A decade of Happy New Years!

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2008

2007

2006

2005

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2003

2002

Ho, Ho, Ho

Back from the "Illinois Tour of Grandparents - Christmas Edition".  Enjoyed the family but glad to be home.  I don't think my waistline could take much more!  A photo recap.  We started off at our house on Christmas Eve morning.  Rachel wanted to read the Christmas story this year, and with just a little help on the big King James words she did a great job.

Rachel had asked Santa for a dry erase board so she could play "school".  Santa thought that was an easy request and happily obliged.

Meanwhile, the bigger the boys, the more expensive are the toys.  Aaron got surprised with a new ipod.  He better be good for a while.  Santa's watching. :)

In the afternoon it was off to Memaw and Papa's house.  The mantel is always overflowing on Christmas morning. 

Then off to church where Rachel, David, and Madelyn sang "Happy Birthday Jesus" during the service and I mangled some Christmas carols while playing piano.  I miss my band!!!

Christmas dinner and presents.  Rachel got a dress-up wedding dress so she can practice walking down the aisle.......in 20 years!

Not even cheesecake could snap Daniel out of naptime!

Monday we were off to Memaw and Granddad's house.  Carson spent his 1st Christmas trying not to get buried in paper.

Rachel and her Lalaloopsy doll....with crazy hair.  Appropriate for Rachel.

There always seems to be a matching pair of jammies for these two under the tree.

Later during the week Granddad and Dusty took Aaron out to let him shoot a gun for the 1st time.  After a quick course in gun safety they set out on a big game hunt for....clay pigeons.

And a visit to Great-grandpa Lusk's house rounded out the week.

On to New Year's Eve!

Circle of Lights

After hitting our favorite local pizza joint and driving around some neighborhoods we headed downtown tonight for our annual walk around Monument Circle to look at the lights.  Due to a tactical error on my part it took forever to find a place to park.  (Forgot that there was a Colts game tonight)  We finally found a meter 1/2 block north of the monument and headed out.  So for the 3rd year in a row I've photographed the monument.  This year I went for the corner angle. :)

Or I could go for the vertigo-inducing, leaning backwards shot...

Or maybe just take a shot of the monument's reflection off the Chase building...

And then there's the yearly tradition of hot chocolate from South Bend Chocolate Co. - YUM!!

Everyone and everything is in a festive mood.  We even saw a marriage proposal at the monument

Time to head back home!



Random photos

Some randomness from the week before Christmas

More gappy smiles from Rachel  (shot at f1.8 to maximize holiday bokeh for anyone who cares about the technical specs)

Molly loves spaghetti

Spotted at Target.....Herbie!

More tree (shot at f20 to maximize the star effect on the light...again if you care about technical stuff...and you know who you are)

School's Out!

Let the pre-Christmas festivities begin.  Aaron began the week with part one of his pre-Christmas tour of friends' homes.  So it was just Rachel and I as we headed out for a day of fun.  Stop #1 - breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts, followed by a stop at Kohl's to pick out a new Christmas dress.

Then it was off to the mall, but not before we stopped at Toys 'r us.  There we met a man shopping while holding his pomeranian named Romeo.  Romeo was cute and friendly and I sure was absolutely thrilled to be out in the middle of Toys 'r us 6 days before Christmas!  Off to the mall where you can wander around and take in the decorations.

Or visit an entire store filled with Legos

Or the candy store that happens to be filled to the brim with stuffed animals.

Next stop....Daddy's office to pick him up for lunch.

After lunch with Daddy it was back to the mall to look around some more.  There we waved at Santa and voted for our favorite gingerbread house.

Lots to see at the Disney store.  Who doesn't love Beaker?!?!?!

Back to Brownsburg to pick up Aaron and get him ready for stop #2 of his tour.  Then off to Chuck E Cheese for a birthday party.

Happy 6th Birthday Hayden!!

All I want for Christmas.....

We came home from Illinois minus one top tooth. :)