one last time

 It's a sad day.  Dieter has outgrown the lederhosen.  Wes wanted him to wear it one last time to church on Sunday.  So he did.  He's just adorable in the little outfit, but the poor little guy can't sit down in them anymore.  Wes said that was okay, since he doesn't sit down at church anyway!  Some of my friends at church said they are going to be on the lookout for lederhosen the next size up so Dieter can keep wearing them.  

playing in the snow

 The day after Christmas we went to the cabin to spend a couple of days.  There wasn't much snow, but Dieter was truly fascinated by it.  I think it is the first time that he really experienced what snow is all about.  He couldn't wait to get out of the card and touch the stuff.  Luckily, the previous owners left a sled in the house for us.  I pulled Dieter around the neighborhood.  It didn't take long for him to realize that snow is cold and we needed to go inside to warm up.  Once warm, we were back at it for more fun in the snow!

Christmas

 Christmas morning at 10am.  Apparently, Dieter has not learned that you are supposed to wake up super early on Christmas morning.  I'm not complaining.  Wes could hardly stand that Dieter was not up.  He wanted to play with the presents too!

Dieter didn't want to open any other presents after seeing the train (unless we could confirm to him that the present was going to be a train!).  Wes and I ended up opening most of his gifts.  He eventually played with all of them, but the train was first and foremost on his list.  

I don't know what Santa was thinking when he gave bathtub crayons to Dieter.  I'll have to have a talking' with the old man.  Dieter loved them and promptly drew on the grout lines.  Luckily I was able to get it out (mostly).  Unfortunately the crayons went missing the next day.  Nobody knows where they went ;).

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve we spent the evening with Wes's cousin David (and his family, Erin, Olivia and Eliza) and their friends, the Martin's (who happen to be my distant relatives!).  We ate a lovely dinner, played a fun game and read the christmas story.  At the end of the night we went to look at Christmas lights.  Dieter got nice and tuckered out and fell asleep as soon as we got home.  Just in time for Santa to arrive!

A classic

Dieter was fine with Santa until he had to sit on his lap.  The building where Wes works hosted a kids day with Santa and Mrs. Clause.  I'm kind of happy that we got this classic kid-crying-on-Santa's-lap photo!

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

 The Saturday before Christmas I went with these gals (Monica, Autumn, and Ashley) to the Nutcracker.  We had a fun Girls Day.  We ate a cute little French Deli in Downtown Sacramento before going to the ballet.  It had been years since I went to the Nutcracker.  This was a lot of fun!

This little boy makes me so incredibly happy.  It has been a fun Christmas season this year as he is so surprised by everything.  He says, "Wow" when glimpsing at lights and "ho, ho, ho" whenever he sees presents or a Santa figure.  Children really do make the holidays magical.

Too many trips apart

 Dieter loves his Skoot bike.  Recently, they've extended the bike trail so it is extremely close to our house.  Wes took Dieter on the trail while I was away.  They walked/biked to the river to throw rocks.  

The day after I got home from Florida, Wes had to take a trip to central CA for work.  He drove through some really pretty parts of the state.  I think with all these separate trips, we've really confused Dieter.  This year we've had too many trips apart.  I'm hoping not to repeat that in 2015.

Ugly Sweater Day/Work Trip to Florida

My office had an Ugly Sweater Day.  The person with the ugliest sweater would get a prize of $100.  I surely wanted to join in the ugly sweater fun.  I didn't have an ugly sweater and the thrift stores close to my house were all out.  So, my friend let me borrow her mother-in-law's sweater for a quick picture.  Unfortunately, I didn't win.  But man!  This is an ugly sweater!

 I went to Florida for a few days for my office's Holiday party.  This was the first time ever that I was away from Dieter over night.  Wes was able to take a few days off to watch the little guy.  They had a great time and I was able to talk to them every night.  FaceTime is so awesome!  I was able to eat lunch in the sunshine and spend an evening or two with family.  It was a quick trip and I was glad to get home.

At the holiday party, awards are presented.  This year I was the recipient of the Customer Service Excellence award.  I was shocked and honored to receive the award (and the prize money that went along with it!)

Santa Parade In Our Neighborhood

 We waited longer for the parade than the actual parade.  Good thing our neighbor handed out left over halloween glow sticks to keep Dieter occupied and happy.  Santa came by on the fire truck and we were able to donate "Toys for Tots".

Rainbow in the City

Wes captured this great picture from the rooftop parking at his office building downtown.  It has been so great to get a lot of rain this winter (we need it!).  I always love the beauty that comes from rainstorms.

Thanksgiving

 My mom and dad came to our house for Thanksgiving (no pictures to prove it...sorry).  The next day we took them to Big Trees State Park.  Our neighbors came too.  Dieter thinks he is a part of their family and photo bombed every single one of their pictures.  The kids had a great time climbing trees and running around the trails.  Wes had the genius  idea of  bringing Dieter's Skoot bike.  It was the best!  He rode it around the trails and we rarely had to carry him.
This particular state park provides hot cocoa and hot cider after at the end of the major trail.  They have a little cabin with a large fire pit in the middle, so hikers can get warm after the hike.  It was a lot of fun and such a pleasant surprise to get a little treat.

 Funny Faces!!

Dieter's first selfie!

prayer time

 I just love when Dieter reminds us to say prayers.