Happy New Years!

We had a great visit ringing in the New Year with Dave, Amy, Cashel and Peter.

We decorated some giant gingerbread men

Lucy wasn't too much into decorating, she just kept trying to eat him!

The kids all working hard

Higgins is a sweet tooth, he shouldn't be, I guess most cats don't really taste sugar or something but he loves frosting so he was waiting to make his move.

Lucy's

Jaydon's

Peter's

And Cashel's

We then had a chance to open a couple gifts and celebrate the New Year - at our own time of course thanks to the joy of the internet.  I think we were watching the fireworks from the Middle East at 8:15pm before sending the kids to bed.

Aquarium visit

Grandma and Gram had some city passes so they took the kids adventuring the week after Christmas.

First stop, the aquarium, I don't have many photos but am hoping to get some more from Grandma so I will update this if I can later.  Jaydon and Lucy hanging under the water.

Seahawks! Seahawks!

We were so lucky to get to go to the last regular season Hawks game, it was amazing. Jeremy's uncle Chip and his family all came up from CA and got tickets for all of us to go together.  It was a must win game to clinch home field throughout the playoffs and it was loud!

We were way up but still had a great view.

Earl Thomas receiving the Steve Largent award!

Blue Thunder!

SeaGals

The National Anthem is pretty cool in the stadium

The 12th man shirt was a really cool touch!

I was too excited during the game to actually take any photos during the game (not to mention the fact that everyone stands and makes it hard to see) but I did get a photo of the kneel down to win it at the end!

Grandpa got to go, unfortunately Papa Paul wasn't able to make it back from MN due to his treatments but it did mean we had an extra ticket and were able to take Grandpa.

The family!

Visit with Grandpa, Nana and Granny

A couple days after Christmas we got to have a quick fun visit from Grandpa and Nana and then Granny was able to fly in for a really quick visit too!  It was great to see them all and spend some time together.  

Yep, I post blurry terrible photos because I don't get very many good ones.

Grandpa and Lucy - Go Hawks!

Granny helping Jaydon do his nighttime routine.  Go Hawks!

Merry Christmas

We woke up Christmas morning and opened our family stockings.  (Since we travel so much around the holidays often, this is our one tradition for just our immediate family, whenever we first get back to our house after Christmas morning (sometimes days later) we have stockings filled from Santa).

The kids enjoyed the morning and were thrilled to have more presents to open.

We also had a few gifts from out of town family.  Grandpa Jim, Grandma Jo, Aunt Megan and Uncle Patrick sent this wonderful smores' package with the cute hats and animals for the kids - thank you!

After we got ready that morning we headed down to Tacoma to spend a couple hours with Grandpa and Nana and Great-Grandpa CJ and Great-Grandma Jimmie.

It was a great visit and we enjoyed spending some time together

Showing off some of their fun gifts.

Christmas Eve

We had an amazing Christmas Eve Day!  In the morning we let the kids open one gift that our neighbors brought over and then we just waited anxiously for the whole Stange side of the family to show up and celebrate!  It was a great day with amazing weather and we created tons of awesome family memories.

 

Lucy and Jaydon opening their morning present from Bob and Mary, it is a very cool whale puzzle.

Unfortunately, I was inside getting food ready when all the outside football fun happened so I don't have photos of that part but I do have a couple of the family enjoying their meal.

I was surprised Lily was taking part in the festivities staying close by everyone, she is normally the one to hide away.

Santa came to our house!  Aunt Mary even got to sit on his lap and pass along her Christmas wishes.

After Jaydon and Lucy came home from 'searching for Santa' they found him at our house putting presents under the tree!  Jaydon was super excited about having 'surprised' santa and he loved getting to see him in real life.

Santa had a big job at our house this year.

The first shots of us going downstairs when we heard his bells ringing, you can see Jaydon peeking behind his hands.  We had just turned the lights on and if this pic was taken 2 seconds later you would have seen Lucy screaming to go back upstairs!  She wanted nothing to do with Santa.

Jaydon talking to Santa

Lucy was hysterical for awhile, she just wanted to go upstairs and get away from Santa.

Santa gave Jaydon a special gift

A SEAHAWKS football!  We are all a bit obsessed, and yes of course Santa uses Amazon boxes :-)

Santa also had a gift for Lucy and as long as I held it up between them she was sort of ok opening it.

Lucy and Jaydon then helped Auntie Jenny be the elves this year and hand out the presents.

Cousin Britt (left) is teaching in Korea right now and we were really lucky she was able to come home and visit.  Her gifts were hilarious and this was the best one.  A sweatshirt for her brother Jim that says "Mountain in the Alaska," I love it!

Jaydon and Lucy got a big gift from Grandma and Gram (who Lucy has now nicknamed Gram-Gram), their first big basketball hoop.  It is currently set up in our house but will find its way outside in the spring.

Both kiddos sure enjoyed opening presents this year, it was quite a fun Christmas and I am looking forward to many more!