Merry Christmas!

Preschool Party Video

Preschool Christmas Party...

We had Connor's Christmas party at school the other day. The kids sang us the songs they've been learning in music and then opened their book exchange gifts from each other.

After the book exchange, they said their prayers...

and then we ate! Connor's favorite part!

and then the sugar kicked in...



Andrew can't wait until next year when he goes to school! It looks like so much fun!!

The Christmas Tree...

Getting our Christmas tree last year was such a fun event. We've been visiting the same Christmas tree lot at the American Legion run by the boy scouts for three or four years now. It's always such a nice time because the boy scouts serve hot chocolate and chat with everyone. They also do all the loading and tying down of the Christmas tree which is a nice bonus.

This year we were so excited to do it again because the boys are older and we were hoping they would get into the spirit just as much as us!

We went back to the American Legion's lot but they were closed. So we reluctantly went to another lot downtown that we knew would be open. (We didn't want to break tradition!)

Connor ran and ran and ran, zig zagging through all of the trees. THAT was interesting. The Christmas tree lot was right on Main Street. Keith caught him and picked him up and tried to distract him by looking for our Christmas tree. He wasn't interested.

Andrew was looking longingly at Main Street, planning his escape.

"Our" lot was closed, the boys weren't into it, we weren't into it so we just decided to do it another night.

They weren't happy about that either.

We went back the following weekend but that didn't work out either. So, we tried a third and final time. We made it to the American Legion lot but instead of boy scouts with hot chocolate there were grown men with beers. We only had time for one picture and unfortunately no one offered to take a family photo for us so Keith was left out. We tried to make everything as quick as possible because the boys just wanted to run around the lot (where the grown men with beers had a huge fire pit that was shooting hot embers within a fifteen foot radius!)

Take note of the firm grip I have on them!

All in all, even though the experience wasn't the best we've had, we definitely got the best tree on the lot (at a discount...I think because of all the beer that was flowing!)

Pirates, Arrrr....

Just Chillin...

Piano Men...

School Pictures...

The first two were taken in September when the Sheriff visited. The next two were taken at the Pumpkin Patch in October. I've learned he's quite the popular kid in his class. All the Mom's know him by name, as do the kids. We always ask him about the other kids in his class but he just shrugs off our questions as if he's too cool to talk about it. If you look at the October pictures, you can definitely see his coolness. And he knows it too!

The Car Seat...

The rule for turning the car seat around used to be one year old and twenty pounds. They say to leave the baby rear facing for as long as possible now because it's just plain safer. We made it to fourteen months and twenty seven pounds with Andrew. His feet were hitting the back of the seat and it just wasn't comfortable for him anymore.

We think he likes it!

Actually he was excited about the wind that was coming in from my window. He LOVED it and had us laughing the whole way home!!

Lumberjack...

The Wagon...

This gift has definitely gotten it's money worth. Connor was seven months old when it was given to us and it's still going strong!

Speaking of Appendectomy's...

Last weekend was an interesting one. Keith had stomach pains starting Thursday night. It got pretty bad Friday night but he had a test for work on Saturday and he wanted to make it through that. He finally decided to go to the Emergency Room Saturday afternoon. Steph and Carl came down to watch the boys and I drove us up to the hospital. By 2:30pm the Doctor was pretty sure it was appendicitis but they needed to do a CT scan to be sure. After drinking the appropriate liquid and waiting the appropriate hour and half, they took him down to get the scan. It came back positive that he had appendicitis.

I went home to help put the boys to bed and went back to the hospital for the surgery. He was taken in around 10pm and in recovery by 10:30pm. Apparently, it was on the verge of bursting which would've been much worse with a longer recuperation time, so it was good we got in when we did. I finally got to see him in his room around midnight. He was groggy and tired but asked me to take a picture. I looked at him like he was crazy but took a couple anyway. Here they are!

We giggle every time we see them. You can too. It's ok.

Keith got out of the hospital Sunday morning and all was right in the world of the MacMillans....until Wednesday.

The emergency room was filled with people with H1N1. We haven't gotten our shots yet so I was nervous about either of us getting it and giving it to the boys. Wednesday morning Keith was supposed to go back to work but instead woke up sick. The boys had already been battling colds and ear infections so we didn't know if he had gotten something from them or from the hospital. Keith went to the clinic and they tested him for H1N1. It came back negative but because he was exhibiting a few symptoms of it he was diagnosed with it and given Tamiflu. I am Clorox-wiping EVERYTHING and washing every one's hands numerous times a day.

Keith is now feeling a little better. Connor is better and Andrew is at the tail end of it. Maybe this week will be a better week!

Books...

The boys love their new Halloween books! They've been reading them all month!

Halloween...

We went to the pumpkin patch a little late this year because of everything we had going on (appendectomy's, H1N1, etc.) The boys had fun climbing all over the pumpkins.

This year we had Lightening McQueen from the movie Cars and Elmo. The boys had a blast. Connor made it around the whole neighborhood and was visibly sweating when he got back. Trick or treating is hard work!

Happy Halloween!!

At the Farm...