Little Sweden USA

We had a fun time making memories during our Christmas weekend in Little Sweden USA -aka Lindsborg, KS. We didn't know anyone there - my brother-in-law heard fun things about the town so we went. It helps that our heritage on my dad's side (and some on my mom's) is Swedish.

Walking around the town after our awesome lunch at the Swedish Crown Restaurant. It was a wee bit cold.

A store display. Very...Swedish.

"Please sign our guestbook." Can you see where Eli signed??

Finding some of the "Wild Dalas." They weren't that hard to find.

The Inn that we stayed in was very festive for Christmas time.

"Am I in your shot??"

The Cornell's on Christmas day. We got up at 5:00 am to make a Christmas service at the Lutheran church. It was definitely an experience and Haylie is about to pass out in this picture.

The kiddos on Christmas. Dresses & bow tie made by Mimi. Bows in the girls hair made by Emily.

Haylie just couldn't stay away from Umpy's iPod. It was like a magnet to her.

We went out to Coronado Heights with the intention of geocaching. But our bodies were frozen from the waist down and we decided to forego that.

The Castle at Coronado Heights

Creepy face in the rock.

Christmas lupper at Ihop!

It was a good weekend. It didn't really feel like Christmas - but it was a weekend full of new experiences and fun times with the family. I think Lindsborg would be more fun in the summer time, but it was neat to be in a town full of my family's heritage on Christmas. Thanks for the fun weekend family!

Merry Christmas

Since I'm mad at the Post Office for not delivering our Christmas Cards on time, this will have to do until I get them. If I get them, I mean.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Christmas Memories

When I was a junior in high school, my parents took my sister and I on one of the best Christmas vacations ever. No, we didn't go visit Clark Griswold, we went to Amsterdam, Holland; Paris, France; and Belgium. We visited some of our BFF's from PA who had recently been transferred to Holland. We were there for two weeks and spent Christmas weekend in Paris. It was AWESOME. There are so many memories of that trip...but I mostly remember being on top of the Eiffel Tower and looking out over Paris. I think the tower is so beautiful, I'm borderlined obsessed with it. Anyway, all that to say is that this year my family is fore-going presents and are going to try to make a memory (definitely not in Europe though) like we did back in 2000. Some people look at me funny when I tell them what we are doing, but honestly, this is the year to do it. The kids aren't really into Santa yet and this might be one of our last years to cheap out on Christmas before we will have to be in line at 3:30 am on Black Friday to get the IT toy. We might not be visiting grandparents, eating turkey on Christmas or opening lots of gifts. But I'm pretty sure we will remember the year we did something different for Christmas for a long time. It's been 10 years since we went to Paris and I still remember so much of it.

Make a memory this Christmas! You'll be glad you did.

Meeting Santa

We took Haylie to an open house a few weeks ago hosted by Kim & Terra. They had Santa there and then sent us this cute picture of her first encounter with the big man in red. She did awesome! She just sat there on his lap and looked at him. Hopefully she'll be this happy every year. Doesn't she look so big?

Whistling

I'm not sure where she learned this from, but Haylie whistles. She does it quietly so you'll have to blast the volume.

"Read your Bible and pray everyday..." She is learning so much in her Bible class. Now I just need to teach her to read the Bible not upside down. Oh and to actually read.

The Good Old Days

It's amazing how everyone's lives take different journeys. This holiday season, I have been thinking a lot of friends that used to be in my life daily. I have a different situation than most - my parents don't live where I grew up anymore. I am so happy they are here with me...nothing is better than close by family. I just sometimes wonder what it would be like to go back to PA for Christmas or various holidays. To show Justin & Haylie where I grew up and to meet up with friends who might still live and/or visit the area. To go to church at Newark and throw up smelling the rank mushrooms in West Grove. I read on Facebook of all my high school friends who are still connected and try to get together often. I honestly think of them a lot! I just miss the "good old days" but know that my life is so blessed right where I am. I wouldn't change it for the world. I guess this is the time of year to reminisce though. If any of my Avon Grove or Newark buddies just happen to read this, just know that I miss you, think of you often and the fun times we had during the most awkward time of our lives - middle & high school. You made a huge impact on my life and I'm who I am today because of you. I am thankful to Facebook for connecting me back to many. Hopefully the trip Justin and I have been talking about of going back to PA next year will pan out. Whoo hoo!!!