We love traditions around here. And Christmas Time is especially full of traditions for our family. Today was the annual trip to Cabelas with the Nettesheim cousins. We wait in line to see Santa and take time to look at the fish and other animals. This year they had a shooting game and the kids are always up for an elevator ride. Packer and Cali and Ben ended up going without the other half of the family this year because Benji had a birthday party at the exact same time this morning so he had to decide if he was going to go to Cabelas or the party. After much deliberation he finally decided that since he had seen Santa 3 times and told him what he wanted then it would be OK to go to the party. We were supportive of this decision especially since he has missed every party that he was invited to this year… and after Cabelas we all meet up at CJ’s for lunch so Rose, Benji and I got to see and play with the cousins there. I forgot to send the camera with Ben so this is our only picture but Udine said that I do favor my family so I feel the need to post this one with him in it…

Netty Adults finishing lunch

Another awesome tradition is that Ben’s parents send each of the kids a new ornament each year with their name on it. Ben’s grandparents did this for him when he was young so he came into our marriage with 18 ornaments from his childhood and they all have special memories attached. It’s really fun for the kids to get the package in the mail and then hang their new ornaments on the tree.

New Ornament

Pure Joy

Another tradition we have is baby chillin on Dads stomach -Rose is getting so big and I am just trying to hold on to this time when I can just hold her and cuddle and she doesn’t want to play or stand or wiggle – I feel like she is growing to fast…

Tummy Time/ Daddy Time

This Christmas week will be full of many more traditions and I am so looking forward to them all. I do love this time of year and now that all shopping is done I can just enjoy it We got to go listen to the morning kindergartens sing on Friday morning. Benji gets so excited that you just have to smile. This year he got his dad to come in and read “Snowmen at Night” for the class and he got to bring in cupcakes to celebrate his half birthday. It has been a busy/fun week for him. Ben and I also went to his work party this last week where Ben got to participate in a”Dance Off”, lets just say that I haven’t laughed that hard in a while and he did the best ‘worm’ of his dancing career (and I believe someone captured the dancing on video and it may be found online). And to top it all off I am officially playing Basketball and Soccer again! I had a basketball game on Thursday night and a soccer game last night and I am LOVING it. I do need to document that in my soccer game I tried running a little too fast and ended up flat on my stomach tripping over my own feet = new years resolution – start running and get back in shape. Anyway, there is excitement in the air and we are soaking it all in. Merry Christmas Week to all.

(I put this all in green and red so maybe it can count as our Christmas letter – a tradition that we are behind on this year )