Whole lotta catching up to do part 1: Holidays

Holidays 2014 in summary : We hosted the worst turkey eating experience ever by having a malfunctioning oven and inability to obtain a Nesco even though Black Friday was in it's prime.  After borrowing our neighbors oven and realizing it's temp was a bit off we opted out of eating the raw turkey and ate all the sides instead.  We are proud owners of the oven that fails once a year right around Thanksgiving or whatever is more inconvenient as far as hosting goes.

 Ali made the trek over or down from either Duluth or Ladysmith to roll with her brother and sis in law.  I didn't hesitate putting my guests to work shoveling a nice rink for us to skate on.  However the groaning ice was a bit to much for our cautious souls so not much skating was done this year.

 Aaron likes to show his goods off whilst sporting a Movember stache. 

 Ali had recommended a holiday train ride in Duluth, so the four of us headed up to see what this train had to offer.  It was quite splended. It started off at a brew pub then headed to the train museum where a holiday book was read and the kids got to meet Santa.  

 After that fun we decided to check out the free holiday light show downtown, but alas wee little Jimmy fell asleep and it started to snow so we opted to check out a place that Ali recommended and I am so glad we did.

 Pictures can not do it justice but the place was amazing.  A private residence that decorates up the wazoo and invites the public to walk around, drink cider and eat cookies.  Amazing.   Simply amazing.  There was an amazing light display on the beach as well.  All the lights were white and green.  Simply magical.

 The few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas were spent watching the Packers. . .

 Having post bath / pre bed wild rumpuses in Jimmy's room

 Hanging out in the dog bowl

 Decorating Christmas trees

 and Attending neighborhood holiday parties.

 Then it was Christmas.  We loaded up and headed to Clintonville.  This was the first year we put out carrots and milk and cookies for Santa and the reindeer

and I guess it worked because our stockings were loaded.

The Christmas after nana had her mastectomy we went to a brunch at the Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton between her Hyperbaric Oxygen treatments and thought it was amazing. 

We didn't get our act together last year to attend but did this year.  Made Christmas clean up quite simple. 

 Later we got home and opened presents, Jimmy really channelled his inner elf to help us out. 

Saaron go to Phillips for Christmas so having the brunch help postpone the gift opening was actually quite helpful.  The big gift we gave our parents for Christmas this year was a family picture.  Alissa Betz from Clintonville took them for us.  She did great!!