While we were at Christmas with my family this year, one of my Aunts told me she checks the blog every day for updates. I realized that I really need to do a better job at updating this...yeah, yeah, I know I've said that before (a lot), but it's a new year, right? So this is going to have quite a few pictures. I have to start with this one of Joe's truck. We got back from a shopping trip and saw this when we pulled in the drive...doesn't it look like his truck has eyes?!

Our holidays were crazy sometimes, but overall quite enjoyable. We had Joe's side on the 20th, a quiet Christmas Day at home with just us and the kids, and then spent four days in IL with my side over New Year's. The boys are at an age where they "get" Christmas, and it was really enjoyable for us to see their excitement. Santa was a bit worn out because he didn't finish their teepee until 11:38 on Tuesday night, but it was worth it to see them going crazy over it! While the boys tore into their presents, Mia just sort of stood by the couch looking very confused...she'll probably "get it" next year. Here are some pics of them from Christmas...Zack and Mia are in the teepee, Zack and Dom are showing off the spaceship they made, and Mia being fascinated by the tree:





We've had plenty of snow so far...I think we're in the neighborhood of fifty-some inches. For a while it was three feet deep on the back porch, and the kids have had a blast playing in it...Zack made himself a cave:Speaking of Zack, I'm happy to report that Meredith found another detox program for him, and we are able to get it into him much better. It will take us around 2 1/2 months to get him all the way through it, so we're just waiting to see how well it works at this point.

And just for laughs, the kids have decided to learn how to make funny faces...Joe taught them quite a few: