Christmas and New Years

Sophie is trying out some new running shoes! Looks like a perfect fit!

AHHHHWWWWEEESOMMEEE 'stache Craiggle!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! ( I probably don't need to tell you this look lasted all of a couple hours).

We bribed Hailey and Steve to stay just a little longer by making cookies on Sunday afternoon after church! It was hard to let them go, but luckily we'll be headed out there in a couple weeks.

We thought it was going to be warm on New Year's day since it'd been in the 50's on New Year's Eve (at 11pm) but unfortunately it was really, really freezing! Our trip to the park reminded me that am so grateful to not have been a pioneer! BRRRRRR.... Don't you love Hailey's Russian hair! So funny!

We went to a nearby park that has some fabulous running paths to "enjoy" the weather. It ended up being bitterly cold, but it was really fun watching the guys throw rocks into the river and break up the ice. Also Jack found the lichen that Steve was hunting for ("camoflage", I'm sure it doesn't come as a big surprise it was hard to find, with a moniker like that!). I'm so glad that everybody was a good sport and genuinely had fun.

This is at the park we went to (Roselle Park), they have an old silo that has concrete steps that lead up to a look out. It was fun running up the stairs and the kids had fun jumping on the platforms and making a huge racket. Doesn't Craig look nice in a week old beard? Think how dark it'd be if he grew it longer! I encouraged him to grow it long and put beads in it!! HAHAHA! You all do know that he grew it because at the beginning of break we went out to Chinese and the fortune cookie told him to "Be adventuresome and try a new look.". Mine said to take a trip to an exotic location....where should I go????

Uncle Steve is showing the kids "Tripods"...or something else. Maybe something from "Desipicable Me".

Breakfast was a fun event, eaten in shifts. Amazingly, we fed everybody off one batch. Thank goodness for the new skillet I got for my birthday (thanks Mommo!).

Happy New Year! We had the kiddos celebrate at 8:30pm with party pipes and a countdown, lots of cheering and clanging of pots and pans and a toast (and we played Auld Lang Syne)! No fireworks in the street this year, we must be in a "no fireworks" state again, I didn't see any in the store.

Now we all have snuggies!!! Ha! I love that Sophie really wears hers! You should hear her say "snuggie", so funny!

Isn't Katie's Rapunzel wig fun? Thanks Yaya!

Check out Taylor as an astronaut! Isn't this fabulous!! Santa brought the costume and helmet, Grandma sent the boots!

As a tradition the kids get to open one gift on Christmas Eve. Taylor opened this Star Wars laptop from Grandma Howell! He was so thrilled. It's still on the top favs list! Katie was thrilled to shrieking with the mini Molly American Doll and book set from Mom and Dad and Sophie opened her snuggie, also a winner!

Our snowman looks like he's losing his balance! so funny! The next day the balls fell down in a line and then they melted away! How surreal to have such a warm holiday in MI!

Sophie was sucking on this bacon, too funny. I was relieved that she had quit stealing the sugar packets off the table behind her! (This is from our tradition to have breakfast out on Christmas eve. It was horrible last year and painful again this year. Craig loves the tradition. I am ready to drop it and just go to the gym instead!).

This is before all the crying and whining started! The food was great, the company was challenging. I was ready to walk out after ordering. I think next year we'll just go out to brunch or something.

It was so fun to have Craig home for the holiday. Look at the cute snowman they built! Thanks for the snowman kit Mommo!

They watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", such a great Christmas activity!

Sophie got ahold of some markers and colored herself. It was funny that they matched her birthday (from Auntie Hailey, Thanks!) sweater so perfectly! Funny baby! (she's gotta quit coloring herself, it's quickly becoming not so cute).

We went to see the Christmas trees at the Frederik Meijer Gardens. It was NUTS the night we went but really cool. Different trees decorated from all different countries and the green house done with lights (made me miss SC so much and remember last Christmas when we visited Marty and Jess in FL).

We went in to check on Sophie one night and found her like this! Looks cozy, huh? Too funny!

Okay, quick clarification, Craig was off for a week between Christmas and New Year's Day. It was heaven having him home. We were on our own for Christmas but lured Leisy and Kent and Hailey and Steve to our place for New Years. It's sad to be back to the old routine, but it was so much fun to have everybody here! Really the best way to celebrate New Year's Eve! Thanks for coming guys!