Happy Halloween

Still I’m a pandemic and lots of restrictions but today, Halloween, with masks and all... it felt normal. We went to our fiends house for dinner and then trick or treating. I didn’t know what to expect. Would lots of people be out? Would houses be setting out candy? Would the girls have fun? 

And I’m happy to say yes to all of them. The girls each found friends to go off with and at one point I was just pushing Nora in the stroller, walking with my friends. 

It was nice! The girls had a great time and I was so happy for that! 

Quarantine Easter 2020

He is risen! He is risen indeed! 

Easter was not what it usually is. We usually wake up early. Find eggs and open Easter baskets. Get dressed up. Go to church. Come home and be either family. 

This year we made the most of it with the Delaney 5 and I think it went okay, despite missing family. 

We got dressed up on Saturday and took pictures - everyone was happy and the sun was shining. 

We also died Easter eggs on Saturday and got pretty creative.

I also had to make my moms 24 hour salad myself. Good thing for FaceTime so I could get help. Turned out great!!

Sunday morning - girls got up and found Easter eggs hidden but the Easter bunny. Then I put together a treasure hunt for their Easter baskets. They loved it! 

Then we had cinnamon rolls and watched church. 

Then normal day while Ryan smoked a turkey for dinner. 

We did another treasure hunt outside for grandmas Easter baskets. 

All in all we had a great day. 

Happy Halloween 2019

It rained. It snowed. The wind blew amid around. It was miserable. But we still went out. The had so many layers on I didn’t even get a good picture of them all. The kids had fun until they were frozen and done. Then we went back and hung out and the kids ate way too much candy. Good times!!

This is our 1 year anniversary of friendship! Or so we celebrate it!

Thanksgiving 2018

We spent Thanksgiving down in Greenwood this year and celebrated with the Delaneys.  We lucked out and had some nice weather to do some roller skating and bike riding around the neighborhood as well.  And had lots of great food!

A weekend in pictures...

Halloween 2018

Fun new traditions for Halloween...

Greta had a little parade at school and then a Halloween party.  Lola trick or treated at a retirement community - so cute.  The girls were super heros this year - Batgirl and Wonder Woman!

And then we wrapped up the evening with friend - trick or treating and then hanging out.  Even met some great new friends along the way.  And the biggest bonus - great weather.  It had rained all morning and then the skies parted and we had great weather - no snow pants or heavy coats necessary.

One house even had a haunted garage set up - and I was super surprised that Greta went through it with Ryan.  Lola and I wanted no part - but I so proud at her for trying it.  She said it was pretty scary but she did it!

Let the partying begin

The Christmas adventure began on Friday, December 21 and finally wrapped up on Saturday, December 29th.  Needless to say, I think we were both partied and traveled out. 

First trip was to Fort Wayne to hang with Ian and Jen and the boys and deliever their large present - a sandbox!  A nice break to the drive to Greenwood which we started Saturday morning.  Then the partying began.  The Greenwood friends all came over to the house for a Christmas celebration and it was great to see everyone.  Great food and friendship.

Sunday, we enjoyed a nice relaxing day with some Colts football and then a big Christmas dinner with Frikadeller, a Danish meatball of sorts, mashed potatoes, sweet corn, rolls, green bean casserole and more.  So yummy and filling.  Dessert was postponed until later when we had room.  We burned off a few calories by dancing around the Christmas tree and opening a few gifts.  I also got my first lesson in making aebleskiver, another Danish recipe that arel like pancakes in ball.

Christmas Eve was filled with breakfast and then more presents!  Ryan and I loaded up and hit the road about 12:30 to come back home for a night, go to church and regroup before the second half of Christmas. 

Ryan and I celebrated our first Christmas as husband and wife with a nice filet dinner and some sparkling cidar.  We opened gifts and enjoyed the quiet for a few moments before heading to candlelight church service.  We realized the Christmas Eve church at 10:00 pm doesn't fill up like St. Paul - we arrived nice and early and then sat in the car and waited for a few more people to show up before heading in. 

Then bright and early... well like 7:30 we work up to load up again and head to Unionville for lunch and Julie and Jason's with all you can each perch.  And man did we eat!  Not sure we ever really got hungry again for the rest of the day, despite eating some more snacks.  Then over to mom's for present opening.  Her and dad outdid themselves again and we felt very blessed.  Baby D did quite well including a crib, a RAD Farms onsie and a Lakke Ewald Farms onsie and much more. 

Day after Christmas was celebrated with Reicks.  Always love seeing them and hanging out.  It's so great that they are back in Michigan (well kind of), but we just hung out and caught up and relaxed.  I also got my first lesson in making donut dough - which will go great since Mom got me a deep fryer!

Day 2 post Christmas, a party at Dad's with the Ewalds.  More yummy food and this time lots of Echre - which I might add the cousins won both games.  We still have it despite not having played all together in quite some time.

The Day 3 post Christmas, we headed home nice and early to take Joey to the vet to get his stiches out and unload.  Day 4 post Christmas, I headed back to Saginaw for Uncle David's Christmas festivities.  Great to see everyone, but my social skills were wearing thin and I was ready to be home for an entire day.

But regardless... we got to see lots of friends and family and celebrate our last Christmas as 2.  Next year will bring a whole new meaning to Christmas.

Ewald Thanksgiving

The weather for this Thanksgiving just might have been the best I can remember - sunny and about 60... we even had the door open a little during dinner.  Mom cooked up a feast, Julie and Mary made some desserts and I ate everything.  Haha!  We even got Grandpa to come over and now that I think about it - I should have taken some pictures. 

Thanksgiving evening, Julie, Dad and Scott headed to Caro to do a little Black Friday (well Black Thanksgiving) shopping.  And got everything they wanted at Sears.  And then we all gathered around the TV and watched  Christmas Vacation.  I tried to stay awake but just couldn't.  Oh well I'm sure we'll watch it 10 more times.  We even finished Thanksgiving off with a few fireworks!

Black Friday morning, Ryan and I called on a gun safe that we had seen in the Menards add for sale.  And to our luck they had lots left.  So off to Bay City we went with Dad.  The store wasn't even too bad so we managed to pick up a few other things.  Then off to antiquing as I mentioned in the other post.  Then back home. 

The night Karle read some books to the baby - love that.  She is going to be a great big cousin.  Then Ryan and I went over to Julie and Jason's to hang out.  Julie and I in the house and the boys in the new shed.  A long night for some, but a good Saturday morning. 

Some Michigan football and then some tetris to get all our purchases into the truck.  Didn't happen, but we got close.

But we made it home safe and sound and everything now has a new home!