Monday, January 2, 2017

Christmas in New Hampshire


Decorating our own tree at home which we would return to after spending a week out on the East Coast for Christmas.

Waiting for our flight out of Denver.  Engine failure on the first attempt out of town, resulted in a longer wait for a second plane.  We ended up arriving in Boston around 3am.  To top it off, pictured is a very sick little boy...and only the start to the rounds of illness we were about to encounter!

Excited little passenger on the plane (despite it being WAY past bedtime) :)

Later the same day that we arrived up to NH, we celebrated Alecia's wedding shower.  Ava and cousin Emily were very excited to help her open gifts.

Ava loving Grammy's Russian Santa Dolls as much as Jameson did a couple years ago.

Christmas Eve we all stayed at Aunt Karen and Uncle Eric's house so the kids could wake up together Christmas morning.  After Christmas Eve mass, Santa surprised us with a visit at the house!!!   James was very happy to be sitting on Santa's lap :)
Ava was a little weary (but she was also having her turn being sick)...

Frenzy of Christmas morning.

Oliver's parents are very trusting!  And he only made the adorable mess that chocolate pudding should rightly make on a toddler ;)



Jameson entertaining us with one of his favorite Christmas presents.

A gathering at Rob's cousin Tori's house.  These are all the second cousins, minus Oliver and Sarah.  It's quite the challenge trying to get that many children to stay happily in one place.

Sarah and Ava doing a Disney puzzle with Grandpa.

One evening during our stay, I had the chance to meet up with my dear dear grad school friend, Andrea, for dinner.  Love seeing her and miss her!  A couple of nights later, Rob and I drove down to the Boston area had the chance to meet up with our Princeton-Boston crew.  Really wish I had a picture of that evening, too!
Rob and I shared a bedroom with the kids at Grammy and Grandpa's house.  One night we came up to bed to find that Ava had crawled into Jameson's bed.  Gotta cherish the tender moments! 
Shhhhh...
A day-trip to Stoneham Zoo which is located a little south of Karen's house and just north of Boston.  Pretty exciting to have reindeer greet us on this chilly day.

Emily and Jameson joining the family of penguins.

Fun cookie decorating with Aunt Karen after our morning at the zoo.
No surprise that James and Jameson worked quickly to load up their cookies.

Jameson excited to learn about his cousins' pet bird.

Incredibly thankful that Grammy and Grandpa's house is so relaxing and comfy!  Apparently Ava and I took advantage with a little afternoon snooze :)
A super fun trip down to Boston's Children's Science Museum.

Ava gravitated toward Emily the entire vacation.  She was a little girl looking up to her big cousin and she loved following Emily around - even if it was to encounter some ferocious animals.

What luck?!?! They had a huge dino skeleton exhibit!
Giganatosaurus(es)!!

Space capsule. To infinity, and beyond!
Family shot with the Charles River in the background.
Sweet cousins.
A winter wonderland right outside our window.
The ever happy traveler - home sweet home.  Unfortunately, Jameson was sick again - this time with the stomach bug that many of us got earlier in the week.
Waking up to our own Christmas morning on New Year's Eve.