The day after Christmas we went to Michigan to spend a few days with Tom's family. What was the first thing we did when we got there?? We opened presents!!
The kids loved all of their gifts, but I have to say that one special gift from Uncle Nick will stand out in my kids minds for years to come. He bought all of them SILLY STRING and then proceeded to start a HUGE silly string fight right there in the family room! The kids were thrilled and just could not believe that this craziness was going on inside. As you can see, it was everywhere and we got Tommy pretty good. Just a sidenote, Fran was a-ok and with all of this and actually encouraged the whole thing. She was part of the planning committee. I do recall a "warning phone call" that something unexpected and a bit nutty might be happening during our visit. I could never have guessed this and I have no idea how they're going to top this next year!
I had been anticipating this visit for awhile, anxious to see my father-in-law. For those of you who don't know, he had a benign brain tumor removed in November. See for yourself, he's doing great and has been cleared to go back to work in a few weeks! He was so happy to see his grandkids. Thank you to everyone who kept him in your thoughts and prayers as he went through surgery. Please continue to pray for his full recovery in the months to come. We love you, Papa!
My in-laws have a fantastic little snow hill right behind their house. The kids couldn't wait to get out on it so we bought some sleds and hit the bunny hill slope! The shocker was that Marissa not only participated, but loved sledding! I think this hill was just the right size for her and she went down over and over again. Can't you just hear her giggling??? Yes, that is Papa out there in the snow!
Tommy took a ride down, too. OUCH!
Snuggle time with Papa.
Aunt Ali and Uncle Rob gave Marissa an adorable baker outfit complete with rolling pin and wooden spoon. Here she is all ready to bake! She loves to bake so this was the perfect gift for her. Jenna got a clothespin doll kit and we made a mermaid. :)
Marissa insisted on bringing and wearing her new, fancy, sparkly skirt...over jeans of course...because why not? She thought she looked awesome and had a extra spring in her step all day.
We had a great visit and got home in time to ring in the New Year. Happy New Year and thanks for reading our blog! Looking forward to another year of Martin family updates!
We had a great visit and got home in time to ring in the New Year. Happy New Year and thanks for reading our blog! Looking forward to another year of Martin family updates!
