Corinne's Party!!

Corinne Turns Two!!

These are some of my favorite pictures of
Corinne's two-year-old photoshoot.

Christmas Traditions and Stuff. . .

The holidays this year were filled with everything traditional. We started right after Thanksgiving with a tree hunting expedition. The weather was very mild, and we were so much enjoying our time outdoors, so we hunted and hunted and hunted 'til our hearts content on our tree perfection. . . and it was. The kids enjoyed the little mounds of snow they found. Elijah even attempted a snow angel and taught Corinne his love for eating snow. We stopped on our way home at the Sno Cap in Sisters for a great burger which satisfied the hunger.

We hosted a "Polar Express" party and made fancy gingerbread houses and gingerbread men. They were full of creativity and mouth watering sugar candies.

Elijah sang "Away in a Manger" and quoted a poem with his Sunday school class at church.

We hosted Christmas Eve at our house and Mike read a poem about the symbols that represent Christ in Christmas. We ate soup and veggies and enjoyed the traditional Cardiman bread and Swedish Rice Pudding. On Christmas morn we relaxed by the faux fireplace while the kids opened their stockings and presents. I thought Elijah was getting too old to enjoy the box more than what was inside but it was not the case. A pirate ship as made and sailed by the two cutest pirates in the world. We headed over to the Hocker's for Christmas brunch and stayed through the evening all the while opening more presents, consuming a huge fondue spread, hot tubbing for the girls, video games for the boys, and slumbering for the worn out children.

Elijah's first ice skating trip was spent mostly holding on to mommy, taking rests, and followed by yummy hot chocolate.