More Snow

We went outside after Anna's nap this afternoon. It was kind of late, so it got dark quickly, but we had lots of fun. Anna had her first sled ride around the yard. She had fun, but fell over a little on the turns.
Then she got to play with her first snowball...
...which turned into her first snowman. Matt made a face on both sides so we can enjoy it while we're outside and from the living room window when we're inside.

Vacation Fun

We are taking advantage of Matt's time off from school (he gets some reading/homework done while Anna and I are still sleeping in the mornings). Yesterday we went to Meijer Gardens (Matt's sister and brother-in-law gave us a gift membership). There was a huge display of Christmas trees decorated with themes from around the world. Matt and I really liked looking at them, Anna just wanted to watch the train. (She also was quite interested in the cacti. She's ready, Uncle Dan, to have a little lesson on cactus plants.) We had some time to go outside as well to the children's area. Anna loved walking through the little kid gate! It was a fun day and we can go back anytime! (Thanks, Jo and David!) Today we ran a few errands and are now enjoying watching the snow. After naptime, we may take Anna for a little spin in the sled.

Merry Christmas Part 2

After church this morning, we headed out to Matt's mom's house. Anna was a little wiggly before dinner was ready, so Grandma let her open one gift.


After lunch, she was ready to show off her excellent gift-opening abilities and got right into it. She loved playing with her new Little People nativity set. She had the most fun pushing the angel who would then activate the music. (Anna can dance to "Away in a Manger".) It'll be fun to help her play with that as she learns the Christmas story.
Then she got to show off her helping-everyone-else-open-their-gifts abilities. Grandma and Aunt Jo-Jo loved the calendars with loads of Anna pictures. Anna got to help Uncle David with his gifts, too.


In between gift times, there was a lot of food to consume. We had a delicious lunch with a lot of really great food. In the afternoon, Matt showed Jolynn how to make biscotti. Then he launched into making bread for the cheese fondue (the family tradition) for dinner. We had a great day celebrating together.

Merry Christmas Part 1

On Christmas Eve, we spent a really nice evening at home together. We had a delicious meal (splurged on Filet Mignon--I shared a little of mine with Anna, secretly hoping she wouldn't like it. Turns out she's got her father's taste for good meat!) We opened presents afterwards. Anna didn't take long to get the hang of ripping wrapping paper off her (and our) gifts. We took our time which was great because Anna wanted to play with everything.

She loved the Mr Potato Head ("taybo head") accessory pack...
...and a few new books...
...and the school bus (from Grandma Gronseth).
Anna gave Matt a Calvin Seminary mug.
Anna was a great helper passing out gifts and lending assistance in opening them. We all had a really fun night.

What a Difference A Day Makes

Yesterday was unseasonable warm, so all our snow melted. Matt took this picture of our front yard this morning.

We went to my sister's house in Grand Ledge for the day today. Our niece, Kelly, was part of their church's worship this morning. We had a great day together. By the time we got home, our front yard looked like this...
...and it's still snowing!

Cinnamon Bread

Matt made some really delicious cinnamon bread the other day. We were really enjoying it toasted for breakfast. Anna decided it would be great right before supper too. I was in the kitchen at the sink when I noticed her walking by the basement steps. When I turned around I saw Anna with the remainder of the loaf. She was taking little bites out of the top. I guess she was hungry.

We thought she was pretty cute, but didn't want her to eat the loaf like that so Matt cut the top piece off for her. She started crying when he handed it to her, though, and wouldn't eat it! Go figure.

6+ Inches of Snow

We woke up to over six inches of snow this morning. We were very excited! We all bundled up and went outside. Matt got the snow blower out (it came with the house) to clear the driveway, Paul (our winter boarder--also a seminarian) shoveled around the cars, and Anna and I played.

Anna rarely seems bothered by the cold and loves to be outside to play. She decided to try to cover herself up with snow. She loves just walking around in it too. She's going to have a fun winter.

Christmas Get Together

The guys (and families) of Matt's FFM (formation for ministry) group got together tonight for a little Christmas celebration. This is the first time they've all been together for a social gathering. It was a lot of fun (even though there was a lot of talk about school).

Yummy Mac and Cheese

One of Anna's favorite lunches is mac and cheese. This is one of my favorite pictures of her. It was taken early July, 2007.

She had mac and cheese for lunch today, too. She's doing a lot better feeding herself and sometimes does really well with a spoon or fork (although, she often still prefers using her fingers). She ended up today with only some mac and cheese on her face.

All Dressed Up...

Anna and I were supposed to go to a Coffee Break Christmas brunch, but because of rain, slushy roads, and all around nasty weather, it was canceled. So we were all dressed up this morning with nowhere to go. Matt took this picture of us at the seminary when we met him for lunch.

Anna didn't stay too clean for long! She was enjoying some chocolatey cookie treats. Amazingly, while she got chocolate all over her face, she didn't get any on her outfit.

Reading with Papi

Anna loves reading books---over and over again. She has started to read along with us now, which we think is quite amusing. You may need to watch this twice to catch what she's saying. (Sorry it's so dark.)