January and Olue's Birthday Party

The first weekend of January was Lu Lu's birthday.  We had a party for her.  Roger and Sue came for the weekend.  Jake and Ruth, Katie and Thomas, and my parents came for the party too.  What a golden birthday!

I made curtains for our french doors the day Roger and Sue came.  Roger is putting them up here while Jerry helps him.

 Jeremiah always wants to help, but usually doesn't listen very well.  I likes to do the opposite of what you tell him.  We try to praise him really well when he actually does what he's told, but I think the 2 year old mind set is setting in.:)

Lu's Cinderella birthday cake

Lu got to stay up late the night of her birthday.  She sat on Grandma's lap while we visited.

Best Friends!

Happy Birthday to you

 Eating cake...

Sue went to sit in the kitchen, but nobody followed her.  We were looking around, wondering where she was and found her by herself there.  She came back to join the party when her cake was gone.:)

Opening presents

Everyone wants in on the action

 Very strange, but we never took a family picture in all our Christmas gatherings.  We had bought a real tree this year and I wanted a picture of the kids by it before we took it down.  Here is part of the progression of photos that we took.  As you can see Jerry wasn't very cooperative.  More of that independent 2 year old setting in.

 Ruth and I watch eachothers kids when one of us has an appointment.  Here's what they were all doing one time while Ruth was at the dentist:

 Mom's 60th birthday:

Happy Birthday Grandma!

 My Christmas Present...
Josh's Christmas present (and birthday present, since it was the weekend before my birthday) was a night at the Bird House Inn bed and breakfast, Fiddler and the Roof at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater, and trip to the MN Science Museum.  We had an awesome time while Roger and Sue watched the kids for us.

Flowers Josh had added to our room.

The kids had a blast with Grandma and Grandpa.

 Years of planning and preparation finally see an end...
Josh had the idea to make a table out of some of the nice wood of an old fence that we ripped out in New Salem.  We pulled out the nails and he prepped the wood and had the table almost finished before we moved.  This was the final step, putting on the glass finish.  It's a beautiful table!  Thank you Josh!

Eating at the new table for the first time

Josh mentioned all we needed was some flowers to set on top.  (I had just thrown away the ones I got on our trip)  So I bought a bouquet the next day while I was in Fargo.  The table is so nice and shiny.  I love cleaning it off and placing the flowers back on after we eat.  :)

Lu snuggling with Daddy next to the fire during a movie

The boys

 Okay.  Now I'm up to date with my blogposts.:)  Jerry is being a pain, so I better go get him some breakfast.  I'm sure Lu and John are hungry too.