Christmas @ the Rauschs'

Friday night we loaded up the car and headed north to Nathan's parents' house for the weekend.  It was a chance for us to see more family and celebrate one last Christmas for the year!

The girls didn't make the late Iowa Football game but here they are cheer on the Hawks during the pre-game party we had...

On Saturday we just hung out, visited Great Grandma Rausch and then opened gifts in the afternoon.  Here are the two girls (Emmalee & Natalie) hanging out with Grandpa while we're getting breakfast!

Onto opening gifts, the boys (Braeden & Nolen)

got matching Iowa Hawkeye's bedding sets...

Nathan got tools...

Dennis & Carolyn got a weekend away from us kids...

Braeden got a sleeping bag...

Darren FINALLY got his box of 64 crayons (he's waited years for these) I guess...



The boys got a box of Kenox, which are kind of like Legos - looks like the BIG boys are enjoying them more then the little boys...

The little girls slept right through opening gifts, but they both made out pretty good by getting new socks, bibs, books, sleepers and a couple new toys!

After naps they both hung out with Uncle Eric for a little while, he really didn't know what to do with two of them!

It was always boys-boys-boys until these Lil' Princesses entered the world...

Grandkids take a break from playing with all their new toys for a quick snapshot...

Now a snapshot with Grandpa & Grandma!

And the adults...

Girl talk & play...

We gave Braeden this game for Christmas.  

I couldn't believe this was a "real" game as we played this game all the time when I was a kid, but thought it was a game we made-up, nope I spotted it at Blain's before Thanksgiving I just had to get it.

I think the adults really got into it as well, let's just say it got pretty wild toward the end of the night!

This is what Natalie did while we played "Giant Spoons", she was one busy girl!

We ended the year by headed to bed early as we had a full day of fun!

Hopefully you had a great ending to 2011 as well!

Onto 2012, we can't wait to see what's in store for our family!