Infinity Scarf

Thanks to Mom, Jared, and Genevieve's tutoring and tips over the Christmas holiday, I got a much-needed refresher course on crocheting.  I have been eyeing some fun infinity scarves on Pinterest, and I finally finished one.

I'm liking how it turned out!  Thanks for all the help!

 

Geoff's Visit to Nana

Geoff, Nana, and Todd

Right after we got home to Morton Grove from the holidays, Todd (Geoff's brother) flew in to join Geoff on a road trip to Missouri to visit with their Nana, Muriel Redmond.  Mom Woodhouse and Heather were there as well.  It was a nice time for them all to get together and be with 98-year-old Nana who is fighting colon and liver cancer.

Heather and Nana

Back Row: Harold, Geoff, Todd - Middle Row: Heather, Mom Woodhouse, Margie - Front and Center: Nana

Many stories were shared about how Nana met Grandpa and dated, and there were many photos of a Nana we never knew: her as a child growing up, and pictures of her dressed up for a night on the town in the 1940s.

Above: Nana at age 22
Below: Grandpa and Nana in 1986

Nana is definitely an example to us of optimism, love, and faith. 

New Year's 2014

We enjoyed ringing in the New Year with the Nelson gang.  Mom Nelson definitely went over the top with her goodies, homemade pizza and hot wings!  Oh, it was yummy!  It was also wonderful to have Steven and Raime with us as well as Jared and Genevieve's family.

Hylie fell asleep long before midnight--which was great, because our little family had to hit the road the next day, so it was nice to have a well-rested baby in the car!

 

Yep, Geoff's sporting a beard in 2014!

We are so grateful for the blessings and experiences we had in 2013 and are looking forward to what 2014 will bring!

Let it Snow!

While we were at the Nelson's for Christmas, we got quite a bit of snow.  We were sure Hylie would enjoy playing in the winter wonderland and took her out for a spell.

The spell lasted no more than ten minutes, ha ha!

Gingerbread Houses

The Pennsylvania gang was nice enough to save their annual Gingerbread House activity for when we would be with them.  What a blast!  Geoff and I had fun constructing our Gingerbread High-rise while we snacked on candy and watched all the other elaborate houses come to life.

Thanks for a great night!

Every year, any candy that isn't used gets stored to be used for house décor the following year.  It seems like candy canes don't last as long as we think they should...most of the candy canes were super soft and pliable.  Ha ha!

Geoff working on the details

Dean and Andrea's mansion

Janna's Gingerbread House

Christmas with the Nelsons 2013

Geoff, Hylie and I had a wonderful time spending Christmas in Pennsylvania with my family.  We treasured our time there but missed Grant, Rachel, Eli, Eric and Morgan and all of Geoff's family as well.

Hylie did a much better job warming up to her Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins during this visit.  She still had her moments here and there, but she definitely was more comfortable than she was at Thanksgiving.

Santa was kind enough to stop at Grandma and Grandpa Nelson's to bring Hylie her gifts. 

Yes, that is Hylie FINALLY walking on her own!  Hylie decided Christmas Eve it was time to step out on her own!

Geoff and I enjoyed watching her check out her new surprises.

I love this shot of Janna.  She got such a kick out of her orange gloves from Eric and Morgan.

It was also a treat to see this Nativity on display.  Janna made this when she was in Elementary school, but with all the little (destructive) kids running around for so many years, it was much safer for it to stay wrapped in a box than out at Christmas Time.  Mom and Dad brought it down from the attic this year--what a treat to see Janna's talent portraying this Precious Event.

While we were there, Mom also taught me the art of making apple streusel!  This treat was mastered by my Great Grandma Usenicnik--she often made it for our Sunday visits.  Mom definitely has streusel making in her blood!  I need to try stretching dough again soon so I don't forget how to do it.

I've noticed that Hylie often sits with her knees bent forward--just like her Grandma Nelson, so I had to get a picture of them in their signature position.

And yes, it skipped a generation...

