best kept secrets

We are unwinding from Christmas & just thought it would be fun to sit down and write about some of the best kept secrets this Christmas.



First the easel that we brought home from Chicago for Isabella while she was in the car. It rode just behind her seat the entire way home without her finding out about it. We also bought one for my niece Makayla. They were both very happy with their gifts and loved drawing and pretending to teach school. Here they are practicing their names.









A fish tank from my cousin Steve and his wife Jane. A big surprise for mom and dad too! :) It came complete with week long feeders for when you go on vacation, decorative rocks, and a pump. The kids will have so much fun having a pet again. I think we can handle a few fish.

And the best surprise of all was one I am completely amazed I never leaked out. I'm not the best secret keeper....especially keeping them from Donovan. Let me explain...... a couple of weeks ago my cousin Jon called and asked if I had gotten anything for Donovan for Christmas yet. The amazing part was that the kids were packed in the car and I had my coat ready to go out the door to go and try to find him something that very day. Well Jon (my cousin) had a great idea to have me buy a ticket for the Capitol One Bowl game that is being played in Orlando, FL on January 1st. U of Michigan is playing Orlando. AND Donovan LOVES Michigan Football!!! Perfect! Jon was planning to surprise his dad and brother with tickets and wanted for Donovan to go too. The tickets were very expensive so he offered to pay 1/2. But then Jon called back later that week and said he found tickets for less than 1/2 of what he originally told me. So Isabella had his name in the exchange for the Gingerich Christmas and she helped me make a little poster telling him what he would be doing as his Christmas present. Isabella is very good at keeping secrets and it was so fun!

In the picture above notice Jon, his brother who is standing in anticipation to see Donovan's reaction. He was very jealous, I mean excited for Donovan.

Here is the reaction.....and oh, so worth every cent. He kept saying all day....I can't believe I get to go to the Michigan game. He kept rubbing in to Jon (his brother) He would lay back and stretch out, pretend to take a nap and say, "I'm just gonna lay back and dream about the BIG game on Jan. 1st!"

And for Christmas from my aunt and uncle, they rented a condo for our family and all of theirs!! There will be 12 of us all together. They are paying for everything including all of the food while we are there!!! I still can't believe it, We are very excited!! We are leaving tomorrow morning and will be there one week. We are staying in St. Augustine, and then on New Year's Day the guys will make the drive to Orlando for the game.

And so this is what the house looks like at this moment. Piles, Piles, Piles, everywhere! Very exciting....but a lot of work. It will be worth it....right?! I mean the 20 hour ride in the car, the possible car sick boy getting car sick, the potty pants needing to go potty, and don't even remind me of the boy who couldn't go poo in the rest stop last week.

So....back to work, diapers, sunscreen, shorts, t-shirts, swimsuits, buckets & shovels, toothbrushes, snacks, buckets for throwing up --for people who get car sick, flip flops, p.j.'s, sippy cups, 144 DVD's, and what else am I forgetting?