Home for the Holidays

Derek and I used to do A LOT of snowboarding before we had kids... it's actually kind of how we got together... over Christmas break we got to go for the first time in a long time... it was so FUN!!!!  Highlight of the trip for sure!

Nyah was in hog heaven with 24-7 running with the cousin pack entertainment!

A game of twister with Grandpa and Grandma Poulsen... probably relating in a post game chiropractic visit :)

CHRISTMAS MORNING!

Nyah asked Santa for a leap pad and was not disappointed upon running out to find her stocking!  She was bursting with Christmas excitement!

Ali has tears in her eyes because she did not appreciate being locked in the laundry room while we got ready for the lights camera action!  But the tears turned into cheers when she saw the enormous Dora display before her!

Joy to Nyah's world!! :)

Christmas Day (Eve) at Grandma Dahle's... it is always a wild party at the Dahle residence on Christmas eve and since we were away this year we shifted the festivities to Christmas night.  It was so much fun!!

Ali went CRAZY for the unwrapping and was grabbing at anything covered in bright paper!  No one could open anything without Ali HOT on their heels... so my brother Trevor started wrapping present with paper and duct tape so that we could by some unwrap time for someone else!  Can't wait for her birthday. :)

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight...

We went to the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving point with my family and had a great time.

For anyone who has ever wondered what Derek would look like with dinosaur legs.

uncovering dinosaurs with cousin Addie...

so sweet...

getting down and dirty with a serious archaeological dig!

Nyah loves the horses at Poulsen Ranch her and Ali fed them hay in exchange for a pet...

Soakin it up in the hot tub with my soul mate and two little sweeties... a much needed break after Dereks 1st semester in law school!!!!!

Nyah slept in Grandma Poulsen's room every night that we were there... She LOVED it... not sure how much Grandma liked it?  :)  But she did help Nyah make a tent for her last few nights there! :)

Nyah hit the Deer Vally slopes with Uncle Brian for her first ski lesson!  She did really well considering she broke out in a rash all over her body from a laundry detergent and was a little sleepy from the benadryl I gave her for the rash :)

What a natural!

Taking a break to refuel!

Ali also hit the slopes on the cutest microscopic baby skis ever!  She loved it!  She laughed all the way down... well until we tried to take her protein bar away that is in her hand. :)

GO Ali!

Brian was SO sweet and patient with Nyah!! He is such a fantastic uncle and ski instructor!  Thank you Brian!!!!! :)

Ali loved hanging out with Grandma Dahle when she wasn't cutting up the slopes :)  She was so tired from skiing that she fell asleep on Grandma shoulder!  :)

Nyah's past experience on the sky fairy at the zoo prepared her for the lift :)

November in a Nutshell

Here is Nyah at her tumbling class doing some split somersaults :)

Riding the carousel at the zoo... of course she chose the giraffe.

Sometimes i wonder if Ali and Nyah like all the statues of animals at the zoo more than the actual animals? 

Ali asked to sleep with a book one night and we thought it was so hilarious and cute that we took a picture... Now it just seems normal... she takes naps and sleeps with books everyday... sometimes she will choose other things... like... her plate she ate lunch on, her shoes, or slippers!  She is really turning into such a little person these days!  I am loving getting to know her!

Taking her baby for a walk...

Changing her babies bum...

BRING ON THE HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!

Since we were going home for the holidays so early I put our Christmas stuff up a week early this year...

Nyah shares my deep love of holidays... and we feed off of each others Christmas cheer :)

This year we started a new tradition "the elf on a shelf" ... a little toy elf that you put on your shelf he watches the kids behavior and reports to Santa at North Pole every night to disclose who's been naughty or nice.  You are suppose to name your elf the first year and ours was lovingly named Jed.  Nyah took this tradition VERY SERIOUSLY!!!  After getting back from the North Pole Jed would find a different spot in the house to watch from and Nyah would FLY out of bed in the morning in a hot panic to find Jed!!  The slightest mention that you might tell Jed that she was misbehaving would put her into a TIZZY!  She was always worried about him whenever we left the house that he would be alright.  I think he will be a good addition to our family traditions.

Gingerbread construction zone!

Nyah and Ali loved making this gingerbread house it's a good thing we had some good candy on hand because you'll break your tooth on the stuff they put in the kit... and you know my girls and I will have to have be eating treats to keep up production!

It turned out SUPER CUTE!

Bursting with pride!

It was a gingerbread sort of day because after we finished our we went to a local Iowa gingerbread house show!  They take gingerbread VERY seriously here!!! The houses were incredible and they had a scavenger hunt for the kids to find thing in each of the displays!  Nyah's favorite was the polar express one.

UNEXPECTED TRIP HOME

My sweet Grandpa Kress died right before Thanksgiving so the girls and I went home for a funeral and Thanksgiving.  It was really sad to say good bye!  He was such a wonderful Grandpa I was really glad that my girls got to know him.  We LOVE you Grandpa Kress!  We will miss you!

Ali filled up on peppermint bark before Thanksgiving feast... she swindled Auntie Sher into submitting to her chocolate will! Who could say no that face... needless to say Ali did not eat much turkey.  She can say turkey though :) Gobble Gobble

Beautiful Thanksgiving down to the tiny details!

Sweet potatoes "get in my BELLY!" :)

 post feast games...

Keeping with family traditions we went to a classic tree lot and picked out a charlie brown tree for the "kid tree" decorations!  I LOVE the smell of fresh pine trees!!!  Sometimes I'll pull up to a tree lot and roll down the windows just to get a wiff :)  Family traditions are the best and I have an amazing family!!!

Even though we were only in town for a couple of days we snuck in a trip to Poulsen Ranch

Nyah loves checking out the animals with Grandpa!!

And we're off... we had a CRAAAAAZZZZZZY time coming home... so I was nervous for the flight back... but it wasn't to bad... a dash of cheetoes and a pinch of coloring... and we made it!  Be back in two weeks for Christmas!

Nyah practicing for her Christmas dancer recital :)

What is this strange box and what did mom put inside?  HA!  Ok it's not that bad I actually do a fair amount of cooking... against my will... but if you notice Ali has cheetoes in her right hand so whatever comes out of the oven will probably end up in the garbage :)  It's a rough life being susie-homaker :)