A Christmas Reprise, otherwise known as better late than never.

After being without internet access for over a week during the holidays, I came home and jumped right into the new year without posting much of what we did while we were away. After we finally got to Minnesota there was lots of snow and it wasn’t miserably cold … the kids had a blast playing outside.

It took Bill, otherwise known as Nanuk of the North, all of about 15 minutes to find his favorite hat (he bought it in Helsinki, Finland about 10 years ago and said one day it would be popular in the U.S. - I’m still waiting).  He took the kids out for a quick late night Christmas Eve sledding adventure.

They loved it!

We were awfully glad to see snowflakes after dodging tornadoes, floods, torrential rains, etc.

It was time for some chilling.

Milk and cookies for Santa were next on the agenda.

Savannah and Jacob requested sleeping by the fireplace … so they could try and see Santa.

Santa came in the night … along with some more snow.

He brought a camera, IPOD, Spy gear and more!

After breakfast it was time to head out and enjoy the snow.

They worked on a snowman:

Made snow angels:

Had lots of fun:

And shoveled the drive before the cousins arrived (I’m not sure where Nanuk’s hat went during the picture … surely his ears are cold!):

 When the cousins arrived we had Christmas dinner. Bill’s mom bought some ham and sliced it into thick pieces and poured orange marmalade jelly over the top and warmed it. It was really good.  She always has bar-b-que meatballs for the kids which they love … not very traditional maybe but loved by all the kids (and an adult or seven).

Afterwards Grandpa read the Christmas story:

Next we opened the gifts.  Instead of stockings, this year Grandma and Grandpa put gift sacks on the tree with gift cards inside for Wendy’s.

It was a fun time together.

In a “never been done before” addition to the year, a carpet ball competition was held.  Everyone played and Brittany won!  Grandpa made a trophy and she got to put her initials on it.

 

I am quite envious of basements.  They run the entire length of the houses in Minnesota and are lots more fun than attics.  You can play in them, sleep in them … host big parties in them.  I don’t want to live where it is sometimes 20 below zero, but I wouldn’t mind having a basement!

Now don’t tell my Northern relatives I said this, but it’s kind of funny that a little Southern girl beat ’em at their own game.

It’s our secret.