We're Alive and Kicking. . .

Sorry for the delay, things have been a little crazy around here the past month!  I figured the best way to catch up would be in pictures.  For starters, we've already had tons of snow this year, starting with a big snowfall a couple weeks before Thanksgiving. 

Around that time, both our microwave and dishwasher died within days of each other.  Then Jer went on a 6-day golf trip to Palm Desert, and while he was gone, our fridge died.  Luckily his parents were here so between storing some food in their fridge and the rest in our garage (thank goodness the garage was the perfect fridge temp), we survived and got a new fridge about 5 days later, the day before I was hosting Thanksgiving dinner! 

Thanksgiving was great, and the day after we went to Rum River Tree Farm to pick out our Christmas tree.  The girls also got to see Santa and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

 
Even in the midst of craziness, we've made time for lots of fun Christmas activities like lots of baking, going on Christmas light drives, wrapping the girls' doors in wrapping paper, making a gingerbread house:

ice skating (with Santa -- not pictured),

and riding a little train at Maplewood Mall.

Last weekend we drove up to Moorhead to see our friends Mike and Em and meet their new little guy Sam.  What a cutie;  they are all doing great.  Here are the girls having fun in the snow with Lily. . .

while the guys were ice fishing.  The picture doesn't do them justice but they caught some monster crappies.  Yum!

Unfortunately we had to leave Moorhead the next morning because a blizzard had hit the Twin Cities.  We came home to over a foot of snow, and got about 18 inches altogether.  Here is Jer trying to snowblow the sidewalk -- kind of hard when the snow is higher than the snowblower.  Don (Jer's dad), I can't thank you enough for the snowblower you bought us many years ago -- what a lifesaver.  More for me since that makes for a very happy husband.

Also thanks to my wonderful sister Jessie who braved the weather to come babysit the girls during Jeremy's company Christmas party that night!

Is that some rosy cheeks or what!

P.S.  Oh yeah, if the dishwasher, microwave, and fridge dying wasn't bad enough, the heat in our van died on the way back from Moorhead in the blizzard.  But all is well now, God is good.  We are so blessed this Christmas and are excited to be a blessing to others.