Holly Jolly Christmas Season 2013

Wow!  What a great and busy Christmas season!  This is a picture-loaded post with just a quick view of the goings-on that we participated in this past month - so enjoy and we hope you had a blessed Christmas season!

Our life group had an epic Christmas party with a white elephant gift exchange that involved some very bizarre gifts.

Tami and her new garden gnome, Figgaro

Andrew and his new Duck Dynasty beard

Livy was not too sure of Andrew's beard

The weekend before Christmas we went caroling as a life group - it was not too chilly and we had a blast... even though we could not make it through a single song without giggling...

Finally Christmas Eve was spent helping out on the church's production team for ACF Church's 3 services.  It was an amazing service, Christmas Light.  One of my favorite Christmas Eve!  

The church had a photo booth out again, so we got some shots done in between services.

Christmas day we headed to the Woodleys for dinner and opening presents with family.

Abby and Connor, a.k.a. Sully & Mike

Abby making me a rainbow loom bracelet

She likes her new mug!

Connor and his new light-up watch

The day after Christmas our life group hit the slopes - to go sledding.  The same park we go to for baseball games also has a great sledding hill, with lights even!  It was a long hike up, but was so so worth it!

Us girls doing a "train"

The train derailed...

Livy was tired when they got there

Beautiful view from the top

Andrew ready to head down the hill

He made it to the bottom - that's him laying down next to the orange sled...

We are enjoying a few weeks off from school and a few days here and there off from work.  We head back to school on the 13, but hope to keep up on the blog during the semester.  Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas 2013!

A Bathroom Remodel and a Wedding

This month we went to Ketchikan for a wedding of one of Andrew's high school buddies.  With that in mind, we went down a week early to do some much-needed remodeling of Grandma's bathroom.  We ended up spending about two and a half days to replace the tub surround, flooring, sink, cabinet, and toilet.  Still a few more things to do, but overall it feels like a brand new bathroom!

Carrying the new tub surround back to the condo

Before & After

Grandma checking out her new bathroom

We got to spend some great time with Grandma and Andrew's buddies from high school as everyone arrived in town for the wedding.  It was the first time they had all been together in many years.

Playing cards with Grandma

We were there during my birthday, and right before our friend Tony's - so we all went out to Oceanview for a Mexican celebration.

Aimee and I sharing our birthday Twix via FaceTime

Right before the wedding we got out on a sunny (and very windy) day to take some pictures at Saxman, Bugge (Rotary) Beach, and Sunset Beach (Refuge Cove).

[Photo by Andrew Gichard]

[Photo by Andrew Gichard]

[Photo by Andrew Gichard]

[Photo by Andrew Gichard]

[Photo by Andrew Gichard]

[Photo by Andrew Gichard]

[Photo by Andrew Gichard]

Saturday was the wedding, and it was beautiful!  Scott and Iwona made the day so special and fun!

During the reception it snowed, and kept snowing overnight.  Fresh snow sure does look beautiful in Ketchikan.

It was a hectic, but great trip!  To check out Tony's pictures of the wedding, go to http://tonymartinez.org . He did a great job!

***All photography is property of the author of this blog.***