Blaker's 1st Haircut!

In January Blake got his first haircut.  I was hesitant to have it cut, I was loving the curls, but they were getting a little out of control.  Aaron had been wanting to get it trimmed for over a month before I gave in!

Aaron actually cuts his own hair, and so he did Blaker's :) 

Before (with m&m's in his mouth...the "distraction")

He actually did pretty good throughout the cut...he wasn't scared at all, just curious!

Addy was very curious also.  She's never had a haircut...her hair is still barely to her shoulder even though she's 2 1/2!

At one point, he got a bit antsy :)

 After he got his haircut...he AGED LIKE AN ENTIRE YEAR!  Seriously, he immediately looked more like a little boy then my baby.  Ugh, that makes me sad.  But, he sure is a handsome little man!

My new look!

Grandpa's #1

When I was on vacation around New Year's, we went and watched my dad play hockey one day.  He is on what they call an "Old Timer's League"...the crazy guy is over 60 and still plays twice a week.  Hey, when you love the game, I guess you stick with it!

Growing up, my family attended church on Saturday nights, because Sundays were when dad would play hockey.  I spent many Sunday mornings wandering through the rec center in Rochester.  Being there watching my dad was very entertaining, and brought back some good memories!  My sisters and I used to walk up and down the bleachers trying to find enough change to get us a snack from the vending machine...sometimes we'd be successful enough to pool together 30 cents for a hot chocolate.  Ha, living the high life I guess!

My dad...#1 (literally, he's the one in red, LOL)!  Right after I took this pic, he scored a goal.  Not gonna lie, I was so proud :)

So cute...peering through the glass at the rink below :)

Addy and Grandpa Tim

This video is of Addy cheering for grandpa...

Funny side story - so about a week after we went to watch dad play, he actually took a puck to the mouth.  He actually had to go the ER and have 2 of his teeth put back into place and had to wear braces to hold the teeth there while they heeled (kinda makes you nausious, huh??!!).  He also was unable to eat anything solid for almost 2 weeks!

My mom had emailed me and said "his lip was an inch thick!!".  I called my dad the next day to see how he was and I asked him if he was going to take a week off of the game.  His response:  "Oh no, I'll skate on Tuesday!"   (this was Friday) --- yeah, he loves the game of hockey. 

Funny thing is, he actually had gone to the store before playing that day to buy a new shield and considered buying the one that is full coverage instead of just a half-shield, but decided to go with the half-shield.  Well....the next week he went back and got the full-coverage shield.

Christmas Celebrations at Home

Santa made a special arrangement with us and came on New Years Eve instead of Christmas Eve.  To Addy, it made no difference!  Before we went to bed, we got things ready for his arrival. 

We fed the reindeer:

Put out cookies and milk:

Wrote Santa a little note:

"Dear Santa, Blakers and I were angels all year long :)  Enjoy your cookies, Love Addy"

And then Addy went to bed...and the elves got to work!!

The next day...Addy must have run out to the living room first before coming in our room to tell us that she was awake because when she came in our room, she was SOOO excited and said "Mommy, DAddy - Santa ate the cookies and left us presents!"

To witness this season through the eyes of a 2 year old --- too cute for words :)

When we walked out with her, she said see - and started pointing towards everything.  The kids got some coloring books, suitcases for traveling, shovels to help with the snow (but they haven't been needed yet this year), a few games, books, and other little odds and ends.

You can't really see it here...but Addy is trying to show that Santa left one cookie with a bite taken out of it :)

Blaker with his coloring book he found in his stocking!

Oh yeah....that half eaten cookie that Santa left.  Guess who found it and finished it off??  Surprise Surprise!

Addy with her stocking "loot"

 I did take other pictures of the kiddos opening their presents, but they are not looking at the camera in any of them so I figured I'd just share what I have here.  The rest of the day was spent enjoying each other's company.  We played about 50 games of "Elefun" (one game that Addy LOVES at daycare and Santa brought for her)...about 25 games of "Don't Spill the Beans"...and we read Dora and Tinkerbell with her new TAG reading system ALL -- DAY -- LONG! 

