Friday, December 26, 2008
Merry Christmas Morning.
Merry Christmas! Santa found the girls at Grandma's house.
Grandpa with almost all his grandchildren.
The girls wrote letters to Santa and left cookies, M&Ms and a carrot.
Santa wrote a little note back to the girls.
A little taste of Christmas morning socks for Eric who is far far away...
Santa wrote a little note back to the girls.A little taste of Christmas morning socks for Eric who is far far away...
Here are the cousins together.. (we are just missing Michelle and Jaqueline) We had an awesome Willenbring traditional family dinner on Christmas Eve with all my brothers and sisters.. My Mom made a fantastic dinner once again. =)
Grandpa with almost all his grandchildren.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Advent Day 24 - Last Day Trip to the Mall. =)
It is now December 24th! Our advent journey is now complete.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Advent Day 24 - The last trip to the mall...
The girls and I went to the Mall of America yesterday... We did not get much shopping in which was fine by them!....
We spent most of the day at the Nickelodeon Universe indoor thrill park..
=)
We had a nice ride on the Merry-go-round..
The girls had fun in the shark cage and in Sponge Bob's pineapple house..
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Advent Day 24 - The last trip to the mall...
The girls and I went to the Mall of America yesterday... We did not get much shopping in which was fine by them!....
We spent most of the day at the Nickelodeon Universe indoor thrill park..
(I did manage to hit a few stores but would like to go back with out kids =) We decided to ditch the long line to see Santa so we could go on MORE RIDES!!.. but I did get them to pose with Santa's elf.. =)
=)The girls loved this Swiper the fox ride..
We had a nice ride on the Merry-go-round..
The girls had fun in the shark cage and in Sponge Bob's pineapple house..All this and about 300 store plus restaurants... pretty crazy... it wore us all out..
Advent Day 23 - (X-mas Eve in New Zealand)
Merry Christmas Daddy!
It is Christmas Eve in New Zealand today.
Merry Christmas to all of you and especially to Eric-Daddy!
"I drew this fish decorating a Christmas tree for you!"- love Athea
"You are the best Daddy and I miss you" love Haidyn
It is Christmas Eve in New Zealand today.
Merry Christmas to all of you and especially to Eric-Daddy!
"I drew this fish decorating a Christmas tree for you!"- love Athea
"You are the best Daddy and I miss you" love HaidynIt is hard being apart from the ones you love at Christmas (well anytime really). We really love and miss our Dad (Eric) and wish we could give him a big Christmas Eve cuddle!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Advent Day 22 - Christmas Parties
Happy Advent Day 22!
Last night we tagged along with my sister Gail to the Devery family Christmas party. (that is Gail's husband Dan's extended family)
They held a pot-luck party at an ice rink.
Santa and Mrs Claus came and gave gifts to all the kids. My girls were so thrilled that Santa was there....
Last night we tagged along with my sister Gail to the Devery family Christmas party. (that is Gail's husband Dan's extended family)
They held a pot-luck party at an ice rink.
Santa and Mrs Claus came and gave gifts to all the kids. My girls were so thrilled that Santa was there....
After dinner and Santa we all went down to skate. (that gave the hockey players a chance to finish their game)
Haidyn was ready, this rink had all the support equipment for a beginner figure skater.
Athea had fun too.. but mostly she just had people push her around while she held on and glided.. She mostly wanted people to skate FASTER!!
Here is my niece Dani and some of the cousins on her Dad's side of the family.Haidyn eventually started to gain confidence and speed. hmmm maybe hockey skater instead of figure skater??.. she is already better than Moose..(hee hee =) and looks like she is practicing going to the bench..
Advent Day 21 - Sledding!
Advent Day 21 (Athea counted the days left on the Advent calendar this morning and informed us that there are only 3 days until Christmas and then Jebby!!)
Sledding!
The girls have been really enjoying the snow. (and we sure are getting a lot of it here =). We spent about 3 hours outside yesterday sledding and playing in the snow in Grandma's front yard. Until Grandma enticed us all inside with hot chocolate and mini marsh-mellows.
This is the house I grew up in so I knew all the cool ways to turn the hill in the front into a fun sliding hill, it was slow to begin with but we piled up the snow from the sidewalk and made it a bit faster... =)
Here is Grandma's christmas tree, all ready for the big day.
