Christmas Time Is Here!!!

Wow, what a whirlwind of a Christmas holiday we had.....it was a great one though and we enjoyed every ounce of the celebration!  It all started last Saturday with the "Shroyer Cousin" gift exchange.  One thing I love, is that my boys love their cousins so much....each and everyone they love, so family get together's are always fun.  We had our traditional ham & cheese sandwiches that Brenton's mom makes and we all loved them.  Well, except for Colin and that's just because his diet doesn't allow it....so, he got his favorite of McD's "enchie ies" (french fries)!  After everyone got their bellies full, it was time for presents.....oh man, were the kids excited!  We always start with the youngest and work our way to the oldest, so each an every child gets a chance to open their gifts and we all get to see.  My boys made out this year and they each got gifts that they absolutely loved.....Ethan got clothes from Old Navy and a "big" Batman from Kayla & Dylan and Colin got a keyboard & Thomas books.  Ethan hasn't stopped playing with his batman and Colin, is enjoying making music...LOL!  (pictures are in the link below from our Christmas season)

On Monday evening, Brenton and I had to make our last trip to see Santa, but this time....we had to go to the North Pole to get the final say from Santa on how good they were.....Or, atleast that's what Ethan thought, b/c Daddy & Mommy had lots to get done before Santa's arrival that Tuesday.  The boys stayed with my parents and we prepared until we were exhausted and pretty much fell into bed that night!  Christmas Eve came quickly and we both had to work until noon, so after work when we got home we found a package from Chippey and noticed that Chippey left a letter.....Chippey was leaving us that night, so he wanted to make sure we were prepared for Christmas Day with the "Real Reason for the Season"...he left us a book explaining it, coloring pages, and a care package w/ a letter on top.  Daddy read the letter and as Ethan went through their box he got so excited......Santa gave him permission to say goodbye to Chippey, so he got to hug & kiss him....Colin, was not interested at all, so he said "goodbye, see a ater" and with that Elf Season, came to an end!  We had a great time with Chippey this year, but it was time to leave him and head to Grandma's for the evening.  Once we got there, we waited until everyone else arrived and when we all were together we enjoyed our traditional dinner of lasagna, salad, bread, and cookies. Dinner was delicious and right after, Grandma & Grandpa got to open their presents from the kids and Ethan was so excited to give him the gifts that he chose for them at his school's Santa's Workshop store.  It was so cute, he has the biggest heart and loves to give gifts!  The kids then had the chance to tear open wrapping paper and see what G&G got each of them....let me just say, they each got some pretty neat things!  Ethan got Transformer pillow pals (aka: his kids), a Transformer game for his Wii, Batman movie collection, and some yummy treats.  Colin, got some Crayola gifts to help him learn, some yummy treats that he likes, a hammer and nail set, tool kit, and his favorite gift of a plush turtle that lights up and makes sounds!  It was so cute watching him w/ that thing, he absolutely loved it!  Shortly after Grandma read "The Night Before Christmas" to the kids it was time to head home and get ready for Santa.
Once we got home, we threw out the Reindeer Food, set out Santa's Key, the cookies & milk for the Big Guy, brushed our teeth, and then it was time for bed!  Colin, was out when we walked in the door, so needles to say he wasn't into all the traditional festivities for the big guy, but Ethan took the reigns and made sure everything was done.  He loves Christmas and waited for what he said a "long time" for the day to arrive, he was so excited to get stuff out and head to bed, so Christmas morning would get here!  Well, once it was quiet and everyone was down off to work the little elves went and boy, it was a close call too.....Daddy had to run upstairs, b/c a curious little boy was just making sure everyone was in bed!  Holy Cannoli that was so close I had to go upstairs, play it off, make Daddy a bed on the floor with Ethan, and once the coast was clear I let the elves know we could let Santa know it was ok to come to our house. ;)  The night went quick and the morning was amongst us, but nobody was moving....the night before proved to be a good time and we all were exhausted!  However, around 7:30 it dawned on Ethan what day it was and he was off running down the stairs and that's when I heard it....."WOW, look Santa came"!  Daddy and Colin were slow pokes, but eventually here they came and it was time to start opening the presents.....Ethan was ripping and tearing open his gifts and Colin, was more about 1 at a time, taking a break, and coming back for more....so, our morning was a slow process, but boy was it fun!  I loved watching the enjoyment out of my boys and all that hard work paid off.....I absolutely LOVE Christmas and this year, was the best one yet!  Colin enjoyed it this year and we really enjoyed watching him!

