Christmas 2016

We spent Christmas in Minnesota this year and it was fun as always. (Even though we arrived to -23 degree weather and the next day Abby kicked a round of the stomach flu that knocked down 11 out of the 15 of us!)

Elissa, Justin, and Kaitlyn reunited after 6 long months!

Kaitlyn generously let Abby play with her ipod and  Abby quickly warmed up to her!

Eating snow

Justin learned a new Christmas carol with Grandma

Cutey under the tree (wearing a dress of mine from 1977)

Abby with my parents Christmas morning

Cousins prepping Christmas soup

All the cousins: Micah, Elissa, Kaitlyn, Justin, Brianna, Carl, and Abby

Opening her stocking: a pinwheel!

Abby got her first baby doll from Grandma and Grandpa

Thank you, Grandma!

The hand created Christmas plate Justin made for my Dad

Abby feeding her baby a bottle

Abby was the first of 11 to come down with the stomach flu

The girls enjoying a holiday Caribou Coffee drink 

(just hours before we came down with the flu; Caribou will never be the same for me)

Dave and Micah played broomball after the Christmas Eve service at Jonathan and Eme's church

Justin and Brianna had a blast playing in the snow

Homemade floam on Christmas Eve

Justin hand designed and sewed this baby doll for Abby

Abby LOVES dogs and spent lots of time with Carl and Brianna's dog Ecko.

Justin and Carl assembling lego's while Dave and Abby watch.

A modified rendition of the Christmas story performed by the boy cousins

Gingerbread cakes at the cabin!

Abby drinking water at the airport. She was a good traveler (for 19 months, anyway!).

At home, we opened family gifts on New Year's Eve. 

Here, Justin shows off his spy glasses

Justin and Abby got a Fort Magic kit. Justin build a tipi for his first creation.