 I love family fun day!

An action shot of Elefun :)  Blake loves to play too!

Christmas-time in Michigan

We decided to venture a little over half-way to Michigan on Friday night and get a hotel, and arrived in Aaron's hometown on Christmas Eve day.  The trips get long, especially with our little Addy...she gets carsick still.  It's not really a matter of "if" she'll get it, it's more like "when".  So, if we are able, it helps to break up the drive.  Thanks to Ed (bro-in-law) working for a hotel, he's able to help us out on our trips!!

We didn't have much time after we arrived in MI before we needed to start getting ready for Christmas Eve mass.  

Our little ones before church :)

 I was very proud of Addy this Christmas.  Of course she gets excited about santa and reindeer, and all the "fun" Christmas things.  But, if you asked her who's birthday was on Christmas day she would say "Baby Jesus".  We definitely did our best to talk about the real reason for the season in a way that a 2 year old could grasp.

After church we went over to Grandma Barb's (Aaron's grandma's) for the evening.  Most of his aunts/uncles, cousins etc were there at different times in the night as different Christmas services ended so we got to see most of the extended family...even if it was brief!

Then we headed home to bed :)

Getting ready to go to bed...Elf jammies...love them!  (the sleeping bag didn't last long that weekend...we pretty much shared a bed with Addy the entire time, LOL!)

Blaker says "I'm not going to sleep...SANTA'S coming"!

 When we woke up, we opened stockings from Santa with Grandpa Lowell, Auntie Tammy, Uncle Eddy, Brandon & Alesha as well as the presents that everyone had brought for everyone. 

Addy & her stocking!

Blake & his stocking!

Addy got an awesome Harley Davidson sweatshirt from Papa Lowell...she's so cute when she wears it!

Blake was more interested in his waffle than the presents...where there is food, there is Blake :)

Addy wearing Papa Lowell's new gloves!  (Blake in the background by the food, LOL!)

Our windchime that we made Lowell :)  Aaron made the camp and Addy painted the things hanging from it

Super-Blake sporting Ed's new hat :)

Santa had brought the Addy & Blake a donut maker (Addy LOVES LOVES LOVES her donuts!).  He had put a card on the present letting them know that when they were back in MN, he would be sure to arrive with the rest of their presents. 
After we were done opening gifts, Lowell went for a coffee run and we started making some donuts!

Waiting for the timer to go off

Frosting the Donuts (this donut maker is so cool!)

At first, Addy was very tame with her sprinkles....

...but then she realized how awesome sprinkles are!...

And our donuts ended up like this :)

Blake was the judge of the donuts...who else would be???!!!!! (he approved!)

This picture sums up the rest of the time in Michigan...relaxing with family.  :)  I can't believe that I have no pictures from the rest of the weekend.  We did take Addy sledding one day, but we didn't have our camera with -- I think Tina has some pictures!

As always, as I"m looking through my camera, I'm wishing I had taken more pictures.  Especially of the kids with family.  UGH!

I was very happy with how the kids were this trip - they were not shy or going through any stage where they only wanted me or Aaron, which is so nice --- since we don't get to see everyone as often as we would like, it is nice to watch my kids warm up to everyone so well.

I almost got tears the day we left when we stopped at Grandma Barb's house to say goodbye and Blaker reached out to her and then gave her kisses without anyone telling him to.  I wish I'd had my camera!  Addy has talked about Grandma Barb randomly since then (and of course she talks about her Papa Lowell, aunties, uncles, and cousins ALL OF THE TIME!).

Seriously...wish we could see everyone much more often.  It is always so good to be with the Anderson fam :)  We miss ya!

Santa!

Addy and Blake got to see Santa twice this year.  We went and visited him at a carpeting store in town that we get invited to each year for doing service with them...my entire family goes so it's fun.

They do such a great job - they take pictures of you with Santa and print pictures for you (and allow you to take your own).  Each child gets a toy, they feed lunch, you can get your face painted, decorate Christmas cookies, get balloons made for you... (the ones shaped like animals).  We are always impressed!

