Heading Home

Grandma watched the kids for us after bathtime and before bedtime so we could pack up all our stuff for the journey home in the morning without kids underfoot...Had to take a pic of the big boy when I woke him up in the morning since the packnplay might not make the journey this summer...

Caught some morning snuggles while Mike packed the van in the morning...he is a rockstar!

Carter played with some of the guys he won't see again til the summer...

We stopped at the rest stop we stopped at on the way up and had a much better visit...on the way up Carter ate a Nathan's hotdog and proceeded to get sick everywhere after eating it...yummy... :) So this was a much better visit and we steered clear of Nathan's....

We are grateful that our kids enjoy traveling....hopefully they always will and we can go on lots of adventures as a family! As soon as M got in the car in RI she wanted to know when we would be going through the tunnel...she was so excited to go through it again...it was 3 hrs from our house...We told her it would be about 10 hrs and close to bedtime when it was dark when we would go through it...she asked a couple times throughout the day when we would see it (not too often to drive you batty though)...it was so neat to see the excitement on her face when we got to it at 8:10pm...such joy! Carter was excited too! After going through it they both went right to sleep...one day waiting 10 hrs for a tunnel won't be such a highlight...love seeing the world through the eyes of a child...

My traveling companions....there are no 3 people I would rather spend 14 hrs in the party van with! :)

Love to hear them playing in the back seat...beautiful thing about vans...the kids aren't close enough to bother each other, but they can play...we did lots of different things on our way home...watched 2 movies on the laptop and listened to lots of different types of music (each person having a turn to play DJ for a bit)...A special thanks to MiMi who gave us 2 stockings with little treats and toys to pass out to keep spirits up along the journey...

Mike got a clip of the kids playing...He was the go-to-man for the journey and I drove...he read books to the kids, doled out items, switched up the movies and music...good times... :)

Pepere's!

We were supposed to see Pepere on the 27th, but due to all the snow we pushed it to the 28th...M and I were so excited to see him since we missed seeing him on Christmas Eve...We had a great breakfast with him and K and Co at a fav diner before they headed north to visit friends...then our family headed over to his place to hang for the day...

Cribbage game between father and son...Mary Poppins with the kids...eating yummy banana milk a la Pepere (I got my blender out today and am excited to recreate the magic this week for the kids!) and just hanging out together...Carter had a great time dancing around with Kermit (heard he was dancing like CRAZY one Christmas Eve too and was so sad to leave when it was time to go)...Then Pepere treated us out to dinner as well! We were so spoiled! Mallory said, "We got to go to 2 restaurants today...we are so LUCKY!"

We loved our visit and are looking fwd to seeing you again soon!

BLIZZARD!!!!!

How cool was it that God gave us ***snow*** for our New England Christmas!?!?! A blizzard at that! Our kids didn't want to go out on the 26th...too windy and cold, but the other 4 kids did and I went with them...sledding time! On the 27th our kids headed out too! Suited up in the cellar and out we went...the kids thought the cellar was so cool!

I was a little hyper so there are a lot of pics!

G and G's house all snowed in!

Complete with icicles!

Snow Ball FIGGGGGGGGGGGHT!

After a while Mallory was ready to head back in...but not Mr. Man! He wanted to hang with the big boys!

Carter enjoyed a taste of New England snow...he was a fan!

Me and my boy!

Then we started on a snow fort/tunnel/igloo once A got back from sledding with the other kids...

M was still with us for the beginning of making the fort before she headed in...

Carter was into seeing it's construction...

Checking it out....

So neat to work together to make it...

Alex and Mike stop all their hard work for a pic!

Carter also enjoyed going back and forth on the path...

My little snow-y moose!

Alex was very good at tunneling and made a tunnel all the way through!

See A and T peeking through!?!?! :)

"MATT!!!!!!!" Carter is a huge fan of his uncle!

Carter did NOT want to go in...I helped him "sled" around the back yard around and around again...after almost 2 hrs of being outside I told him we had to go in...

He was none too pleased...but I was worried my little guy was going to turn into a little snowman! The twins made another fort for themselves and waged a big snow battle on Alex and Thomas after we went in...

A piece of the action...you can really hear how hard the wind was blowing in the clip....brrr!

Ornaments

Grandma wanted to pass down ornaments to the grandchildren....the kids from 10-2 yrs got to take turns picking ornaments off the tree to take back to their homes...

The older 5 were very pensive about their choices....the 2 yr old...not so much...we picked for him... :)

Mal takes a snuggle with her Daddy as she awaits her next turn...

Lost track of Mr. Man after awhile and found him sitting in the dinning room chair ready for a snack...

He is a sneaky little guy... :) but I love him so!

Boxing Day/40th BDAY!!!

We woke up to snow on the day after Christmas! YAY!!! Sally, Kirsti, Matt, and I walked up the street to church in the snow...while the rest of the crew stayed back to get ready for Kirsti's 40th BDay Surprise! When we returned there were balloons and a book that over 80 people who love K had written in! I didn't get any pics on my camera, but hopefully will be given some soon...Happy BDay Kirsti! We love you! :)

Christmas Afternoon and Night

After all the presents were exchanged the kids had fun playing with old and new toys together...

Again...there was a "party of one"...ahhh the parallel play of 2 yrs olds...gotta love it!

Neat to see the cousins switch it up and play with different combos of kids...

Aunt Sandy watched Carter so I could grab a shower...meanwhile the twins and Grandma were making a delicious Christmas meal for us downstairs...Sandy got some fun pics of that adventure that I am hoping to add later!

Then Uncle Neil and I headed to the park with the older 5...Carter wanted to stay and play....when we got there I was looking at the fun sledding hill and I will admit I was a little jealous that our hometown was having a "White Christmas"...but we would more than make up for it on the 26th!

Rolling down the hill...fun times!

Some people take their rolling quite seriously...

We got back and ate lunch and played some more inside with the yummy smells of dinner all around us...(sidenote: Carter did not enjoy being the only cousin to go down for a nap over the holidays...he would cry and fuss when it was time to make the rounds and say, "happy nappy!" but as soon as he was in his packnplay he went right to sleep and usually woke up happy too...prob the last trip for the packnplay...he is getting so big!...a whole new adventure once that isn't in the mix! Could get crazy!)

After a lovely dinner we enjoyed some competitive games of Don't Break the Ice...Santa must have known that it would be a hit with this generation as well...love that all our fun games from the 80s are still cool to kids! We also got Hungry Hungry Hippos and Alex got Twister which were all played numerous times with the kids...

Then after the kids were in bed the adults did our White Elephant/Yankee Swap...lots of fun and laughter, but no pics on my camera...memories in my mind until the pics get passed to me! :)