Christmas Vacation

We had a wonderful Christmas Holiday in Cleveland filled with wonderful family and friends and most importantly naps.

Crazy how these 2 sleep the exact same way.

We now have some very special friends who are more like family staying at our house for 9 days. It is refreshing to find another family that has the same beliefs as our family. They aren't even from Camp but they are British. Maybe that is it.......

Dance Parties

Drive in Movie Night.

Gingerbread House

The girls and I went to Grandpa's house to make a Gingerbread house for Christmas. The house was a huge success and was still standing after we left! Can't wait to see how long it stands for!

Ruthie and Lulu with their Aunt Regan and Uncle Kevin.

Lulu lost interest and decided to have a dance party instead.



Regan - in her Freshman year at Notre Dame and Kevin 8th grade.

Disney on Ice

Love how the tv says AC/DC. Wouldn't that have been fun, the girls at that concert.

While in Cleveland my mom got the suite at the "Q" and we went to see Disney on ice. The suite was great with tons of yummy food, great seats and plenty of room to move around. The girls loved the show. Ruthie really enjoyed every minute of it, while Lulu only started to warm up with 20 minutes left in the show. My sister Katie joined us as well, what a treat!

A huge hit was Lightning McQueen, Ariel and Tinkerbelle.

Waiting for the show to start.

Gammy and her girls

Lightning McQueen

Little Mermaid

Watching Tinkerbelle

Snow Storm

A huge snow storm has been dumping tons of snow on us for the past week! The girls have really enjoyed all the playing outside. Ruthie really enjoyed snowboarding and is looking forward to more soon.

Ruthie Snowboarding

We had 10 inches of snow and we all enjoyed playing outside today. While I have tons of pictures to go through from today I couldn't wait a second longer to post this video of Ruthie.

First attempt at ever snowboarding and she is up at at it like she is an old pro!

She didn't get the memo that she is only 3.

Mani-Pedi

The other night Ruthie and I took our babysitter out for a night of pampering. All of us had a mani-pedi. Both the girls love their babysitter. She is so great with them and they always beg for her to come over and play! Simon and I love her so much because she takes such good care of the girls, and anyone who loves our kids is tops in our books!

Andrea and I loved our pedi's especially the massage chair. Ruthie really loved that they put sparkley designs on her toes and her fingers for Christmas.

This is only Ruthie's second manicure and I am a little nervous at how much she enjoyed it and how content she was to watch her every move!

Of course, the Dude decided to stay home and play with Daddy. Maybe next time.

Sweet Realization

I had to make cookies for Ruthie's Christmas party at school and I also needed to make something for Simon to take to a potluck at work. So they both lucked out and got delicious cookies. Simon really lucked out and his were decorated with mini m&m's. (Ruthie's school is "peanut free" and I forgot that on the label it says may contain peanuts.) I hope that Simon's co-workers like the pre-school cookies!

As I was sitting in the kitchen icing the cookies I had a Mom moment...........

The girls had played in the snow with Simon after dinner (we are expecting 5+inches) while I was rolling the dough and baking the cookies. They had a ball, and came inside exhausted, put on jammies, had some hot cocoa and watched a show. They were all snug in their beds, with bedtime a total breeze. So there I am sitting in the kitchen admiring the Christmas tree icing my cookies, when it hit me....

This is exactly the life I always hoped,dreamed and prayed I would have some day.

I get to sit in the kitchen make my cookies for my kids, take them to school, play in the snow, take them to swim lessons, pile all our stuff in the mini-van and drive to Cleveland to see wonderful friends and family. We are making wonderful friends here, I really feel like we are finally settling in to life in Michigan and we are truly blessed.

Yes, there will always be the nagging worries of health, wealth and employment. Then there is the constant worry of "am I doing the right thing" or the motherhood guilt, or other issues that we have to face.

But this is where I always hoped I would be some day and I am going to stop, smell the cookies, catch snow on my tongue and cuddle on the couch and thank god for every day!

Build A Bear

Our generous friends Vicki and Tony from New Jersey sent the girls gift cards to build a bear for Christmas. There is one in the mall 25 minutes from our house, and the girls have always looked longingly but we have never taken the plunge.

We took the girls on Saturday and had so much fun! We got there right after it opened and went to town. For Ruthie it was an extremely difficult decision as to what bear to choose. For Lulu her mind was made up the minute she walked in, obviously it was the elephant.

They loved filling the bears, and picking out outfits, along with naming them. What a wonderful present and it would have only made it more perfect if Vicki and Tony were with us when we made our bears!

Ruthie selecting her bear.

Ruthie filling her bear by pushing the pedal.

Ruthie and her Bear - "Baby Tessa" - she named her after my friends baby who she hasn't even met yet.

Lulu filling her Elephant.

Lulu and her elephant - "Ellie" I think that makes 972 elephants we own. All named Ellie. Although this one has moved directly to the top of the list and is in bed with her.

The girls walking out with their bears.

Of course the bears had to go for a ride on the carousel before we left the mall.

I just love this pic from the way home. Yep, she has pretty much had this tight grip on her "Baby Tessa" since she got home.

So much fun!

Chocolate covered pretzels

Official candy taster. Even has chocolate in her hair.

As Christmas nears it is time to make our annual treats for Simon's co-workers and our neighbors. I have really gotten it down to a science with a good assembly line. Ruthie was a little bit of a help. In total 15 dozen pretzels and chocolate covered oreo's. Also, once I ran out of pretzels and oreo's I started to cover grahm crackers. Yum! The chocolate ran out just before I was going to cover some potato chips!

The men in this family don't have a chance....

Lulu recieved a purple tutu in the mail from her Gammy for giving up her paci. She loves to wear her current ripped tutu everywhere, yet, what better place to put it as soon as she received it than on Guernsey........

Poor guy, you think there would be safety in numbers with the men in the house, but not so much.

Poor Simon too!!!