Happy Holidays to you all! We had such a wonderful December enjoying all the holiday events around town and ending with a great family visit from Opa, Oma, Ingrid, Chloe, and John for a week (or more for some). It was so nice to have so many family members together celebrating our first Christmas in our new house.
Train ride at Pullen Park Holiday Express
Carousel ride
Christmas chocolate advent calendar from Opa arrived in the mail just as December 1 arrived.
Christmas wreath pattern block
Kyle and his good friend, Chelsea, at the holiday work party
Reminding Santa that he wants the Cars and Scooby Doo Mobigo games
Hanging out on the Granite Falls float with Bree for the Rolesville parade
Looking for just the right Christmas tree. It was our first year getting a real one.
Making handprint snowpeople ornaments with Greyson
Time for digging....watch out for the windstorm!
The wind knocked him down.
Finally found the perfect tree! Just gotta get it set up now...
Putting the star on top
Kyle's handprint snowpeople ornament
Bring on family and presents!
Excited to see the Nutcracker Ballet
Cookie making season is in full swing.
Chloe has arrived!
Oma and Opa, too!
SO happy to be together again
Time for a little Christmas performance
Checking out the xrays at Marbles Children's Museum
Serving up some food for Oma and Daddy
Yellow submarine
Ingrid & Chloe and Karl & Kyle
Gingerbread house.....still asking to eat it every day
Crushing pecans with Uncle John
Story time....Kyle got this book, Gingerbread Pirates, from his friend, Bree, for Christmas and it has become a hit! Thanks, Bree!
Watching Santa's video message for Kyle
Checking out the light show at Lake Myra
One last reminder for Santa....Cars and Scooby Doo Mobigo, please!
Christmas Eve Eve
Christmas Eve...gotta finish making cookies for Santa
Ready for the Christmas Eve service at church
Thanks for the FSU pasta, Aunt Maggie! We hope to cook up many wins along with it.
Who makes cookies without eating the dough???
Not these kids!
Like father, like son? Maybe not...
Hanging out with Michael
Sprinkling Reindeer food on the lawn
Homemade wreath, using parts left from the tree....quite proud of it. :)
What? Everything on this table is open on Christmas Eve? All these special treats???
Checking Santa's progress across the world....somewhere over Africa right now
Opening one present....Toy Story and Scooby Doo pajamas.....received quite the giant smile and hug right when this box was opened!
Getting cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer
One final reminder and a quiet goodbye for Owo, Kyle's Elf on the Shelf...we'll miss him.
All ready for bed!
"The stockings were hung on the chimney with care...
...in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there." Merry Christmas Eve!
In awe of the presents! First look at the presents and, yes, the time on this picture is accurate. YAWN!
Checking out the stocking
Making sure the cookies, milk, and carrots were gone. Chloe did mention that Santa didn't wash his dishes. :)
First presents of the morning!
Opening up the gift my sweet boy secretly got me at the Santa shop....a heart necklace.
Thanks for this awesome gift, Aunt Sara, Uncle Jacob, Keely, and Jordan! Daddy and I already love playing with it. We have already made about five of the 101 things you can make. My favorite is the bomb sound so far. I like to play it when the cannons from the pirate ship I got for Christmas are launched.
Karl got some blast from the past gifts from Oma.....on old transformer of his, his tee ball shirt, laser tag, and hat that Kyle is wearing.
Already trying to figure out how to solve this maze in this book of mazes from Oma.
A gift from Kyle to Uncle John
Another secret gift from Kyle. He gave Opa a Superman plate to keep his change in. :)
What's in the stocking? Scooby Doo bandaids!
Ready to show team spirit at the beach and pool this summer.
So excited that Santa brought him the Cars and Scooby Doo mobigo games he asked for!
Hugs from Aunt Ingrid
Kyle's surprise gift for Oma were a pair of earrings.
One of the favorite gifts of the day was the pirate ship from Karl to Kyle.
Awwww.....family shots!
A special album for Oma and Opa
Teamwork....gotta make the spatzle just right.
It's been a long day for Opa.
Gotta get some pictures since the whole family is together.
Merry Christmas from all of us to all of you!
Artists at work
