I can't believe I am just now posting about the holidays, but better late than never right? I thought I could motivate myself to get back in the habit of posting more often, but so far no luck! :) This holiday season was especially fun. Unlike last year Hannah understood & was very excited about everything leading up to Christmas. To the left is one of the two ornaments she made for us at Stacy's, it brings a smile to my face every time I look at it. This is the 3rd year I have a homemade ornament with a picture of her in the center. It is so much fun hanging them up each year, we love seeing how she's changed & grown.
The weekend before Christmas we headed over to Lincoln to have an early Christmas with Josh's dad, step mom, stepsister (and family) and brother (and family). It is so much fun watching Hannah, Camryn and Mazzy play together (they are really close in age) and are all very into imaginative play so listening to their conversations is quite entertaining. :) We enjoyed a lasagna dinner together, the girls decorated cookies, played, played & played some more :) and then opened Christmas gifts. I'm so excited that my sister-in-law Cassie, is pregnant with her second also and due this summer. Can't wait to find out what they're having!
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| enjoying dinner at their own table |
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| putting sprinkles on their cookies and then of course licking their fingers clean :) |
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| playing with their new gifts |
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| hanging out |
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| cousins :) |
Josh and I decided last year that we're going to trade off every other year celebrating Christmas here at home in Rohnert Park with Josh's family and up in Fortuna with my family. This year we stayed in Rohnert Park. We had Josh's family over to our house for dinner on Christmas Eve. We decided to do soup and salad. Each family made a different type of soup (potato leek, split pea with ham and sweet & sour), we had a big green salad and enjoyed different types of bread. All the soups were so delicious!! A new tradition we started this year, is going to look at Christmas lights after dinner on Christmas Eve. The kids of course loved it and the adults did too. :)
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| the girls were mesmerized |
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| sleigh ride |
Some other Christmas Eve traditions we started this year:
making gingerbread houses (this is something I always did with my cousins as a kid and absolutely loved!)
letting the kids open a gift (a pair of matching pajamas)
after everyone has gone home we put out cookies, milk and carrots for Santa and his reindeer
Hannah gets to open a gift from mom and dad (a new Christmas book) that we'll read before bed that night. I love that she'll be starting a holiday book collection of her own to share with her family some day.
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| They were so excited about their new jammies I couldn't get a picture of them holding still |
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| giving her new book a hug :) |
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| all ready for Santa |
Hannah was so excited for Santa to come. That night after we put her to bed (for the last time in her crib), she called me back in a few minutes later to ask if Santa had come yet. :) I had to remind her that Santa didn't come until we all were asleep. This year Santa brought Hannah a brand new bedroom with a big girl bed (I'll post pictures and share stories on a different post).
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| holding her stocking after opening presents on Christmas morning |
After Christmas morning at our house, we headed over to Josh's mom and step dad's house for Christmas brunch with the family. We enjoyed her delicious homemade quiches, french toast casserole, muffins and fresh fruit. The kids had fun opening gifts from Grandma & Papa and from each other. Following brunch we headed home and all took a nap (Hannah's first in her big girl bed) and then headed over to Mel and Dustin's for Christmas dinner. Christmas Eve and Christmas day were filled with lots of family time and many fun memories. Looking at the holidays through the eyes of a two year old is so much fun.
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| opening gifts with her cousins at Grandma and Papa's |
We loaded up luggage, presents and hit the road to Humboldt the Wednesday after Christmas. Hannah was very excited to see her family. Her excitement did not overpower her tiredness however, and she slept most of the way there. (Love our good traveler!) Our trip up to Humboldt consisted of lots of family time, relaxation and getting together with friends. It was so nice being able to be there for 5 days. :) Wednesday night we enjoyed dinner at Shamus in Carlota (our last time eating there before they moved locations). Thursday late morning we headed out to Centerville beach to hike & enjoy the beautiful coast. We weren't really sure how long the hike was going to be until we actually got started. It was a lot steeper and further than we had originally thought, but we kept on hiking (with two 2 year olds .) Both Hannah and her cousin Brody did well for such a long hike. That afternoon we enjoyed lunch at the Lost Coast Brewery and then took the kids to Bounce-A-Palooza.
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| dinner at Shamus |
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| ready for our hike down (that little beach down below was our destination) |
finally to the bottom
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| Hannah and her cousin Brody ready to slide |
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| With Lisa, Karen and Nicole |
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| Family pic |
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| she loves her Auntie and Uncle |
We enjoyed Christmas dinner and opening gifts at my parents that Friday. Hannah was very excited about her gifts... new pink/green glow in the dark soccer ball, ballerina jewelery box, vanity, princess dress up clothes, adorable new outfits, lots of princess stuff, owl pillow to match her new bed, and a toy cash register (that she loves using for playing one of her favorite pretend games "Costco"). She also enjoyed opening her 3rd Christmas stocking. :)
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| Hannah and dad |
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| checking out her new vanity |
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| admiring herself in the mirror |
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| big hugs for her new pillow |
We had a blast ringing in the New Year at my good friend Sarah's wedding. (I'll post pics later)
Josh and I loved having Christmas at the beginning of break this year because it gave us an entire week off after the New Year. After returning home from Fortuna we relaxed at home, enjoyed going out to breakfast, getting some things done around the house, taking a trip to the Discovery Museum and watching Hannah enjoy her new bedroom and toys. She also started session #2 of winter swim lessons.
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| Loves having her own shopping cart when shopping with mom and dad at Olivers |
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| Using her new vacuum to clean up the pine needles after removing the tree. She spent 20 min. vacuuming the living room area and did such a great job that I didn't need to vacuum. |
so much fun at the Discovery Museum
breath taking view of the Golden Gate from the Discovery Museum
dad bouncing her in the spider web
waiting her turn to jump in
little swimmer
relaxing on the steps with Kenzie
our beautiful girl
anxiously awaiting the start of her lesson
I can't believe I am just now posting about the holidays, but better late than never right? I thought I could motivate myself to get back in the habit of posting more often, but so far no luck! :) This holiday season was especially fun. Unlike last year Hannah understood & was very excited about everything leading up to Christmas. To the left is one of the two ornaments she made for us at Stacy's, it brings a smile to my face every time I look at it. This is the 3rd year I have a homemade ornament with a picture of her in the center. It is so much fun hanging them up each year, we love seeing how she's changed & grown.
