What would our table be without a centerpiece of Gingerbread?
It's amazing that there was candy and frosting left over to actually put on the house!
Time to head to Canal Park in Duluth for some Christmas light fun! Nana and Papa brought cousins April and Ashtyn along and met us there. "Bentleyville" is a Christmas light extravaganza. It was started years ago by the Bentley family who live outside of Cloquet. They create this showcase of lights in their yard and it's grown and grown and grown over the years, taking weeks to set up the thousands of lights and decorations. We've been there to see it at their home, and this year they went "commercial", moving to Canal Park in Duluth. Thousands of lights, moving decorations, cookies, hot chocolate, a live band, roasting marshmallows, AND (new for this year) visits from Santa, Frosty, Mrs. Clause, Mrs. Frosty, and all the reindeer. The kids received a "hoof book" to carry around with them, and each Reindeer had a hoof autograph to stamp on their special page. We were able to collect most of Santa's helpers' autographs on our journey through, but figured that some of the reindeer had the night off. (Or, reading between the lines, the adults were cold and did not want to wait around, making countless trips around the path waiting for the characters to switch costumes.)
Note Amelia's absence in this picture. She was terrified and ran as far away as she could when we came across another of Santa's helpers! (In fact, we don't have a picture to upload because personal cameras weren't allowed, but she also HATED visiting Santa. She wouldn't even sit in the sleigh after Santa stepped away. We finally settled for a picture of Mommy sitting in the sleigh - covered in a red blanket to blend in - holding her with Carter along side and Santa leaning in from the back. Even then, she's crying hysterically. We never had one of those types of Santa pictures, as Carter loved him and other dressed-up characters from the get go. Ahhh...priceless memories!)
Cousin-ly love!
It's amazing that you could even walk amidst all that puffyness, Amelia! What a good sport you are!
Roasting marshmallows in 10 degree weather...doesn't get much better than this!
Girls, I remember holding you in the hospital and playing on the floor with you when you were teeny babies. How in the world are you this big already?
Rock out, Santa!
Daddy's still smiling (on the outside at least) but Amelia had had enough!
Carter's very "into" Gingerbread...enjoying collecting many versions of the story and fondly recollecting a weeks-worth of gingerbread activities in kindergarten.
Parking in the ramp and taking the shuttle bus to the site was a good idea...curbside service! Chilly adventure, but SO much fun! Thanks for meeting us Nana, Papa, April, and Ashtyn! He hope to make it a yearly tradition!
What would our table be without a centerpiece of Gingerbread?
It's amazing that there was candy and frosting left over to actually put on the house!
Time to head to Canal Park in Duluth for some Christmas light fun! Nana and Papa brought cousins April and Ashtyn along and met us there. "Bentleyville" is a Christmas light extravaganza. It was started years ago by the Bentley family who live outside of Cloquet. They create this showcase of lights in their yard and it's grown and grown and grown over the years, taking weeks to set up the thousands of lights and decorations. We've been there to see it at their home, and this year they went "commercial", moving to Canal Park in Duluth. Thousands of lights, moving decorations, cookies, hot chocolate, a live band, roasting marshmallows, AND (new for this year) visits from Santa, Frosty, Mrs. Clause, Mrs. Frosty, and all the reindeer. The kids received a "hoof book" to carry around with them, and each Reindeer had a hoof autograph to stamp on their special page. We were able to collect most of Santa's helpers' autographs on our journey through, but figured that some of the reindeer had the night off. (Or, reading between the lines, the adults were cold and did not want to wait around, making countless trips around the path waiting for the characters to switch costumes.) 
Note Amelia's absence in this picture. She was terrified and ran as far away as she could when we came across another of Santa's helpers! (In fact, we don't have a picture to upload because personal cameras weren't allowed, but she also HATED visiting Santa. She wouldn't even sit in the sleigh after Santa stepped away. We finally settled for a picture of Mommy sitting in the sleigh - covered in a red blanket to blend in - holding her with Carter along side and Santa leaning in from the back. Even then, she's crying hysterically. We never had one of those types of Santa pictures, as Carter loved him and other dressed-up characters from the get go. Ahhh...priceless memories!)
Cousin-ly love!
It's amazing that you could even walk amidst all that puffyness, Amelia! What a good sport you are!
Roasting marshmallows in 10 degree weather...doesn't get much better than this!
Girls, I remember holding you in the hospital and playing on the floor with you when you were teeny babies. How in the world are you this big already?
Rock out, Santa!
Daddy's still smiling (on the outside at least) but Amelia had had enough!
Carter's very "into" Gingerbread...enjoying collecting many versions of the story and fondly recollecting a weeks-worth of gingerbread activities in kindergarten.
Parking in the ramp and taking the shuttle bus to the site was a good idea...curbside service! Chilly adventure, but SO much fun! Thanks for meeting us Nana, Papa, April, and Ashtyn! He hope to make it a yearly tradition!
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