Driving back and forth to WI during the months of November and December, aka the Holidays

Holiday Season 2015 had a very Wisconsin feel to it.  We had started the tradition of the one with the youngest and newest baby could host Thanksgiving so as to not have to travel and disrupt newly acquired schedules so Saaron hosted this year.  Christmas was at Nana and Doodoos and we had a Clintonville wedding for New Years.  I wish quite regularly that Martin's parents lived closer so we could see them more often and they were more solid figures than faces on an iPad but this holiday season I was thankful that we didn't have to divvy up time because that would have been tough.  Again, a consolidated post.
Baby Margot has no shortage of fabulous looks, this was her first for Thanksgiving 2015.

The most exciting first of Thanksgiving 2015, well, second most exciting I guess, was a fried turkey was attempted.  It was super good.  However, the heating of the oil was a factor that was not accounted for and took a smidge longer than anticipated.   As per tradition Ali was in attendance for Thanksgiving, and an added bonus this year was the Doctor.  We had a warm full house for Thanksgiving.

Margot was not yearning for attention at all.  Unfortunatley my disease ridden children were supposed to maintain their distance (but as seen here that was not always obeyed.)  She didn't get sick though, so there's that. 

Since we were in GB (and the Pack suffered that terrible loss to the Bears after retiring Brett's jersey) we decided a positive trip to Lambeau was in order.  We were just going to eat at the new restaurant, but then noticed there were tours going on and jumped up on that bandwagon. 

We got to go out the tunnel to the field!!!!!!!!!!

And be in the endzone.  There were two rules.  #1) Do not touch the grass.  OK.  I got that. 

And I was so focused on not breaking rule #1 that I didn't listen to what rule #2 was.  No Lambeau Leaping.  Whoops.  I as an owner should know better and not cause any micheif at my homeland, but no, I was that person on the tour that doesn't listen and gets yelled at.  Well, I guess technically it was Martin, but I am married to him so I take as much responsibility. 

There are pictures but I am too embarrassed to show them. 

After we got home it was time to set up the Christmas tree.  Last year our fake tree "broke"  when I was putting it away unfortunately so we had to get a real tree this year. I snuck out on a Monday so didn't go to a tree farm but rather to Home Depot, I may revise that next year.

Saaron and Baby Margot were in Phillips for Christmas Eve night and Christmas morning so the boys got all the attention in the morning.

The biggest hit for Ben was from Cousin Matt, a legit Millenium Falcon that opens up.  The coolest thing I have seen in a while.

I couldn't resist these cheesy matching outfits.  Red suspenders, I mean come on.

Our traditional family picture, with everyone smiling for the first time!!

We re-eneacted the Christmas Jammies so Margot could take part.

It had been so warm that we really didn't anticipate snow, but we lucked out and just after Christmas got a good dumping of snow in WI, the boys had fun playing in the pile in the neighbors yard

And sledding down Saaron's hill in their back yard.   Jimmy was so brave, he was flying down the hill and cackling the whole time. 

We had such a blast per Ali's recommendation to do the Duluth Christmas Train that we went and did it again, and in the course of the day saw three Santas.  Santa #1 was at Culvers when we stopped for lunch, he had his broad along with him.

Santa #2 was at the amazing holiday light display on Park Point.  Jimmy wasn't terrified of this one, however his face looks rather syndromic in this picture.  It was so freakishly warm that neither boy had his winter coat on. 

We boarded the train and headed to the "North Pole"

Jimmy is so excited about trains that it was more exciting for him this year. 

Jimmy was scared of the North Pole Santa so only Ben went and told him what he wanted.  I think he said "Imperial Walker and big Storm Troopers"

New Years eve we were back in Clintonville for Becca's wedding.  I have grown up in Clintonville and never actually been in the UCC Church, but I got to this time, and there was fire.  What a beautiful and touching ceremony, Pastor Jill knows how to host a wedding.

The boys were invited to the reception and danced the night away, they were taking in the bride and grooms first dance at this point.  I didn't know how much fun it was to have kiddos at weddings, and I am sure it isn't every time, but they were so well behaved and just loved dancing to the music.  What a magical evening it was.

Martin and I didn't quite make it to midnight, all the dancing and chasing after kids wore us out,but luckily, like most midwesterners, we watched the ball drop at 12am EST so didn't miss out entirely. 


Like all good things, the holiday season came to an end.  None too soon for our poor tree. 

Birthdays and Star Wars Halloween

This is super late so I am going to clump things.  For instance, Ben turned 4, we had an amazing family themed Halloween and Jimmy turned 2 :)  For Ben the theme has been Star Wars for the last 9 months, that hasn't changed a bit.  We still don't know a ton of people with kiddos the same ages as ours so we have yet to pull the trigger on a big birthday party, but what they don't know can't hurt them and Ben rather enjoyed his Storm Trooper cake. 

 For his birthday we got him a big boy bed.  He was really attached to his crib and had a tough time changing from crib to "toddler bed" so we were a little ambivalent as to how this was going to go, but he loved it.

 The Kalwiters and Elder DeWolves came to visit for Halloween weekend, Ben was set on being Darth Vader and with the new Force Awakens movie out it wasn't hard to find something for Jimmy -  a Chewbacca costume was actually quite fitting.  We mentioned this to Saaron who decided to go to the next level and fashion their own family outfits out of Star Wars characters.  Martin and I had to step up to the plate so martin went and found a Boba Fett costume and I waited too long and was being non-committal until I decided I could make a R2D2 costume with duct tape, hula hoops and paper.  Gryff even got in on the action!

 If Harrison Ford didn't have the Han Solo act on lockdown Aaron would have a solid chance at it.  He avoided haircuts for months to achieve that 70s shaggy look.  Chest hair, already present. 

 

 The boys have colds so still need to keep their distance from Baby Margot, here she was on a safety blanket that the boys were not supposed to cross the border to get their germs close to her.  She is soooo tiny next to these two beasts.

 Jimmy is all about trains and Mickey Mouse so that is the theme we went with for his birthday. 

 The picture I saw on the internet was a little less "Mickey emerges from Flames " and more cute Disney poka dot, but whatever. 

 Ben was not goign to let Jimmy have this birthday alone, he was all about helping with the blowing out of candles and making wishes. 

 I found a great deal on Craigslist for a train table and although it is rather large and rather close to Christmas, I figured why not. 

 Jimmy is still playing with it here 4 months later so I am quite pleased.