Here are our New Years Eve pictures from our annual jaunt to see the lights at the zoo. It was a rather balmy sixty degrees out this year and little more crowded than in years past when it has been much colder. We had a fun time we stopped at Graeter's for ice cream on our way to the zoo. That seemed like a better idea than hot cocoa this year. While we were enjoying our ice cream cones I snapped a picture of this poster.

Meet Hanna the daughter of the late great snake Fluffy. They had a naming contest on line I voted for Fleecy but Hanna won out. The name is a tribute to Jack Hanna our Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

Megan enjoying her super sour flffy stuff cotton candy. I took a handful expecting it to taste like traditional cotton candy not sour apples.

These pictures look better if you click on them to enlarge. These are the lights around the big lake at the zoo and about every 20 minutes they do a light show to music. The kids and I sat on benches at the West end of the lake to rest our feet and enjoy the show.

I'm so glad that the girls don't think they are too old to ride the carousel horses because I still enjoying watching them ride it's fun to try to snap their pictures as they race around and wave.

Wishing you all the best in 2011 and always...hugs from Ohio!

We are going back in time for this post...back to the first week of December 2010!

Back in December Megan's school put on their 4th grade musical
"A Kids Life".


The story was about all of their electronics (computers, cell phones, MP3 players, etc. ) going on the blink and they had to entertain themselves the old fashioned way by playing board games, charades and jumping rope and making their own music. They put on a fun and lively show. Megan even had a special part as one of the kids playing charades. It was a really fun to show with a great message!

Megan and her classmates in action.

Megan and her BFF Cameron after the show. I brought Megan's elf, Jasper and his pup Murphy to the show for her so they could see her and her friends perform.

As we were leaving she went up to her teachers to tell them goodnight and her teacher said "I think Megan has a future in musicals, because she really has a presence when she's performing". Megan has already expressed interest in joining the drama club when she gets to middle school. So time will tell...I hope she sticks with it because she's really fun to watch.

Here are the pictures from Christmas eve day and our evening at Terry and Steve's. We had such a relaxing day. Both Mike and I had the day off work. I baked a chocolate chip cheesecake to take over to Terry's and I also made a big salad. In the afternoon we opened our gifts from our family and friends in California then we got ready to go have pasta and pizza at Terry's and open gifts with them. It was very fun and relaxed...just perfect!

Paige and Megan were thrilled to get two Mario games for the Wii from Pop-pop and Mimi. At first they were all into the Super Mario game but now they have started playing the Sonic and Mario Winter Olympics and they love the figure skating, bobsledding and snowboarding games.

Paige checking out her new Cowgirl hat that Aunt Shann sent her. Aunt Shann went to the Oakdale Cowboy Festival back in the fall and called me to ask what sized hat Paige wore. She had met this lady that makes straw hats and hand shapes them. I think Paige looks beautiful in her new hat!

I think Paige was texting her friend Lauren that she got a Cowgirl hat for Christmas.

Paige and Megan brought over their new Wii games and extra remotes so all the cousins could play together. I know they all look like they are blankly staring but they were also laughing and cheering too, that is why I tried to sneak up and snap some pictures but they were not thrilled with the flash going off in their faces.

Steve looks pleased with his golf balls and tees!

Here's a cute one of Aunt Terry and Paige.

You can kind of see my new super cute apron that Carolee made me. I love the colors...chocolate brown, mint green pink and a touch of red. I will have to snap a better photo and repost it later.
While the kids were up playing Super Mario on the Wii we were downstairs chatting and playing with the pups.

While Brandon and Rachel were eating dinner I managed to get a few shots of the cousins as they waited somewhat patiently to open their gifts.

They are all looking so grown up... Paige (12), Brittany (18), Megan (9) and Aaron (15)

The antics of the elves and their pups 2010.

As you may recall Paige and Megan have elf friends that come to visit each year. They arrive on Thanksgiving morning and stay until Christmas eve. This year Oliver and Jasper brought their pups with them. Oliver has a Fox Terrier named Scout and Jasper has a Westie named Murphy. They had lots of adventures with the girls and they played a few pranks as well. For instance they got into the candy canes and started putting them on the tree while the girls were at school and I was at work.

The elves do nice things for the girls too, it's not all practical jokes. Before we left the house to go see Ballet Met's Nutcracker the elves gave the girls snowflake pins for their coats. They are pretty thoughtful elves.

On the night of the 23rd we let the kids camp out in the family room on an inflatable mattress. The dogs seemed to think it was a great idea too. You can't really tell but Rowdy was snuggled up under the covers between Paige and Megan. I dug him out and made him sleep in his dog bed upstairs next to my bed. I didn't want him to get rolled on in the middle of the night.

Apparently the elves and their pups got restless in the middle of the night and decided to play a trick on the girls by t.p.ing the family room. Megan said she woke up at 4 a.m. and she was scared at first because she saw something hanging from the ceiling fan. But then she realized it was just toilet paper so she snuggled up with Paige and went back to sleep.

Oliver and Jasper brought Paige and Megan each an "Amazing Hamster" in a Santa suit. They usually give the girls a small gift on Christmas Eve morning. I think it's a little thank you for taking such good care of them and their pups and for being such good girls.

While we were over at Aunt Terry's and Uncle Steve's for Christmas eve the elves stayed in the car. Paige and Megan were afraid that Aunt Terry's dogs, Ginger and Hershey might think of the elves as puppy toys. On the way home Megan was snuggling with Jasper and Murphy and she was a little sad that they had to go back to the North Pole with Santa. I told her it wouldn't be fair to her elf to keep him here all year because he would miss his friends and family back at the North Pole. I think she understands that having her elf come visit each year makes it more special than if he stayed the entire year.