Holly Jolly Christmas #2

After arriving at the Grand Rapids airport around 11:30pm on the 30th, we got up the next morning and drove ourselves and the puppy up to my mom's house in Lakeview to do another Christmas celebration w/my mom, Jen and Justin, grandparents, and aunt and cousins. It was great to see them all! Christmas on New Year's Eve was a new experience, but we had a really great time. Jen and Justin's two cats were there, which was an interesting dynamic w/the dog...poor Mara is probably still recovering...

We did stay up until midnight to watch the ball drop and usher in a new year, but that's about it! We were all in bed by about 12:15am. Lol. Some party animals we are, eh?!

Here are just a few pictures.

Gotta have a good sister picture now and then! I have to stop leaning in these, though. Jen's already taller than me, and I just exacerbate the problem when I do that...I swear, I'm not a shrimp.

Jen and Justin toasting 2008- and Crescendo watching in the background.

Another first- New Year's Eve as husband and wife! I love it!

We really had a delightful first holiday season together. We are so very blessed...and looking forward most definitely to what 2008 has in store.

Love to you all!!

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

"Only a hippopotamus will do..."

Okay, so that's enough of my favorite 'secular' Christmas song ever. If you've never heard it- go to youtube.com and search for it- it's hilarious!

We spent Christmas with the Herrick family in The Villages, Florida. Ben and I flew out of the Grand Rapids airport on Sunday the 23rd and back in on the 30th. Those parts of the trip were rather unpleasant (assorted delays, near missed flights, etc), so we won't dwell on that!

Joe, Stacey, Ben and I rented a villa in the same neighborhood where his parents own a villa. Rich, Kelley, and the girls stayed w/them, and Grampa Herrick joined us for a few days there as well. The Villages is a fascinating place. A city unto itself- downtown areas, golf courses, shuffleboard, tennis, pools (LOTS of pools), bocce ball, you name it. And the best part was not using cars hardly at all for the week- oh no- everywhere you want to go can be reached by golf cart. =) Since I had never ridden one before, and I have such an afinity for anything miniature, I was naturally fascinated and delighted every time I got to drive one of them! So fun.

Here are a few pictures.

The villa where Joe, Stacey, Ben and I stayed.

Ben and Grandpa Herrick playing shuffleboard.

Dad Herrick and Joe playing bocce ball.

Mom Herrick and Kelley watching Emerson open gifts.

Emerson's first tennis lesson- with her brand new Dora the Explorer racket and balls!

Joe and Stacey- first Christmas as husband and wife. =)

Ben and I- first Christmas as husband and wife! =)

As hard as it is, I'll make myself stop here... I have so many more pictures that I'd love to post, but it could get a little out of control. I have more from New Year's Eve and from a trip the first weekend of January to Chicago. Stay tuned. =)

I hope that each of you had a wonderful holiday season and that your new year will be blessed in ever so many ways.

God bless!!

Happy New Year!!

Hey, all. Just wanted to make sure everyone knows that we haven't fallen off the planet... we did spend a week in Florida, followed by a couple days up north, followed by a weekend in Chicago, followed by a weekend roaming West Michigan...

So- sometime this week I hope to post some pictures from all our recent travels. We had a great holiday, and I hope that the rest of you did as well.

Here's to 2008- to a year filled with God's blessings- not the least of which are family, friends, and fun. =)

Love to all!