Merry Christmas

As I reflect on this past year, I remember all the wonderful blessings that we have received; we sold our house in Pittsburgh, Mark graduated from law school and passed the bar, we finalized Marcus and Addison's adoption and they were sealed to our family forever, we moved closer to my family in NC and Katie started (and loves) pre-school. We are doing well and are happy.

We are so very grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ and enjoy this season where we can celebrate His birth and reflect on the life that He led. It has been so much fun to read the Christmas story in our home and teach our children that Christmas is more then just Santa (although we enjoy him too.) We hope that all can feel His love and peace this holiday Season.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday's from the Sanofsky Family!

The Christmas tree

Since Mark and I have been married we have debated 'the real tree' vs 'the fake tree' for Christmas--luckily we have never really had to worry about it because we have never spent a holiday season at our home. Until now we have always put up our 3 ft fake tree at the beginning of Dec and then gone on our way when school got out to his parents house (with a fake tree) or my parents location (with a real tree).
Somewhere along the way, we stopped discussing it and Mark somehow won (that doesn't happen very often) and ordered a fake tree from Home Depot on Black Friday. Well 4 days later we get an email saying that our order is canceled due to the tree being out of stock. We were annoyed but somewhat understood that it had been a great deal and it was a crazy day. After talking to customer service they agreed to give us 15% off of our next tree. A few days later we order another tree online (after checking the stores and not loving what we saw), Mark had them check to make sure it was in stock...4 days later our order is canceled due to the tree not being in stock! This time they offer us 10% off (no not a total of 25% just 10%), Mark gets upset and the call ends badly. Meanwhile I am annoyed that it is mid-December and that we don't have our tree up AND that Sarah got a free real tree up at my parent's house during Thanksgiving. We are not sure what to do.
A couple hours later a manager calls Mark and says he is sorry for our trouble and that he put a gift card for $150 in the mail for us to go to the store and buy a tree. The store is pretty much cleaned out but they did have an unlit tree with pine cones and berries on it (it took me an hour to cut them all off) that I liked so we bought it along with some lights (all for free!!!), and brought it home.

And here it is...


Merry Christmas Home Depot

Cousins

My brother, Tripp, was in town last week with his family so we had a little gathering, and invited Sarah and family and my cousin Ashley and her two kids (both of her kids are just a couple months younger then Katie and the twins.)

Katie holding Will, Addy, Marcus, Jake, Miller, Bennet and Talia

It was a crazy time with 2-3 year olds; 2-2 year olds; 3- 1 year olds and an infant, but we had lots of fun!

Katie and her baby obsession continues with Sarah's little Will. The crazy little girl told me today that she wants a new baby next Christmas--I think she might just have to settle for a puppy.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Things have been getting a little Christmas'ee around our house. The kids got their first Christmas present--from Grammy--a Nativity and Christmas book to enjoy throughout the season.

Mark wanted me to post this picture so everyone could see how big Marcus' hands are. I can't wait until Marcus tells us he wants to be a writer or artist instead of a football player!

Katie had a ballet recital at the church Christmas party on Sat. Her little group was dressed up as angels. It was so cute to watch them try to remember the dance they had worked so hard at. I think it might have been one of the most adorable things I have ever seen.

Katie, Jazzie, Ella, and Kiki

Marcus has officially started walking. He was up and moving at the Christmas party--he thought he was a little older then he is, he would grab a roll from the table and then take off. I spent half my time looking for Marcus (the other half was looking for Addy, while Mark was looking for Marcus).

The kids with Santa--
Katie wants a doll house and Barbies--Santa told her to be a good girl

On Tuesday night it was all about Katie again. Her preschool did a Christmas program; Katie and her class sang a few songs. Katie was a little more nervous on this stage then she was during her dance, she loosened up by the third song.

Sorry it is so short--the camera memory was full so it shut off on me.

3 crazy kids

Princess Katie with her marshmallow castle--that she made in preschool

I had just cleaned up the playroom and I came back in to find Miss Addy with the dolls spread everywhere and she was sitting in their bed.

Enough said

All three of my kids are crazy!

Happy Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving we went up to my parents house in the mountains. It was so cold and I am very thankful that we live in a place that is a little warmer.

The kids are always in heaven when we go up there. They always have someone to play with.

Addy and Cooper

Gabby and Katie

We had to pull out the big coats for the first time this year.

Talia, Carson, Katie and Gabby

Katie has been wanting to climb a tree for a while, but I don't think she enjoyed it as much as she thought she would.

My little brother's football team was in playoffs so Saturday we went to watch him play.
They won!

Hannah and Flossie hanging out with us.
After the game we headed home. Katie was pretty upset to leave Johnny's game (and all the cousins and aunts and uncles). She was so proud to have his #60 on her face.

That we may have joy...

Life in our house has been a mix of craziness and sickness. Right now the sickness is gone and hopefully it doesn't come back, but the craziness is still here.

One funny Katie story...

I was driving back from Babies r Us with Katie where we had just seen triplets. I asked Katie how many babies she wanted to have when she got big. She said four, then asked "but how am I going to hold all of them?" I asked her if she wanted to have them one at a time; no, she wanted them all at the same time, so I told her that I would come help her. She said "OK, I will hold two and Daddy will hold two." (What!!!) "What about me?" I asked. "No" she said, "Daddy gets two." (Of course Mark will try to steal my grand kids.)

