Ringing in 2013

Yes, it is mid-January, but it's never too late to share how we spent ringing in the new year!  Grandma and Grandpa came to spend the weekend with us.  We started off their time here by exchanging Christmas presents.

Prior to Christmas, the boys shopped at a Santa's workshop at school and chose some very special gifts for each other and their grandparents.  They were beyond excited for everyone to open the gifts that they chose for them.

Grandpa opening his gift from Seth.

Grandma opening her gifts.

Noah

They each received Green Bay Packers airplanes!  Noah on the left, Seth right.

Seth & Noah would like to thank Uncle Mike and Auntie Liza for the super cool remote control monster trucks!

We didn't even attempt letting the boys stay up until midnight.  Maybe next year.  We did, however, have a small celebration complete with noisemakers and party hats.  I gave them Pop Rocks, which might not have been the best idea.  They were too sugared up to stand still for pictures.  They were so silly.

Seth, left.  Noah, right.

Seth

Noah

Last weekend we took the boys to the Grand Rapids Public Museum.  Thanks to a Groupon, we got in at a great price!  The boys had gone on a field trip with their school to the planetarium in the museum just two days before we went there.  They ended up being our tour guides.

Little bit of ice fishing.  Noah in dark blue.  Seth in yellow.

Somebody had to be the girl.  That somebody was Seth.

My favorite part was the section of the museum that was set up like you were walking down the street in the past with stores and displays that you would have seen many many years ago (obviously I didn't pay attention to what year it was supposed to be. Oops).

The boys were the only ones on the beautiful carousel.  It was nice, but it took them FOREVER to decide which animal they wanted to ride on.  Too many choices!

We all enjoyed the Civil War exhibit.  While it was small, it was very educational and fun for all ages.

We all tried out different Civil War era beards.  Thankfully there isn't photographic evidence of 'all' of us with beards.

Outside of the planetarium.  Seth is an astronaut.

Noah as the ladybug, Seth proudly playing a caterpillar.

I was treated to puppet show.

Captain Chris had some help from his crew guiding a ship out to Lake Michigan.  This was actually a very fun 'game'.  I was a bad ship captain and turned it over to Chris.  Noah took a turn by himself after this and was better then me, too.

Today day is a special day for our family!  This morning, Mike, Liza & Savannah welcomed Declan Michael!  Chris and I are thrilled to have a new nephew and the boys are excited about their baby cousin.  Noah is disappointed that they didn't name him Chuck Norris, but he said he would play with him anyway.  Congratulations Mike, Liza and big sister Savannah!

-Shelby