I also wanted to get some pictures with Hylie and her Grandparents, but she was so fussy, I had to hold her...I wasn't planning in being in ALL the shots, just the four generation pic.

Grandpa and Grandma Nelson

Four Generations



Pap Pap and Grandma Furin

Thanks so much to all the family for a wonderful Christmas gathering.  Christmas means so much more when it is spent with family.  We love you and miss you so much.

The Gneighbor Gnome

We absolutely love our neighbors, the Fa'anunus.  They are such a help and support to us as well as a blast to be around.

While we were unpacking over the summer, I was pretty excited when I pulled out a garden gnome that was given to me from a co-worker, Chris Atencio, at Walnut Hills Elementary.  I knew exactly what I was going to do with this mischievous, little guy!  I hid him in the Fa'anunu's yard with a note letting them know that the gnome game had begun--they were now to hide this little guy in our yard and we would go back and forth trying to find the best hiding spots in each other's yards.  It has been a fun joke...that got even more fun for Christmas.

After a big snow fall, the Fa'anunu children buried the gneighbor gnome in the snow on our property. 

When I found him, I thought it would be funny to create tons of snow mounds in their front yard to make them think I had buried him in one of them.  But after they stomped on all the little snow hills, they realized his hiding spot was not so obvious.

I admit, I was pretty giddy about his next hiding spot.  I made five little gnomes (one for each of the kids), we wrapped all the gnomes in a box, tied it up with a pretty bow and left the gift on the Fa'anunu's porch from "Secret Santa" and instructed them not to open it until Christmas Day.

Shortly after the box was delivered, Jen Fa'anunu, the mother of the clan, told me how excited she was to have a Secret Santa gift--and much to my surprise, I didn't blow our cover! Geoff and I giggled with delight as we waited with much anticipation to hear how they react when they discover what was in the box.

We got a text from them Christmas night about how surprised they were over our prank (their father, Tom Fa'anunu, claimed he knew the gnome was stashed in that box all along!) and were plotting their next move.

We have yet to find the gnome in the freshly fallen two feet of snow...at this rate, we just hope to figure out his hiding spot before spring!

 

It's hard enough to find motivation to dig through the snow--but to do so in sub-zero, windy conditions is another story.  I hope our gnome has his thermals on, because he may be out there for a while!

Hylie's Gift for the "Grands"

This year Hylie and I tried to get creative to help let her dear Grandparents know that we love them and that we think they are truly what their name implies--Grand!

This was our first attempt at fingerpainting, so I had no idea what to expect, but Hylie did pretty well.  I was surprised at how quickly the novelty wore off though, by the time she got to her last canvas, she was just about checked out!

Here's the finished canvas.  On the other side we attached her picture:

I like how they turned out, but to help everyone appreciate how difficult it was to get a picture of our full-of-energy little girl...here are just a few of the out-takes:

 

 

 

Christmas around our Home 2013

Initially my goal was to paint the ceilings, trim, and walls in our living and dining room area before the end of 2013.  But once I pulled out our Christmas décor, I had no desire to start moving things around, covering furniture, and spreading dust everywhere to get this accomplished.  So I decided to just enjoy the month of December with no DIY projects--and I'm quite glad I did!

Here are some fun things we enjoyed around our home this Christmas:

Decorating the Christmas Tree (with frequent "undecorating" by Hylie).

I love this Christmas wreath...I don't know if it's because I still love how the door looks with its new paint or if it's because I'm proud of myself for making it at the beginning of December so I could enjoy it all month long--regardless, I thought it helped make our home look somewhat festive.

Our new and beautiful Nativity.

Our stockings and little "Woodhouses". 

Eventually these will become our stocking holders...so they're still a work in progress.  Initially I was set on making all of our stocking when we were first married. 

I was able to get Geoff's 80% complete back in 2011, but wasn't super thrilled with how it turned out.  Then a friend of mine in Denver surprised me with the beautiful stockings seen in the picture above.  As mentioned before, everything is still a work in progress...but that work won't resume again until Christmas of 2014!

We sure enjoyed being surrounded by reminders of the Christmas Season!