12/13: Aaron, Nolan, Adam and Beth attended Baby Jesus' Birthday party at TLC for the 2-year old milestone ministry while Collin was at Sunday school.
12/18: Collin's St. Andrew's Christmas concert, "Lead the Way to Christmas."
The processional, "Ring the Bells."
The proud parent and grandparent paparazzi"Lead the Way to Christmas"...video proof of what we already suspected, Collin inherited his Dad's rhythm
"Sparkle and Shine"
"We're Excited???!"
Immediately following the Christmas concert we drove 177 miles to the farm.
12/19: Christmas with the Hamanns' at Grandma Darlene's in Clear Lake.
The cousins build a fire station with Great Grandma Darlene
Baby koala receives a baby koala
New jammies
White Elephant
12/20: Sunday morning we packed up and drove 185 miles back to the Cities for Christmas in Brooklyn Park, MN with the Beduhns’ and Santa Claus
Blowing kisses with Great Grandma Lorraine
All I want for Christmas is glue!
Posing with Santa
Collin confided the following day, "Mom, that wasn't the real Santa...just a man dressed like him. I know because he didn't look like the Santa I saw last time (at Bob and Sharon's 2 years ago-2007)!
We arrived home on Sunday night to a house that was 46 degrees. Sometime during the weekend the boiler stopped working, which also affected our hot water. We were grateful we didn't have any additional water damage.
12/22: NMDP Christmas lunch at the Red Stag in Minneapolis
12/23: Tonight we bundled up the boys, Collin and Aaron in their John Deere wagon and Nolan in the Baby Bjorn, to deliver forced hyacinth bulbs to our friends and neighbors while admiring the Christmas lights. We trekked all the way to Steve and Sonja's in the snow, with our return trip in pelting sleet. Having wanted to do this for many years, it turns out the idea was better in conception than in actuality.
12/24: Santa must have been exhausted because he not only folded up the ping pong table and moved it into the bedroom, but he also brought a play set and re-arranged the train set, finding Percy, who has been missing for at least a month. At least Santa took some time to enjoy a cookie and a glass of milk, which wasn't offered...but apparently enjoyed, as he didn't clean up after himself. Santa, being the all-knowing guy that he is, arrived a day early because he knew we would be away from our house on Christmas morning. In light of all he accomplished, he must have good elves!
Adam surprised me with a bound printing of this blog, which assures that the boys now officially have a baby book!
Nolan's first Christmas...Lush bath bombs.
My future's so bright...I have to wear shadesSanta's gifts
A new play set
12/24: Christmas Eve nativity service at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Cloud, MN. PaPa Minnows wrote and told Collin and Aaron a bedtime story about a fishing trip to Canada.
Christmas Eve with Bob and Laura12/25: Christmas in Rogers, MN with the Johnsons' (Nana Splash)
Enjoying Ice Age with DaddyShortly after driving away from Greg and Bonnie's, Collin informed us that he couldn't view movies on his movie player, which was left in the Blazer during the Johnson Christmas festivities.
12/24-27: Christmas in St. Cloud. It literally took us all weekend to get all the presents opened...because we did it as such a casual pace!
New art supplies
Transformer trouble!
Aaron watches as Uncle Ryan works on Sideways12/27: Adam’s 35th Birthday. Adam and I celebrate by cross country skiing on the North Loop by St. Cloud penitentiary.
During the drive home from St. Cloud, the movie player car adaptor refuses to stay engaged in lighter, so the movie player is officially completely broken. There is sadness...and not just from the under 5 crowd.
12/30-1/3: Return trip to SD for Christmas with the Hamanns'. Just out of Clarkfield, Adam and I had to listen to a heated argument about whether or not Aaron had X-ray vision superpowers. Typically, we say Collin has X-ray vision and can put a bubble around himself for protection, Aaron has super strength and can become invisible, Nolan can fly, Dad has super speed, and Mom has super jumping capabilities and stretchy arms (so I can reach things from high places). Aaron successfully aroused Collin's dander by suggesting that he was the one with X-ray vision...and Collin wasn't impressed by the teasing.
Ellen surprised all of us by flying home from Idaho on a standby ticket secured by Lisa Stroschein of Brandt softball days, who now flies for the commercial airlines. It was our own little Christmas miracle. Reid and Alysha were also home from Plano, IL.
During a boys vs. girls family game of Cranium, Ellen had to spell the word "quiche". When finished, Grandpa EIO said, "What is quiche?" He then grabbed the card, examined the word and said, "It's a good thing I didn't read it or I might've said 'quickie!'"
Playing pinochle with Great Grandpa Orville
Happy New Year's Eve!
New cowboy belts1/1: Happy New Year! Nolan wakes a few minutes before midnight to welcome 2010. We retired a few minutes later, as the right side of Adam's face and throat was swollen and red. Upon waking, Adam visited the Brookings ER to secure another round of antibiotics for re-occurring strep. Christmas oyster stew and Buck Euchre with the Krauses’ at Grandpa Orville's.
1/2: Linda and Maxine drive down from Fargo to spend day with us.
1/9: Luther Heights Camp Gathering, which we were scheduled to host, was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts...after all we'd been through, we considered this a blessing.
1/21: Adam’s work Christmas lunch at Santorini’s
And we wonder why we came out of the holidays absolutely exhausted...and sick!
No comments:
Post a Comment