Our final stop for the Christmas season was heading to my parents to enjoy Christmas Day with them....the boys were so excited to get there, as was I!  There's just something about taking your kids home to be with your parents and I love each and every time we do it, but Christmas is very special!  The boys, of course, made out like bandits and each got the new Samsung Galaxy tablet, cases, and gift cards from their aunts & uncles.  We enjoyed brunch together, watching the kids have a great time, drinking coffee, and then later in the day our tradition is Mexican food.....so, Mom makes her taco salad and taco's and it hits the spot...different, yes...but, perfect!  I dread the taco time, because that means the day is just about over!!! Not sure about anyone else, but it feels like you prepare for Christmas Day for so long and once it gets there, it goes by so quickly!  However, this year we embraced each and every moment.....it was fantastic and honestly, it's now Sunday the 29th and we are still enjoying it.  The weather has been crazy here, 50 degrees, so we got the boys outside to play and ride their new toys.  Ethan got an electric scooter & Colin got a new big wheel....what fun it's been watching them learn to ride their new toys!  Its been a fun week, sad it's coming to a close, but truly I'm ready for 2014! I do get another week and a half off with my family, so I still have lots planned to ring in the New Year, but I sure hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a great time celebrating the New Year, as well!

Our Christmas Memories

Embrace the Uniqueness!!!

I know I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of preschool....it's not that I don't like the teachers, school, curriculum, or anything of that nature....it's the fact, that kids are being forced to grow up quicker than they should!  Now, I know this is a great way to prepare for school and all of that, but it still gets to me.  One thing that has made it easier for me to deal with, is the fact, that Colin absolutely loves it.  He's doing so well and changing so much thanks to Miss Angie & Miss Rose!  This week, he has his Christmas fun going on and yesterday was his preschool concert!  I wasn't quite sure what to expect, knowing that he's not into that sort of thing, but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised!  I waited patiently in the pew (wishing his daddy could've made it) and then I heard the little guys starting to sing.  As I turned my head toward the singing, there they were walking down the aisle!  In the arms of Miss Angie was my little guy, burying his head into her shoulder, so I waited (b/c she asked me to sit upfront in case he didn't like it) and with a few looks I got the cue to head to the back.....however, on my way back, I turn around and there he was up on stage w/ Miss Elizabeth.  He wanted to stay up there!  So, Miss Elizabeth (the school administrator) stayed there with him, while they sang, and w/ his head buried in her shoulder!  I was so proud of him for not crying, screaming, having a tantrum in any way....instead, he stayed up there, shy of course, but hey he did it!  The most amazing feeling came over me while I watched....yes, my son was the only child not singing and yes as the lady behind me said, "Oh, that's the autistic boy" not knowing that I was  his mama....I just smiled and thought, "I'm so proud of you buddy" what an accomplishment!  It was that moment when it hit me, after I heard the comment, "oh, that's what this feels like"...but you know, I didn't get upset over it...instead, I took a deep breath and waited as Miss Elizabeth brought him back to me after the performance!  I know, I see it, that Colin is not your typical 4 year old and in moments like yesterday, when all the other kids had their reindeer ears on and singing their songs it's very apparent, he's different, has his quirks, and certainly very shy; however, at the end of the day....he's still a 4 year old little boy that I love dearly!!!  When we walked out of the school, hand and hand, it was that moment that meant the most....his heart is huge, his smile is the best, and his kisses melt me!  This little boy is our blessing and during this season, he helps us to remember that it's not about having the "perfect" child singing cute little songs, but rather embracing the uniqueness that each child brings to a "performance" that completes it.....in our situation, it's about that little boy that had his head buried in the shoulder of the ladies that are helping to mold him into the little boy that he wants to be!  And, to that, as Colin would say....YIPPEE!!

not sure what it is, but I'm told Colin made it just for us

This is a little add on to this post, but I wanted to keep it all together....Anyway, today, is Colin's last day before Christmas break and he is having a PJ party, book exchange, and having a "special" visitor.    I'm so proud of this little boy....what a great year its been, thus far!  He has conquered so much and as his mama, I've seen and see such huge changes....I love that he loves his school and proud that he is accomplishing all that he is!  The past week he's been saying "see 'ose" (see Rose)...Miss Rose, is Miss Angie's helper in his class and he adores her and Miss Angie, too!  I can't say it enough, but God heard my prayer and blessed us with great ladies that adore him, too!  They really are the best & we are so thankful for them!!!

