Lincoln Park Zoo

We had a great time with Anna, Gabe, Jackson and Duke at the Zoo on Saturday morning. I have never seen so many animals out and active. Luckily it didn't really start raining until we all left. 

Thanks for coming to Chicago with us!

The grizzly bear hibernating for the winter. He is the big black lump in the back of the picture.

Chicago

Black Friday we headed into Chicago. Gabe, Anna, Eric and I went to the Chicago Temple while Nana, Papa and Grandfather watched the kids at the Kohl Children Museum. 

Then we went to our hotel in downtown Chicago. It was madness. Everyone was out doing black Friday shopping. After some great Chicago deep dish pizza we joined in the madness and hit Michigan Ave. 

We didn't buy anything, but we sure had a fun time.   

Thanksgiving 2011

In the morning the kids jumped on the sofa and made a congo line. The girls were so excited to see their cousins. 

Then Eric had the great idea of taking them to the park and after to the church to run around while we were busy at home getting ready for lunch. 

The table

The pies

The men

Anna, Jackson, Nana, Gretta, Gretchen & Eliza

Playing the the presents the cousins gave them. 

Cousins singing

Making ice cream at 11:30 with the present Eliza got from the cousins. 

What a great day! We sure have much to be grateful for!We have truly been blessed. 

Christmas Tree Hunting

Gretta all ready to go. 

The same place we pick blueberries in the summer has a Christmas tree farm in the winter. We had a great time picking out our tree. 

Grandpa Huff even came along.

Eliza just loves the chicken even if she didn't have any blueberries to feed them. 

We had our pick of a lot of trees.

We finally settled on this one.

Here is the tree getting shaken. I wish I had this in video it was so funny.

All ready to go! We got it home without it falling off the roof too. 

What a fun family outing.

Wednesday before Thanksgiving

My mom, dad and grandpa all arrived on Tuesday. Wednesday we got up and took family pictures at JCPenny's. It was the easiest experience with family pictures we have had in a long time. I pick them up tomorrow and I got a CD, so I will post them later. 

After pictures we had lunch and then went and cut our Christmas tree down (in another post.)

Then we went to the Carousel 

After dinner we roasted marshmallows and made smores in our backyard. It was a fun filled day!

Gretta helped Nana in the kitchen too.

Welcome Cousin Jacob

 Linda, Dennis, Allison, Jacob, Rod

 Allison and Rod welcomed Jacob into the world on November 22, 2011

Congratulations! We are so excited to meet him at Christmas.