Christmas Eve 2008

This year was one of the best Christmas eves I can remember! We had a delicious dinner with lots of family visiting and did our usual dressing up in nativity costumes. 

It just felt wonderful to be surrounded by so many people I love!

My mom and Dad were here, my two college age siblings (not pictured), my sister Maryjane and her husband, Rich and their kids and her friend, Kathy.

I think this is the fifth year in a row that Olivia was Mary. The youngest always seems to get their way and the oldest are too cool to care. 

A little Crawford Craziness thrown in. Tess is texting~ha ha!

We always open one present on Christmas eve and Tess chose one from Grandma Rain that was the classic surprise snake that pops out of the can! It totally scared her. Luckily there was a $20 bill in the bottom!

Rustin and his favorite present! He is a big OFFICE fan!

Chloe got a massage chair pad from Olivia and used it that night!

Olivia got an awesome game from Tess that she had seen when they were shopping together. Tess remembered and got it for her and Olivia was excited!

We have a tradition that started in my home as a kid, we all slept in the same room. This year they decided to sleep in Tess's room downstairs. 

All snuggled in their beds!

Olivia authored him a note in hopes that he might be extra generous!

Happy Birthday Olivia!

Nine years ago today the youngest Crawford, Olivia Jane, was born into our family.

She came three weeks early on a night that was so busy she was born in the triage room at the hospital.

 She was a mere 5 pounds 13 ounces but was full of life!

One month old Olivia. Still so tiny!

A few months later she is getting the classic "Koski Cheeks" 

Eating all that rice cereal helped!

Our brown eyed girl getting her first hair cut at about 1 and 1/2 years old!

Good morning 9 year-old birthday girl!

The one thing she didn't get for Christmas that she really wanted, an American Girl Doll that looks like her. Olivia named her Zoe and took her everywhere today. 

She even counted her freckles and she has 45. I counted Olivia's and she has 50. 

Pretty good match I'd say!!

A great Crawford tradition, breakfast in bed for the birthday girl!

French toast, complete with peanut butter AND syrup! 

Don't knock it till you try it!

Yummers!

After playing all morning with her cousins and her friend Olivia, her uncle Bill jumped in the freezing cold pool (55 degrees) and Olivia and others soon followed.

You can tell it's a wee bit cold!

After she warmed up we headed out with Chloe and cousins, Karianne and Kjerstin to see "Marley and Me" and cried our eyes out 

(we can't help it, we are dog lovers)

and then met more cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents at Joe's Real BBQ for a super yummy dinner!

The big kid cousin table, Alex, Steven and Karianne

Olivia got her usual meal, mac and cheese and orange cream soda in a bottle.

She got a big piece of lemon cake because it was her birthday and the whole restaurant sang her happy birthday (half of them were related to her!) She is currently finishing off her big day with a dip in grandma and grandpa's hot tub! 

What a great day and what an amazing person that Olivia is!

She is LOVED!!!

Christmas Memories

One of the best part of Christmas is going to see the kids perform in plays and concerts. This year we had three fun events. Olivia and all the third graders put on a musical rendition of 

"T'was the Night Before Christmas." 

Olivia talked for weeks about the program and the songs and was very much looking forward to her time in the spotlight!

She even got to sing a solo! 

She did a great job!!!

They all wore their jammies and some wore hats and they all sang about Christmas and Santa Claus and everything.

 No political correctness here folks :)

Love that musical little elf!

Here she is with her buddies, Eden and Katie after the show

Chloe plays the VIOLIN and had an orchestra concert.

She has only been playing since September and is doing great!!

These pictures are terrible (she is the blurry one to the left) but it sounded fantastic!

I had a hard time catching her looking forward and I had to try and take pictures through the crowd. I was too much of a space cadet to remember to take pictures after!

Rustin had a band concert where he played the trumpet and the french horn (for the first time in a concert) It was so fun to see him try something new! Way to go Rustin!

He did great and I didn't even get any photos of the concert (I was about a mile away from him)

In this picture he is wearing a giant Santa hat that is supposed to go on the back of a chair! What a goofball!

Christmas Photo Shoot

After 4 years of procrastinating we finally got our pictures taken! 

Here they are...

By far my favorite shot of the whole day!

(Remember you can click on any picture to blow it up and get a better look)

I think my weeks of looking for the perfect brown and cream sweaters totally paid off! 

I'm laughing pretty hard in this picture because Scott was asking Russ and I to think of the worst thing we've ever done together that the kids don't know about!

This one was very hard to take and we were practically slipping off the rock the whole time. Too bad we look like a giant octopus with all those legs!

Rustin Clark- 13 years old

Tess Lorraine- 15 years old

Olivia Jane- 9 years old (in 10 days)

Chloe Jean- 11 years old

How did I get so lucky to have such darling kids?

I love how carefree and happy  they all look in this one!

GIRLS ONLY!! 

Chloe, Olivia, Sarah and Tess

Rustin William and Rustin Clark

Anyone who is looking for a photographer to take family pictures should call our friend Scott Gastony! He is a professional photographer and you can tell because he made a potentially nightmarish event (I dread getting family pictures taken, can you tell?) into a fun family memory! He was so funny and good with the kids that we got some amazing smiles. He also chose this perfect arizona location for the pictures and I love the way they turned out!!! 

Thanks a million Scott!