Catch up

Here are some pictures from the last several days. First, Hazel after playing out in the snow. (By the way even though it was FAH-REEEEZING last Sunday, like 2 degrees, -20 with windchill, today it was about 67 degrees. Psycho weather.) Anyway, I thought she looked so cute with her muddy legs and red cheeks and mussed hair.

You probably can't tell with how small these pictures are, but she had little speckles of mud on her cheeks. :)

Some pictures of the brothers. Brotha from anotha motha. (Okay, from the same mother.)

Cute.

Pictures of the Christmas pancakes Brett made on Christmas morning. (candy cane, ornament, angel and Christmas monster.)Brett and Jethro making a radio from Jethro's science kit. It's hard to say who has more fun--Brett or Jethro. Brett was soldering and Jethro was playing. Good times. Also, at one point Brett got some tin foil and told Jethro to make a little hat and wear it so that he could get better reception. After he wore it for a while, I said, "Jethro, you knew that Daddy just made you wear that so you look funny, right?" and Jethro immediately ripped it off his head and threw it to the ground. It was soooooo funny.

So, this was how our Christmas went. On the 24th, we were invited to a sensational dinner at our friends Jared and Sarah's. It was so fun. And fun. Oh, I already said that. But it was. Then, on Christmas, we let the kids open just one of their presents in the morning because we were waiting until the next morning to drive to Chicago to Kami's and Leo's because Leo was flying until that day anyway. We were going to have our traditional Christmas Eve hoagies that night and do the nativity and the kids had been practicing songs to sing for that night, etc. So on the evening of the 25th we were invited to our friends Andrea and Tyler's house and had another fun fun fun time. Let me just say that I feel very loved and blessed when people invite us over for special times like that.

So anyway, the next morning, we get the presents and suitcases and kids and chocolates and everything packed into the car, get going down the freeway, and when we were about an hour and 20 minutes along, run into completely stopped traffic. No movement whatsoever. So we turned on the radio to find out that many roads had been closed including the whole Indiana Toll (not the one we were on, but still) for ice and several roads had had accidents that closed all lanes, etc. etc. Apparently the ice was melting, but people were having problems with hydroplaning and the like. And the predictions just included more rain and flash flooding. So, we decided to head home. Driving through Chicago is hard enough without a million roads closed, and we figured if we even did make it it would certainly take all day. I called Kami and told her the bad news and felt bad because she was crushed as were we, but all in all it was probably good we didn't go because she took Isabel to the doctor that day and she had RSV, and much as I usually don't mind some good old-fashioned germ-swapping between family, RSV is something I'd rather do without. (One too many stories of my nephew Anders' lung collapsing.) Get well soon Isabel!!!!!

So we came home and brought in the suitcases and presents and promptly opened them. It was a little weird, as it wasn't early morning and we hadn't done all the traditional Christmas Eve things, but we adapted. :)

So here's Hazel, VERY excited over her and Ethne's twin baby dolls, complete with stroller, swingset, and playpen. (Goodwill purchase for 15 dollars. Score)

Here is a little doll/beanbag that I made for Ethne. I like it a lot and think if I ever have a room for the girls that is actually decorated I might make a few for the shelves. The tutorial is here.

And a little doll I made for Hazel. I thought it was fun and turned out cute. Tutorial here. And this was a big highlight (in fact I almost gave it its own post), Brett's gun! I am Wife of the Year because I surprised him with a Ruger rifle. He was super impressed with it and me for picking it (I called two brothers-in-law and a friend for advice though). I must admit, it was a little weird going and buying a gun, especially with three small children along. But the gun seller dudes were really nice to me. In fact, one said he'd take care of the tax because he likes red-heads. Sweet. :) They also gave me a gun cover thingee for free, and took it out to the car for me. And one told me as he was writing down my driver's license number that it would make a good poker hand. Thanks.

Anyway. It was fun.

Jethro made out like a bandit with his science kits, including a microscope, a Rescue Heroes robot, a little teeny skateboard (which has been the toy he's played with the most, go figure), and a spirograph thingee. Which Brett has had a great time with. What a weirdo.

Here's Daddy putting together the babies' playpen. Awww.

We did open pajamas that night from Grandma Bell. Thanks!

Ethne pushing her baby.

And Hazel pushing a different baby!

This was from tonight. Brett had the vacuum out of the closet, and Hazel and Ethne went in and closed the door, so we turned off the lights and said "goodnight" to each other and listened to them yell "Let us out Daddy! Let us out Mommy! Open the door, somebody!" while we laughed for a while. We let them out and they played around for awhile longer and asked if they could sleep in there. So now you're pretty much caught up. Oh yeah, and I got a jewelry box for Christmas, so that all my jewelry can have a nicer home than a ziplock bag.