Life at the Hatchery: January 2012

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Noah's Birthday and randomness...

The boys and I waiting for Daddy to get out of work and Austin to wake up so we can go celebrate Noah turning 5!!

No girls allowed! My boys with cousins Noah and Mason and friend Brogan.

Presents!

Brody got too close to the candle and singed his bangs:

Another view.

Brody and Austin up to no good, as usual. They did this in about 5 seconds.

Poor Austin had a reaction to his Amoxicillian (we think). Poor guy got an ear infection just before Christmas (and had another one just before Thanksgiving - no reaction then).

Such sensitive skin on this guy...

Christmas!

I didn't take many pictures this Christmas, it's hard to enjoy the moment AND capture the moment at the same time!

Here are the boys and their little tree in Jacob & Brody's room. As Christmas approached, we had to move the tree to the hall. I think Jacob was a little freaked out that some old strange guy might be sneaking around his room while he was sleeping if he left it in there!

Jacob played the Gingerbread Man in the Gingerbread Man play at school and he did SO WELL! We were very proud of him! Aaron put his experience of repairing fish nets to good use and stictched his costume together for me :) Grandma & Grandpa brought cousin Noah to enjoy the performance, too!

I love how Brody looks up to his big brother <3

Austin trying to hang with the big guys!

Some treats I prepared for the school:

We celebrated Christmas with Grandma, Grandpa & the Hilley's on Friday the 23rd, celebrated Christmas Eve with the Rogers' and Leaches' and were home alone for Christmas morning! Aaron's parents were gone the 14th-25th so we celebrated with them on the 30th, when we also celebrated Austin's 2nd birthday!

Jacob is excited! Their favorite gift was an air hockey table from Grandma and Grandpa and a kindle fire from Nonna and Grandpa. These boys must have been good this year ;)

Brody was so thrilled with every single thing he opened. He kept placing all his toys in a neat little pile before opening the next. It was so unexpected because organization is NOT this boys thing!

It was SUCH a fun year for Christmas, the boys are at such a perfect age for the magic of the season. The only thing that could have made it better was a little more snow for sledding and skiing! Where the heck is the snow this year?!

North Carolina!

Huge thanks to my parents for watching the boys while Aaron and I went to North Carolina for a long weekend!! Aaron fished in the Ryan Newman Foundation tournament with Martin, but unfortunately the conditions were awful and they had some boat troubles so they didn't even end up weighing in. Despite not winning a $55,000 boat, we had a BLAST!!!!

Huge thanks to Karin for the 4 free drink tickets!

The Taj Ma Shower in their newly renovated home. 20 foot ceiling in my shower?! Yes, please! I showered twice a day in this beast!

Their gorgeous kitchen! Sherry had a personal chef and his assistant come prepare an amazing dinner on our first night along with her mom and sister Jill (and their spouses)!

Cozy living room where we spent most of our time playing games by the fire:

Stunning exterior!

Sharon and Jim at the charity dinner!

Aaron and I at the dinner:

Sherry and I spent Saturday at the spa... 90 minute hot stone massage, hour long facial, chocolate covered strawberries and champagne... this is what dreams are made of!

Peaceful. Serene. Beautiful.

Silliness at the charity dinner!

Love them!! Truly a fabulous vacation with AMAZING hospitality!!!

Jacob the artiste, Part II

A few days after Aaron and I returned from North Carolina, we found that Jacob had made the drawing below on his sheets using a pen. When we questioned him about it he tried to tell us that Brody was responsible for it. Brody. How could we be upset with Brody for this, we were thrilled he could suddenly spell! Not only the word "The" but it would appear he also spelled his brother's name! And here we thought he would learn his own name first...

Jacob the artiste...

Here are a few samples from Jacob's Thanksgiving collection:

I call this one Pilgram penis hands:

This one cracks me up because I put it up on the door and Jacob walks out and says MOM!!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BLACK THING!! In a very accusatory tone. I responded "oh, geez Jacob, his eye wasn't there when I picked you up from school". His response "NOT HIS EYE! He's not SUPPOSED to have one eye! Where is his hair!?!?!" Ahhh, of course. The hair. We still don't know what happened to the hair.

Overdue Post: Halloween!

Jacob's first Elementary school field trip! Clark's Pumpkin Patch and the fire station! Here is scarecrow Jacob:

Here is witch Jacob:

And one of Jacob's best friends, Catalina:

Brody as Tigger:

Jacob and Brody trick or treating downtown Traverse City! We managed to sneak in 90 minutes of prime TOT-ing during a small window of cold, nasty rain! Afterward it was BW's to go and hanging out with the Kyra & Cori.

MWR has signed a new driver! While a long time NASCAR fan, Jacob's professional career began in the NHL playing for the Detroit Red Wings. SOMEHOW Aaron actually managed to put the uniform away a few days after Halloween or else I think Jacob would wear it every.single.day. HUGE thanks to Sherry for the best costume ever! Notice his belt is even embroidered "Switzer". Be prepared to see this costume again for the next several years ;)

Veggie cups for the Halloween party at Jacob's school!

Jacob even got to spray the fire hose at the fire station!

Jacob's Halloween Party at school:

Jacob's Kindergarten class, there are 23 in total!

Brody and cousin Mason! Ready for some serious trick or treating in Elk Rapids! Unfortunately Brody started feeling kinda bad an hour into it and kept asking if it was time to go home yet, but he was a real trooper!