Forgotten Photos...

I guess I was so wrapped up in getting the Christmas posts up that I forgot about Ethan and Jared's sledding advendures.  I was looking through my pictures today and remembered I needed to share these.  Before we headed home after Christmas, we took the sled over to my Uncle Mike's house for a couple runs down the hill with Ethan.  He seemed to really enjoy it and wasn't too happy when we quit to go inside.  It was daylight this time...so I got some pictures.

Trying it out on a small decline first...

Weeeeeee!



Our attempt at a family photo

 Happy New Year!!

Christmas Day!

I have about a ba-gillion pictures from Christmas!  I feel like all we did was EAT!!  We had a great time visiting and hanging out with family.  Check out some Christmas 2010 pictures!

Discovering his stocking

I found snacks!!

Hanging out in his new tent with Rex

Not too sure why he wandered upstairs...but it's a cute picture : )



Building a tower with Pop

 After breakfast/snack in Salem, we headed out to Jared's parents for Christmas with them. 

Beautiful country road snow...on Christmas day!!!!

Opening presents with Grandma

Grandpa helping with the tools

Golfing on the stairs

After opening presents and trying to get Ethan to take a nap we bundled up for some playing in the snow.  It was getting dark so my pictures of the boys sledding didn't turn out.  So, I'll just leave you with a quick description of how it went...Daddy and Ethan went sledding and ended up in the ditch.  They were both smiling and laughing the whole way, but after that we decided to bring the snow playing into the garage.

Showing us his snowball

We hope you had a wonderful and blessed Christmas. 

Christmas Eve 2010

We headed to Salem last Wednesday night for the long Christmas weekend.  Thursday, we just sat around and hung out with family.  It was nice to have a 'free' day.  Friday, Christmas Eve, we had lunch with the Woolbright side of the family at Jared's grandmas house.  Ethan did really well for no nap, other than a few car rides here and there.  We had a nice time visiting and watching Ethan run all over Great-Grandma Woolbright's house.  Here are a few pictures from our afternoon.

Ethan, Grandma and Aunt Pam

Really wanting to touch the Christmas tree

After a great afternoon we got ready for church and the Christmas Eve service.  I have always gone to a Christmas Eve service and I love going.  There is no child care during the service so I was a little afraid how Ethan would do and he was great.  I think he really liked all the singing!  After church we had dinner at my parents house and then went to spend a little time at Jared's Grandma Collier's house.  We didn't stay long due to bedtime.  After visiting for a while, we went back to my parent's house to hang stockings, hear the Christmas story and head to bed. 

Trying it on to see if it fits...

Stockings hung by the chimney with care

Hearing Pop read about the birth of Jesus Christ

Sisters!

I'm a little upset at myself for not taking a family picture with Jared and Ethan, but oh well.  Next year I'll be sure to get one.  Christmas post coming soon...

Oh Silly Boy!

Pants on the head AND the swiffer...

Needing every last bit of the cream cheese from his bagel!

Weekend Update...

We had talked about having a little family Christmas 'get together' at our house on Saturday, but it was looking like we might be the only ones 'getting together'.  So, we decided to head to Salem on Saturday morning.  My cousin, Steve, who has been in Haiti since August is home for Christmas and was in town, so we were able to see him and catch up a bit.  I also decided to have the party at my parents house.  Jared and I made soup and invited the Colliers over and we all had a great time eating and visiting.  And, of course, watching Ethan 'perform'.  I remembered my camera...but not to use it, sorry. 
Sunday, Jared and I had tickets with Abby and Alex to the Rams game.  I have never been to a NFL game and we had a really good time (except for the loss and the obnoxious KC fans behind us).  My parents kept Ethan and took him to church and then met us in Vandalia for dinner and the switch-a-roo.  It was a quick, jam-packed weekend, but that's not going to change for a few weekends!  Here are a few pics from the Rams game.

Abby and Alex (note the forced smile on Alex, the Chiefs had just scored)

Jared and I

Child Labor??

I was vacuuming this morning and Ethan really wanted to give it a try...

Vacuum Fun

Snow Day!

We didn't get too much snow over the weekend, but enough for Ethan to notice it looked different outside.  It is really cold so we won't be venturing out to play in it.  But I did scoop up a cup full and bring it in so Ethan could play with it.  He had fun, and Max liked eating whatever he dropped.

This is how you play in the snow when it's -10 degrees outside (including wind chill)

Showing Max where to lick...

Snowball=Cold Hands

Thriller!

I had on some tunes this morning and Thriller came on, Ethan was feeling the music.  Check out these moves...

Rainy Saturday...

So, this is what we do on a rainy Saturday afternoon...

After pretty much emptying the pots and pans cabinet.

 He was having a wonderful time stacking, un-stacking and putting the lids anywhere they would fit. 

Oh...I'm not supposed to sit here??

Christmas Time at the Colliers

I love Christmas time and all that comes with it!  We have our tree up and decorated as well as the rest of the house!  Ethan is very interested in the tree and all the 'balls' that are decorating it.  It makes me a little crazy, trying to keep him from pulling down the tree...but that's alright, he's just at that age.  I should be cherishing these times, right?!?  Anywho, Saturday our little village had a Christmas Parade.  It was COLD, but we went out anyway.  Ethan was less than thrilled, but I think he enjoyed seeing the fire trucks and he got a photo op with Santa!

Swinging before the parade starts

Ethan and Daddy enjoying the sights and sounds

Ethan's first Santa encounter...he didn't scream.

 Later on Saturday, we put the tree up and decorated it.  And I took some pictures around the house to share. 

Fireplace...

The 'Believe' vase on the end is my newest piece!

Ooooo, look at these!

2010 Christmas Tree!

Really wanting to play with the ornaments

O Christmas Tree...

Tonight we headed out to the Christmas tree farm (aka: Kroger parking lot) to pick out our tree for this year.  We have purchased our tree from the Boy Scouts for the past 3 years and have been very happy and our purchase goes to a good cause!  Ethan was a good helper and liked the branch the man gave him to hold.

Which one should we pick?!?



In the truck bed with the final decision


After we got our tree we drove around to look at Christmas lights.  Ethan sits up a lot higher in Jared's truck so he can see them much better.  I think his favorites were the colored ones, but we saw a lot of nice decorations.

Checking out the scenery

He sees some coming up on the right...and he likes them!

Oh Happy Friday!

I love Fridays!  Friday means I get to spend the whole day with Ethan, that I don't have to worry about getting things ready for work the next day and Friday means that tomorrow is Saturday and we get to spend the whole day with Jared!!  Today we have just been hanging around the house, playing, cleaning and such.  Here are a few pictures from our morning.

Ethan saw his hats hanging on the hook and had to have them all to put on.



After he took the hats off and tried to put it back on by himself.



This is where I found him after I had been vacuuming in the bedrooms and decided I had better check on him.  He was very happily talking and singing away : ).

This one is from Wednesday when I was peeling potatoes for dinner.  As always...he wanted to help.

Big boy at the sink, helping Mama!