Plaza

We took the boys to the Plaza last night to see all of the lights. There were still plenty of people everywhere, and it was funny watching Zach walk down the sidewalk like he was just another member of the crowd! We ate a yummy dinner at Tomfooleries...the boys loved that their kids meals arrived in red wagons!

T-Rex (take 2)

We made our second trip to T-Rex today, since the boys loved it so much the first time. We sat in the volcano room this time, next to a large triceratops and some raptors. What a fun time!

Merry Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas this year...after watching the Elf on the Shelf video about 10 times, the boys were super excited for Santa to arrive.
We spent a quiet Christmas Eve going to mass and cooking a yummy dinner at home. The boys were so cute in their new holiday jammies.

On Christmas morning, we opened presents and had a brunch with my parents and Grandma. The boys' favorite gifts from Santa were a new GeoTrax train set, a remote control helicopter, and a large piano. Zach also liked his new stuffed animal friend, Perry the Penguin. Later in the day, we went to my parents' house and the boys received more amazing gifts...a new motorcycle tricycle, 50 hot wheels complete with a parking garage, books, clothes, videos...and then Matty actually ate a good dinner! We are so thankful for all of our wonderful family, and it is truly amazing to watch the excitement of Christmas through the eyes of our boys. Merry Christmas!

Daddy's Work

Matty has been asking to visit Jeremy's work for a long time, so today we finally made the trip! The boys were so excited, they put on business casual attire and got ready to go. Matty espcially enjoyed sitting at the desk and they both had fun eating lunch at Panera afterwards!

Hoops

The boys opened their first Christmas present yesterday...a new basketball goal from Uncle Erik and Aunt Stephanie! Matty just loves to dunk the ball.

Christmas Cards

I love sending and receiving Christmas cards each year, but the least fun part is definitely capturing the perfect shots of the boys. It is so hard to make them both be still, look at the camera, and smile at the same time...actually, it is nearly impossible. So, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to take them back to the studio that did their pics last year...I scheduled an appointment for a Tuesday morning, thinking that with most kids in school, the place wouldn't be crowded. I got the boys ready, drove through the snow-dusted streets (which were a bit slick in places), and got to the studio right on time. Of course, they weren't ready for us yet...we had to wait behind a family with a newborn girl (with 4 outfit changes...I counted), and another family with 3 kids. By the time we were called, it was 35 minutes past our time. The boys were both restless, and Zach immediately started crying for the first shot. The lady didn't take a single picture...I was so frustrated, we just left. At this point, I was so determined to get my pictures, I took probably 100 different ones once we got home. I guess in the end, I got a few good ones and was able to design the cards myself. I just love their new Christmas sweaters too :)

Play Time

The boys have fun playing together...right now, their favorite toys are hot wheels and trains.

Crown Center

We took the boys down to Crown Center yesterday for their first time. There were so many people there enjoying all of the festive holiday decorations. First, we ate dinner at the train restaurant, Fritz's...such a neat place where orders are called in on telephones and then trains drop off the food.

Then, we went to the Westin lobby to see the waterfall and the large Christmas tree.
Finally, we saw the large mechanical laughing Santa. When I was young, my parents took us to Crown Center each year, and this Santa was always a bit hit.