Late January

 We drove to Denver over MLK weekend to visit Zach, Christina, Nicholas, and Andrew Bishop for a long weekend.  The kids all played together so nicely that we adults had plenty of time to just sit around and talk and relax.  It really feels like we've entered a new stage with our kids finally.  We enjoyed taking walks and bike rides around their neighborhood with temps in the 60s that weekend and sunny.  Other highlights were going to the Denver Childrens Museum, the zoo, an indoor playground with lots of climbing structures, and walking past Peyton Manning's house.  Jack is obsessed with Manning but refused to believe that was where he lived saying, "NO, that's just a building" over and over. 

The bubble room at the museum.

Sasha and Nicholas spent hours with their box houses they made from old moving boxes.

Good buddies these days

Another day, another picture of Jack in his Colts Manning jersey.  I think a Broncos Manning Jersey is in his future.

Early January

 The long-awaited 5-year birthday finally arrived on January 6 for Sasha and I think she truly enjoyed herself on her special day.  This year she had a small party at our house with 4 friends that she invited from school.  It was the first drop-off party we have hosted (meaning parents did not attend).  My parents and Aunt Megan also were in attendance for added crowd control.  The party started off with a few games that Sasha had requested:  Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Musical Chairs.  Next was the butterfly decorating craft followed by a meal of some of her favorite foods:  Campbell's Chicken and Stars Soup, mashed potatoes with hamburger gravy, mango and pineapple, and a chocolate purple butterfly cake for dessert.  I accidentally poured quite a bit of lemon extract instead of red food coloring into the frosting so it had a distinctly tart flavor which Sasha did not care for (who can blame her!) but the aesthetics of the cake made up for it she said.

 Jack kept insisting that he was four in the days surrounding Sasha's birthday which did not go over well with Sasha.

 Phil and I got a babysitter on January 12 and went out to Chili's like we do every year on this day to relive our first date back in 1996.  Before the big night we donned our wedding attire (13 years last December).  Sasha and Jack got a kick out of it.

A Very Merry Christmas 2012

 Christmas began on the 16th at our house when we pretended that Santa came because we traveled over Christmas Day this year.  Sasha and Jack thoroughly enjoyed their gifts this year.  Sasha especially loved the new bike basket and the bag that she could decorate with markers.  Jack loved his new tractor and train puzzle.

We went to Goshen over Christmas where we had fun with Phil's family.  We started out at the Essenhaus for brunch the first morning and the favorite thing there was the spinning coin collector thing.  Uncle Joe came up big with several rolls of pennies he had left over from something else. 

Grandpa Smucker and Jack look at the model trains.

Pure joy.  Inside was a locket from grandma and grandpa with an "S" engraved on it. 

Sasha and Anna really hit it off this visit.

We stayed with Ben and Rachel this time and it was fun to play on their playset outside and with all their toys. 

It was wonderful to see my Grandma Gingerich again at her retirement home.  Sasha and Jack loved walking the halls riding on her walker.

Sasha's gingerbread house that she made with Grandma June and Grandpa Fred after we got back to N.M.  She spent several days with them while I practiced many hours for a big concert on New Years Eve.

Dinner with Uncle Jim and cousin Chris.