I always dress them in the Christmas outfits for this day...because it is another reason to wear the fun outfits :) 

Addy and Blake were not really nervous around Santa.  Addy was very excited to see him, but of course didn't want to sit on his lap.  However, she would talk to him with no problems.

This year she told Santa that she wanted a rainbow...and that Blake wanted a black rainbow!!!! 

...the girl dreams big...I gotta give her credit for that :)

I love how both Addy & Blake are checking out Santa in this one!

Addy showing off her face painting!

Santa was also a surprise guest at our daycare Christmas party.  Julie is so good to her "families".  The kids got gifts from Santa, and from her...and us parents got 2 gifts also.  One that the kids had made (a Christmas Countdown...very cool!) and then one that Julie made.  This year she somehow had photos of our kids printed on fabric and made them into pillows.  Very cool :)

Julie having her kids sing songs they sing during their preschool time of the day...waiting for the special guest!

Addy was very patiently watching as the other kids got their gifts pulled out of Santa's sack and sat on heir lap....

Somehow Blake got ahold of Santa's bells...lets just say he was occupied for a bit (and noisy!)

Waiting so patiently...

Blaker with Santa!

Addy with Santa!

Group Daycare Photo with Santa! 
Side Note: Julie has twin girls that are freshmen in high school right now who are also in the picture...(Skyler is holding our kiddos in the back!)...It is soooo nice...they have become our babysitters.  It works out great, because they are around the kids so much that they know their temperaments and such, and of course, it isn't scary for the kids when we have a sitter because they see the girls on a daily basis.  Addy thinks it is so cool with Shania and Skyler come to her house!

Tarara Christmas 2011

As always, my mom and dad had our family Christmas celebration mid-December.  Our day started out a bit crazy, Addy had been sick all week with a horrible fever, cold, and cough...and had a bad night so her and I had gone to the doctors first thing in the morning -- they had done x-rays to check her lungs for pneumonia and such and thank God she was fine!

...we didn't think Addy would be going to Christmas so I hadn't even brought anything for Addy to change into or anything.  We had a plan of meeting at my parents house so that Aaron would go home with Addy and I would stay with Blake...that way Aaron would be able to be there for a bit.  When Addy and I go there my family convinced me it was fine to keep Addy there so we could all enjoy Christmas.

I am very happy they did!!  I was concerned in Addy getting her little cousins sick, but luckily no one got the nasty cold and cough!

Cousin Pic 2011!  Drew (3), Brooklynn (5 - 6 in January), Ella (6), Blake (13 months), Brynne (7), Hunter (2 - 3 in January), Addy (2).  As you can see, all the kids are in their Christmas outfits accept for Addy...she was in comfy "I don't feel good" clothes!

Blake discovered this Reindeer Headband of my mom's and loved it!!  It was pretty cute!

I love this pic of Blaker and Brynne!  Seriously, she's getting way too big...

I didn't get a lot of pictures of the kids opening presents.  My mom got this one of Addy with a new Cabbage Patch doll - "Amiya" (who she calls Miya). 

She also got a cabbage patch doll in Michigan and she loves them both so much. I was excited for both of them too, because I LOVED LOVED LOVED my Cabbage Patch dolls when I was little and played with them all of the time. I still remember their names (Monica Suzette and Trista Lorielle in case you were wondering!).

She plays with them lots: puts them to bed, takes them to the park, feeds them...scolds them for not "staying in bed", etc. Love it!

Something that my parents gave to each "family" this Christmas was thebook "The Night Before Christmas" recorded so they are telling the story. This picture below is when Addalyn opened the Anderson's copy and we are listening to them read. It's pretty cool...I love it :)

Blaker was taking a nap through some of the present opening, but we managed to get a family photo when he woke up :)

Blaker got the hang of opening his presents over Christmas.  I was pretty impressed because he had no clue what to do at his birthday just 2 months earlier!

 Blake was in love with his aunt Shannon that day...I got a few cute ones of him giving her kisses and hugs, but this is one of my favs :)

Grandma Bonnie & Blaker

Grandpa Tim & Blake (dad caught mid-sentence!)