Merry Christmas!

...from the Shaws!

I love getting Christmas cards! It is so much fun for me to see what kind of cards people pick out (or make) and I love the pictures inside! This year, the Shaws will not be sending out Christmas cards, but we did manage to take a Christmas picture to post on the blog!! :)

Truth be told, it has been a very sickly month for us. Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, we all took our turns getting sick. Unfortunately Nelson has actually been sick the entire time, and is just starting to feel better (after two Dr. appointments and his first prescription of antibiotics...poor baby).

Dan has been working a lot more than usual the past few weeks, so we have been squeezing in family time whenever we get the chance. As a result....no Christmas cards.

Keep those Christmas cards coming and please accept this blog post as your card from us! ;)

Nelson's Got Balls

Violet's Visit With Santa

Baby Violet pictures!!

I love NY Santa's garb!!! That is kickin' it OLD school!

Handsome Baby

This Is So Cool!!

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/guest/LrtNJ9s04OPA3rPBbccBZQ

If you click on the link you can watch the video that Amya is watching in the clip below.
Thank you Aunt Carol for the tip!!
You can ask Santa to make a video for your kids, too!

This is Amya's reaction!! Loved it!

Dear Amya...

A Seat With A View

The kids have been sick...

...for a week! Today Amya realized she couldn't go to playgroup and was a bit bummed out. If you want to torture that child, you isolate her from her friends. She just can't deal. Today she took her two chairs and put them up to the door and said, "There. Mommy, now when my friends do come over, they can sit here and watch the snow falling outside!" (watching the snow falling outside is something she has done a lot this week) It broke my heart a little.

On a lighter note!...I love this first picture because it encapsulates what Nelson thinks of his changing table...it is a climbing table. I have to flip him back down AT LEAST three times per diaper change. The other picture is of a cut out Turkey that Amya got in a card from her Grandparents. She loved it! It's the "little things" for that kid!

Nelson has been surprisingly good around the Christmas tree! He takes his Mickey Mouse walker and walks up to and looks at the ornaments. I'm not sure when it will change to ripping them down, but I'm sure it will....

The Naughty and The Nice...

...pictures with Santa, that is.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Winter...

You can tell winter is in the air .....

...when the Christmas tree hunt ends in success! (by the way, it is OK for babies not to wear socks when outside in the cold)

...when indoor activities revolve around art and horse play!

...when Carol gets (more) crafty (than usual)...

...when there are more kids in the house than one can count!

....when the grass under the snow is greener than in July..

...when babies hang out in front of the wood stove loooooong after bath time!

...when the hot cocoa flows like it's on tap...

...and the sledding never ends!

(until someone gets cold!)

You know winter is in the air when tree is trimed and the stockings are hung with care!

Man, I'm Glad I Married This Guy!

...he rocks...and so do his kids! :)

What Are You Doing For Thanksgiving?

These are pictures of our Thanksgiving last year. My how we have changed! It will be Nelson's first Thanksgiving OUT of the belly. We will be here again this year, but thinking about and missing our families back East.

We are trying to start family traditions for each holiday. On Thanksgiving morning, we go for a family hike (after watching the parade of course).

Do you have any traditions that you do on Thanksgiving?...or any other holiday for that matter?

We are always looking for more good ideas! A new one we might try out this Christmas is a Christmas Eve lantern walk in the snow (snow providing)........................

Overheard:

Amya and her friend were having lunch together. This is what I heard from the other room:

Friend: My mommy and I went to Wal-Mart last week.
Amya: Oh!
Friend: (excited) We went down a one-way street!! My mommy said, "Oh no! I'm a pickle!"
Amya: That is silly. Did you want to eat her?
Friend: No. I had to cover my hears because of all the horns honking.

Tommy Turkey Loves To...

!!!!!!!DANCE!!!!!!!

R.I.P. Hockey and Dockey

You were good girls!

Enjoying A Little Reprieve!

Hanging Out In The Yard

This is the first picture I've taken of lewis in 4 years