Christmas with the Keyes

This was our first Christmas on our own, just our little family. As much as we have missed being with our families and have spent some time talking about what we are missing at home, we had a wonderful Christmas and are very much enjoying a two week break. So what have we been up to? Well aside from taking turns sleeping in, relaxing and playing video games (well John plays video games), we've been having a great time just hanging out together. Here's a peek at what we've been up to. Beware, there were so many cute pictures that it was hard to choose, so you're in for a long entry.

You've seen the snow pictures, and of course what's a day playing in the snow without some hot cocoa.
Of course you can't have Christmas without piles of mandarin oranges, well here it's all about clementines. So what is the difference? From what I could find on Google, a clementine is a variety of the mandarin. All I can say is "Oh sweet clementine". The kids love them too. Aiden decided it is a must to wear some sort of protective eye wear to keep from being squirted in the eyes.
At the end of Nov. I went looking for advent calendars for the kids (and John). You know the kind, the ones made from cardboard with little windows that hold a chocolate for each of the 24 days before Christmas. Well I couldn't find a single one. So I got online and went to marthastewart.com and found a really cute idea made with match boxes.
All the drawers turned to create this picture.
We were so excited when our Christmas tree ornaments arrived mid month and could go buy a tree. The kids were anxious to help (well Abby didn't want to help she just wanted to climb on the stool). Note all the snow in the window in the last picture.
While John studied for exams I kept busy, making Christmas stockings and a new Christmas dress for Abby.

Now for the festivities, Christmas eve the kids opened one gift each and then we headed over to a friends house to get together with 4 other dental student families. We all went in pajamas and had pizza, appetizers, and homemade ice cream. We re-enacted the nativity story with our children (8 of them, Aiden being the oldest at age 4), played Christmas songs on chimes and had a white elephant gift exchange among the adults. We had a great time and feel blessed to have made such great friends here. Unfortunately we forgot to take the camera.

Aiden and Abby wearing their Christmas eve gifts (new pj's).
We also received a package from Auntie Trish on Christmas eve. Abby had fun playing in the huge box.

We all know what happens Christmas morning, and Santa certainly did not forget us. After opening gifts, we had a friend who had no family around come for brunch and spend the day with us. Then we were off to another friends house to get together with our dental student friends again for Christmas dinner. Again, great times and again no camera, oops.

Digging into the stockings, well Abby is more just peeking.

Abby opening and playing with her gift from Grandma and Grandpa Keyes.
Aiden opening and with his gifts from Grandparents.
Abby snuggling with her new doll from Great Grandpa Kenyon.
About half way through she opened this gift of a stroller from Grandma and Grandpa Streibel, and it was over. She needed nothing else and would not open another gift. She pushed this thing around all day. It looks like maternal instinct is kicking in.
It looks like she finally agreed to open another gift but only if she could continue to hold her baby.
Now here's what Aiden's been waiting for all month. A robotic hand. He saw it at Toys R Us and that's all he kept saying he wanted from Santa. After opening this gift he used it to clean up all the gift wrap as well as pick up any gift small enough to hand to the proper recipient.

Hope you all had a Chistmas as wonderful as ours and we wish you all the very best for 2009.

Winter Wonderland

So the snow has more than just arrived, it has attacked. It started snowing Fri afternoon (John got through his last exam just in time) and basically didn't stop until last night. We ended up with more than a foot and 3 days of being snowed in. The sun is shining this morning and I am excited for life to move along. There was certainly some fun to be had while snowed in though.

View from our balcony.
All set to go play.
The snow was pure fluff, really made for snowboarding.
Making a snow angel, can you see the contentment on his face? Abby on the other hand was not so keen.

Lucky for me Abby only lasted a few minutes. Aiden was out as long and as often as one of us were willing to stay out. The next day John and Aiden headed out again, this time for almost two and a half hours.

At one point I looked out the window and this is what I saw.Apparently John introduced Aiden to eating snow and instructed him to only eat the fresh snow and that he shouldn't eat it the next day. He certainly stayed hydrated out there.

They were soon joined by a new friend (a neighbor boy) and got to work on a snow cave or igloo as Aiden preferred to call it. Luckily the snow was much more moist and they built one large enough to get all three of them in comfortably.

It Has Arrived

It held off longer than I expected but early Sunday morning, it arrived. We had our first snowfall. I will admit that it was incredibly beautiful but would be just fine living somewhere where snow is something you only hear of and visit on a snowboarding trip. For my son's sake though I will try and be excited for it. When I looked out the window Sunday morning I turned to Aiden and told him to look outside, his response was "I've been waiting for this!"

John headed straight out to get some shots outside our building.

All set to go play in the snow.
Aiden's first snowman.

Now as promised, here is a little more from Thanksgiving weekend. We took a little trip to Plymouth with some friends. Here's what we did.

Aiden was so excited to deliver his letter to Santa in person.
As expected, Abby wanted nothing to do with him.

Plymouth waterfront.

"The Rock" somewhat unimpressive.
Mayflower II (replica of the original)
Aiden in his new winter hat.

Abby checkin' things out.