And a Merry Christmas it was...

Yes the holidays were busy as expected, but oh so very fun!  It was wonderful to be able to go to Vermont as a family for Christmas and to spend time with my folks, my brother and his family!  We flew up there with no problems, the kids behaved wonderfully and we were thrilled with all the snow already on the ground.  

Sammy quickly adapted to my parents home and even made a new pal!  

The snow was perfect for sledding, although not very good snowman making...too cold!  But the four of us trodded outside all bundled up and played as much as we could each day.  It was really cold but both kids had so much fun and hardly seemed to notice.  You definitely feel the cold more the older you get! 

And Poppa was used as a seat, a cushion and a climbing apparatus for the entire stay.  I don't think he minded one bit though!

Christmas Eve we took the kids up to the nearest big city and went ice skating.  Oh what a grand time they had!  We couldn't get them off the ice even though all of our toes and cheeks were numb!  We will be doing that again next year!

Simone was a natural on the ice and only fell a few times!

 Sammy didn't get his own skates, not this year.  But he had a blast running into the snowbanks and chasing Dada around!

Christmas morning came oh so early this year.  As you can see below Santa was very very good to all the kids!

And naturally left a note after gobbling all of the cookies up!

with a reminder for Poppa to put his tools away properly!

The three kids had a great time opening up the presents and all got some great gifts!  They must have been on the "good list" this year....

Sammy was a pro present opener and hander-outer.  He was having a blast this year!

And once the day was done the two kids hung around in matching pj's.  Sammy's favorite seat is Simone and she just lets him roll all over her!  I so enjoy seeing it.

 We sure had a great time and I think both kiddos may have some good memories from this trip.  The deer again made an impression on them and it became a nightly ritual to look for Santa's reindeer! I think Sammy Wei enjoyed it as much as Simone has through the years!  It was also so great for me to see how much my kids loved spending time not only with their cousin but with my brother as well.  Sammy took right to him and Simone fell back into her familiar comfort level.  And my niece....well she is something special.  Super cute with just the right amount of attitude- just love her!  And how awesome the way those three amigos got along... I can't wait for #4 to join in the mix this June!

And just too quick it came time to go.  We were all sad to say goodbye to family and the cold winter in VT.  And then there was the trip home during the start of the blizzard....

So here I sit with my wonderful memories and hopes that all of you made some special memories of your own!  And Happy New Year to all....

J

And one more thing....there's a guy who is very special to me that is going through some really tough medical problems.  My favorite memory of him is that would sing my name as I walked into the room as a kid.  I'm sure he did it to make me feel special and I'm sure back then I was just totally embarrassed.  But it's that song that as an adult I've played many times in my head - to give me that boost when I really needed.  And it's a song that I can still hear in my head that makes me smile.  I think of/pray for my uncle 100+ times a day and just want him to be better.  And Simone just wants to watch the fireworks with him again, even if the pool is too cold to swim in.  So please, if you have a moment, a thought, a prayer or a positive vibe to lend...I would be so thankful if you could keep my Uncle in them.         xxoo uncle joe