Monday, January 30, 2017

Snow Day

The kids got to play with their grandparents by making 5 snowmen, riding sleds and an ATV, and general snowy antics, like snow-ball fighting.  Then they had soup and hot chocolate and came home.  It is a joy to have my parents live so close!


Sunday, January 1, 2017

Christmas 2016

We got to host Christmas at our home this year. Uncle Dean and Emily came to spend Christmas eve with us, spend the night and enjoy Christmas day here too.  They came at lunch time to make good on a promise to Joseph to take him out for sushi for his birthday present.



















My parents joined us at dinner time.  We just enjoyed time with the family around a fire, in front of the tree, with Christmas music on and it was such an amazing time together.  Emily and Dean gave the children their (very noisy, but super awesome) gifts.  Abigail kept tabs on the big guy on NORAD's Santa Tracker.  As 9 pm approached, there was a yawn-full reading of The Night Before Christmas.











































Christmas morning, my dad was first awake and happily drinking coffee, followed quickly by Abigail and Mama around 6 am.  Joseph followed around 6:40 (he slept in: it's a Christmas miracle!!).  We let the kids wake Dean and Emily at 7 and they took their time opening presents and enjoying time to play with each one throughout the day.

















































Mid-morning, Uncle Jim and Aunt Steph arrived and the rest of the day was spent enjoying family, eating, playing games, eating, playing White Elephant, eating, and watching the Steelers win.  The kids were wide awake way past bedtime (it didn't help that both passed out mid-afternoon for naps).  They giggled for almost an hour on their new sleeping bags before they fell asleep completely exhausted, happy, and used up.  Abigail said her favorite part of the day was having her family all together.  Joseph said his favorite was the toys.

I love the anticipation for Christmas.  I love the time with family and I love the ages of the kids.  I know that in a blink, they will want to spend the day with their friends and get new iphones (or whatever is the in gadget) for Christmas.  So for right now, I am just loving this time as it is.