Christmas

We spent Christmas Eve in Boise.  Dad worked on Christmas so we opened stockings at home and went to Grandma and Grandpa Mattson's to open gifts and spend the day.  Lindsey and I flew to Bend on Christmas morning to spend the rest of the holiday with Grandma Peggy, Grandpa Imants, Ted, Lisa, Sarah, Grandma Sandee, and Papa Jim.

 

 

Each night during Demcember the elves come and leave treats in the advent calendar.

Christmas eve breakfast

thank you JP and Sarah for the Elsa dress, shoes, and wand

Lindsey and Bandon in their holiday dresses

Grandma Peggy, Grandpa Imants, and Lindsey

pre-Christmas cheer

Boise is a fun place to live in the Winter, especially around Christmas.  Downtown is lovely, winter garden a glow is up and running, Prancer and Santa usually make a visit.  We have started some traditions which include the horse drawn carriage ride around downtown, visit to the Christmas tree in front of the capital, as many trips to see the lights at the botanical gardens as possible, and trip up to Sun Valley.

 

Our third year in a row on the horse drawn carriage ride around downtown, sponsored by Washington Bank. 

Capital building tree and turkey outfit.

Winter garden a glow has the best snickerdoodles ever.

Prancer comes to visit by why isn't Rudolph here and what is he up to?

The woman monitoring the line to visit Santa asked Lindsey what she wanted for Christmas.  Lindsey couldn't come up with anything until she mentioned Frozen.  Then Lindsey asked for the Frozen C.D. from Santa.  We will be letting it go all year long.

This will be a fun pic to look back on in the years to come.  Olivia (4), Lindsey (3), and Elsinore (4) visited the Botanical Gardens with their Vixen mothers one cold muddy evening.  We petted Prancer, listened to carolers, and watched model trains.  Love these girls.

 

 

On our way back from Portland in November I asked Chris what he wanted for Christmas.  He said a family ski trip.  We headed to Ketchum for a few nights in mid-December to skate ski, sled, and play with Sparky. 

 

Lindsey in tow (and sleeping) while Dad pulls her for 1 final season.

Mom and Dad

girls and mikey

We skied and sledded all around Galena Lodge one long afternoon. Sparky got to ski and sled with us, such a treat.

Family pic while walking around Sun Valley resort before dessert.

New snow on deer statues

November travel to Eugene and Thanksgiving in Boise

Lindsey and I hit the road for a couple of weeks in mid-November.  I had a business meeting in Bend just before Thanksgiving.  We braved the Boise snow storm and headed west for a week.  While I was in Bend working, Lindsey spend the week in Eugene with Grandma Peggy and they had a fabulous time cooking, visiting the coast, and going shopping.  We had dinner with Great Grandma Loretta, J.P., Sarah, and Kauffler. 

 

cooking in the kitchen

binoculars, yogurt, snuggles, snowsuit, and the beach 

Great Grandma Loretta Josephine Glass ~ 93 years old

Four generations of ladies

Kauffler, Uncle JP, Aunt Sarah, and Lindsey

 

Lindsey and I left Eugene and we headed up to Portland to meet up with Dad and visit friends.  Warren Stephenson (age 4) is the son of one of my best friends from high school, Ann Colonna.  While visiting them in Portland, they decided to make a plan to come to Boise in January to take ski lessons at Bogus Basin.  When visiting Ann and Warren 6 months earlier, Warren wanted to sit next to Lindsey at dinner.  She didn't like that idea and shoved him off the chair while we were sitting in the restaurant.  They didn't seem to mind each other's company one bit while hanging out in the Pearl on a rainy November day.

Lindsey (3) and Warren (4)

 We were home a day from Oregon when Grandpa Jim and Grandma Sandee dropped in for Thanksgiving.  We spend dinner with the Crane-Butler-Hall family across the street. 

 

Roasting marshmellows in the back yard with Papa Jim

Thanksgiving turkeys, Eleanor (6), Lindsey (3), and Garrett (4)

Turkey treats, compliments of Grandma Barb

Ninja turtle masks made an appearance. 
Glad there were some left over from Garrett's 4th birthday party a few weeks prior.

Early Snow Day

What a difference a week makes.

  Napping in 60 degree weather on the back porch to winter wonderland.  

Mom had a birthday mid-way through the transition.

Lindsey wanted to know why we weren't skiing at Bogus and said she was going to be really sad and cry if she had to wait until Christmas time.  

I'm sure this is something Tinkerbell and her fairy friends can fix.

Don't take Sparky for a run, we are napping.

40! with wigs, thanks for the party and Lisa for the cake

1 week later we have 8"of fresh pow.  sled time with Ellie and Garrett

the girls, Lindsey (3) and Ellie (6)

the boys, Garrett (4) and Connor (9)

the snow is terrible for snowmen but great for snow angels

super mom heather launching the kids

walk about

Halloween

Halloween in all its glory.  We carved our pumpkins early afternoon and headed out around the neighborhood on a hay ride.

 

in the trailer, beautiful night sky, Lindsey adds a 70's era headband to the ensemble

neighborhood decor

Tinkerbell loved the spider but had no interest in riding it



Pre-halloween fun

A few weeks ago Lindsey asked matter of factly over dinner, "what are you and Dad going to be for Halloween".  Well I hadn't thought about it, nor was I planning to dress up.  But since we were called out by a 3 year old, it was decided that we were all in.  Lindsey has talked about being Tinkerbell for several months.  She put on the costume I bought and commented that she liked the dress but that Tinkerbell's wings are white, not green.  She also mentioned over the weekend that Tinkerbell has a white pony tail, not pink and wears green shoes with white balls on them.  I responded that we can get the white pony tail and wand figured out.  I can't bring myself to satisfy the green shoe request and thankfully she loves the blue sparkle boots she recieved for her birthday from Elsi.  So this Tinkerbell will probably have sparkle blue cowboy boots.

We dressed up in costume on Saturday, visited the Boo at the Zoo event at the Boise Zoo, and went out to lunch downtown.  It was super fun and we are really looking forward to Friday night.

Tinkerbell gets a butterfly painted on her face

Dad = pirate, Mom = fire, Lindsey - tinkerbell

Merri-go-round

Chasing the geese

Piper Collins came over on Sunday for some play time.  The girls found the wigs.