12/18/13 PJ Party Day

Week in Review ;)

Holy Cannoli, last week and last weekend went so fast that I'm having a hard time remembering all that we did.  It's crazy how busy life gets right before the Christmas holiday, but I'm learning to take one moment at a time, because I tend to get crazy knowing all the stuff that is on the agenda....It's amazing how much more I enjoy each event, now that Colin has taught me to embrace the moment and to not have any expectations.  As I blogged earlier, Tuesday night w/ Ethan's Christmas concert started the whirlwind couple of weeks!  Then Friday, it was Brenton's Christmas party and that, was a very fun evening w/ his co-workers!  There was a really funny christian comedian, good food, and fun that helped us enjoy the evening at the party.  Our boys stayed overnight w/ Brenton's parents and I was thrilled that the boys were having so much fun and didn't even ask about us!  Now, that's huge, because Ethan hasn't stayed anywhere for quite some time.  Colin, heck, pack his bag and he's gone w/o any hesitations...LOL!  So when we got home, we were concerned that the weather would hold us back, b/c it was supposed to snow overnight, but we woke up and it was fine; however, wouldn't you know it started as we sat eating breakfast....we kept trekking though and just took our time throughout the entire day.  I was pleased that we conquered so much and got everything done....Santa said he is ready and so are we!  Now, just need to wait it out for another week to see what all he brings!  We had fun picking out our new ornaments for the tree, shopped till we dropped, had a nice lunch together, but we were so excited to get back to our boys.  Would you believe when we got there, as excited as we were, they wanted nothing to do with us....LOL!  However, inside I was pleased....that was huge step for Ethan and now I think he realizes it's not so bad staying away from home! 

Ace Hardware@ G&G Shroyer's

2013 Christmas Ornaments

Chippey left some goodies & his very own cocoa

he thought it was super cool!!!

Another thing that took place this weekend....Jamisyn's birthday party!  Hard to believe she is going to be 10 on the 19th....where in the world did the little girl go?  She had a great party and enjoyed her new iPod from all of us.

making her wish

Aunt Clorissa made her Happy, Happy, Happy w/ this creation

We've been here for 6 months & I'm so glad that we found a church home & family that we love.  It feels so good to be back at our roots in a Methodist church...I mean, that's where it all began for Brenton and I was at the Sugarcreek Methodist Church & now 21 years later having our boys at our church, feels pretty neat!  Ethan had his Christmas program last night.  We gathered at the church at 6, had dinner w/ our fellow church folks, and we met new families, as well.  We had a great time chatting and enjoying their fellowship!!!  A little before 7, we headed upstairs to watch the children do the "ABC's of Christmas" and Ethan did great....he had R and R is for the Redeemer.  He was so proud and we were proud of him!

ready to head to church

R is for the Redeemer

presenting his letter

showing his artistic ability for the letter R

singing his heart out

A Christmas Moment!!!

Last night, Ethan had his very 1st Christmas concert!  How cute it is to see all the kids dress up and sing the songs they've been practicing for a little over a month now.  I was so excited to see him perform...not sure why, but I couldn't wait to be able to do things like this and last night it was here!  Now, I have to admit, I can't believe we are here....1st grade, really????  Where in the world did time go?  I sat and watched him, as he sat patiently waiting to take the stage, with his classmates that were on the other side of the gym from where I sat.  I had a great view and it was weird, because as I sat there it hit me that I don't have 100% control anymore.  I watched him moving around, chatting with his friends, then saw him w/ 3 girls, but I watched 1 in particular make her way up to be right beside him!  There, at that moment, it was made known that I'm no longer going to be the "only" girl in his life!!! UGH!!!!  It's sweet to watch, don't get me wrong, but I'm just shocked that this is now our life.....again I ask, where did the time go???  As I gazed across the gym, I hear "and now here's our 1st graders" and with that it was showtime!!!  He, they, all the 1st graders did so good.....all their hard work paid off!   I know, I have several more years with my boys, but I just can't help the feelings I feel when the realization that they are growing up hit me right smack in the face!  As time passes and events happen, I sure do love these moments; even though, they only last for a brief moment!

ready for his concert

Showtime!!!

