Wednesday, December 28, 2011

December

What a whirlwind!!  I can't believe December is about over!!  It was filled with lots of family traditions and we enjoyed every bit of it.  We went to Cabela's to visit Santa.  Something we do every year with all the family out here.  It's always the same....go to see Santa first, then go to their little shooting area and play with the guns, then off to see the huge aquarium.  Then we go eat at Carl's Jr and let the kids play at the play area while us adults get to sit and chat.  Good times.

Luca and Mia telling Santa what they want

Diego being a stink and making sure Santa knew he still wanted drums since he didn't give them to him last year.  ;) 

I'm at the wrong angle for this picture, but it's the only one I have...all the cousins with Grandma and Grandpa and Santa :) 

Diego and Alessandro shooting the targets 

Udine helping Luca 

Udine made these Christmas tree cookies with the kids and they had so much fun doing it.  They didn't taste the best, but no one cared because they enjoyed making them so much.





Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Thanksgiving

This was the first time in 13 in years that I have had Thanksgiving with my parents.  Usually we go on a little family trip to CA over Thanksgiving, but it just didn't work out this year.  But that turned out well because my whole family (minus my brother in WI) went to my parent's house for the day.  We got to watch the Packers win and eat some yummy yummy food.  I felt bad for Dad because he left to go pick up my mom's uncle so he could join us for lunch (leaving around noon) and when he got to Uncle Bill's place no one was answering.  He ended up calling the police and they had to break into the house where they found Uncle Bill disoriented on the couch.  I guess his blood sugar level was really really low...so low that had my dad not showed up he would have died.  Peter then left to go help dad board up the window that was broken and then went to the hospital, so they both missed the meal, dad pretty much the whole day.  They got home around 5:00 I think??  Anyway, here are some pictures of the day.  And yes, I realize I am posting way too many, but the turkey bowl was just funny...I want to remember it so I posted lots of them.  :)

THE FEAST


It was such a beautiful day out!!  Some even got to eat outside! 

TURKEY BOWL
There were lots of little ones participating in this so it was very low key, but everyone had a good time. 
The cheerleaders....teaching the little ones.  :) 
Sammy cracks me up!!  He is just a few weeks younger than Luca but he totally gets sports.  He totally knew what was going on in this game and what to do.  Luca not so much.  :) 
hahahaha  love this picture 
this one too....but I like little Sam in the background waiting to catch it.  hahaha 
This cracked me up....Here is the step by step of what happened.
Luca gets the ball handed off to him.... 
takes off running in the wrong direction with big ol' smile
finally figures out he's going the wrong way so turns around and with help from older cousins avoids getting tagged 
still running.... 
go Luca go!!!  (a little encouragement from older cousins) 
Finally!!!  Touch down and high fives!  :) 


Even Alessandro participated which I was happy about.  He said he wasn't going to, so I'm glad he changed his mind. 

PIES, PIES AND MORE PIES
mmm mmm good 

A great way to end a great day.
  We have so much to be thankful for!

As a side note, I want to write what Luca said he was thankful for this year.  They made turkey hats at school and wrote what they were thankful for on the feathers.  He said he was thankful for "my family, my clothes, my toys, my body"  He's a good little boy. :)

Alessandro started a new tradition this year.  He took a brown paper bag and wrote on it "I am thankful for" and asked all of us a few weeks before thanksgiving to write things we were thankful for and on thanksgiving we'd read it.  It was a lot of fun to sit around the table at breakfast and read what everyone had said they were grateful for throughout the weeks.  I have a feeling we'll be doing that again. 

Fall fun

The leaves on our trees took forever to fall this year!  It wasn't until the end of November that I started raking them!!  It took me 5 hours to rake and bag all these stinkin leaves this day.  And we had to do it three more times after that!  I think these pictures were taken on the 5th and last pile of the day.  I was definitely sick of it.  But I shouldn't complain because I really enjoy the shade from these trees in the summer.  At least the kids got to have a little fun while we did it.  :)




Longest run to the leaves ever!!  My kids always do that....I don't know why, but without fail, they will have a huge ol' run before jumping. 



Goodbye

Movember is officially over and this will not be missed!!! :)

Goodbye mustachio!!