Merry, Happy, Joy

Merry
We had a very Merry Christmas! We spent Christmas Eve with my parents, siblings and their families. The party started early in the morning with a new tradition - building gingerbread houses. Miles dove right into the activity - eating all of the candy as quickly as he could stuff it in his mouth rather than decorating his house. After some help from me (and a few gentle threats to drop the gumdrops) he and his cousin Corey decorated their first houses and they turned out beautifully. After lunch and naps we spent a couple of hours opening presents. Miles wanted to open every gift and play with each one right away and Hadley enjoyed crinkling the paper more than the gifts. After playing with the new toys, we enjoyed our traditional meal of our favorite hors 'doeuvres.

Our two Christmas angels

Spending Christmas Eve with Grandma and Grandpa Nickolay
Eating, I mean decorating gingerbread houses.

Lookin' good!

Exuberantly singing Christmas carols

Hadley and Baby Bradyn's first Christmas

Our family

Mommy and daddy made me wear this silly headband because it's my first Christmas and because I'm so darn cute in it!

Opening presents

Miles and Corey are ready to help their moms in the kitchen with their new aprons!

The next morning Santa visited our house and Miles and Hadley opened a huge teddy bear and remote control firetruck. That morning we went to church before boarding a plane to AZ for warmer weather and a visit to Mike's parents.

Christmas morning

Miles left a granola bar out for Santa. Santa ate half and Miles polished the rest of it before opening his presents.

Hadley did so well on her first flight - we have awesome little flyers. We arrived in Phoenix Christmas night and spent the week with Mike's parents and his sister Annette, her husband Roger and their son Nick. This was the first time they met Hadley and her cuteness and sweet nature won them over immediately. We spent the week relaxing, enjoying lots of good food, Mike golfed, I went shopping, we hiked, saw friends and had a great time. Miles was Grandpa Gray's little buddy and visited the playground and Home Depot with him. Hadley spent most of her time being cuddled and passed around.

It's so wonderful to run in the sunshine! If we were indoors Miles was always asking to go outside.

Cooking breakfast with Grandpa Laughing with Grandma

Sitting on the patio with Auntie Annette

Hadley's first sink bath. Can she be any cuter?!?

Mariann made us matching ear warmers. I have a big one, Had's has a mini one.

All dressed up

Playing outside morning, noon and night!

Gray grandparents

Happy

We are so lucky to have such wonderful parents. This time of year we get to spend time with both sides of the family and Miles and Hadley thrive in all of the love and attention showered on them by their grandparents. Come January 1 though we leave the AZ grandparents behind and the MN grandparents head to warmer weather for the winter. Miles summed it up best tonight. He grabbed his new little backpack on wheels and said "bye mommy!" I asked where he was going. "On a field trip with grandma and grandpa." I know Miles and Hadley wish they could see their beloved grandparents everyday but we're happy for the time we do get to spend with all of them.

Joy

We were very blessed in 2011. The birth of Hadley was our greatest joy of the year. In thinking back on 2011 we're so thankful that we've had stable employment, a healthy family and have so many great experiences as a family of four. We're looking forward to 2012. Happy new year.