Oh Yes You Are!

We have loved each and every of the 476 days that we have spent together!

Christmas Recap

The time of holiday cheer and Christmas celebration has come and gone. This year we began some new traditions as we celebrated our first December 25th with Estela here in Minnesota. Sinterklaas left mandarins and chocolate in our shoes on December 5th and Estela enjoyed dressing up for Santa Lucia on the 13th as we brought Christmas treats to neighbors and friends. The culmination was of course the celebration of a little baby’s birth which was marked with a morning of sleeping in, eating mocha chocolate stout cake in bed and the sharing of gifts and well wishes as we look to the year to come.

It was great to be with friends and with family and to also spend time, just the three of us during our break from school. Some of the many highlights included Estela learning how to ski and roller skate with the help of her uncle and aunt, going swimming on a regular basis, welcoming in the new year and reading oh so many books together over the break. We hope that you and yours all enjoyed a blessed holiday season as well.

Estela hosted a gingerbread house making party for her friends.  It was a fun and hectic afternoon!

Happy Santa Lucia!

We went one last time to the Macy’s 8th floor holiday display.  This longstanding Minnesota tradition celebrated it’s last year.

We went to La Natividad, an incredible community production by the Heart of the Beast Theater.  We walked from house to house, looking for a room.  It was a powerful presentation, presented in both English and Spanish and will definitely become a holiday tradition.

Estela with her favorite Christmas gift, a cellphone.

Her second snowman!

Estela and her Lane cousins on Christmas morning.

Santa came for a visit on Christmas afternoon, these girls must have been extra good this year!

Estela’s first time downhill skiing.  Uncle Tommy showed her just how to do it!

While Estela has settled well into MN winter, she still loves the water and being warm.  She enjoyed many outings to the pool, this one was extra special with her Van Stryland cousins.

Thanks for reading!  XOXO