Christmas Day!!!

Merry Christmas! Christ is born! A Savior for each and every one of us! We celebrated Christmas with Matt's family on Christmas day at his parents' house.

There were 8 adults, 1 teenager, 3 kids and lots of presents!
Our niece, Kaitlin, in her cute little hat.

Matt's sister, Angela, and her family from left to right: Tyler, Teagan, Angela, Kaitlin, and Ryan.

Teagan hugging her cousin, Aubrey.

Teagan

Gumpy (also known as Jerry, Matt's dad) always reads the Christmas story to us from the bible before we open gifts. We all have to be reminded of the Reason of the Season; that Jesus was born for us to save us from our sins, and that God was made into flesh in the form of a baby. We are all given a gift: Jesus.

Gumpy got a collapseable hand truck (or dolly) from us.

Teagan sitting in the bean bag chair we got her.

Aubrey got musical instruments from Nana and Papa to annoy her parents with! J/K

Tyler got a Vikings Snuggie from Melanie & Jason.

Me holding Kaitlin while she slept.

Matt got a roof rake, and just in time now that we got all this snow!

Jason took a nap on the floor, and Aubrey pretended to sleep on him.

Aubrey walking around in the dress-up shoes we got her.

Christmas Eve Day

We celebrated Christmas with my side of the family on Christmas Eve. My sister, Amy, and her husband, Jon, hosted. My mom and nephew, Trevor, were also there. Kacie, Eric & Preslee were in Colorado. We all watched as Trevor opened his presents, and Matt played with his toys. We ate Pistachio salad, mimosas, and breakfast burritos with eggs, cheese, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns and special hot sauce that they got from a restaurant in Colorado called Santiago's. It was delicious!

Me & Trevor
Trevor loves the movie Cars, so many of his toys were themed that way. We got him a Cars matching game.

We also got him his favorite present of all (of course the simplest one), a manual pencil sharpener that he can hook on his belt loop, along with pencils and a pad of paper.

The whole time we were there he was sharpening his pencils. Then he'd open the cover (not over the trash can) to "just look at the paper" inside.

Me & Matt

My mom's dog, Pooky. Unfortunately, I think she's beginning to get a little senial, deaf, and losing her vision. She used to be my dog.

Trevor playing the game he got from Grandma Cindy with his mom and Grandma. It's a game of counting and colors where you pull the caterpillars out of the tree. It was wonderful to spend time with family.

Cookie Day

Every year my mom, sisters & I have a cookie day where we bake cookies for our family and friends (and of course our husbands). I hosted this year. Each of us bake 2 or 3 kinds of cookies at our own houses, and then we bake 4 more kinds together, usually ending up with about 12 different kinds. My mom usually makes her famous carmels and peanut brittle. We always make Russian Teacakes, Peanut Blossoms, and Spritz. Then we usually experiment with other kinds, including some from my Cookie Bible.

Preslee & Me - wearing my apron that Kacie brought back from Spain.
Chef Trevor in what he likes to call his "Baker's Shirt".

Trevor and Me

Trevor washing down the table.

Me and Preslee in the Baby Bjorn - we have an old photo of me holding Trevor in this while wrapping carmels on cookie day a few years ago.

Nap Time - Trevor went to sleep and woke up saying, "I'm not tired."

Little Peanut

Mmmmm....Peanut Blossoms.

Russian Teacakes, Peanut Brittle, Spritz, Fudge and Carmels. What more could a girl ask for?

Cookie Day 2009 - From left to right: Mom, Amy, Trevor, Preslee, Kacie & Me

Basement Celebration

We had our Grand Opening of the basement on two separate days - one for Matt's family and one for mine. Everyone got to admire Matt's handy work and try to beat him at Fooseball (which is impossible to do).

Me holding Preslee - she's wearing the outfit I bought her and her bunny slippers from family in Colorado.

Me, Preslee & Trevor

Kacie, Tylynn (Eric's cousin), Matt & Eric playing fooseball.

Steve (Eric's dad) bonding with us.

Eric and I playing with the mom's - they've never played before and it was hilarious to watch! From left to right - Cindy (my mom), me, Tylynn, Pat (Eric's mom), and Eric.

Little Aubrey checking out the fooseball table - "I want to be an expert just like Matt some day!"

"Ahhhh....we're finally done!"

My dish chairs from college came in handy since we don't have the money right now to buy furniture. The couch, coffee table, end tables, and lamps are hand-me-downs from Melanie and Jason. Thanks!!!

Matt and Ryan (Angela's Husband)

Matt & Angela - "I hope you know I was the fooseball champion in middle school!"

Matt and Jason (Matt still stands undefeated)

Aubrey's favorite part was the slippery covers on the guest bed.

Matt and Grandma Bernice from Wisconsin - she stole our #17 Matt Kenseth racecar that was for Trevor to play with, because she knows his grandma. That's okay, Grandma, you can have it as a souvenier.

The Traditional Thanksgiving Reading

The tradition was started a couple years ago that our nephew, Tyler, would read The Story of Babar at Thanksgiving. His hilarious accent and clever remarks entertain us all. We have really come to enjoy the tale of Babar.

The Beginning

The elephant's dead corpse

Going into the city

Going shopping

Babar being careful not to burn his jacket

Like most professional performances, there were no pictures allowed during the reading.

The king desinegrating

Cousins?

The End

Two Thanksgivings

Matt and I went to two Thanksgivings - one with my family and one with his.

My cousin, Beth, holding Kacie's baby, Preslee.
Eric's dad, Steve relaxing on the couch.

Amy preparing her delicious Sweet Potatoes!

Trevor snuck a marshmallow!

Me holding Trevor after he got up from his nap.

Preslee standing with help. She loves to stand and is very strong for a 9 week old!

Me and Preslee (She is wearing Trevor's old Thanksgiving outfit)

When you get her to smile just right, her eyes squint and she has two dimples!





Matt's Family

We're ready to eat!

My niece, Teagan.

"Hope I have room for round two!"

My goofy nephew, Tyler. (And Matt's cousin, Ashley, on the left)

My niece, Kaitlin, 6 weeks old.

Matt's Aunt Janine holding Kaitlin.

Matt and Kaitlin

Kaitlin with a pretty bow in her hair.

Our niece, Aubrey, wearing her Favre jersey and a cute jean skirt.

Matt reading Aubrey a story.