Merry Christmas

Today is Christmas! The family is getting together for a ham dinner, and then we are going to go to church together. Yesterday we got to open some presents from my Dad's side of the family. So I got to bring my farm over to Grandma and Grandpa's house to play with before dinner.

Thanks Aunt Mandy, and Aunt Julie-Lulie for the farm!

You wouldn't believe how many things spin and move on this farm!

How much longer before we open more presents dad?

The gangs' all here, including cousin Amy's friend Weldon, that came to visit from college.

It was fun playing with you Weldon!

I didn't catch Santa Claus, but I have had a very fun Christmas. Love you everybody!

Seahawks Sunday

Grandma Jensen is in town for Christmas holiday. Today we all came over to Grandma and Grandpa Powell's house to watch the Seahawks football game and to make some Christmas cookies!


Seahawks score... we say "TOUCHDOWN SEAHAWKS!"

"TOUCHDOWN SEAHAWKS"

...and now off to make some gingerbread men with mom and my grandma's.

You just push like this, pull the tool back up, and voila, you got yourself a gingerbread man!

I even got to taste test the batter.... yum.

making a gingerbread man army.

... and now time to do some more running around. Help me get the converse's back on grandma.

If you tie that shoe grandma, I can untie the other one!

One Year Old!

Today, I turned one year old! I wasn't sure what the packages were doing over the by the couch, but they caught my attention.

I just lilke to play with all of the ribbons. That is okay right?

Busted! Oops, maybe it isn't time for the party yet. I can't wait until mom gets home from work and Grandma and Grandpa come over!

Time to party! I get to open my presents. I wonder what this could be? I wonder how I open my present? I wonder if I really need to open this, because it is just fun carrying it around the house.

Dad and mom will show me how to open things up!

Hair accessories

I heard about this! Bring on the cake, bring on the cake, C-A-K-E!


Sugar - good, Slimy - good, Taste - good!

I might need to investigate a little further.

Pretty sure that I could make a tunnel through this cake for my tractor to drive through.

Okay, everybody have cake, and ice cream too!

Now back to playing with the toys. Stella likes to play little people with me!

Thanks everyone for the birthday presents, and especially to my grandparents for coming to my birthday party!

Love -

Finnegan

Tis' the Season

Like I said earlier, we found a cool elf hat in the Christmas decorating supplies. We also had a pair of antlers laying around the house, as well as the pair that I picked up today at the mall sitting on Santa's lap. so the family decided to have fun playing with all the hats!

The elf hat is my favorite.

Mom really likes the reindeer antlers!

I try the antlers on from time to time as well. If I loook hard enough, I can see the tips of the antlers when they are on my head.

Now if we can just find Santa, we can start delivering the presents to all the good boys and girls!

Hovde Tree Farm

Today we went and picked out a Christmas tree at the tree farm on the other side of the lake. It is really amazing the lengths that my family will go to make sure the house is decorated for my birthday! Just kidding, it has been fun catching the Spirit for this holiday season, and I can't wait to get this tree home and start decking the halls.


My first pick was this short little Charlie Brown tree, but my parents said there wouldn't be enough branches to hold all of the ornaments.


... but just around the corner was this beauty of a Frazier Fir (the tree, not the mom, but mom is a beauty too).

The tree is way taller than me, but Stella and I are sure willing to help carry it to the truck.

Show us how you do it dad!?

After we cut down the tree, we got to go in the warming hut and drink hot chocolate, and look at tree ornaments.

When we got it home, I got to help dad string lights onto the tree. This is great stuff.

How many more lights do we need dad?

Decking the halls is a blast, especially with my elf hat on. I had a lot if fun pulling this down over my eyes, and seeing how many things that I could run over in the front room.

Mom and Dad wanted to find an ornament that would be fitting for my first year of life. The couldn't pass up the giant frog with a ski hat and ski poles. I hope that all of you have had as much fun decorating for Christmas as me and my family have.

Love -

Finnegan

A.K.A. Frog Man

Santa "Claws"

Boy-o-boy has it been a full day. This morning the family loaded up the car and headed into the mall in town to get some family photos taken! There was quite a hold up waiting in line at the photo studio, so dad and I talked mom into staying at the photo store and picking out our photo's, while dad and I strolled around the mall. So, dad and I were off to explore the great big world of mall shopping in the month of December!
As we were on our stroll, dad stopped and said, well lookie who's here Mr. Man, It's Santa Claus. Dad proceeded to tell me how cool of a man this Santa is, and how he comes from the North Pole, has short helpers that build all of the toys that he hands out to kids, and how you have to be a good kid or Santa might forget to bring you something. Dad was talking this Santa Claus up to be some sort of super-hero, so I was all game for standing in line to meet the great perfector of childhood dreams.
We stood in line a good long time. I saw lots of kids get up on Santa's lap, and take a picture. I also witnessed many other kids writing letters and placing them in Santa's mailbox. It's jsut crazy the reputation this guys can maintain.
And then... it was out turn to go and meet this Santa. We got up real close, and my dad began to talk to him, letting him know that this was my first time. Dad whispered in my ear one last time as he handed me over to St. Nick, "He's a nice guy", and then I was on my own, mono e mono with a giant scarlet garbed man with giant whiskers. I remember all that my dad had told me about the good this man brings into the world, but I have to tell you... I was scared!
There was an entire mall walkway of mom's and dad's that could feel my pain, or at least felt bad that my first expereience with the grand poo-bah of good tidings went sideways, but it sure felt nice to be back in the arms of good ol' dad.

Love,
Finnegan

P.S. - Thanks Santa, and I forgot to tell you that I want a Red Radio Flyer wagon for Christmas!

Mono e Mono with Santa!