Catch up time....

Ok DD, you can stop asking when I'm gonna update... HERE YA GO.. i've got videos and more photos to post another time.. but this took me two hours to upload as it was!!!!! Thats what I get for waiting so long to update.. got to get better about that in the new year....

We went on the Santa Express train ride in Boone and went to the North Pole. They got to wear their PJs just like in the movie. Mason was ready to go back to the 'North Pole' the next morning. Mallory on the othe hand didn't want to sit still but wanted to walk the aisles!!!

A Rare family photo and EVERYONE is looking in the right direction!!!

Ringing their Bells they got from Santa

Mason just had to go up front and sing some songs in the microphone

We had a tree this year. Last year we didn't have one and the year before we had a real one in our basement. Our house has no good place for a tree, so I bought a fake skinny tree so we would atleast have a tree to decorate. It is a very cute tree and worked great for us. Not the same as a real tree, but it was better then not having one at all

Mason actually LIKED Santa this year!!

Mallory wasn't scared of him at all!! Mason wanted nothing to do with Santa til this year. Last year he was about 10 feet away from him.

Granny B and the Grandkids... It took about 20 photos to get one decent one

And this is how it ended

She never did get to wear her Christmas dress, as it was so cold before we left for Christmas Eve Service and we didn't have a lot of time. And then she was asleep when we got home from church and woke up long enough for a few photos!

WOW another familiy photo in which everyone is looking forward!!

My immediate family...middle sister Darcy (DD) her husband Pete, baby sister Kristin, Mom (Granny A) and Dad (Pa)

My extended family on Dad's side (minus the South Carolina crew.. miss you Mary,Marley and Amy!!! )
Aunt LeaAnn (Dad's baby sister), Aunt Linda and Uncle Mark (Dad's younger brother and twin to Mary) , Grandpa Bob (PaPa ) and of course the same people that were in the photo above!!
Here is the santa plate my sister made for the kids to leave the treats on. Turned out very cute. THANKS DD!!!!



Ok, so I took about 100 photos Christmas morning and then the rest of the family took about 100 too, so I won't bore ya with too many photos here.. atleast not today..maybe another day... here is one with Mallory and her baby doll (she knew right away what to do with that bottle)

Mason with his 'new' tool box FILLED with all his own REAL tools! Maybe now the garage won't have Daddy's tools laying all around

Mallory with PaPa

After the holidays were over and things settled down, we were looking for things to do. We decided to take Mason roller skating for the first time. I didn't get very many photos as i was skating too, but my Aunt LeaAnn did and I'll get some more photos from her to upload later. Mason did very good for his first time. An hour was his limit though

He even won the dice game and got this big slush!!!

Not quite sure why Mallory loves to have something hanging around her neck but she does. So we really have to watch her with things. Mallory and Aunt Krissy

Mallory with her new talking kitchen

Mallory's favorite 'smile' face

After the new year, my dad's cousin Raymond and his family from Australia came thru Iowa on their visit through the USA. This was the FIRST time most of them had seen snow and boy was it fun watching them!! I took LOTS of pictures and LOTS of videos to document it for them. Here are a few

Mason, Conrad, Frances, Jane

Mason, Frances, Conrad, JaneJane, Conrad, Frances
This was right before their first trip down the hill

The kids all going down together

Kathy Zewe (the mom) seeing snow for the first time!! So glad she wasn't feeling sick the whole time she was here. Hope you are feeling better now Kathy

Mason jumping in a snow drift

Mason AFTER jumping in the snow drift

Jane with her sledding face on

Conrad LOVING the snow

Uncle Pete and Mason

Jane feeding the cattle

Mason, Conrad, Fances, Mallory, Jane

Frances and Mallory. Here is that 'smile' face again!!!

Our kids had the BEST time with the Zewe clan!! Mason loved having another little boy around to play with. Mason is still asking about ya'll!! So when is the next trip back to the states?!?!?


I'll leave with ya with the most recent photo of Mallory. We come back to our home after being gone for the holidays and we have all these new toys and even the old toys were new since we were gone for so long. And what does Mallory think she must play with instead??

Guess it got me to organize her drawer, but it didn't do any good to fold them, as the next day she did it again. I know I have a photo of Mason doing the SAME THING

Mallory is 1!!!

So Mallory turned One officially on Sunday November 23rd. We got a package in the mail from Granny B so she got to open that on her actual birthday.



Thanks Granny for the cute outfits!!!

We ended up celebrating her birthday on Thanksgiving night. Was a little crazy on thrusday, but it all worked out ok.

This is her Cupcake Cake

Just playing with my camera

She has a sweet tooth, so she did love her little cupcake I had just for her.

Opening her first Cabbage patch doll

Mason was a big help and unwrapped most of her gifts... this is the vtech train with blocks.. she loves it!!!

She actually did unwrap a few things, but thats only cause brother was preoccupied in the background

I love my glow worm

The vtech train. They did fight over it for a little while, but now they are good about sharing it


Last weekend was spent at my sister Darcy's baking some of our Christmas goodies... didn't get everything made, but did get quite a few things made to give away...

Kringla

Caramels

Turtles

Pretzel things with hugs

Oreo Balls before they were dipped in white almond bark

Pillow puffs before they were filled

Spritz Cookies

Those are a few of the things we made on Saturday.. still have yet to make the sponge candy, sugar cookies, beer nuts, krom kaker, lefsa?, & rosettes?

I love this time of year.. the baking, the lights, the smell of a fresh christmas tree (we don't have one as we don't have the space for one, but my parents and sister do, so I can get my 'fix' there), love the fact that Mason is at a great age to appreciate it all and understand it all a little better, I just love it all. I just wish this 'feeling' was year round and not just the month of December.