Oh Christmas Tree...

The Secret Ingredient....LOVE!!!

This past weekend we had decided to make it a low key one, sort've just let it take us where it wanted, I guess...we were exhausted from running and just needed some time to ourselves, as a family.  There were things going on, but nothing that was a "had to"!  Saturday evening we wanted to go to the  "Christmas on the Square" and I wanted to go so bad and thought about it all week;  however, when the time came Colin was a bear, so I told Brenton I'd stay back with him while him and Ethan headed down.  From what I heard, it was the neatest celebration of Christmas and such a small town feel that my husband was so excited to come home and tell me!  It's amazing how different my husband is, now that we are in Gnaden, he absolutely loves being here and the Christmas celebration was another reminder as to why he wanted this house & this community for us to call home!  Unfortunately though, his mood drastically changed, because Ohio State lost the Big 10 Championship game later that night!!! hahaha...boy was he ticked!!!  I went to bed, the boys went to bed, but I could hear him downstairs drowning in his sorrows....LOL!!!  Anyway, all was well Sunday morning as my big guys headed off to church and I stayed back and fixed brunch for everyone....Colin and I had a fun morning while they were gone, he has really become my boy, and I absolutely love our time together!  I'm trying to do all the things I'm being told to do, but I also am enjoying watching him be the little boy he wants to be!  After napping and watching Christmas shows, I started getting our "cookie center" all set up and ready for some baking!  Now, I am NOT a full blown baker....to me, making everything from scratch is too long, too many steps, and just plain crazy!  I like to do things the "semi-homemade" way and I adore Sandra Lee's way of doing things!  I took to her several years back and from that point, I found how I like to cook, bake, etc!!!  I'm also, all about tradition, so I leave the measuring to Betty Crocker, but the mixing we get to enjoy and create memories during the process.  My sister on the other hand, all about "from scratch" and her cookies & cakes are the bomb....I wasn't given that gene, so "semi-homemade" is how I roll....BUT, we still have a lot of fun and creating those moments that I hope my boys will remember for a lifetime!!!

Unfortunately, by the time the cookies were done baking, my boys were ready to move on to something else....their interest in decorating them was not there!  So I let them cool, put in a container, and was waiting for the perfect time to decorate.  That time fell right in my lap yesterday...due to the weather, school was cancelled and making pretty cookies was on the list!  I sure hope Santa likes his treats and now I can cross baking off the list!  Still have a few more things to get done w/ the boys though, just hope it all can happen, because these next few weeks are turning out to be pretty crazy as each day unfolds with scheduled events!  Anyway, our cookies turned out great and the boys had fun! 

our "Journey" continues...

Well, the day finally came and is now behind us!  The day I was dreading yet again, only because I knew what was going to happen.....it was a day, I hoped would've happened a month earlier, but didn't and here we were again heading back to Akron Children's Hospital!  I woke up that morning about 3 am, a nervous wreck, but making sure we had everything we needed for the morning commute.  The weather wasn't in our favor, as I stood looking out the window and hearing the pelting of sleet on the kitchen window I knew it was going to be a "great" day!  LOL!!! It's funny how in those moments, the quiet moments, when nothing is happening around here except for my mind racing in anticipation of getting results!  I made some breakfast, got some coffee, and sat down in front of the TV to watch a little of the ID channel.....then around 5:15 or so, I get a phone call from the school and sure enough the weather had made it known that it was getting worse outside, b/c the superintendent left a message stating there would be no school.  Well shoot, but that thought was quickly gone, b/c why wouldn't Ethan go along with us.  I mean, everything we do is family oriented and being there with us, to be support for his brother, was the perfect thing to do!  We loaded up the car about 6:20 and off we were to the hospital!

