Trip to Sunny SoCal

A few days after Christmas, we took off for sunny SoCal to visit our friends Jonathan and Christina Soffin, while Winston enjoyed a week vacation with Grandpa & Grandma Sayre.  Adele got a special, custom made 'Delta Bling Ring' from one of the flight attendants.  Apparently she custom makes them and only gives them out on special occasions.  After our flight, first stop, Paradise Cove!!!  Our favorite place in the whole wide world...

(Belated) Christmas Pictures from Didi and Papis

Here are some pictures from Didi and Papi's house over Christmas.  Their friend Tom came over, dressed as Santa on Christmas Eve.  Veda walked over to us and whispered, 'Check out his shoes, I'm pretty sure that's not Santa'.  It didn't help that we had been tracking Santa on Google and he was just reported as being over Portugal a few minutes earlier.  About 30 minutes later, Tom and Joanne came over to have a drink and say hi...and again, Veda was quick to point out, 'Hey, you have the same shoes that Santa had on, wink wink'...She's a quick one...

For the Street in front of the lake house - soon to be a very busy intersection

Herky the Hawk

Little Picasso

Winston's Work of Art

Painting Games at Home Depot

Always a great Saturday morning adventure at the Home Depot.  Pretty awesome thing they do for the kids.  This week they made their own Tic Tac Toe kits.

Snow Gazing

Jay Z Concert with Friends

Awkward Family Photos, Bloody Marys and Garage Baseball

A few flash back photos from a couple months ago, catching up on some blog photos.  This was one of the outtakes for the Didi and Papi's Christmas card.  

Xmas in Iowa City

We had a pretty fantastic visit to Iowa City. Yuko made her first visit to Iowa City, we got to spend an evening with good friends at the Simcox's and the Baldes' clan came over for our traditional Christmas celebration. Nana did another excellent job decorating the house with insane detail, Ryan captured the festivities on his camera and Bull kept the kids fed and happy.

Scratching Lotto Tickets - Adele was the big winner - $38! We were smart and wasted it on more lotto tickets!

 Winston the barista. He made Uncle Ryan 101 cups of espresso and Ry couldn't get to sleep for several days;)

 Fist pump for the Living Sand! It was a pretty big hit and still is;) Note Adele's princess dress which she wanted every day for the following two weeks.

 Gifts from Yuko!

 And Bull made the mistake of taking a break on the floor - Winston saw his chance and pounced.

 Adele is such a goofball.

 Yuko and Winston watching the snow blower action from inside. Winston was pretty excited about the "bower" until Bull turned it on - then he preferred to stay a safe distance away.

Christmas in review...

A few photos from my phone...

Veda loved decorating the tree this year. She remembers the ornaments from two years ago (we didn't have a tree last year because we were in the middle of the move) and gets excited to tell the stories of where they came from. I have to remember to write all the details on each one or I forget - good thing I have Veda to remind me;) Her most special ornament this year was a little bird that she picked up when we were on a Mommy/Daughter date in November at George and the Dragon - we were shopping at Patina next store and she had to have it.

First annual xmas homemade ice cream. Was a Strawberry Success with this little number that Diane picked up at a garage sale!

 Veda looking like she's 16 in her Christmas Eve outfit before church.

 Sometimes they love each other - looking pretty cute on Christmas Eve. Adele's on her best behavior because she knows Santa can turn the sled around at any moment;)

Electric candles for the wee ones at Christmas Eve service - BRILLIANT!