Merry Christmas

Christmas Party for the Kids

Vikings Fans Live Here

More Thanksgiving Pictures

Katelynn and her cousin Landon.

Great Grandma Trautner, Katelynn and Landon.
Great Grandma Trautner, Katelynn, Grandma, and Landon.
4 Generations of girls!

Thanksgiving Pics

Here are some pictures from our visitors at Thanksgiving.

Letters From Santa

http://www.aaasouth.com/newsletter/1205/santa/santaletter.asp

Here is the link to get a free personalized letter from Santa.

6 days left until Christmas Eve. I have now have shipped out one family's gifts and the other will go tomorrow. I have 3 gifts left to buy and then I am done!

One More Week Gone By

It's Friday night and I can already tell this is going to be a busy weekend attempting to get everything done!
I did successfully get my 2 batches of chex mix made last night, whew, one more item checked off my to do list! Dan has been eating to his hearts desire today and said that he feels I am finally getting into the holiday spirit. (I think he was watching the days tick by and thought I wasn't going to make any for him this year).
The last couple of days I have been getting some Christmas shopping done on my lunch hour, I can now say that I am done at least with Dan and his presents are wrapped and under the tree.
Poor Katelynn has gotten more and more confused this week with Christmas and presents. Last weekend we attended her friends birthday party and then this week it was my mom and my brothers birthday's, so she is associating all presents with birthdays and is convinced that the gifts under the tree are birthday presents for her and that they are all hers (little turkey!) I have explained to her that there is a birthday that we are celebrating, that of baby Jesus and that it is Christmas time and she is trying hard to understand it, sometimes. She is also getting confused with the whole Santa idea, Jeff asked her on the phone tonight if Santa was coming to her house and she said "yes, but I don't see him?" She continues to think that he should have been here everyday, I can't wait to see the look on her face Christmas morning when he actually has come and left her presents!
Tonight I popped in a movie after Katelynn went to bed and wrapped and wrapped and wrapped some more presents, I still have a couple left to buy and then I need to get them shipped on Monday (I hope!) Tomorrow we have our monthly playdate with all the kiddo's and friends and husbands are invited to this one as well. We decided to make this a Christmas party for them so we are doing a pot luck and we drew names for the kids and each will have a gift to open, I'm sure it will be exciting for them all and I am hoping Katelynn will come home and take a nice long nap after the party and possibly I can sneak out for a couple of hours and get my last shopping items bought!
Sunday I am assuming that Dan will maybe do some shopping, since he has repeatedly stated he has not bought me any of my gifts (yes, I am greedy as well!)
I still have cards that I need to mail tomorrow (or Monday depending on how the morning goes tomorrow) and I bought stamps to today finally to get them off!
There won't be too much football here this weekend, the Broncos bit the dust last night and the Vikings play on Monday night!

The Hidden Truth behind Hotel Drinking Glasses

If you ever stay in hotels, check this out. DISGUSTING!!!

http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22178/39039-hidden-truth-hotel-drinking-glasses

Katelynn's Big Gift

Playhouse Disney is coming to Loveland, CO and we are taking Katelynn.

Dan and I cannot wait to see the look on her face, wish us luck that all goes smooth!

These were $35.00 per ticket (man stuff is expensive, but this was something we couldn't pass up)!

Thursday, January 10, 2008 - 6:30 PMDoors Open: 1 hour prior

Katelynn's Mickey Bed

Here are a few pictures of Katelynn's new digs in her room!

Christmas is in Full Swing

Christmas is definitely approaching fast and there is only a small amount of time left to get the shopping done, wrap some gifts and ship them to Minnesota, I am hoping to get it all done at least by this weekend. I have most of my Christmas cards mailed off, so at least I can basically check that off my list!
This last weekend we were pretty busy, Friday night we just kind of hung out at home as a family, Dan and Katelynn went to bed at 8pm and I watched a movie. Saturday, Dan had a dreaded dentist appt. after it had snowed all night (he only has dental insurance through the month of December, so he has to get everything fixed, trying to save some money so we are only going to have him on my dental insurance every other year, which is probably how often he actually uses it). Katelynn and I made some Christmas cookie dough while Dan was gone and then we all cut out X-mas cookie shapes after her nap and baked them (one more thing off my list!) We then took Katelynn outside in our backyard and her and Dan made a couple of snow angels and Dan pulled her around on her new sled - she loved it! Some supper that night and off to bed with Katelynn, Dan plowed some snow with his 4-wheeler and then we relaxed in the hot tub with a few beers. Sunday Katelynn and I had a birthday party to go to for one of her friends, so she took an early nap while I attempted to do some laundry and clean a little of my house and then off we were to the Thomas the Train party. (This was a dilemma for me because it was during the Vikings game, but I guess I survived missing one game, but no more after this!) Last night the babysitter came over and Dan & I went out and did our Christmas shopping for Katelynn and went out for supper. It's always so nice to get out of the house just us two for some food and a drink, and the shopping together this year actually went off without a glitch! Next on the to do list is to make some Chex Mix this week.

