Christmas #1 with Grandma

We celebrated Christmas on Sunday with Chris's Mom since we won't be

seeing her next weekend. Aiden and Ava had fun playing with their

cousins and opening their gifts from Grandma!

Although her little nose won't stop running,

Ava remains all smiles! She also started saying

DADADADA this weekend! I think it was because Chris's

Mom was here! It's just not fair!

Aiden, Evan and Taylor playing train with the big box in the toy room.

Chris showing the kids the Night Before Christmas book that Grandma got for
them. The book recorded her reading it to them. It was a very special gift.

Aiden got a digital camera...he has already taken 150 pictures!

Ava, not interested in her present, she would rather play with

that wrapping paper she spots over there in the corner!

Winter Fun!

This past Saturday was filled with winter fun!

First, we woke up to a nice snowfall so

Chris and Aiden went out ot build a snowman in the front yard.

Ava wanted to join in but, maybe next year!

They did a great job!

Then we headed to the Chiller to ice skate! This was Aiden and Grandma Gerri's first time on ice skates so it took a little while to get used to them. Grandma stayed on the side of the rink but Aiden didn't take much time before he was ready to go and once he went two feet he was ready for tricks! Santa was also there skating! Aiden kept skating up to Santa to show him how well he was doing. They were playing Christmas music and we had a great time!


Mommy and Aiden

Getting the hang of it!

Aiden doing a great job for his first time skating.

Ava watching with Daddy



Aiden and Santa

Aiden spent a lot of time like this.....But, he kept getting back up and towards the end

was really doing great! He keeps asking when we can go back so we might have

to take a trip back to the Chiller during Christmas break!

My Birthday Surprise Date

I was told earlier in the week by my husband that he was planning a surprise for me for my Birthday. He wouldn't give any clues, all he said was he was worried about the weather. So, Friday as I was running around trying to get prepared for Aiden's holiday party at school, he said, we were going to go out on Saturday but we have to go tonight now so I was told I had to be ready to head out the door as soon as I got home from Aiden's party.

I got home, changed and we headed out the door, he still would not tell me anything. My mother in law was in for the weekend and was keeping the kids for us. He put an address in the GPS and we were headed for a not so nice area of town. I was totally confused, then I started to remember that their was a small airport near where we were headed, and I have always wanted to go on a helicopter ride so I thought maybe that was it....we did in fact end up at the airport. We went inside and he introduced me to two men and told me to use the restroom. I was thinking it was some kind of scavenger hunt so I am looking around the restroom for clues or something! LOL! So, I come out and we walk out side and there is a little plane waiting on us....then he tells me we are going to Cincinnati for dinner....in this plane!

Only my husband would plan something like this, he loves surprises! So, a little hesitant, I climbed up into the plane. It was very small and I am surprised I actually got in, I did think about bailing but I knew Chris put a lot of planning and thought into making this a special date. I felt like I was on the Bachelor!

Here I am wearing the headset, it was so cool listening to all the chatter back and forth....and we could talk to each other as it was pretty loud with the engine running.


This is the GPS inside the plane.

This is the view as we were about to land in Cincinnati.

Here I am at McCormick and Schmidt's drinking my berry festive drink and they even put
"Happy Birthday Dana" on the Menus and had she chef sign it for a keepsake.

We had a fantastic dinner and the atmosphere downtown was so nice. There was an outdoor skating rink and Christmas lights everywhere, they also had horse drawn carriage rides and holiday music was playing! It was starting to snow a little so we didn't waste anytime heading back to the airport. We returned and when we took off it was snowing a little, then once we got up in the air it got a lot worse. We couldn't see a thing and I kept watching the pilot check the wing with a flashlight for ice....I wasn't feeling really comfortable at that point. All you could see was snow hitting the wing when the light on the tip flashed, other than that just white out conditions... I watched the time on the screen and just prayed that we landed soon! It was only a half hour flight and ended up taking about 45 minutes and we had to land at an airport south of the city since the one we took off from had really bad visablility at that time. We were not expected to get snow until Saturday morning so it took everyone by surprise. But, we made it back safely, and were able to ride back to Columbus with the other pilot on the plane. We got home and I could not wait to kiss my kids! It was certainly a Birthday date I will never forget!

(The first picture on this post is actually a copy of the flight pattern we took on Friday night)

Aiden Holiday Program

Aiden and Ava getting ready to head out the door...

Aiden singing "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas!"

The entire daycare singing "It's the most wonderful time of the year"

FuN TiMeS

These are just a few pictures I took that I really liked of the kids just having fun at home!

