Merry Christmas!!!

We stayed in Michigan this year for the holidays. It was different being away from family, but we had a lot of fun making our own traditions. Ez absolutely loves Christmas. I mean everything about it; the lights, the tree, the music, the nativity scene, the presents, and the treats. I think he'll be one sad little boy when we take the tree down. But here are a few pictures of our Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning. (We didn't do a very good job taking many pictures.)

On Christmas Eve we had some friends come over for dinner. We had Grandma's ham, real potatoes, veggies, salad, Mom's rolls, Wassail, and lots of yummy Christmas candy. After dinner we played some Wii. We got some serious Guitar Hero going, I think Jordan worked us all. But Ez for sure took it for the best snowboarder. I think he gets it from his Uncle Ben.

Christmas morning we opened presents and ate yummy ham and cheese croissants. After we headed up to Kalamazoo. We got to play with lots of toys, eats lots of food and hang out with some great company. All in all our Christmas was great!

Our table for Christmas Eve Dinner. (Dave set it all up.)

Ez wanted to play the real guitar while we played Guitar Hero.

Mike & Jordan rockin' out.

Kara totally tearin' it up on snow boarding.

Ez showing us how its really done. He is actually pretty good.

Opening Christmas Jammies.

Doesn't he look so excited?

Our first tree.

After Santa came.

Ez left out 2 cookies and 1 pistachio for Santa.

All lit up.

Ez and Dave at the work bench.

Where is Ez?

Ez working on a masterpiece.

Concentrating, he loves art.

Opening candy, Mmmm.

Merry Christmas!!!

The Real Deal.

After a few days of freakishly cold weather, Ez finally got to go outside and play in the beautiful white stuff. Dave was quite a trooper he took Ez and Sammy out to play. I couldn't fit into anything warm enough to venture out, so I got to watch from the window. But boy did they have fun!

Sledding.

Ez has been wanting to go play in the snow since the first inch. But it was so cold outside, I mean we are talking -10. So Dave and Ez got a little creative, indoor sledding.

Enjoying the ride.



Getting dumped.

Trying out snowboarding.

Trip to Utah.

Well it has become tradition for Dave to send Ez and I away while he has his final exams at school. So this semester it worked out that the last 2 weeks my doctor would let me fly just happened to be over the 2 weeks Dave had finals.

The Hawks family at Jenson's Blessing.

Camdyn, Ezra, & Aimery watching a movie.

Ez with Santa. He has always loved the guy.

Ez with Lala enjoying a yummy cookie.

Ez at the Ogden Temple.

Ez decorating "chwimas cookies."

Ez chowing a "chwimas cookie."

Ez taking a swing at the pinata.

Ez getting some goods.

These are just a few of the fun things we got to do during our visit. Here are a few of the others (I didn't do so great taking pictures.)

*Ez got to go to "chuck e cheeses" with Lala & Popi.

*I got to a spa day with my Mom and sister Kristi.

*Ez got to go on "sleigh wides" with Pa.

*I got a lot of sewing done with my Mom. Thanks Again Mom!!!!
2 baby blankets
2 set of holiday tea towels
2 piece quilts (cut)

*Ez got to set up the "Chwimas train" at Lala & Popi's.

*I got make yummy Christmas candy with my Mom.

*We both got to enjoy dinner with Grandma Snowball.

*I got to enjoy the Jazz vs. Trailblazer game with my father-in-law. Thanks Jerry!!!!

*We both got to go to see the Salt Lake Temple lights. Which Ez absolutely love!

I mean honestly, could we have had a better 2 weeks? Thanks everyone who let us enjoy our time to visit. We can't wait to come again.

O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree...

Having Christmas with our little family here in Michigan has made us think of some of our own family traditions. We decided to cut down our own tree, needless to say it was a great adventure. Ez kept walking off while Dave and I tried looking for and cutting down a beautiful tree. But if a 2 year old gets lost in 8 acres of Christmas tree I think we'd have a problem. But all in all it was fun. Dave successfully tied the tree into a burrito on top of the truck. He then brought it home carried it up 3 flights of stairs and set it up in the stand and put lights on it all by himself. (I had to run a friend to the airport so I wasn't there to help.) That night we were able to drink hot chocolate with lots mallows and listen to Christmas music, while we decorated our little tree.

The tree burrito.

Pre-decorated family picture.

The first ornament.

The Star (or the bow).

Ez waiting for the lights to be turned on.

Completed tree family picture.

30 weeks pregnant.

Chicago Anyone?

What do you do when you have 4 day weekends? Mini vacations/road trips you say, well that is exactly what we did. But we did it in one day! I know what you're thinking...it's true we are crazy. But boy did we have fun! Ez was so excited to go see the "shawks, fushies, Nemo, and opatusies in Icago." Little did he know he was also going to be able to see "pancake fushies, sea dwagons, and water doggies (otters)." He still asks to go to "Icago" and see all the "fushies."

We only had a few hours to do our mini tour but we made the best of it. We went to Shedd Aquarium, Soldier Field, Grant Park, and Lake Michigan. So I think all in all we had a successful trip. When we got home Ez cried because he wanted to go on a drive. What!!! Are you kidding, what 2 year old asks to go on drive after already being in the car for 8 hours that day. (It snowed so the drive was longer then we planned.) He is quite the traveler!

Looking at some big ol' fish!

Ez watching the "fushies" very carefully.

Loving it!

Dave at Soldier Field, to bad we didn't ever make it to a Bears game.

Ez showing you his touchdown at Soldier Field.

Our cute family, freezing!

Our lil' burrito, he was really wrapped up.