Celebrating Galore!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Another Holiday season has passed, and ours was definitely busy this year. We went to Boise on the 18th, and had a great time. We stayed at Jennifer's house with them and Michelle's family. While in Boise, we did some more shopping, visited friends and family, went to a baptism, ate lots of good food and enjoyed being with family. Now that we don't live in Boise, and only come for short visits, it seems I can't ever do everything I want. I love Boise's greenbelt, parks and foothills, so maybe next time we'll hit those places. Before we left, we exchanged presents with Ryan's parents. Hadlee got some play food, a baby, and a book, Aezlyn got baby toys, and we got a cuisinart food processor. The processor is awesome, canning salsas and jams are going to be so much easier, and our shredding by hand days are over!! Our family is so spoiled, I don't know how we got such good parents, brothers and sisters!

We had Christmas eve at my parents. We tried to do the nativity scene, but with 6 kids ages 4 and under, and every single child wanting to be the angel, my dad just read the story while the grandkids were running wild. The annual x-mas eve jammies were opened, though I got a jacket and Ryan got a toothbrush instead. Hadlee was as awnry as a pole cat, (a skunk, for further reference, watch only the best show in the world; 7 Brides for 7 Brothers :)! ) and passed out before we even got home, so she didn't even set out cookies for Santa or put her binkies out for him (see previous post for explanation)
Christmas Jammies! Below: Christmas morning before we went out to see what Santa left!

Christmas morning was a lot of fun! Santa managed to find every one of the binkies, and Hadlee didn't even notice they were gone. Hadlee got princess dresses, movies, games and a horse, which is affectionately called Yee Haw! Aezlyn got some clothes. ( I know, it seems like she got jipped and we're already doing the 2nd child never gets anything syndrome, but what do you get a baby that has pretty much everything already?!)
Ryan went out of control buying gifts for me. He got me Lasix surgery, and a Nao' ( figurines that I collect). I find out next month if I can have it done. I couldn't believe it. A funny story about it, on Black Friday, Ryan and his family (I was with the kids) were in the mall and passed a sign that promoted prepay today and get the surgery for half price. It was too good to pass up. He always finds the good deals. Anyway, I also got a gift that is a love/hate gift. A 5 POUND BAR of CHOCOLATE! It should last me a while!! Ryan got some strategy games, a helicopter, a c.d. and a few other small things.
The wildness began at my parents. Laney, and Kevin were there with their families, and Maryann made the trip up too. Wrapping paper was flying! Maryann gave all a gift, and a sheriff's gun set, and we got a sled. My parents gave all the grandkids a year round pass to the Treehouse, and other gifts. Again, we are so spoiled.
Above: the Wangsgard grandkids (minus Aezlyn) showing off their guns, and kids sitting in the new sled. Below: Ryan, Hadlee and Aezlyn with ther new sweater (notice the dress Hadlee is wearing, she eats/sleeps/lives in it!)



New Years' was fun, we went, and met Clay's wife, Jen, with their 2 kids, to Ogden on the 31st to the TreeHouse in Ogden. It was pretty crowded, but Hadlee liked it. We hung out with the Geilmann's then went to dinner with them. The restaraunt must have known that we were going to be noisy and wild, because they set us in the corner away from everyone else. It was perfect!! After that we celebrated New Years at Michelle's house. Over the weekend, we went to a movie, dinner, a lovely brunch, played games and the usual fun. It was a nice break from our small town. On Sunday, we had Aezlyn blessed. We were lucky to have so much family come. Ryan's parents came from Boise for the weekend, Michelle, Wendi and their families, and all of my family. After the blessing, we stuffed into our little home for lunch. It was a good end to the holidays.
Now it's quiet again. Ryan is getting a gym membership, I'm trying to suck it up and run in our garage. We're back in the swing of things. Ryan is starting an EMT class tomorrow, I think it will be good for him to get involved in the community, and I he'll be a great EMT. He knows a lot of the people in the community (through work) that might need assistance in the future, so that will be a great advantage for him and the ambulance crew. The only negative is the class time, which equates to time away from us.
Below: Sherry and Rod with the kids.

Above: Ginger with Aezlyn.