Christmas! (Part II)

Our trip down to my Dad's was successful!  We had a lot of fun, but we are tired now.  I was glad to be back on Saturday so we could have a day (today) to catch up on sleep, laundry, relaxing, etc. 

We got down to Battle Creek around 4:30p on Wednesday, and we waited for my sister and her family to arrive (along with my brother).  We exchanged presents that night because Olivia and Izabella saw the gifts waiting in a magical pile in the corner and could not wait until New Years Eve morning to see what they got.

Nick, Bill, Ted and I watching the Little Ones open presents

Nick receiving Dramimine as a gift. (He's enter the Navy Seals in March)...get it?

Izabella with a gift.  Notice the tree in the tv...do not be fooled it is not a reflection. :) You can thank Kenny G and his Christmas scenes DVD for that....haha

Liv with a new coat.

New Years Eve was full of football, food (thanks Tami!!!!) and picture taking.  My sister Samantha works at the Sears Portrait Studio in Grand Rapids, so she has connections to the one in Battle Creek.  She had a great idea to get a family picture, since everyone was going to be together with my Dad.  There were 13 people in the photo: 10 adults and 3 kids.  It was kind of stressful (and hot) but the picture looks great and I am so grateful we did it.  Sam, Nick and I also got one together, just the three of us; and then my Dad hopped in and we got one with him too.  Oh, and I can't forget about Eloise.  Of course she had one by herself, she is staring into a mirror which makes her looking at the camera because of the angle.  It is hard to describe, but when I recieve them in the mail (in a couple weeks) I will scan them and post them here.  GOOD JOB and a big THANKS to my sis for the photos!!!

Chugga with her Aunt Samantha

At night on NYE we went to the casino that was just built about 3 miles from my Dad's.  We were only there for about an hour and a half, because we wanted to ring in the new year at home.  My Dad taught my sister and I to play Craps (the dice game) and Ted and Bill (my sis's one and only) watched over our shoulders.  We didn't win any money, but we didn't lose any either. :)

When we were home again, we hung out for a while (ate more food...does it ever end??) and shot off some fireworks right at midnight.  They were beautiful, and definitely illegal, but fun all the same.  Eloise was, of course, not up for the light display, but she celebrated the New Year in spirit.

New Year's Day we basically just watched football....

Tami's daughter Catheryn with Bella, Eloise, and Liv

On our way home the next day we stopped at my Grandpa's to have breakfast.  Eloise loves to smile at her Grandpa Grape (a nickname Olivia gave to their Great Grandpa), and my Mom was there too.  She was stopped by even though she is super busy packing up her house and moving on up to Elk Rapids. 

Ted and I stopped at a Babies R Us on the way home to return some bottles that Eloise will never use and we exchanged them for a JUMPER!!!  She loves it. I am going to take some pictures over this next week.  We don't think she grasps that she is controling her movements, because all of the sudden she will have a suprised look on her face when she bounces or turns in a different direction.  It is the most adorable thing ever (or close to it).

We hope everyone had a great New Year and we are looking forward to sharing how Eloise is changing and how she changes us over 2010.  (Watch out snowshoers, campers, beachgoers, hikers, and festival-goers because here come the Polleys!!)

Last Weekend

I have some Cutie-pa-Tootie pictures that will show up throughout this post! I can't wait!

The first thing I want to share is our family's trip downstate. And, when I say downstate, I basically mean the whole greater region of SE/SW Michigan. It was A LOT of time in the car, but Relly handled it well. :)

On Friday (this was October 23rd), we went and picked up Olivia and Izabella in Spring Lake. Then we drove a couple of hours to get to my Mom's (Nana) in Marshall. We had dinner there and saw my Grandpa and his friend Ginny. Then we went to my Dad's for the next couple of days.

Ted and Izabella @ Nana's

Olivia and Eloise @ Nana's

Izabella and I (she is so photogenic!)

Eloise with her great grandpa (Grandpa Grape)

On Saturday, we hung out at my Dad's in Battle Creek. My Uncle Jim gave Ted and I a great antique cedar chest that was my great grandma's. So, that is proudly sitting in our basement now. Then, we went to the Michigan/Penn St. football game, where we got soaked but freezing rain and watched our team lose...great fun...haha. Grandma Tami got to babysit Eloise during that time, and they had lots of fun watching the game on TV, reading books, and paying bills. :)

On Sunday, before we went home we went to my Grandpa's in Ceresco and had brunch. My brother met up with us there with his girlfriend, Alison. (Who is really nice!)

Eloise with her Uncle Nicky

We got back home around 5:30pm on Sunday, but decided to go have dinner with the Polleys Parents (because they called and invited us). And Mom Polleys had happened to make the potato soup that I talked about in this post.

Finally, we were REALLY home around 8pm. It was fun to travel, but it was so good to be home too. Eloise and I had a very relaxing week this past week after so much traveling. I think Daddy did too, but he was at work!

Valentine's Pics

Hello All!!

Ted and I went to Battle Creek this past weekend for Valentine's Day, and we had a super great time. It was nice to get away and have a change of pace and scenery. :)

We got down there on Thursday night and just went to bed because it was really late. On Friday, we met my Dad for breakfast and then waited for Sam and the girls to show up. They were running a little behind, so we met them in Kalamazoo and went to Panera for lunch. Then Sam helped me register for baby things at the Babies'R'Us. Ted and I had no idea that you could need/want soooo many things for a baby. It was a little overwhelming.

So, after that little mini-adventure was over, my Dad, Ted and I baby-sat Liv and Izabella and took them to Carmen's basketball game. Carmen is Tami's (my dad's gf) daughter. She played great, but they didn't end up winning.

Izabella @the game

Olivia @ the game

On Saturday, we all went over to my Grandpa's for lunch and hung out with him for a couple of hours. It is always nice to visit him, I love how I always get overflowed with memories when I walk in the door. :) Then, we just hung out at my Dad's for a while. The best part of hanging out with my neices this weekend was hearing them sing LOTS of Abba songs that they have memorized from Momma Mia! (Here we go again! my, my how I can resist you!)






That night, Valentine's night, my dad had planned a special surprise for Tami that no one was allowed to talk about, so that is why I never mentioned what I was doing on Valentine's Day because Tami reads this blog! ;) We drove to Marshall and Tami was surprised with a concert by a Frank Sinatra impersonator (which is kinda REALLY COOL because my Dad REALLY likes Frank and I think Tami does too.) But...the best part was when the impersonator asked where in the audience my Dad and Tami were, BECAUSE my dad had emailed him asking him to dedicate a song that my Dad had sung to Tami on one of their dates about 7 years ago. It was so romantic, and so perfect. Sam and I were really proud of my Dad for doing such a cool non-dad thing! haha

Me, My Dad, and Samantha before the show.

Ted and I @ the Show

Tami and my Dad

On Sunday, Tami made us all a delicious breakfast. Then, Ted and I had to drive the four hours home because we had to be back in time for youth group at 4pm. We went bowling..it was fun.

Overall, a great weekend! Now, I just have to work this weekend and the next, and then Ted and I get to go to TimberWolf Camp with our church. It is like a family camp, and it was a great time last year. This year, Ted's parents are going, and I know they are going to love it.

Have a good week!