Who needs toys when I box is so much fun?

Ava is ready to ship Aiden somewhere far away!

Where is my brother?

There he is, I am not big enough to join him yet, but I try!

My Birthday

HaPpY BiRtHdAy!

Another year has come and gone....I just keep turning 29!

This year I had a wonderful birthday, although my best present arrived in April, that is all I could have asked for this entire year. I was a bit spoiled this year! Chris and Aiden made me a chocolate cake with cherry icing! It was delicious. I also recieved a snuggie from my best friend which I really wanted and it's all I could have wanted and more! Chris, Aiden and Ava got me a beautiful coach purse and I got lots of other amazing gifts!

Me, My Snuggie and My Cake!

Chris working hard at decorating my cake!

Traditions...

I wanted to try to start a new holiday tradition that I thought my children would enjoy. So Saturday evening I dressed them both in their Christmas PJ's and we got in the car, turned on the Christmas station and went to get hot cocoa and just drove around different neighborhoods admiring every ones hard work they put into decorating their homes for the holidays. I had a really nice time. Aiden asked a few times when we were going home, then when we got home his comment was "That was boring!" What can I say, I tried....

Our visit with Santa

We took the kids to visit Santa and Mrs. Clause this past Saturday at my work. One of the charity organizations sponsored the event and it was very nice! Once again, Ava was smitten by the big man! Aiden asked right away if his elfs made skateboards and pogo sticks! (needless to say I was at toys or us yesterday picking up the pogo stick). I am very much looking forward to the kids waking up to open their presents on Christmas morning, I think I am just as anxious to play with them as they will be when they see what Santa brought for them!

Dear Christmas

This is Aiden's first self written (with help on a few words) letter to Santa. It brings tears to my eyes, I just think it's the cutest thing ever and it will be something I look at every year at Christmas time :-) Even when he is my age! It's certainly a keeper!

The translation is as follows:

Dear Christmas:
I would like a puzzle and a red DS and a skateboard and a pogostick and a bone for my dog. I been a good boy. I been a big brother. Love, Aiden

I love that he wrote Dear Christmas instead of Dear Santa and I am not sure where the pogo stick idea came from but it's so strange because I just said to Chris while at Toys R Us last week that he needed one. He wasn't with us and I never mentioned it to him at all??? Santa did not get him a pogo stick so it might have to wait until his birthday but, maybe Mrs. Clause will put a little surprise under the tree Christmas morning ;-). He is getting everything else! This is going to be such a wonderful holiday!!

HO Ho Ho!

Ava came with me and Grandma Bev for her first girls shopping trip to the Mall at Robinson on Saturday. We had a great time! We took her to see Santa while we were there and here are some of the pictures from her very first visit with Santa! He was a wonderful Santa. He spoke to her and she really listened to him, it was adorable! She wasn't afraid at all which was suprising considering she was sleeping for about 45 minutes while we were standing in line waiting.

I will be taking both the kids for pictures with him next weekend!

I am sure Aiden has a lot to tell him this year!

Ava and I already put in a few good words for him!

Ava decided to take a nap while we waited for Santa to arrive!

Yes, she doesn't have on shoes or socks. She had on socks, and her shoes didn't fit over them...then she kept kicking her socks off in the middle of shopping, so we just took them off! She is always barefoot any ways so this captures her perfectly! :-)

She was listening to every word....I think he told her to sleep all night for Mommy and Daddy because she has done great the past two nights!

Say "Milk and Cookies!"

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one!

I believe in Santa too!

Look at her staring at him! So cute!

Search for the Pickle...

My Mom started a tradation a few years back where after Thanksgiving dinner she hides a pickle ornament in her tree and the kids have to find it. Then, the first one that finds it gets to hide it and the others try to find it again and so on and so on until all the kids get a turn to find it and hide it. Then they all get a prize! It's an old German tradition that is supposed to be done on Christmas Eve and the child that finds the ornament gets an extra treat but at Grandmas house everyone gets one :-) The kids had so much fun and the adults had a great time watching the kids search this year and Ava even got to participate!

Here is Carli and Jackson searching for the pickle and

Ava is just interested in anything that can go into her mouth!

Carli was being a great big cousin and showing Ava how to work her new toy!

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at my parents!

We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family.

Here are a few pictures of Ava's First Thanksgiving dinner.

She tried a little bit of sweet potatoes

Started giving up a little towards the end...her face in this picture says it all!

Chris and Aiden

Ava listening to her Great Grandfather

Me and my two favorite little people

Cousins

Ava playing at Grandmas