A great end to a crazy year
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
Our trips (visiting my family and Chris's family) were both great.
It's actually amazing that we pulled it off, really. We went to Lindsay, had an awesome early Christmas with lots of good family time (got to see Baby Jenny!), went back to Toronto, had less than 24 hours to unpack and repack, flew to NS and then spent five days visiting, gifting, eating and laughing.
It was great. You know you're old when the exchange of presents (while awesome) is not the most exciting part of Christmas. The best part is catching up with family members and friends you only get to see a couple times a year (especially if you're a shut-in like me).
We socialized pretty much ever minute we could in both towns and loved it.
Best of all, I loved seeing how happy our babies were. They loved the attention from the grandparents and aunts and uncles. I now have priceless memories of Mela opening presents (and then signing "More!") and exclaiming over Christmas lights at night ("Oh! Oh!!"), and Nathan smiling at anyone who would walk past him, especially if they said his name.
Nathan is now officially Mr. Smiles, by the way. We really didn't have any crying fits the whole time we were gone (except one little inexplicable burst in NS). He does still get mad really fast when it's time to eat or sleep but being seasoned parents now, we can handle that.
I was terrified that Nathan was so happy while we were gone because people were constantly talking to him, picking him up, bouncing him and giving him the constant undivided attention he wants.
(Hmm, no patience and likes a lot of attention, who does that remind me of?)
I pictured getting home and going right back to where we were before.
But today went smoothly! It's chaos of course (luggage, laundry and bits of wrapping everywhere) but Mela is happy to be back and Nathan was his (new) calm, smiley self.
Hallelujah.
I have about a million pictures from the trips so am posting lots to afryn gallery but here are some of the highlights:
The grandkids together at last!
This sums up the differences between them nicely:
Nathan tries out Mela's new doll stroller:
Please pretty girl, can we be friends?
Gorgeous Santa girl in her outfit from Aunt Cathi:
This was the best Santa shot we could get:
One of Jenny's many holiday outfits:
Me and Smiley:
Maybe if I smile really big, the kids will smile too!
This Riehle house is so loud!
Seasoned traveler Mela listens to cartoons on the flight:
Nathan tries out Mela's old exersaucer (remember this?) and loves it!
The two princes, William and Harry:
The Donaldsons and their new home!
Everybody loves a banana phone:
Awesome Christmas dinner:
Nathan looking spiffy:
Mela and Aunt Lisa:
Nathan and Harry:
The most gorgeous pictures of Mela ever taken:
Back at home, Aunt Mary gets pooped on:
Our trips (visiting my family and Chris's family) were both great.
It's actually amazing that we pulled it off, really. We went to Lindsay, had an awesome early Christmas with lots of good family time (got to see Baby Jenny!), went back to Toronto, had less than 24 hours to unpack and repack, flew to NS and then spent five days visiting, gifting, eating and laughing.
It was great. You know you're old when the exchange of presents (while awesome) is not the most exciting part of Christmas. The best part is catching up with family members and friends you only get to see a couple times a year (especially if you're a shut-in like me).
We socialized pretty much ever minute we could in both towns and loved it.
Best of all, I loved seeing how happy our babies were. They loved the attention from the grandparents and aunts and uncles. I now have priceless memories of Mela opening presents (and then signing "More!") and exclaiming over Christmas lights at night ("Oh! Oh!!"), and Nathan smiling at anyone who would walk past him, especially if they said his name.
Nathan is now officially Mr. Smiles, by the way. We really didn't have any crying fits the whole time we were gone (except one little inexplicable burst in NS). He does still get mad really fast when it's time to eat or sleep but being seasoned parents now, we can handle that.
I was terrified that Nathan was so happy while we were gone because people were constantly talking to him, picking him up, bouncing him and giving him the constant undivided attention he wants.
(Hmm, no patience and likes a lot of attention, who does that remind me of?)
I pictured getting home and going right back to where we were before.
But today went smoothly! It's chaos of course (luggage, laundry and bits of wrapping everywhere) but Mela is happy to be back and Nathan was his (new) calm, smiley self.
Hallelujah.
I have about a million pictures from the trips so am posting lots to afryn gallery but here are some of the highlights:
The grandkids together at last!
This sums up the differences between them nicely:
Nathan tries out Mela's new doll stroller:
Please pretty girl, can we be friends?
Gorgeous Santa girl in her outfit from Aunt Cathi:
This was the best Santa shot we could get:
One of Jenny's many holiday outfits:
Me and Smiley:
Maybe if I smile really big, the kids will smile too!
This Riehle house is so loud!
Seasoned traveler Mela listens to cartoons on the flight:
Nathan tries out Mela's old exersaucer (remember this?) and loves it!
The two princes, William and Harry:
The Donaldsons and their new home!
Everybody loves a banana phone:
Awesome Christmas dinner:
Nathan looking spiffy:
Mela and Aunt Lisa:
Nathan and Harry:
The most gorgeous pictures of Mela ever taken:
Back at home, Aunt Mary gets pooped on:
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