a new year | dec. 30 - jan. 2

We spent New Years week back in Mahomet, enjoying the less-busy after-Christmas time with my family and working on a project! For Dad & Mom's 25th Anniversary we told them we'd do something with their room while we were all home over break, so Grant and Seth gave the wall a craftsman-style wainscoat look (see pictures below) and we (the girls) shopped and painted. It turned out really nice, but we're thinking we should have just torn into the wall and added insulation with all this cold... although mom says their "E.B." is keeping them quite warm. (My family is the only one I know who calls their electric blankets "E.B."s, as though they are some really "in" thing that everyone abbreviates. But, I suppose if your room was as cold as my parents' is, you would think your E.B. was the greatest thing ever, too.)

Before (although she did have some things hanging on the walls, and the bed was against the wall, and there were curtains on the windows and things on the dresser. So really, this is kind of in the middle)

And after. Mom is planning on hanging stuff above the bed and putting pictures and things on the rail that goes around the room. 

Here are a few pictures mid-project. The boys spent a lot in the freezing cold garage - very self-sacrificial of them. 

We also had the Waibel Christmas the weekend before. 

Discovering the goodies in her stocking from Great-Grandma W.!

Grandpa & Grandma gave her a push toy - it's very cute, and she will enjoy using it in a few months, I think!

Back at Dad & Mom's...

Playing with Addie and the refrigerator magnets

And lots and lots and lots of games - this was all of us learning Cities & Knights, but Dad & Mom gave us Ticket to Ride and we played that nearly every night.

One evening that week Dad & Mom took us to The Ribeye, which was a very special treat. The food was absolutely delicious (we got their "Steak for Two") but just the experience of going out to eat for a fancy dinner as a family was fun too. Ivory mostly did good, except I would not take her to a nice restaurant too many more times at this age. She did happily chew on cucumbers from the salad bar - for at least 20-second intervals - before tossing them, with one landing at the feet of the people at the table next to us. She's had better meals. 

On January 2, my family drove us back up to Chicago, where we stayed overnight at the DoubleTree so we could fly out the next morning. It was fun to celebrate our third anniversary by ordering Dominos and trying to keep Ivory from waking up the entire hotel. :) No, in all seriousness, it was good to have a little transition time with just the three of us. But we have slept better. 

Family pic in the hotel.

This was three years ago... time flies! We've been blessed.