'Tis the Season To Be Busy

Lots of holiday fun this past weekend.  Friday night, I took Emma to Duluth's Christmas City of the North parade.  (Ella was at her 1st birthday-slumber party at the Coates Hotel and the twins stayed home with Daddy.)  We went with Becca and Jordan as well. 

See a year ago, I took Ella and Emma to the parade and the very 1st group is members of  the 148th Fighter Wing and the 3 of us agreed that we would love to see Uncle Pete marching with his group.  So he volunteered to march this year because he is such a GREAT uncle.  (And then Ella bailed on him for a better offer.  Geesh!  Stood up by a 6-year old.  Sorry Uncle Pete!)  So, anyway, we braved the bitter cold winds to applaud our uncle, hear "Jingle Bells" played over and over by numerous bands, and just before we hit dangerous frostbite temperatures, we waved to Santa at the very end of the parade.  It was fun and it's becoming one of my favorite traditions with the kids!

 

Our favorite member of the 148th Fighter Wing--
Thank you Uncle Pete for serving our country!



One good thing with bundling kids is they can't get away very quick! 
Wherever they plop down is where they are stuck!



Saturday, Ella got home from her slumber party and we all got to experience the consequences of her not getting proper sleep.  Oh the joy...fortunately, she had a field trip with her Daisy group making Christmas wreaths in Embarrass.  So she got to mellow out--out in nature.   

Ella (front and center) and her Daisy Troop.

We ended the weekend with a Family Day at the Festival of Trees.  Grandma Ann helped me out as Josh was still trying to score a monster buck.  Ella and Emma talked with Santa for a bit.  Ella earned some brownie points by wearing her "Santa Rocks" shirt.  The Big Man noticed her efforts.  Lexi and Maija climbed me like a tree and held on for dear life.  We stood at a safe 50 foot distance from that scary man dressed in red and his even more scary looking wife.  Then we frosted and sprinkled some cookies, tattooed our faces, and decorated picture frames.

If you look closely, you can see Lexi, Maija, and me in the WAY distance!

Now we prepare to host Thanksgiving on Thursday and consider participating in the madness of Black Friday.  I LOVE this time of year!



Lexi and Maija pouring over the toy catologs. 
It's a riot listening to them jibber-jabber about what's for sale!