christmas day.

More tradition on Christmas Day. We went to Grandma and Grandpa's for breakfast and to open a few more toys. Then it was over to Ripple's in the early afternoon for a present exchange and dinner. It was a very nice and relaxing day - and also was nice because it was a particularly large group this year with the Rohr family able to join us!

christmas eve.

We had a nice, traditional Christmas Eve. We managed to get Evan to take an early nap, which was great since we knew it would be a late night. Church at 4:00 followed by a delicious meal prepared by Grandma, and present opening. Evan is one lucky kid - Grandma & Grandpa gave him many great toys (even though they weren't supposed to, since they had said that the trip to Florida was his Christmas present). So, they were very gracious and giving. Check out Evan's very own bowling alley, made by Grandpa! He loves it. I'm partial to the "Big Brother" shirt that Grandma got him, that he will begin wearing in a few weeks :)

Evan and Wrigley having some fun. Well, more like Evan annoying Wrigley by keeping her toy from her.

I've been meaning to post about this recent and very important event that happened in Evan's life. Thanks to Uncle Steve for giving us the tickets, Evan had the opportunity to go out on the court at the men's basketball game vs. UW-Green Bay. He, along with 2 other boys (who, I should mention, were in the first grade and Evan isn't even 3 1/2 yet) performed a dunk contest. Evan didn't win, but he sure made Mamma & Daddy proud. Eric has a few more videos that I'll eventually get around to posting, but for now, this one is from the Big 10 Network broadcast of the game.

a visit with santa.

Yet another trip to the Verona Library, but this time with a goal: to see Santa. Apparently Evan wants a rocket for Christmas. We'll see if Santa delivers.

This past weekend we went to Barneveld and stayed at the Deer Valley Lodge & Waterpark (thanks Uncle Steve for the gift certificate!). We invited Mary, Kit & Austin, which turned out great since they love to swim and since my suit doesn't fit :) So they watched Evan for hours on end - Evan, to say the least, was exhausted by Sunday afternoon. Below are a few pictures. Sorry for the poor quality - I never even got my camera out, so iPhone pictures are all we have).

sesame street live.

We headed home from Chicago early so Kylie and I could take the kids to Sesame Street Live! as well as a meet-and-greet with Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby. Evan was excited when they came out, but showed no interest in taking a picture with them or meeting them. So he just stayed on his chair and watched. Oh well. But he LOVED the show!

winter wonderfest.

Second year we've ventured to Chicago with the Cagle's for Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier. We had a great time and I'm not sure Evan has ever had so much fun. For almost 7 hours, he and Bennett played at various stations inside the huge convention center. We also got lucky with a very nice hotel conveniently located right off Michigan Avenue and not far from the pier. A fantastic start to the holiday month!

A few nights ago, Evan wanted ALL his stuffed animals in bed with him. He usually has one or two, and has never really like stuffed animals in general. I think it was just a ploy to keep Daddy busy and in the room as long as possible at bedtime. Oh, the joys of parenting.

thanksgiving 2010.

Bowling, great food, and everyone under one roof. Just a typical Donahue Thanksgiving! It was a nice day.