Last Saturday night we joined my parents for the University of Washington vs Boise State football game. They ordered pizza for us all, it was fun! Thank you Ma and Pa!
Sunday was the Christmas program at church. The play this year was very good, and the kids sang some songs as well. I caught a video of Nico singing during the practice before the service, you can see the video at the end of the blog! Sunday afternoon we went to a Christmas party at the church for all the band members. One of the women on our team made everyone personalized coffee/tea/drink tumblers. She did an amazing job and I was very touched by her thoughtfulness.
Monday morning, Grandma and Grandpa Russell arrived! Nico went outside to wait for them, we were tracking them as they got closer.
Monday night we went to the Winter Garden Aglow. We were able to take GG with us! Nico got to sit on Santa's lap and we bought some kettle corn and saw all the beautiful lights. Thanks to Grandpa Russell for some of these pictures.
GG was the designated popcorn holder.
Tuesday morning, Guy and Nico and Grandpa Russell went out to breakfast to The Griddle. Nico chose french toast.
Before heading to the candlelight service on Christmas Eve.
After the service, Nico helped blow out all the candles.
And Wednesday was Christmas!
I went out into the living room at about 6:30 and found Nico snuggled on the couch surrounded by his stocking stuffers.
Nico's new hoverboard
Opening gifts
A new Peanuts book.
After opening presents and eating some lunch, we watched a few MST3K episodes.
It was a great Christmas!
Today I took Nico over to the Grandparents Salisbury's house for an afternoon Grandma Camp! Nico brought his hoverboard.
This will be my last blog! It's been a fun run with ya'll and I'll miss having the weekly record, but it's time to say farewell.
Late last Thursday night, after I was done updating the blog, I noticed I had a fever! It looked like I had caught whatever Guy and/or Nico had! I laid low the next few days. Friday morning Guy sent Nico off to school and then we welcomed the Grandparents Russell into town! Nico had an early release and Grandma Russell went to meet him. Nico opened a few presents that day, and I slept into the afternoon while the boys went up to the suite where Grandpa and Grandma were staying. They went to Fresh Healthy Cafe for dinner and brought me home a juice. It was yummy!
Guy putting together his hurdy gurdy.
Nico opening his Little Passports: World Edition from the Grandparents Russell.
Hanging out upstairs playing Life with Grandma
Saturday I was feeling mostly better. Guy made pancakes for everyone and we started our day. We had originally planned to see a movie on Saturday but we decided against it. We made Crabby Patties for lunch so the grandparents could experience them, and for dinner that night we made PIZZA and watched "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown". We brought a computer monitor upstairs so we could watch the movie in the suite while we ate our pizza.
Sunday morning, Guy had to be at the church at 6:45AM for play practice. Nico and I had to be there at 8AM. Practice went well, and the bell choir opened the play at 10:30.
GG was able to join us at church that morning, and after church we came back home and ate Jimmy Johns for lunch, then exchanged gifts with GG.
Presents from GG
Cup Stacking!
Monday the boys hung out with the Grandparents Russell while I worked for a few hours on Audio Pile stuff at my parents' house. I was able to give them their gift and say Merry Christmas!
Guy, Nico, and the Grandparents Russell went to Barnes & Noble that day and spent a gift certificate we had. Guy brought home for me a Nano Blocks lego (my favorite!) and some Fuji water (my favorite!). Nico got a few things too (wish I could remember what!)
Monday night was the Christmas Eve service at church. Guy and I had to be there at 3:45 PM. Guy was running sound and I had a piano solo. It went well! That night after coming home and putting Nico to bed, it was time to finish wrapping the rest of the gifts. We pulled out Nico's big gift from the garage and wrapped that up, and Guy had to carefully get the stockings down that were hanging above Nico's bed. Guy filled his stocking and then carefully hung it back above Nico's bed.
Christmas morning Nico was up about 6AM and he opened his stocking. I also let him open the gift that Jeff & Allicia had left for us outside our door. It was a lego that he put together right then. We ate breakfast then - cinnamon rolls, bacon, and eggs. After that, we opened presents!
Robot shirts from Pa and Grandma Salisbury!
Grandma took Nico to the park that afternoon to try out his new scooter.
We had a chicken dinner that night with rice and broccoli, and brought the computer monitor upstairs again to watch some Christmas shorts that Guy had grown up watching. We had poppers that we popped before our dinner so we could put our paper hats on. Looks like I didn't catch any pictures of that. Each popper also had a small toy plus a Christmas joke in it.
That evening we went to the Winter Garden Aglow.
We went into the gift shop while we were there, and Nico got a pair of glasses that turns all the lights into reindeers. We each took turns looking at the Cross through the glasses. It turns the Cross into a huge reindeer face.
We said goodbye to the Grandparents Russell the next morning, they had an early flight back. The time just flew by, we really enjoyed their visit.
I worked on Wednesday and Guy took Nico for a several-hour trip to the library. They had a pretend ice-cream stand set up and Nico "worked" there for almost 3 hours. Guy had plenty to do, too, they apparently had a sticker poster on one of the tables that Guy worked on.
Thursday morning we realized that the internet wasn't working. Apparently Centurylink had a nationwide outage and a lot of people were without internet. This morning, we're back in business! Yay!
I've separated the videos into two different ones, since it was easier that way. The first one is a compilation of videos that Grandma Russell took, the second one is made up of videos that I took, plus one thrown in there that Grandpa Russell took.
