And on to the New Year...

We had a spectacularly wonderful holiday break. It chugged right along, the perfect amount of visits/visitors, activity, playtime and downtime. We enjoyed lots of general togetherness and it was tough to go back to work this week. Now it's 2016 and looking back...well, this:

My pants are tight, it's suddenly frigid cold, and before us lies the Great Stretch of Nothingness, also known as January, February, and March. We get to scrape ice off our cars, itch our dry pasty skin, bemoan an empty calendar and suffer from innumerable diseases our 4 year old brings home from school (recently lice. He didn't/doesn't have it (yet) but it's there!)

In order to combat the depressing view ahead, let's look back at "the most wonderful time of the year"! Christmas was awesome - it just was. Ashton completely freaked out like I hoped he would and knew he would. Erik and GG were with us on Christmas Eve and the boys obviously wore their special 'jamas.

Truth be told I wanted to have Ashton as the elf and Alex as Santa (because Ashton sometimes needs a reality check about being in charge) but Target's size inventory didn't cooperate.

Christmas (early) morning, family portrait.

It was your usual flurry of wrapping paper everywhere and a lot of "I can't uh-BWEVE (believe) this!"'s from Ashton. Alex was a little timid opening his gifts but of course his older brother was happy to help him out. (Ashton had some difficulty grasping that not everything had his name on it.)

Most of my pictures are blurry. If you've ever seen a kid unwrap a present or if you yourself have done it, you were basically there. For anyone that has not:

Santa was definitely good to the boys. After breakfast, they each chose a favorite new toy (the HotWheels Super 6 Lane Raceway for Ashton, which by the way, turned out to be everything I dreamed it would be, and a little battery-operated Thomas for Alex) and we all headed up to Vermont for Christmas part II! This was the only shot I actually took.

The rest will have to live in our memories. I think I was in a food coma most of those two days: GG made an incredible tenderloin one night, lobster mac and cheese the next night, with cinnamon buns for breakfast and then brunch at Kari's and it was just a glorious calorie-fest. Plus all the cheese. The Vermont cheese. Ooof.

Between Vermont and New Year's, the main highlight was Ashton's peanut challenge, the results which I posted about quickly last time. Yesterday he woke up and said his tummy hurt and that he did not want any more peanut butter. I have been giving him 2 Tbsp a day since the challenge according to the instructions (and he has seemed fine), but like, what am I supposed to do with that information? Ughhh. So I need to call the allergist but my guess is, Sunbutter will prevail. He doesn't *have* to have peanut butter in his life if he doesn't want it. Which it sounds like. (A sip of magical ginger ale cured his tummy. Funny how that happens.)

Jason's whole family came up from the 1st - 3rd as our last hurrah of the holiday break. We ate and laughed and hung out and it was perfect. The first night Berg and Karen and Jayden came for dinner. 8 grown ups, 2 preschoolers, 1 toddler and 1 baby and it was definitely loud! 

Reflecting on "the holidays", the boys were so loved and got some wonderful gifts. We were able to spend time with every member of both of our immediate families, which was really special. I already miss the christmas lights and the warmth that all the decorations brought to our new home. Everything feels so bare.

RIP Christmas tree :(  

Overall, a huge thank you to GG, Poppy and Mema, Grandma and Grandpa for being amazing grandparents, and to my Papa and GG for always thinking of us. Erik, Kari, Ben, Callie, Chris, Lizzie, Owen...we have the best family don't we? This blog better watch out in 2016: I'm going to set the bar high with my first post of the year (uh, second). Stay tuned!