After getting there, it was clear this time was going to be different, b/c Colin was fine!  There was no crying, screaming, or anxiety over anything....instead, he grabbed his Daddy's hand and off we went!  After registration, we were off to 4th floor sedation and there we sat for a little while until it was time.  I took Ethan out of the room, so he didn't have to see Colin upset, and we went to the gift shop!  While looking for a special gift for Colin, and of course something for Ethan, I get a text that said "they got it in 1 try"!!!!  YAY, the IV wasn't a failure this time and that's when I knew we'd get results!  This is the 1st step we need, so we can move forward, and get everything we need for Colin to get a diagnosis.  Overall, the process took about 3 hours from start to finish, but after it was done we got the results of "he hears just fine" and "I see nothing wrong"!  Wow, really, b/c we thought for sure they'd find something in his left ear, since that's the one he holds, but it turns out there is nothing wrong.  After hearing the news, that made a few things perfectly clear to me, and now I have a calming feeling about what answers still lie ahead of us!  As the nurses were preparing us for his discharge, I had a few questions about upstairs, and they were able to help me.  I felt as if they were afraid to say anything about what seems to be inevitable, but in their kindness, they made sure to make us feel like we were in good hands then and when we return to take further testing just 1 floor above where we stood!  As I was putting on his jacket, I softly kissed his sweet face and said, "doesn't matter whatever the diagnosis is, b/c we love you buddy and this journey, our journey, we'll take every step together" and once I picked him up to leave, I turned around and their was his nurse, whom I didn't know was there and her words were to me, "that's a wonderful way to look it, b/c you sure do have a sweet boy"!!!!!

With that, we were lead down a few different hallways, to the elevator, then out the way we came.....all while a mock fire alarm drill was going off!  LOL!!!  Once we got to the main hallway, there he was....the Big Man in the Red Suit!  You know Santa Claus...yep, it was him and Mrs. Claus and they were coming in to hand out candy canes to the kids!  Ethan, was so excited and stood motionless while Santa talked with him....Colin, didn't really care for Santa, but loved the candy cane Mrs. Claus gave to him.  It was perfect and a perfect way to end our visit, b/c that morning Chippey dropped off their current "Nice" list notices and then getting to see Santa, man it was a magical day all around!  I stood in awe, just smiling...being there, in that hospital, helps to make you realize how blessed you really are!  I don't know everything that lies ahead of us, but one thing I do know, we truly are blessed and the battle we have to face, is absolutely nothing compared to some we saw!  God is good and  I'm truly grateful for the "journey" he has us on!!!!

he loved having breakfast in the cafeteria w/ all the Dr's

our little Champ....only took 1 shot this time for the IV

waiting for the test to start....out like a light!

then it was time

while we waited, he wanted to see what the 8th floor was like

YAY for Santa and Mrs. Claus

heading home

official notices were hand delivered!

Holiday Traditions

What a fun and memorable Thanksgiving we had this year.....I absolutely love when the holiday's come around and I really enjoy that we have chosen to be home for Thanksgiving again.  Since we don't go to Florida during November, we get the chance to make the most out of the "thankful" holiday and for the 2nd year in a row, we made more out of it.  Our "thankful" tree is started November 1st, so we have Ethan write something that he is thankful for each day and then we hang it on the tree.  It is so fun to listen to his choices and to watch the tree bloom with various fall colored leaves that I cut out from my scrapbooking materials.  I was really proud of him, because it wasn't that he was thankful for his toys or things like that, but things like God, his family, his grandparents, cousins, aunts/uncles....he really thought about each and every leaf.  So, Thanksgiving Day was his last leaf and he was thankful for "turkey" that day and I can say, so was I.  LOL!!  We went to my parents, since Brenton's parents go to Florida each year, and we had a great day!  Of course the day was filled with a ton of food, coffee, and relaxation...but, my sister Clorissa and I got some crafts for the kids to do and we decided on "keepsake" ornaments and snowflakes!  The kids had fun, I had fun listening to their answers they wrote down for the questions that were asked....it'll be fun looking back on those one day!  I love things like that, but most of all, I love traditions.

