Cosi

Thanks to a gift from Kara and Cody, we spent the day at Cosi. We have been to the Imagination Station in Toledo, but this was our first time to Cosi. I went ahead and bought a one-year membership since it pays for itself in about 2 visits. There is so much there to do! The girls are excited to go back!

Christmas with the Jumps

We had our final Christmas celebration this weekend in Kettering with the Jumps. The girls had fun playing with the boys. Since the weather was unseasonably warm, we had the chance to play at the park. There were many thoughtful presents to open and enjoy. Our overnight visit ended with the traditional dance party.

Special Gifts

Here are some of the most special gifts from yesterday. The top princess picture was selected by Winnie at the Dollar Tree. She could have purchased an item for herself, but she chose this for Kit and spent a couple of hours coloring it carefully. The middle Santa-hand ornament was meticulously constructed by Kit (with a little help from Doc) for me. The bottom thank you cards were selected by the girls for Doc. They earned the money to buy him a gift, and when they spotted these at Target, they just knew he had to have them ;)

Joy of Christmas

The girls came home at 10 am, and we gave gifts to each other. Surprisingly, we were able to keep the girls from seeing the Barbie house until Grandma Lovie and Grandpa arrived. Matt came, too, and we ate stromboli. The rest of the day was spent playing!

Setting Up the Barbie House

Santa's elves were busy tonight!

Make It Monday: Olaf

Today the Rostons came over, and we made Olaf from Frozen.

Christmas, Round 1

Our first Christmas celebration took place on Sunday. We were fortunate to celebrate with Zech and Keidra before they head back to Germany.

Doc & Girls' Day

While I was off watching Matthew graduate, Seth spent the day with the girls. He and Jeff took them to a toy train show, and the girls got to ride on a real train. Later in the evening, Santa and Mrs. Claus stopped by OUR house!

Matthew's Graduation from UT

Matthew graduated from the University of Toledo on Saturday. Yeah! Congratulations, Matthew! After a 6-year journey, he did it, and he will start a great job in a couple of weeks.

Governor, Archie, and Gene

I had the chance to meet some distinguished Ohio citizens this week, including Governor Kasich (at a holiday communications party), Archie Griffin, and Gene Smith (at a tour of OSU with youth). Despite their obvious love for athletics, Archie and Gene both stressed academics as well as overcoming hard times. Their words left a big impression on the young men.

Make It Monday: Felt Trees

Matthew's Graduation/Christmas Party

We gathered at Grandma Lovie & Big Grandpa's to celebrate Matthew's graduation from Toledo and to celebrate Christmas with extended family. Zech and Keidra were on hand all the way from Germany due to bereavement leave. Congratulations, Matthew! Good luck at your new job in Mason!

Jeff's Trains

On Saturday, we made a trip over to the Bargers to check out Jeff's trains. The girls helped flip switches and push buttons to make the trains stop and go, dump coal, move logs, and light up the village.