December Happenings

Happy New Year Everyone!

Here's our December.

Ant had a business trip in Texas and was able to visit one of his best friends, Andy!

Ira's countdown chart for Grandma and Grandpa Quinn's visit. 

While Paul and Valine here, we went to Zingerman's Deli.

I'm so sad we don't have more pics of Grandma and Grandpa!  Eliot erased everything on Ant's phone, and we lost a bunch. :/

And got Zingerman's pickle tattoos.

Showing off tattoos, not obscene gestures. :)

Christmas tree shopping!

This was the ward party, before the boys started getting sick.

Ira, 30 seconds before he ran to the bathroom to throw up.  sigh...

Acting out the Nativity.  Ira as Mary and Eliot as Joseph.

Swaddling baby "Jesus."

Ant and I gifted a king size mattress to each other.  It's our first mattress purchase, after sleeping on a free, very old and lumpy, mattress we've had on the floor the past 7 years.  We LOVE it.

Eliot was able to come to Ira's preschool party.

Ira and Grandma Ilene. 

Ira was Joseph for a Primary activity.

He was such a cute, nurturing dad, kissing and stroking the baby.

Lights at the Toledo Zoo.

 Christmas morning.

 Globe from Grandma and Grandpa Ellsworth.

Glow in the dark dragon from Grandma and Grandpa Quinn.

Eliot's tool belt (and tandy tane.)

The boys got flashlights and glow balloons from Santa, so we've been going on "flashlight walks."

Gingerbread dragon.

The boys are officially hooked on Legos.

New Year's Eve Party!

We went with a French theme.  France's time zone means we counted down at 6:00 p.m. our time, and the party wrapped up around 8:00.  Perfect for everyone with little kids.  Plus French food meant crepes and quiche, amazing breads and pastries.

Painter's tape Eiffel Tower.

I forget to take pictures until the party was wrapping up, so here's Sarah pretending to party with a full house in order to show off our painter's tape, kind of lopsided French map.

Ant humoring my drama.

Probably joking about French kissing.

And the big announcement.

Soon our family will be going from this...

to this.

We're expecting a baby!  And due about July 8th.  Yahoo!

Have a good 2015 everyone.

November

This month included:

Armor of God Family Home Evening.

Snow and Ice

Democracy

Play

Celebrations,

and lots of food and family, which I think about covers the rest of the post.

For Anthony's Birthday,

we played at the Hands on Museum,

Ate at Sava's,

and had dessert at Kilwins.

 Our actual Thanksgiving was mellow.  We mostly wore our pj's all day and ate baked potatoes for dinner...but with Martinelli's and by candlelight, to make it feel fancy. It also to reminded us how grateful we are for electricity.

But the next day we headed to Pittsburgh to visit Anthony's three cousins who are studying in Pennsylvania right now.  It was fun to be back in my home state visiting family, even if it's not the family from PA. :)

Dessert-coma. 

Second cousins

 

First cousins. Sterling Quinn, Anthony, Josh Thun, and Jake Quinn.

And the wives: Rachel, Sam, and Sharon.  Sarah was helping the bambino inside.

It was a gathering with amazing food and even better company.  The Thuns were so generous in letting us stick around for a few days, and it felt good to be with family.

In other November news: 

I finally finished the family history wall!

And Eliot just wants to share his love with the world, even if he has to say it with Sign Language.  He often tries to give strangers the "I love you" sign, but most of the time it ends up looking like the "rock on!" or satanic sign...and sometimes morphs into the lone middle finger.  sigh...

Anyway, on that note, we love you!!!