Christmas Fun!

This is a little bit of a catch up post. We actually went to Duluth a couple of weeks ago to see the Bentelyville Tour of Lights. We had gone once before when it was still set up at the Bentely home (Ellie was two and Mimi was a baby) and so we wanted to see it this year since they moved it to Bayfront Park in Duluth. We lucked out and got a break from the sub zero temperatures as it had been below zero all week but was in the mid twenties when we went on Saturday night. We thought about doing the Polar Express Train Ride but due to the cost and lack of tickets on the weekend we were going to be in Duluth we weren't able to.

Definitely next year though....it looks really fun and the girls love the story and movie.

Walking down to the Bayfront Park from our parking spot.

First stop was the hot chocolate booth.

Mimi and Keegan really were having fun. Group picture (Grandma, Auntie Nat and Mimi and Keegan).

Andrew is so funny, isn't he ?? :)

We got a little treat along with our hot chocolate. One of the tunnel of lights.

Ellie gave Mrs.Claus a hug. We found out later that this was my great Aunt Marlene, we didn't know she was playing Mrs. Claus down at Bentelyville!! We also saw all of the reindeer and Frosty and Mrs. Frosty. Santa was there as well but his line was really long...thankfully none of kids noticed him (due mostly to the large crowd) so we didn't have to wait to see Santa. Terrible I know but it was late and the crowd was massive. Roasting Marshmallows.

Uncle Greg went against his will and was not thrilled with the crowd:)

All in all they did a great night with the Christmas light display but if we go next year it won't be on a Saturday night. It was so crowed it was hard to take it all in because you just had to move with the flow of the crowd. That and we were constantly trying to make sure we had all of the children with us still. One little boy made us all laugh as he escaped from the lighted walkway and started rolling around in the snow by the light displays. I think that kind of summed op how we all felt!!

We didn't do a lot of baking this year but we did make traditional sugar cookies so the girls could decorate them. We also posed in the front of the Christmas tree with our new christmas outfits before church on Christmas Eve.

This year the girls picked out gifts for eachother and for Andrew so they opened them on Christmas Eve.

After the girls were asleep "Santa" visited. He delivered the gifts and......

ate the cookies and milk the girls left out!!

Andrew and I went to bed fully expecting to be awakened in the early morning hours only to be surprised when it ws 7:15 before they got up. I think I woke up several times before that just because I thought they would be up sooner than that!

Then we got down to business and the opened up the gifts!!

The aftermath!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!