Olivia

Olivia got a cookbook for Christmas.  This was her first desert that she made.  It's a yogurt creme' brulee.  

It was really yummy!!

And this princess tent she got for Christmas from my mom.  She has slept in it for naps for the past 4 days.  I am however taking it back downstairs because I'm convinced she wakes herself up because she's really too big to sleep in it.  

I love this girl.  She makes me laugh every single day.

Back at home...

We had yet more celebrations!

Marc and Heather came for the Packer game!  Norah sported Braden's Charles Woodson jersey with great class. :)  

Marc gave the kids really, really generous christmas presents this year so it was a very exciting visit for them.

The next morning we had our own family Christmas morning.

Braden got a science kit so we were experimenting a little bit here.

Judy and Darrell came down and we had our final Christmas celebration.  

For New Years Eve we took the kids to Pump It Up.  They ran and jumped for 2 hours!

She is super fun for me to take pictures of because she is not yet moving as fast as the other two.

We even got to sample some bouncy fun ourselves.  This is Judy (our fearless grandma) who has just a little fear in her face in this picture.  If you can't see it well click on the picture for an enlargement.  It's pure glee. :)  She knows I think she is an awesome sport!!

This is Olivia catching a parachute. She had a great time but the poor girl threw up on the way home in the car.  We're not sure what it was from because she bounced back quickly and ate dinner with us that night.

At one point they turned out the lights and gave the kids glow necklaces.  It was really exciting.

We had to have "kiddie wine" with our fancy dinner. 

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We ordered dinner from a local deli.  They prepared the food partially and we brought it home and finished it off ourselves.  It was delicious.

I know food pictures aren't much fun but the desert was amazing. I'd love another one right now in fact. 

I didn't make it to New Years... I don't think any of us did this year but we had a great time.  The visit with Darrell and Judy was, as it always is, a lot of fun and the perfect mix of action and relaxing.

Thank you everyone for a wonderful Holiday.  It seems to go by faster and faster with each passing year.  

Christmas in Appleton

This year we spent Christmas in Appleton.

My mom couldn't have been more excited that we were there.  As you can see, she even decorated her hair for the occasion. :)

We went to Christmas Even service with three adorable kiddos. I love when they get dressed up. We don't do it nearly enough.

And when we got home Santa made an early stop to say hello and that he'd be back later that evening.  As you can see Braden was a little apprehensive at first.

Braden's still not so sure...

but Olivia is smitten.

After Santa gave Braden a present he decided that the man in the red suit just might be an okay guy. :)

Santa gave Olivia a ballerina outfit which she promptly put on.  You can just see Em's belly in this one.  It's absolutely adorable. We can't wait to have another little body at all of our family gatherings.

Olivia would be part of their family if she had the choice!

But we like her a lot and aren't planning on selling her anytime soon!

The annual family dinner ... we've made many memories in this dining room.

Opening presents the next morning was a blast.  This little smile continues to greet us everywhere we go.

I love this one!

We had a wonderful Christmas in Appleton.  It was nice to be in a beautiful home with a warm fire and people we love dearly.  Thank you mom and pa for all of your hospitality and Sam and Em for embracing our kiddos and the chaos that comes with them!  We love you all.

Marc's 40th

We celebrated Marc's 40th Birthday in Appleton on December 23rd.  

We met at Senor Tequilas for dinner and drinks.  

We had a great room for just the party and excellent service.

We toured a building that some friends of Marc are turning into a brew-house and then had some fun on the dance floor.

Heather invited a friend of hers from college which happened to be a friend of mine from high school!  Crazy huh!

Then we went over to a comedy club where Sam and Em met us! It was a great night.

Happy Birthday Marc!!!

Busy Sunday at Church

Last Sunday was a busy day at church!  I sang in the multigenerational choir.  The idea was to have Braden join me.  He loves to sing and has a really good voice.  He came to one practice but it was too difficult without him being able to read the words.  We'll shoot to have him join me next year.  I haven't sang in forever and it felt good to loosen up those vocal chords and let it rip!  :)

There was no religious education because the sermon was actually a play put on by the kids depicting the nativity.  Braden kept himself busy both watching the play and drawing in his sketch pad.

Olivia participated in the play (Braden didn't want to).  She was a little lamb.  You can see her in her green shirt with pink pants right in the front row.

Isn't she cute!!!  It was really nice to have them part of the service.  I am glad that we don't have to do it every week. I love that it is a time for Steve and I both to sit together quietly and also for the time to self-reflect.  It was nice to concentrate on them though and have them be a part of our church community. 

Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary

Last Saturday we traveled up to Shalom Wlidlife Sanctuary in West Bend.  It was a little drive but definitely worth it!  We bundled ourselves from head to toe and hopped aboard a covered wagon.  Santa was our host and what a host he was!  We sang songs, laughed, shouted, "Ho Ho Ho," and "He He He," and gathered goodies along the way. 

We met a number of families there,

and snuggled under blankets to keep warm!  

The animals were fantastic!  We saw a bobcat, albino deer, horses, skunk and many others.  Santa had stories to tell us about each animal.  It was heartwarming.

Norah was a really good girl. She was probably colder than she has ever been but stuck it out none the less and smiled for most of the time.  She did fuss a bit but a candy cane from Santa quickly changed her mood. :)  

I love traditions and I think we've found another to add to our holiday list!

Frosty the Snowman

This was how Olivia and I spent Norah's nap time this morning!  Oh and a little shoveling as well. :)