Sledding!
The girls have been really enjoying the snow. (and we sure are getting a lot of it here =). We spent about 3 hours outside yesterday sledding and playing in the snow in Grandma's front yard. Until Grandma enticed us all inside with hot chocolate and mini marsh-mellows.
This is the house I grew up in so I knew all the cool ways to turn the hill in the front into a fun sliding hill, it was slow to begin with but we piled up the snow from the sidewalk and made it a bit faster... =)
Here is Grandma's christmas tree, all ready for the big day.Saturday, December 20, 2008
Advent Day 20 - Last Day of School before Winter Break.
Happy Advent Day 20!! (it is a longy we had a busy day!)
The girls and I woke up early and caught the light rail train out to Aunty Gail's house. She picked us up at the station and brought us to Hillcrest Elementary School. We were invited to Faith and Erin's class for the last day before winter break skating and caroling party.
When we arrived Faith and Erin's teacher Amy welcomed us and we got to sit and listen to her read us a story.
^ Litte steps... (see Athea in the background)
Erin and Faith are true Minnesota girls because they sure know how to ice skate. They are so cute! =)
For Gail's christmas gift she wanted someone to paint her new bathroom. So while the girls caroled away. I stay behind at Gail's and painted. Now her walls are "friendly yellow" instead of winter primer white. =)
Today it is snowing again, we may go out and go sledding and more shoveling for me. (funny I do not miss the shovelling =). Grandma Jo's bus was cancelled due to the bad weather but we are still hoping that the Montana Reynolds will still be able to make it out on Boxing day. (the 26th)
The girls and I woke up early and caught the light rail train out to Aunty Gail's house. She picked us up at the station and brought us to Hillcrest Elementary School. We were invited to Faith and Erin's class for the last day before winter break skating and caroling party.
When we arrived Faith and Erin's teacher Amy welcomed us and we got to sit and listen to her read us a story.
We then went to the auditorium and sang christmas carols with some of the other classes. The music teacher Janet was really fun. (here is Faith, Athea, Haidyn and Erin, I tried to capture them singing Rudolf)
After singing we all went to the ice skating arena nearby and had a super fun ice skating party. They had free rental skates, donuts and lemonade ready for the kids.
After singing we all went to the ice skating arena nearby and had a super fun ice skating party. They had free rental skates, donuts and lemonade ready for the kids.
This was the first time my girls ever had a chance to be on ice skates. They did a great job for the first try. =)
Athea spent most of her time on her bottom =).
Haidyn learned from another Dad at the rink to take little steps.. This advice helped her gain confidence to try to skate on her own. (funny I told her the same thing but it seemed to stick coming from another parent.. =)
^ Litte steps... (see Athea in the background)
Here is the whole group.
Erin and Faith are true Minnesota girls because they sure know how to ice skate. They are so cute! =)
Later that night after school Faith and Erin's Girl Scout "Brownie" troop met and went caroling at the nursing home. Haidyn was invited to go along too. (she is a Girl Guide "Brownie" in NZ)
After caroling the Girl Scout "Brownie" troop met at a parents house and had an ice cream treat and played games.
For Gail's christmas gift she wanted someone to paint her new bathroom. So while the girls caroled away. I stay behind at Gail's and painted. Now her walls are "friendly yellow" instead of winter primer white. =)
Today it is snowing again, we may go out and go sledding and more shoveling for me. (funny I do not miss the shovelling =). Grandma Jo's bus was cancelled due to the bad weather but we are still hoping that the Montana Reynolds will still be able to make it out on Boxing day. (the 26th)
The really great news is that my Dad is feeling better! He is finally not puking his guts out and has color in his face =) He even drove the car yesterday! He will see the cardiologist on Monday to make sure everything is still ticking the way it should!
Advent Day 19 - Montana Family
Happy Advent Day 19~ Jeb and Finn.
The girls and I are really excited because Grandma Jo is on her way from Montana to Minnesota (unless the snow storm stopped her) via Greyhound at this very moment and Papa, Aunty Chris, Uncle Jim and JEB and FINN!! are going to come to Minnesota on the 26th of December.. So we are now counting down advent days for Christmas as well as Jebby and Finn.. We think that is the best Christmas gift ever!! We sure hope they have a safe smooth journey because we can not wait to see them!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Advent Day 18 - Reynolds World!
