THE 4 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

This year was a very busy year for Christmas parties. We had 4 in 4 days- with no break at all. It was great seeing everyone and spending time together, but it was very nice that the Christmas season has ended and we can try to get back to a normal routine.

Day 1

Christmas Eve we started out by heading to the early Church service at 4pm (opposed to the 10pm service) and then headed to Doug and Annette's for Christmas Eve. Doug and Annette made yummy Chicken Parm., Molly made yummy artichoke dip and we brought salad- pretty lucky for us! While waiting for Andy and Abby, we played a few games on the Wii- even Ry and Quinnie had a turn. Andy and Abby made it about 7pm and then we opened gifts (as the girls were about to burst from excitement and it was almost bedtime). The girls LOVED the stuff they got and had a blast opening gifts. Day 1 ended about 9pm when we left for the slow ride home as the roads were not the greatest.

The Williamson Family on Christmas Eve

Rylee and her Gingerbread projects that she made with Uncle Luke. She was so proud of what she made- Thanks Uncle Luke!

Rylee anxiously awaiting presents.

Miss Quinnie being a silly girl! She thinks she is pretty cool now that she can climb in and out of the chair on her own

Hula Ladies! Grandma Annette found the girls this huge trunk for their dress up clothes and gave them a few more things to add.

Just too cute for words!

After the 30 minute drive home (which normally takes 10), Quinn was too zonked out to help with the treats for Santa so Ry assisted. We had to have cold milk and then cut up apples for his Reindeer. Ry was upset we didn't have any carrots- but we assured her that Santa wouldn't be mad.

Day 2

Christmas morning was so much fun. The girls oohed and aahed over everything they got. After the night before, Quinnie was really getting the hang of things.

Daddy helping the girls get stuff opened. Who knew there needed to be so many of those metal twisty tie things! AGH!

Miss Quinnie and her new baby and carrier. She has really fallen in love with dolls in the past 2 months and drags them all over the house.

Day 2 1/2

We spent Christmas morning at home with the girls and then headed back over to Doug and Annette's for the Williamson family Christmas. More food, fun, and presents. Everyone wanted to go sliding, but the steady rain fall made it pretty unappealing so we stayed inside and played bingo and Wii. Another night that ended about 9pm along with another slow drive home due to bad roads.

GG having a little bit of fun

The girls being silly and sweet


Look at Me!!!!

Rylee opened 2 packages of Princess Dolls- 1 from every Disney princess movie! What more can a girl ask for?

Day 3

Day 3 started with us heading up to Luck for Christmas with my family. Joel and Mindy and the boys weren't able to be there as they are in Colorado but the rest of us gathered. After a yummy meal of Prime Rib and Cheesy hashbrown potatoes we went over to visit GG at the nursing home.

Kellen, Ry, Haley, and Collin spending time with GG

Look at our little Santa Baby!!

Uncle Bill was super nice this year- Ry is in LOVE with her new scooter!!

Ry and her Dora tent that Uncle Luke gave her. She is quite smitten with it as "it even has a tunnel Mom!!!"

After 4 days of Holiday Fun and food- we are glad to be home and done with Christmas. It was a wonderful time with wonderful friends and family but we reached a point where all we want is to be able to spend time at home with the girls, watching them enjoy the new things they were so fortunate to receive. I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas and the Best to All in 2010!

Oh Christmas Tree

This holiday season we have been super busy with work and such that we just were able to get the tree up this past week. Usually our tree is up and decorated by the first weekend in December. It was a rough night, Quinnie was very interested in the tree and "helped" by taking stuff off and pulling the lights down. Ry was a very good helper and tried to keep Quinn entertained but that only lasted so long. Thank goodness the tree was on the smaller side as I don't know if we could have made it through decorating if it was a big tree. Let's just say that I am glad it is done.

Ry helping with the lights

Miss Quinn "helping" with the lights as well

Ry getting the honor of putting the angel on the top of the tree. That I think was her favorite part of the whole process. She felt pretty special for doing it.

Dad finally pitching in to help with decorating the top of the tree

Ahh, the tree in all it's holiday glory!!

After all the tears and stress- the tree came out pretty beautiful I think. Rylee sat on the steps in the dark and just stared at the tree. Oh to be 4 and see things through a child's eyes.

Merry Christmas!!

Hollidazzle!!!!!!

Last night we bundled up and headed to Minneapolis for the Hollidazzle parade. We went 2 years ago and Ry loved it so we thought (or I thought) we should go again. It was cold, but not too bad so it was ok. Ry loved it and Quinnie was in awe over everything- the people, sounds, lights etc. Ry was even excited to see the city buses and cop cars.

The parade started with the nightly grand marshal- who was Flight Time from the globetrotters and who also was just on the Amazing Race. I was excited to see him as he was my pick to win the race with his partner- Big Easy (they came in 4th). Ry and I yelled to him and he waved to us so that was neat.

I made Chris have his picture taken- he wasn't super happy but did it anyways

Ry's favorite was the train cars and this one was about the only picture that came out.

The Big Guy himself- SANTA!! Ry loved it and was screaming and waving to him. He waved in our direction but Ry said he waving to her! Too cute!

The night was a lot of fun but the drive trying to get out of downtown was not too fun. Let's just say it took a while and you can drive down "bus only" lanes. All in all, we made it home safe and sound with 2 sleepy girls. Ry asked if we could go back again next year already! I think I will put it on the calendar.