sure am "thankful" for my "turkey's" 

completed "Thankful" tree

so thankful for these kiddo's 

making his ornament

making memories

One of our "new" traditions we started with the boys last year, was taking them to their favorite water park....CoCo Key!  We love that place and usually go in January & March, but last year we went right after Thanksgiving and had a great time, so we decided to carry on that and make it a tradition each year...The boys had fun!  Brenton's brother and his family joined us for the evening on Friday and it was so neat watching the boys play.....for the 1st time, Colin joined the group and I smiled as I watched Ethan, Dylan, AND Colin go up and down the steps to get to the slide!  What a fun night!!

Sometime during the night, Chippey (our Elf) made his "snow" entrance to our room and left the boys some goodies and a note stating "I'm Back"!!!!  So, we all woke up to a nice surprise and that starts Elf season....I am so looking forward to seeing what Chippey has in store this year?!  Oh, for those of you that follow this blog probably realize our Elf name changed and yes, you are correct!  Ethan and Colin, both love the movie An Elf's Story and it's based on The Elf on the Shelf, so "Chippey" is the Elf in the movie and we had to write Santa to see if it would be ok to give "Brutus" a first name of Chippey? Once we got the ok....our Elf got a new name Chippey Brutus the Elf!  It has a nice ring to it, don't ya think!!! =)

our Thanksgiving tradition

Chippey came to visit us at the hotel

left a letter, too

the boys loved these "Elf" canes that Chippey made

After high school when Brenton and I were dating we had decided to start a tradition with Christmas ornaments.  That year, we were talking about marriage, and knew we'd have many years to collect them.  So from that time, we bought a meaningful ornament that represented that year and then on Christmas Eve we gave it as a gift.  I remember telling him that one day I wanted to have a full size Christmas tree with nothing but those ornaments, so that each year we could be thankful for all the memories we created together!  Well, this year, I'm happy to say we achieved it!  I teared up when we put our tree up on Saturday, because each one brought back many memories of our lives and now that we have 2 boys, their yearly ornaments are hanging too. It was really a great night!!!  Brenton made the comment as we stood back to look at the finished tree, "This is the best tree, yet" and I have to say I agree 100%.

Oh' Christmas Tree

he was so intrigued

come on Santa...dance & sing

The boys had fun putting up the train this year....Christmas is going to be so fun at our new house....we are finally where we were meant to be!

Choo-Choo

of course the Superheroes have to take part

Our Luck Changed....

The past couple of years has played a key role in my relationship with my husband.....knowing there is something beyond us that has entered our life and knowing there are more people that are needed to help, has really taken a toll!  However, we discovered very early on, that we needed to make sure to not lose track of each other along the way and let me tell you....we've tried our hardest to make sure to always have each other first!  I love knowing that our love goes pretty deep and even though it's not perfect, it's a great feeling knowing that I have such a great support system that I get to lay down next to every night!  I love him dearly and can't imagine my life without him.....believe me, I've tried it and I didn't get very far!  LOL!!!  We've been having "dates" and enjoying time together without the boys, for awhile now, since they are willing and able to go to people's houses and lately it seems to be happening a bit more....which has been nice!  Anyway, we tried last month to go to the OSU/Wisconsin game, but Ethan had his own football stuff going on and we couldn't make it....so, we figured getting down to a game probably wouldn't be happening this year!  Our luck changed last week though, when we got the opportunity to have tickets to the OSU/Indiana game and we jumped on it!  We had the best day Saturday...it was freezing cold, but it was perfect football weather!  We made new memories this time and just had a great day....so very glad it worked out to be able to be at the game!  Here are some pics from our fun!!!

pre-game Freeze

he was in his glory

we were so close to Brutus!!!

even closer to TBDBITL

we were right there cheering them on as they headed into the skull session

there they are right in front of us

I mean really, so close I got to touch them

the atmosphere was crazy (sorry for the sun)

we ran to the other side to greet them on their way to the locker room.....I gave 5 to Urban, the team, and staff....too fricken cool =)

running into Kylie was the best...I was hoping to see her!

freezing our butts off, but we're at the Shoe!!