Party Pic

During the fraternity and sorority days of college, we used to take a lot of party pics. Today the social occasions are usually few and far between, and the themes of "Barn Party" and "Winter Formal" are long behind us. But every once in a while we find a reason for a good ol' fashioned party pic ... like the RT Logic Holiday Casino Night!

It's beginning to look...

... a lot like CHRISTMAS! 

This year, we decided to boost up our holiday spirit and glad tidings and go for a live Christmas tree! We'd heard rave reviews about a Christmas tree lot (behind the Taco Bell and Starbucks in Monument ... gotta love small town directions!) What fun to peruse the trees and select the perfect pine!

 The Tree Selection Committee

Very Merry

 Redefining Jolly

 Have you seen my pals

Dasher, Dancer & Prancer?

 Just because you are little

doesn't mean you can't put those

ornaments on the top of the tree!