just hanging out

 When the rain stopped Saturday afternoon  Ava spent some quality time at the play fort.  Later they built an epic blanket fort to sleep in. 

New Years Eve trip to the bakery with Papa.  Harper got her usual cookie, Ava's pick was a glazed pershing.

Christmas

Our annual Christmas Eve party was at the Uhlenkotts again this year. 

  Charb suggested we have an Ugly Sweater contest.

Of course he found a Batman sweater.

We were happy to have Colin, Nancy, Kaitlyn and Brian join us.

Santa came and brought gifts for the kids.

 Harper looked really happy with this one.

Kaitlyn really liked her History book!

The Ugly Sweater contest winners-Bob-Ugliest, Cathy-most creative, Auna-cutest.

Christmas morning we had our traditional biscuits and gravy breakfast and gifts with the kids.

Another Christmas in the books and it was the best one ever.

Christmas with the kids

Steve giving a toast

Saturday was a special day.  Nancy and Jill met for the first time and we all celebrated Christmas together.  (We missed not having Scott and family there.)  Nancy (Brian had to work) Katelyn and Colin met her Aunt Linda, niece Jineen, Colin,  Hayden and Coldyn and cousin Joanna and kids Alli and Garrett.  She also met Kelly, Luke, Lexi, Macee and Maddie, oh- and brother-in-law Russ.  She was introduced to Gabe, Des, Rielee, Parker, Charb and the girls when she came up for lunch.   

 We ate pizza, played some silly games and had a gift exchange.

 Great-grandson 2 year old Coldyn and Granddaughter Jineen

 Harper posed so sweetly, but Daddy, not so much...

Steve with grand-niece Allison, niece Joanna and Jill

 Katelyn making Colin squirm.

Macee was there, home for Christmas with puppy Roswell.

One very proud Dad 

Rielee basketball, legos

Rielee played her last basketball game yesterday, they beat Huntington easily so it was a fun game.  She had lots of steals and made a couple of baskets.

Last night the girls worked on some new lego sets for the longest time.  Ava had to ask Papa for help at first because she tried to skip ahead in the instructions.  They stayed with though and finished them.

Rielee got the Best Defensive Player award tonight at her banquet.

Parker went along to support her (and eat pizza).

Christmas cookies

After almost 12 hours of sleep, the girls woke up happy and ready to decorate cookies.  We got them done in record time this year.  After eating several, they shared some with the Dolans, took a few along when they went to play with Rielee and the rest went home with them.  Which didn't make Papa too happy but he's supposed to be on a diet.

Sweater search, Colin's wrestling match

We took Ava and Harper shopping for their ugly Christmas sweaters today after school.  Kelly suggested we try H&M in the mall but the girls thought the ones there were too cute, not ugly enough.  There weren't any ugly kid's sweaters anywhere in the mall, but they did buy some pretzel bites which were yummy.  We finally found some at Fred Meyer.  After shopping, we went to Menchie's.

Ava chose to sit at a high table by the window.

Next we went to watch Colin's wrestling match at Alki Middle School.  It was fun, they have a huge team and did really well against Jason Lee M.S.  Afterwards, Nancy went home and got Katelyn and we all had dinner at Billygan's.  Today marks one month since we found Nancy.  It's been such a joy getting to know her, Brian and the kids.

Festival of Lights, new cousins

The girls took Jason and Vince's dogs for a walk at the CR Festival of Lights on Saturday.  We ended up only going around the block since the dogs got nervous around other people and dogs.  We looked at the vendors,  Harper and Ava played a couple of games and got cotton candy.  Rielee got a peppermint mocha from the Vault.  We had planned to come back for the parade but ended up skipping it and watched a movie instead.

Parker was working directing traffic.  He got very cold being out there for hours, and was tired having rode along with the police the night before-he didn't get home until 6:00 a.m. since there was a bad wreck on West Side Hwy.

Nancy and the kids came up for lunch today.  Which meant Katelyn and Colin got to meet some of their new cousins.  The kids got along great. The girls took them outside in the rain and showed them all of their favorite hiding spots (hope I know about all of them?).  They came back soaking wet, then played with the remote control bumper cars and hover board.

Lando, tree

Oliver got to Lando again, so Harper helped me give him new eyes this morning.

He can see again now.

The girls were so excited to decorate the tree, and just couldn't wait until Rielee came over to help,

until she showed up with Winston and Chance.  They put a few ornaments on, then left to play with the dogs. I finished the tree by myself.

Tree cutting

We found a tree in record time this year, and right by the road, too.  Ava wanted to help cut it down, she needed a little help from Papa but not much.

Both helped carry it to the truck.

Lucy the Elf, wreaths, Lucy the Christmas cat

When we stopped at the house after school, the girls found their elf Lucy on the stairs.  She'd had fun with the toilet paper!

 We took them to Des' shop to make some candy cane wreaths.

When we were getting out the Christmas decorations, I threw one wreath on the floor.  Lucy thought it made a comfy bed.

Parker's shop

 Parker and Gabe got busy inside the shop this weekend.

Parker is happy with the progress.

Thanksgiving weekend

We ate Thanksgiving dinner with Gabe, Des, Macee, Parker, Rielee and Granny Denice.  The kids

relaxed on the couch afterwards.  Des tried to get them to start a game but everyone was too full and tired.

Friday Ava and Harper came up and we got the Christmas decorations out.  Then Rielee came over and they made some little gingerbread houses.

The Woodruff kids came up and they played Whoonu.  Even though Tor coudn't understand the cards, he played right along and had fun.

Then they painted ornaments.

Ava felt like building this morning, so Papa brought in some small pieces of wood and they made furniture for their rock houses.  He found them some big boxes for their tallest rock houses yet.