Dreams do come true!

Rachel has been dying to take ballet and she finally started at the beginning of January.  She's all business during the class and doesn't look happy in these pictures but she really does love it. 

Danielson Right of Passage

Hannah is finally old enough to help in a tradition in our household: making cookies once a week.  It's really cute.  She gets so excited when she puts on an apron.  I have the kids tap the measuring cup and say, "bop, bop, bop," when putting in ingredients and Hannah will do that now.  She'll also do the twist dance that we do when we turn the mixer on and eats way too much cookie dough.  I knew she was one of us:).

My Mom Came!

My mom came for a short trip to help me speed decorate!  My friend Stacie gave me a lot of the ideas and my mom helped me do the finishing touches.  I realize that decorating might not be that awesome to some so I put in my models:)

My mom also helped me finish making bed skirts for Rachel's room that we started at Christmas.  I still have to figure out what to do with her room.

Thanks Mom!

Yeah Hey no Way!

I came down from my Sunday nap and I found Jake and his crew. What a nice way to wake up!

(This is from the Disney Jr. Show, "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" that they love.  FYI- Yeah hey no way! is one of the weird catchphrases they use.)

Christmas Part 2

We had fun roller skating as a group.

 You're looking a the proud winners of red light green light.

Now you're looking at the proud recipient of the reward.  This picture also requires being clicked on to be appreciated.

They had a nice play area for when the kids got sick of skating.

 Other festivities included gingerbread houses

 I made a pinata for the kids and they seemed to have fun.

The activity the kids really loved was decorating this castle grandma got for them. 

Thanks Mom and Dad for letting all of us come and crash your house.  It was fun to see almost everyone except Chad's family.  We missed them but it sounds like they had a good CA Christmas.

Christmas Part 1

We got to go to IL for Christmas and this is the illustrated rundown of our trip. 

Christmas Eve started with the traditional christmas cookie decorating.  You should click on the picture and appreciate Joe's 3D effect on his tree.

That night we had the Christmas Eve meal of lasagna and bread.  Yum!

 Next was the Nativity reenactment where Lincoln played a shepherd...

 a flexible shepherd(he is always on his head or doing rolls now. We're not sure why.)

 Rachel played an angel

and Hannah played ready for bed.

It looks like we skipped Christmas morning, but for the record, we kept ourselves busy with the ping pong tournament that Joe won by default again because my family can't seem to finish it.  

 Joe and Jay played some pretty intense games of Don't Break the Ice.  Here's one of the real thriller games.  I say that sarcastically, but to them it was pretty serious.

Joe celebrated turning the big 28.  Deanna was kind to make his pie for him.   Hopefully Joe still had a good birthday not overshadowed by the holiday hype.  I did give him a good present by changing all of Hannah's poopy diapers that day.

Why my mother should come help me decorate

Reason number 327: Snow White and Lincoln have a hard time helping me visualize.