The New Year.

we celebrated new years eve up north this year! grandma and grandpa elrick, the kilgas family and our family all brought in the new year together:) 



the little kids making a fort on the bunk beds.

the bigger kids and baby grey watching a movie in grandma and grandpa room:)



this is such a funny picture because grandma and lilly are smiling so nice... evan on the other hand was just about to yell "it so cold on my back!"



nick and me.

baby grey all decked out!

max and his new year hat:)



max and grandpa elrick.



max making sure grandpa is smiling for the picture.



lilly and grandma elrick:)

a family new years picture.



it was a great weekend we had a tun of fun and all of the kids got along the entire weekend.  oh, and i surprisingly stayed up late two nights in a row. 

Happy 2011 Everyone! 

Christmas eve and Christmas day.

Christmas eve we spent the night with the minten side of the family.  before we left the kids sat by the tree for a picture.


 

great grandma minten with baby grey.

 


lilly and max playing with the new train set at grandma and grandpa elricks.

the family gathering around the food!

more food.

lilly's gift from great grandma minten:)

max reading the card great aunt jenny made for the family:)

grandma elrick holding baby grey.

 

max opening his present from great grandma minten.



a car... he loves it!



jenny, max, annie, ashley, and baby grey.  this picture was really funny because max would climb down and then back up and wedge himself right between jenny and annie and look back and forth at the two of them! (writing it down doesn't seem to show the true humor...but, it was hilarious!)



cousin ashley and annie were very smart at the end of the night they sent lilly around with a tip jar while they played the piano... lilly's cut was three dollars! big bucks for a three year old:)

max on Christmas morning, we got a late start because the kids slept in to 8:30.

max's big gift from santa.

lilly got a leapster explorer that she loves.

baby grey got diapers from santa oh, and a pillow pet.

lilly and max had such a good time opening their presents, they were so sweet and took turns and shared all of the things they got... it was a great Christmas morning.



max and the family gift from santa.




baby grey exploring his newly found fingers!

for the last few years we have been picking names on the elrick side of the family.   big cousin riley picked greys name and she came up with this gift all on her own.  she made a book off of shutterfly for him!  every page has a different cousin on it and it tells what their favorite color is. i think this might be my favorite gift the kids got.

max and his great big smile for the camera.

lilly and her new princes costume.



aunt dana and uncle adam giving lilly a big kiss.



max got a tun of animals from aunt jess and uncle ben!



grandpa elrick and baby grey.

 

grandpa pingel and max:)



lilly showing of her gift she got:)



a few of the pingel cousins.



max and his new mickey mouse!



baby grey and his new finger puppets:)

we had a wonderful Christmas with our family:)

extended family:)

today we visited my cousin rachel at her new house, we had to get a picture of her son carter (is 7 weeks younger then max:), lilly and max together. it was really cute to see them sitting next to eachother. its going to be great when they get a little older... i think max and him are going to be great friends. then we went to see the land my other cousin erin is building on, and after that we went to see my cousin matts new house(a very busy day of seeing houses!!). then my uncle kurts band (homemade brew) was playing in the same town so we stopped by to watch him play. over all a great day with the extended family.

max, lilly, and carter

aunt joy with max


my uncle kurt with his band... he is the second from the right.