A Cincinnati Christmas

For 10 years the switch of holidays has been the norm.  Over the last couple of years my brother Stephen and wife Kassi stopped making the trip for Thanksgiving and only travel for Christmas.  Understandable the cost to fly 4 people for back to back holidays is crazy let alone having the kids endure and all day trip.  This sadly means I see them every other year and although ichat does help it is still really sad.  So traveling to Cincinnati for the holiday is not a question.  So this was a exiting holiday for us.  Getting to see everyone and my parents recently had a their dream renovation done which made Christmas so awesome.  We also went for our second time to see the Awaited Show at my parents church.  Gracie and Nolan attended 2 years ago but Nolan was a month old but Gracie loved it then.  This year we decided to take Nolan to the  1 1/2 show which he loved.  He was mesmerized by all the dancing the animals and the real snow falling from the ceiling.  The best thing I have ever seen and I wish I could take everyone I know to see it. So that being said I thought I would just give you a little taste of what my family and I love.  Oh, just a note make sure you check out Troy's ugly Christmas sweater in our Family Picture.  All the boys wore them to the Show.

Enjoy 2 video's that represent my Christmas holiday and the end to a very hard year.

Better Late then Never...

This is really late but I have been uploading video's and making a few movies for clients so I have nothing but uploading time on my hands.  This has become a tradition with my kids to video tape them with a few questions to document a few of there favorite things and so I can remember there cute little voices.

enjoy!

Family Christmas {part 2}

then came the gifts...

 the first gift was a rag doll, twin rag dolls that I made

our MOPS group choose to help a family and I made these

 turned out pretty cute

 of course cooking making which 

Nolan seems pretty serious about

 reading the christmas story

 The gifts were things we had put away a long while back which made this Christmas very easy this year.  Honestly when it comes to toys really the kids already have too many and we really wanted the to understand to be thankful for all the things we have and there are so many with so little.

 thank you hugs

 On my list was to make gracie a doll.

Interesting enough she asked for a doll for christmas and was specific about her hair color, green eyes, and a blue dress.  I think she has gotten a little to use to the fact that mommy can make things;)

 true love

 This book was purchased this summer before I had any idea how his love for tractors would grow.

Family Christmas {part 1}

For those of you still following thank you and I am sorry.  I have tried to sit down and write but just can't seem to get myself to finish or to get anything posted.  So seeing it is the new year I decided to make the fresh start and get some things in line for posting.  I will go back a little to catch us up to our new 2014.

Our family Christmas was celebrated first in Chicago.  And the story will be told in pictures as some of the best stories are...

too cool

 nolan and his john deere have been inseparable since thanksgiving

 gracie added the red beads

 nolan was convinced it should be a john deere christmas

 loving our christmas decorating

 as it has be come tradition to make a ginger bread house

and a tradition for gracie to eat most of the candy

 i did the icing work but gracie did the decorating

most of the roof candy was eating by 

Nolan after nap while I was not looking

and she enjoyed some of the icing

Merry Christmas!

The silence of the Schenk blog has been broken.  We have been busy and the years has been hard.  Honestly, I have had no time to even check blogs let alone update my own.  Troy's job and my photography have been busy and then we have you know, two kids.  One of which has been in potty training stage for far to long.  All this to say to family and friends sorry for the very inactive blog over the last months.

We want to wish all of you a Wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

This year we also skipped the Christmas cards, so you are able to enjoy our digital card we did for this year.

Love,

the Schenk's

Random

As I am sure you have noticed I have been really lax when it comes to this blog.  I am just so busy with so many other things and life that the blog takes a very far back seat.  I have considered calling it quiets but I need this to keep up on pictures for the kids so I will just have to schedule it in.  Here is what we have been up to here in Illinois.

iPod get away in our shoe basket

bring back a past time of roller blading

chocolate face

nolan loves going through the pictures int he family book

go cheifs!

sharing snuggles

he thinks all our car rides should include his suite case

hmmm I think he has seen me cleaning to many times

i use to call the local grocery store in Kansas the Piggy Wiggley.

Turns out it is a real place in Wisconsin!

just some love

we love building in the schenk house

gracie loves getting mail

told you my kids love the build

nolan learning to play toss with the Fish's

nolan trying to get naked while i am driving

our little cheerleaders!

Really...

Nolan really wants to be a big kid.  If we having a play date Nolan will always hang out with the older kids.  He wants to do and copy everything they are doing.  He loves Gracie's bike helmet and always sits on pretending to ride and once in a blue moon I will pushing him around in it.  Not often or I would be doing it all day.  Anyway here is a look into his lets be a big kid like sissy!  Yes, this picture may haunt him later but that's what happens when your older sibling is a girl it would be so different if he had a brother, it may have been cowboy boots and a Toy Story helmet.