It's Alive!

Back in September we found a little caterpillar while we were camping.  We took him home and named him Mr. Fuzzy.  Just a few days after bringing him home, he made a cocoon.  We didn' t know if he was dead or alive, but the other night we noticed he had emerged from the cocoon.  Now Mr. Fuzzy is a little moth.  Hopefully we can keep him alive for a few more months and release him back into the wild.

Ice Cream

Our new year is off to a good start.  After the busy holidays, we've been enjoying a more low-key month.  Leah has started walking.  It's so cute to see her taking steps.  She also likes to climb and often gets herself in precarious situations.  Jadon is glad to be back at preschool and into his normal routines.  He's in a phase now where he only wants to wear pj's.  He's fully potty trained now, too.  We have had some family get-togethers.  My parents came to Sterling on January 10th.  It had been a while since they came to our house and we wanted to treat my Dad to a birthday dinner.  On January 19th, Brant, Kylie, and Dylan came out for the day.  Brant and Brian worked on their mom's house while Deb and I watched the kids.  They had fun playing with all Jadon's new toys.  Here you can see them playing Ice Cream Stand.  This past weekend Brian and I took the kids up to Dubuque to visit Grandma, Sue, and Les.  Afterwards we went to Jeff and Charity's house in Galena where we celebrated Charity's birthday and spent the night.  The last picture here shows Brian and Jadon enjoying some ice cream sundaes with my Dad's homemade caramel and hot fudge.    

Happy New Year

We rang in the New Year (well, almost) with the Petersons.  Jadon , Leah, and Brecken had fun playing with trains, planes, and automobiles while Brian and I caught up with Erik and Krista.  They are expecting their second baby and we are so happy for them.  At 8:00pm we watched a ball drop on YouTube and wished each other a Happy New Year.  I think it is going to be a great year.  On a side note, the picture of Jadon and Leah shows them in their new sweaters made by their Great-Grandma Jones.  

Pins Family Christmas

On Saturday we drove out to Gurnee to celebrate with Dick, Judy, Jeff, and Jordyn.  We had fun hanging out, had a nice dinner, and exchanged gifts.  There were a few surprises.  My parents gave Brian and me a trip to Las Vegas.  We are so excited!  We haven't gone on a vacation with just the two of us since our honeymoon 7 1/2 years ago.  This was one of my best Christmases ever.  I really enjoyed all our family get-togethers and seeing Jadon delight in the entire season.  We appreciate all the gifts and money we received.  We are truly blessed in all ways materially and spiritually.  Happy New Year everybody!   

Christmas Day

We went over to Larry and Cindy's house on Christmas day for an elegant dinner.  Leah took a nap while we ate, yes!  After dinner we exchanged gifts.  Jadon received a battery-powered ATV from Keith and Vicki.  Needless to say, it exceeded his wildest dreams.  He and Dylan had fun driving it back and forth in the living room.  It wouldn't be Christmas without some lively gift from Uncle Keith.  One thing that made this Christmas special was having Dale, Nancy, and Avery home from Georgia.  Avery is such a happy, sweet baby and I know her and Leah will have fun together throughout the years.

Christmas Morning

We spent the night at Brant and Amie's house.  I think Leah was anxious to see if Santa had come because she woke up at 4:00 am.  The kids were very excited to see that Santa had eaten all his cookies and left them lots of presents.  They enjoyed opening their presents together and seeing what each other had gotten.  Yes, Jadon got a monster truck for Christmas...a couple...and he loves them all.  

Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve at Brant and Amie's house with Debra.  We had a Crab dinner and exchanged gifts.  Deb gave us all Christmas pajamas which inspired an all out photo shoot.  The kids set out cookies and milk for Santa and enjoyed hot cocoa by the fire.