Happy Advent Day 18!
Fun stuff.... I got this email passed to me tonight from my friend Min from Alameda.. so great of her to think of us...
"It's a world of laughter a world of tears, it's a world of hope and a world of fears.... =) " (if only I knew what Reynolds world really was... for those of you who do not know. "Reynolds World" is the place that the Reynolds' go when they "tune out" to the rest of the world... Aunty Chris's friends coined the term when they caught her day dreaming back in college... it must be a fantastic place, my Reynoldzes sure like it.! Maybe they go to Disneyland?? =)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Advent Day 17 - Gingerbread House!
Happy advent day 17, next Wednesday it will be X-mas eve..
It was another really cold day in Minnesota and we decided to stay home and put together a gingerbread house.
This is a store bought package house, not as cool as my friend Nicola's houses in NZ, she makes lovely homemade gingerbread houses at X-mas time from scratch.. (they are beautiful, really cool and delicious..)
Store bought ones are just a wee bit simpler for me... (ok lets face it, they are about all I can handle, an instant project to keep the girls busy with little clean-up in the kitchen and nothing burned.. =) This one was yummy though too, I am told.. =)
It was another really cold day in Minnesota and we decided to stay home and put together a gingerbread house.
This is a store bought package house, not as cool as my friend Nicola's houses in NZ, she makes lovely homemade gingerbread houses at X-mas time from scratch.. (they are beautiful, really cool and delicious..)
Store bought ones are just a wee bit simpler for me... (ok lets face it, they are about all I can handle, an instant project to keep the girls busy with little clean-up in the kitchen and nothing burned.. =) This one was yummy though too, I am told.. =) Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Advent Day 16 - Below Freezing!
Happy Day 16 everybody!!
It was really really really cold here today (-8 degrees F / -22C). The girls and I mostly stayed in Grandma's warm centrally heated house and kept busy but we did get bundled up and ventured out to Target.....
=)
Look what we bought!!
We do not have Cheeze-it or Goldfish crackers in NZ so that is one of the things the girls wanted to buy on our little trip to Target today. (My Target bags are loaded with gifts that I got on clearance at 50% off.. =) We do not have Target in NZ either so it is a fun place to go for all of us when we get back to the States. I love and miss Target clearance =)
We stopped in the food area at Target and Haidyn had a blue ICEee and pizza (all blasts from her past, she remembers getting these when she was 4 years old on our trips to Target in CA). Athea does not remember trips to Target she has been in NZ almost her whole life but she enjoyed chicken strips. =)
We also cruised the toy aisle to get ideas for our Christmas letters to Santa.
When we went home the girls colored love notes for their Dad who is back in NZ.
Cereal before bedtime with Grandma..
Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms.. cereals that are not sold in NZ and the kids only ever get this "fun" (super sugary) kind of cereal at Grandma's house...
Getting silly while getting ready for bed.. (this was actually before the sugar cereal was even eaten.. =)
It was really really really cold here today (-8 degrees F / -22C). The girls and I mostly stayed in Grandma's warm centrally heated house and kept busy but we did get bundled up and ventured out to Target.....
=)Look what we bought!!
We do not have Cheeze-it or Goldfish crackers in NZ so that is one of the things the girls wanted to buy on our little trip to Target today. (My Target bags are loaded with gifts that I got on clearance at 50% off.. =) We do not have Target in NZ either so it is a fun place to go for all of us when we get back to the States. I love and miss Target clearance =)
We stopped in the food area at Target and Haidyn had a blue ICEee and pizza (all blasts from her past, she remembers getting these when she was 4 years old on our trips to Target in CA). Athea does not remember trips to Target she has been in NZ almost her whole life but she enjoyed chicken strips. =)
We also cruised the toy aisle to get ideas for our Christmas letters to Santa.
When we went home the girls colored love notes for their Dad who is back in NZ.
Cereal before bedtime with Grandma..
Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms.. cereals that are not sold in NZ and the kids only ever get this "fun" (super sugary) kind of cereal at Grandma's house...
Getting silly while getting ready for bed.. (this was actually before the sugar cereal was even eaten.. =)