Here are some pictures of the little monsters last Sunday, Addy was having a hard time, so she was only in a few.


So we all know that Marcus is HUGE! But here is why... Mark made these ribs and they were so delicious,


so we gave Marcus a few...

And he ate them and and then some more AND then some more. He ate more then I did.

Marcus has taken a total of 4-5 steps at a time, and Addy says "more"--we hear it when we are eating something that she wants a bite of.

I have started taking Marcus and Addy to Story Time at the library while Katie is in school. They are so funny. They both sit on my lap (cling to my lap) and stare at all the other kids. At the very end of class the teacher will bring out the bubbles; Addy will get up to chase them, Marcus will get off my lap but the bubbles have to come to him, he won't go after them.

Happy Birthday Mark

I think Marcus is mad because he didn't get to wear a hat--we didn't have anymore)

We are both getting a little too old--28.

(although 28 yrs old and 3 kids is pretty good, right?)

Happy Halloween

The tiger

The bear

The angel


As per Halloween tradition Flossie and kids joined us yesterday for 'trick or treating'. Sarah and Talia also came with us.

Talia, Marcus, Addison, Katie and Cooper

Yes, Carson was there as well, and here is our proof

It started raining as we were getting ready to leave. The kids were dressed and ready to go, and the rain delay was not much fun. When it let up a little we decided it was now or never. Armed with umbrella's we took off. Luckily, the rain stopped within minutes of leaving.

Family photo

Caged tiger

A few houses in Marcus was getting annoyed at sitting in the stroller, but I couldn't carry my almost 30lb son anymore so I gave him a Butterfingers to play with. A little while later I realized that he had gotten the candy wrapper off and was sucking all the chocolate. I left him to it.

Partway Marcus and Addy had had enough so Mark brought them home, us girls stayed out with the older kids. Katie and Tali were pros at ringing the doorbells and saying "trick or treat", they even remembered "thank you". Carson was quick to join them.

Katie and her baby Cooper--she took care of him as much as Flossie would let her.

Pre-Halloween fun

The weekend before Halloween our church had a party and 'trunk or treat' (which is just that--the kids go from car truck to car truck and get candy). They had yummy treats and fun games. Katie got right into it, Addy just had fun walking around being cute and Marcus crawled around which made his costume so much more effective.

Talia-the princess, Addy the bear, Katie the angel and Marcus the tiger

Addy

Talia and Katie

For family night this week we carved pumpkins.

Scoping out the seeds--Katie would not touch them "because they were dirty", but she tried to help with her spoon.

Making the cut


Addy and Marcus colored while we did the pumpkins

*brag alert* Check out his shirt--I designed/made it.

The final result

Missin' Mark

So, we all got a little to used to having Mark around. We miss him when he is at work. Addy looks for him to come home. If I do something that Katie doesn't like she always says she "wants Daddy to come home." Marcus just says "Dada, Dada" all day, little stinker.

We are surviving amazingly well with just me, my job and three little monsters.

Here is a little of what we have been up to...

Katie is in preschool four days a week and loves every bit of it--she is learning so much. When she is home she is usually very happy and helpful. The other day she was playing with her babydolls and I overheard her praying. She said one of the longest prayers I had ever heard; thanking Heavenly Father for everything and blessing everyone. She does not pray like this when she says our family prayer. I had a proud mom moment.

Katie pushing Addy in her hippo walker

Addy is the cutest little thing ever. She is running all over the place. She loves to play "where's Addy?". She keeps poor Marcus awake during nap time talking (I would be surprised if they get more then an hour of sleep during the day). She in not afraid to throw a monster fit if someone takes a toy from her or does something she doesn't like. She can scream really loud. She still isn't talking regularly (or saying 'mama'), but we have heard 'cock a doddle do', 'Dada' and 'Jesus' come out of her month. My favorite thing about Addy is that she will climb on my lap and cuddle for endless amounts of time.

I am in love with Marcus--I mean who wouldn't be. He gets scared when we go into new places and it takes him a while to warm up. We were at Costco this week and someone came up to the twins and started talking to them. Marcus got his mean scared look on his face. He reached his hand out of the cart and took hold of mine and then turned back to the stranger and smiled. He likes to climb the stairs as fast as he can--he thinks he is escaping. He folds his arms when we pray--something that we never taught him. He has added more to his list of words and has taken one step.

Coming out of the box we brought down from Pittsburgh--this is their little playhouse. Who would have thought a dishwasher box would be so much fun. It will be a sad day when it is to beat up to continue.


Our life

Funny story, I went to Costco with all three of my kids this week. I picked Costco because their carts have double seats. I had it all planned out. I would park by a cart return, load up all the kids (Marcus and Addy in the front and Katie in the bucket or walking) and make my merry way into the store. But, of course it had to start raining, no pouring, on the way there. I thought about turning around, but we were all actually dressed so I pressed on. I parked as close as I could to the store and ran Katie and my purse to the front. I sat her on a cart and told her to scream if anyone tried to take her. I then went back for Addy and Marcus, and ran with both of them. I was drenched. When I got back Katie happily and loudly reported that no one had tried to take her. A lady nearby who had been watching the whole thing just started laughing.