Spectacular Spieckers Days #4 & #5

Beautiful in any light - even black!

 Exhausted but not giving up, more fun was yet to be had!
Sunday we found an indoor miniature golf course featuring black lights.  Thank goodness for glow sticks left over from Halloween and stuck deep in the pantry!  Grandpa's eye survived a flying golf ball and Frankie finally mastered Hole #9 (the Volcano Hole)!

Sunday evening was a family movie and sleepover, although I'm not sure how much sleeping actually occurred!  It's hard to be tired when there are so many unassembled Lego kits in the house!

Monday morning was our rescheduled Neighborhood Snowman-themed PJ Breakfast and we were so happy Maddie and Jack were in town to enjoy it with us!  We made snowmen with donuts, bananas, and miniature pancakes!  These kids were stuffed!  Good, thing, too, because we headed to Monkey Bizness with all the cousins that afternoon!  Families who bounce together - stay together (or something like that!).

There were only a few tears when we had to say goodbye (and only shed by those over 30!) but we're counting down the days until we see them again in June!  We love you three so very, very much!

Spectacular Spieckers Days #2 & 3

 Maddie had really wanted to celebrate her 11th birthday (Dec. 26) in Kansas City and even designed her own birthday cake.  She wanted to highlight all of the holidays and, on Friday, came over to decorate her cake.  She and Lexi learned to draw with colored chocolate and work with fondant.  The finished product was to be shared with the extended family at our annual Bowl-a-Thon.

Saturday morning we braved an indoor swimming pool where Frankie did the water slide no less than 50 times.  (Mom called it quits after her first trip down the water slide yielded a bloody nose and Aunt Shelley laughed so hard her side ached!)

After swimming and a quick wardrobe change, it was off to Family Bowling and birthday celebration!

Freezing kids!  Lexi had already hightailed
it to the locker room!

Frankie and Evie (Mindi's youngest)

Dad gets fancy with this mad bowling skills

Shelley, Maddie, and Cousin Meghan

Spectacular Spieckers! (Awesome Day #1)

The Spieckers' five-day visit was so jam-packed with awesomeness, Frank convinced me to break it into several posts or the numerous pictures would never load!

Shelley, Maddie, and Jack arrived at KCI on Dec. 26, greeted by party horns, birthday signs, and more than a few screams of joy!  From the airport, we drove straight to Winsteads for TWO Skyscraper sundaes (Papa had to finish the last one) and onion rings.  As if it could get any better, we all (yes, all 9 grandchildren) ate dinner together and played in Grandma's basement.  It was a whirlwind start to a great week!

Unable to contain our airport excitement!

Winsteads Rocks!

Frankie with his role model (he couldn't have picked
a better guy to emulate!)

Henry's never eaten this much!

Rainbow Loom action

The Lego master himself

Something everyone can agree on!

It's hard for the kids to agree on a TV show these days.  Henry still lobbies hard for Dora, Frankie wants Power Ranger action, and Lexi leans more along the lines of Selena Gomez on the Disney Channel.  There's one show we can all agree on, though: Guinness Records Unleashed!  We love to guess whether or not the contestants will break the records and are amazed over and over!  Who knew women could break apples using only their biceps?!

Best of all, Mom gets some snuggle time!

Christmas morning 2013

Merry Christmas!  Grandma and Grandpa braved twin beds (Grandpa even had to share his with Henry!) to spend the night again this year.  The kids look forward to the sleepover for weeks as part of Christmas tradition.  The kids slept until after 7AM (YEA!) then we all hustled downstairs to see if Santa had come!  Frankie's year-long wish came true with the delivery of an Xbox 360 from Mr. Ho-Ho-Ho himself!  If anyone knows how to beat Lego Indiana Jones, we need your help!  

Lexi's been learning new yoga poses and jump rope tricks this morning to use her new mat and jump rope.  We had to clean out her closet to make room for all her new toys. The boys are thoroughly beating up the electronic kick-boxing bag from Grandma and Grandpa.  We have a day full of nothing today so we'll break in all the new toys!

Merry Christmas to all!

Personal Christmas tree
from Santa

Henry's Power Ranger gun
from Santa

Stocking

World's Best Dad mug from Frankie

Henry chose a snuggle
for Lexi's gift

The calendar gets poor Grandma
emotional every time

Mom and Dad are ready for summer
soccer tournaments now!

Gorgeous necklace and ring from the boys

Henry chose a "#1 Dad" medal for
Dad's gift

Lexi sewed custom pillowcases
for the boys!

Christmas Eve 2013

 All five Wonkas made it to Christmas Eve at Cindy's this year and it was the best year yet!  The kids are able to eat and play virtually unsupervised yet are still so mesmerized by all that is Christmas!

Sword fighting Power Rangers

Christmas in Wichita

We celebrated Christmas in Wichita a weekend early to coincide with the Yingling visit.  No stomach flu this year!  We had lots of snuggling, present opening, and even snow play!

Snuggling with Aunt Casey

Check out my new boots!

"Baby Layne"

Electric toothbrush!

It snowed!

Playing new Headbandz game

Reading with Aunt Casey

Aunt Alex and her dog