Mickey Mouse

Halloween Pictures

Here are some Halloween pictures, we had one outfit for the day and then her Mickey Mouse Costume for trick or treating.

Time for a Big Girl Bed

After much contemplating and nervous nail biting, Dan and I decided that it was time to make the switch from the crib (or the cage as we now refer to it) to the toddler bed. Last week I ordered the toddler bedding set with of course the ever, unforgettable, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. We borrowed a toddler bed from a friend of mine and picked it up on Saturday.

After Katelynn woke up from her nap on Saturday we brought the new bed upstairs to her room and had washed all the sheets and pillowcase and moved the crib to the side (just in case this didn't work so well, I wanted the cage option again!)
I have never seen my little girl so excited as she was on Saturday, she was in love with the bed and we decorated her wall with Mickey Mouse and friends wall stickers. She showed her little stuffed kitty, Penny, her bed and her Elmo and wanted all of her blankies on her new "Big Girl Bed".
We did our whole bath time routine on Saturday night and even let her stay up a little bit later than usual (I wanted to make sure she was really tired and stayed in the bed). Then we went over the "RULES".
It was so funny, she looked at me with these big blue wide-opened eyes absorbing every little piece of information that I gave her as if her little life (or bed) depended on it.
Rule 1 - When it's bedtime or nap time we stay in the bed and we go to sleep.
Rule 2 - When we wake up in the morning we call for Mommy or Daddy to come and get me.
Rule 3 - We do not get out of the bed without Mommy or Daddy being in the room when we wake up.
and the Warning - If we do not follow the rules then it's back to the crib.
Dan came into her room after she took a bath, got her pj's on and brushed her teeth and she ran up to him and said, "Dad, what are the rules, remember?" His reply - No jumping on the bed. So we made that a rule as well - good job Dad!
And my (little) Big Girl did an awesome job, she never got out of the bed until the next morning and called for me - Mommy, Mommy I'm awake, nap time went just as smooth on Sunday and again last night for bedtime. Whew, Thank Goodness.
I have to tell you that this milestone of going from the crib to the bed really pulled at my heart compared to others, I haven't figured out why yet, but my little girl is definitely growing up.

Dan's Hunting Trip

Dan went back to Minnesota a couple weekends ago and took our neighbor Ryan with him for a guys hunting weekend. They first met up with my dad and went duck hunting, grouse hunting and deer hunting on our property. Of course, one night they went out with for a few beers and met up with my brother and one of Dan's brothers. They then headed to Dan's parents cabin in the woods for additional hunting with their big crew. I'm sure they left out some of the stories, but they both said it was a good time.

Dan & my brother, Jeff (not really sure about him growing a beard?)

Dan & his brother Tom

Halloween Party - Katelynn & Friends

Jeff & Tonah's wedding pics

My Little Princess

Here is my little princess - again, please remember we are sporting our new smile, she thinks it's a great smile and says "cheese" (although to the rest of us may be a little scared).
This is one of the presents she got for her birthday, she also got a ballerina outfit to play dress up in as well.

Yes - this is the scary one!

My New Ride

We have traded in the Ford Explorer and downsized to a 2007 Dodge Caliber.
After hearing me complain about the money it was costing me in gas and the rough ride of the Explorer Dan called me one day and said, I traded your Explorer in bought you a new car, we pick it up tonight. So hear is mine and Katelynn's new ride, it does get great gas mileage and is smooth - it doesn't have the bells and whistle of the Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer edition, but we like it all the same.

Katelynn's Birthday Buddies

Here are some of our guests from Katelynn's birthday party.

Our favorite neighbors! Ryan and Sarah
Walker Family, Ken, Michelle, Cassidy & Kendall

Rhonda & Trey

Pam & Alex

Jill & Hailie

Brooke & Levi

Again more B-day Pics