Christmas and Cinderella

I can't believe Christmas is over already!  It seems to have gone by in a blink.  Jay and I went down to Iowa from Christmas Eve through the day after Christmas.  I was so excited to be able to go to Iowa for Christmas Eve since I haven't been to Christmas Eve church since 2004 (one lovely perk of Jay's new job at Corporate is that he doesn't have to work the day before Christmas and was able to trade with someone for the day after Christmas)!  I enjoyed seeing the fam, we got to sing most verses of the best Christmas hymns, and we got to hear my mom play handbells, my sister lead the Junior Choir, and my brother play his trombone solo.  I realized that I may never get to hear my brother play his trombone again since we'll be busy having a baby and he'll be graduating from high school.  I hope he is able to go to a college where he can continue playing because he's very good and he enjoys it!

                                                     Emily & I at church after her flute solo

                                                                   Jay and me at church

Christmas Eve night brought 2 things.  Jeanne went into labor with baby #2 and the nephews were all sick with the flu!  Lucky us we were staying at their house....ugh.  But they seemed to feel better on Christmas and wanted to eat lots of candy!  Jeanne had a baby GIRL (I totally thought it was going to be a boy!) around midnight on Christmas day.  10 lbs. 5 oz. and no drugs!  Crazy mama!  So excited for them though and we got to meet little baby Aubree on Monday.

Aubree & Rowan @ the hospital

                                                                   The Adams family

Our time in Iowa was also filled with getting to see high school friends Nancy and Emily, doing family Christmas with Haverkamp family and Richardson family, and visiting Grandma Helen in the nursing home.  It was a full trip!  But so good to see everyone.

                                                         Curt, Nancy, Emily, me, and Jay

                                   Haverkamp cousins with Grandma Helen at the nursing home

Last night: Cinderella!  I actually had lunch with friends Ruth, Mel, Katie, and Nick and Katie's mom.  It was so good to see them and eat at Olive Garden (my favorite!).  Then went to Fridley and hung out with my FIL until my MIL got home from work and we headed to St. Paul to have dinner at Caffe Latte (soup, salad, lattes - yum!) and see Cinderella at the Ordway.  It was so pretty in downtown St. Paul - there were Christmas lights ALL over all the trees in the middle of the park area and it was so beautiful.  And I loved Cinderella and seeing all the little girls in their cute princess dresses and imagining life with a little girl in a princess dress! :)