Happy 4th Birthday, Will!

Ahoy, Mates!  On January 17th we celebrated Will's 4th birthday with a Pirate themed party complete with a treasure hunt.  Despite some of the coldest temperatures we've seen in 6 years and snow flurries, the kids had a great time!  The birthday boy said it was "his best 4th birthday ever!"

When the kids needed to thaw out, they came in for a while and worked on some crafts we had for them.  The girls could made a princess crown and necklace and the boys made a pirate hat, eye patch, and sword.  

What pirate party would be complete without a treasure hunt?!  The kids were all given maps and had to find their way past the dolphins, mermaid lagoon, Skull Island and finally to Treasure Island where the treasure was.  

After the treasure hunt, we headed back inside to warm up and eat cake.

Will opening some of his "Pirate Booty"

Let's go Thrashers!

This past weekend we were able to catch a Thrashers hockey game with Anna and Albert.  The Thrashers are having a rough season, but managed to pull off a win after sudden death and a shoot-out.  Way to go Thrashers!

We had great seats- 4 rows up from the ice so we felt like we were in the middle of the action.  It was Anna and Albert's first hockey game and all Anna wanted to see was a fight.  She got her wish- a fight broke out within the first 5 seconds of the game.

Our mascot- "THRASH"

Reviving an old tradition

When we were growing up, my parents were good friends with 2 other couples-the Page's and the Balun's.  Our families share many found memories together.  For many years we all got together on Christmas Eve.  As our families have grown and changed, getting together for the holidays has become more challenging.  This year, though, we were able to bring almost everyone back together for some fun. 

It all began with these 6... Left to right: Linda, Harry, Sharon, Stan, Paul, and Donna.

Some of the "kids"and a new addition... Left to right: Scott, Chris, Jonathin, and Tim.

Mom, Lesley, and Emma.

The "kids" of the "kids"... Left to right: Will, Hannah, Will, and Rachel.

It is a well known fact amongst our families that if you put our dad's together, there is not much that they can't build, fix, or put together.  For Christmas, we got an air hockey table.  George and my dad spent most of the day putting it together before everyone arrived.  However, reinforcements were necessary.  Before long, Dad, Paul, and Harry were busy at work.

How many grandpa's does it take to put together an air hockey table?

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

In addition to the fun and excitement of Santa visiting our house, we paused to remember the true meaning of Christmas.  What better way to remember the birth of Jesus than with a birthday party!  Mom baked a cake and Will and Susan helped to put the icing on.  After dinner, we put candles on the cake and sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.  

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family!  Will awoke bright and early this morning letting us know that Santa had visited our house last night.  It was a sight to behold with gifts and toys everywhere.  Will was so excited and didn't know what to play with first.  Susan slept in and awoke around 8.  It was nice that we were able to do Christmas with Will first and then later do Christmas with Susan.  We spent the day in our pj's playing on the floor with the kids and putting together the toys Santa didn't have time to.  

As much as I enjoyed today, it was somewhat bittersweet in that this was the first Christmas in 33 years that my sister and I were not together.  She and her family remained in FLA, but thanks to modern technology, we were able to see her and my nephews and talk to them over the computer.  This is a picture of me and my sister taken Christmas Day 1975-the year Jen was born.  If you are wondering why I look so excited to see her, it's because I'm 2 and her birthday is December 20.  Mom just so happened to bring her home from the hospital Christmas day.  I know I asked for a puppy that year....

I want to introduce you to the newest member of our family-Koda the interactive Dinosaur!  This thing is pretty cool.  Here is Susan sitting on him.  He sings and plays music when you ride on his back.  If you roar, he will roar back at you.  He also sleeps, likes to have his chin rubbed, and...

eats!  Here is Will feeding him his leaves.  After he is done eating, he will burp.  The kids think it's hysterical!

Susan feeding Koda.

Susan wanted a baby for Christmas so Santa brought her a baby, high-chair and doll bed among other things.  Her baby took a lot of naps today.

All Will wanted for Christmas were dinosaurs and the Artic igloo.  He has not abandoned his love of ocean creatures, he is just expanding his passion to include dinosaurs.  He got a box of dinosaurs and a dinosaur named "Spike" for Christmas.  This one has a remote control and will walk and eat boulders.  Susan is not too fond of Spike, especially when Will chases her with him.  Brotherly love...

Here is Will setting up the animals on his Artic igloo he got.

Cookies for Santa

What would Christmas be without cookies for Santa?  After gathering everything we needed, the kids got down to business.  Armed with frosting, sprinkles, M&M's, and Mike and Ike's, Will and Susan created confections Martha Stewart would be envious of.  My sources tell me that Santa thought they were some of the best cookies he has ever had!

It's not any fun if you don't get to eat some along the way...

Some of Susan's finished product.

Some of Will's finished product.

Will's School Festivities

Will's pre-school hosted a Christmas Program and pot-luck dinner at the church on December 17th.  The kids sang songs and were dressed in costumes representing the Nativity.  Imagine my surprise when I learned my son was playing the role of "Joseph."  He is standing in the front with the 3 Wise Men behind him and Angels to his right.  This was prior to going on stage.  The kids were really cute!  Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of the actual performance because I opted to video it instead and George was chasing Susan at the time. 

On Friday, December 19th, the kids had a Christmas party during school.  The kids all put on reindeer antlers and decorated cookies.  They did a book swap and SANTA made an appearance.  It was a memorable morning.  16 kids, lots of sugar, and SANTA-you do the math.