Princess For A Day

Rylee LOVES anything and everything Princess. We have movies, dress up clothes, jewelry cups, plates, bowls, etc. If it is princess, chances are we have it. A few months back when we went to Disney Live, we saw that Princesses On Ice was coming in December. I knew right away that Ry would love it, so we invited Grandma Williamson along. We left that morning about 9 for the 11am show and then went to lunch after. We didn't get home until almost 4 and Ry was pretty tired, but she had a great time and continues to talk about it.

Ry was super pumped for it. She said it was a day for "big girls only, no babies" so Quinnie had to stay home with Dad. Ry asked if we could go out to lunch and she chose Red Lobster of all places- since Babies can't go there, I guess.

Grandma is known for buying cotton candy- and this day was no less. The only thing was you got a crown with Mickey ears along with your cotton candy. Ry thought it was pretty funny!

Ry finally agreeing to take a picture with me. She was all about Grandma that day!

Prince Ali from Aladdin coming out on his elephant. Ry was so excited- she thought it was a real one. She had the biggest smile on her face- she loves elephants!

All of the Princesses with their Princes. Ariel from Little Mermaid is the skater being lifted. Ry could not believe what they could do in their "skating boots"

The Grand Finale! The whole second half was dedicated to the Best Princess of them all -Cinderella! Ry did not move the whole time and had her eyes fixed on the ice. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was so fun to watch her expression and the total awe in her eyes. I love it!!

A happy but tired Miss Rylee leaving the show. Her crown was a little big but she figured out a way to keep it on her head. The people in Red Lobster had quite the laugh over it.


The day may have been long but was a lot of fun! I think even Grandma Williamson was a little tired when we got home. Maybe next time Ry will consider Quinn to be a "big girl" and she can go with us- making it a "Girls Day only"

The Quest 2009

Every year we look forward to getting our Christmas tree and as the girls grow the excitement around this does as well. This past Sunday we all climbed in the truck and headed up to a tree farm in Luck where we cut our own tree. It's always fun to hunt and search for the perfect tree- a skill and process that takes time to do. This year was especially hard- but I think in the end we found just the right one. Grandpa and Grandma Williamson met us there and also found their tree along with Uncle Luke's. It was a fun time, even if the weather was super cold and windy. We were prepared though and bundled up and set off for the perfect tree!!

Our Family Picture!

Even though it was cold, Rylee and Quinn were in good spirits for almost the whole time. Towards the end Ry got really cold and had enough but she was a trooper. Quinnie loved every minute of it- she was jabbering and laughing the whole time. The cold didn't seem to bother her a bit.

Rylee and Grandpa dragging out the tree! She thought she was so strong helping out. She was really proud of herself

Rylee wanted her own tree, so her and Grandma Williamson took a small part of our tree and carried it out so Ry could have her "Charlie Brown"tree. Ry is really excited to decorate it- now I just have to figure out how to stand it up and where to put it. It's pretty small, but to Ry it's the best tree in the whole world. So cute! (Grandma W is carrying it) Being a little silly at our house. We were all "Reindeer"!

Monty and Emma look like they belong in "The Grinch" movie. Quinnie just thought they were the funniest things. If you could only hear her giggle!

Miss Emma- what a good sport

The tiniest reindeer of them all!

ARGH! I'm A Pirate!!

This year for Halloween Ry decided she wanted to be a pirate so I enlisted my Mom to help make it. Ok, so basically she made the whole thing but I helped (a little). We had extra material left over so Quinnie got to be a little pirate too. I have to say that the costumes turned out super cute and the girls loved them!

Quinnie trying on her pirate wrap that was suppose to go around her waist but she liked it on her head better! She looks like a cute little garden gnome!

My Ry in all her pirate glory! I asked her what her pirate name would be and she told me Captain Uniqua- as in the Backyardigans. To funny!

Ry was so excited to finally be able to carver her pumpkin from GG's Punkin patch! She really got into it this year, getting elbow deep in the slimy pumpkin guts and all. It was fun to watch her get all messy with it and have a good time too!

It's hard work getting it all cleaned out.

Daddy and Mommy had to help a little bit but Ry did a ton of the work herself.

Miss Quinnie got pretty upset that she was missing all the fun so she watched from her high chair and ended up eating pumpkin guts. I thought she would just touch them and not like them but was I ever wrong! She was shoveling them in as fast as she could until I took them away. Ry tasted them too but didn't like them like Quinn did.

The family of pumpkins

Knock Knock!! Trick or Treat!

This was the first year that Ry really got it and wasn't afraid to knock on the doors herself and say Trick or Treat! It was a lot of fun watching her do it and seeing the excitement for all the candy- even if we only went to our families (She will not starve for lack of candy)

Miss Quinn enjoying her first carmel apple sucker courtesy of Grandma Williamson. Mom wasn't too happy about it as it gets to be super messy- but who can say no to a face like this?

My Pirate girls! Ry loved every minute of it- even if Mom had to take her sword away for getting a little too rough with it

So tuckered out after all the excitement. Quinn fell asleep but once we got home it was like all the sugar kicked in and she was off. Ry on the other hand was out like a light when we got home.

All in all, it was a great day and we all had a lot of fun. We got to visit the families and spend a few mintues with each of the GG's! Rylee is already talking about next year!