Below are some pictures of our holiday happenings -
Here is Rory decorating cookies for the first time...pay close attention to the amount of sprinkles landing on this particular cookie. Also note her intense look...she took this task very seriously but was a bit perturbed when she learned that she wasn't going to be allowed to eat them all.
With all the family we have in Fairbanks Christmas is full on for several days. We always start things off on Christmas eve (around noon) at my folks' house. Growing up Christmas Eve was really our Christmas. Here is Rory posing with her gift from my folks - a cool sandbox that also has a water chamber. How cool are her grandparents to let her play with this inside the house!?
When we got home from Christmas Eve at my folks house Yuri got to experience the first of many late nights putting together gifts for Christmas morning. I actually think that Yuri was more excited than Rory about this train set.
Yuri posing proudly with his finished project! Pretty cool if I do say so myself.
Rory on her dad's lap Christmas morning - with train remote in hand and a smile on her face.
Christmas morning with grandma Judy and grandad Andy.
AWWWW...a very sleepy Rory relaxing on her grandad's shoulder. Grandad doesn't look like he's enjoying it at all!
Now...onto Christmas day at the Frank/Anderson/Morgan/Otey (Aka - FAMO) household! Below is Rory posing with her Aunt Genevieve and Cousin Estelle. Estelle is a great little girl who hardly made a peep all Christmas...so cute too!
Jacob, Bruce, Shannon and Dorothy opening their gifts on Christmas day. Jacob is modeling the snowboarding helmet we gave him...good thing we gave it to him as a day or two after Christmas he had a tumble on the slopes, landed up-side-down and broke his collarbone (but the helmet saved his noggin!).
Rory feeding the baby that Grandma Linda gave her...it's amazing how little girls just know to do this...I didn't teach her.
Showing off her new desk...I love the modern clean look of this thing. Rory just loves that she now has somewhere to sit in our house (other than the floor).
Christmas dinner back over at the FAMO house. Rory playing blocks with her cousin Tyson. Tyson is a year older than Rory and he tolerates her :-)
L to R - Tyson, Rory, Quinn (another cousin of Rory's) and Bruce opening stockings the day after Christmas. The Eagle River Morgan's didn't get to Fairbanks until December 26th so we got to spread Christmas out a bit longer...great fun.
Rory had too many gifts to open up at Christmas. Not kidding! I actually put the Kibosh on gifts after a while...there were gifts for her under both our tree and the FAMO tree well after Christmas. I think she got to them all about a week after the big day. Here she is a few days after Christmas modeling her outdoor wear from my friend Dyanne - can you tell she likes it!? This kid loves clothes.
On New Year's day, Yuri, Rory and I headed out to the family cabin at Harding Lake. The weather was fabulous and it was great to cozy up in front of the fire place and just relax after a crazy Christmas. Here is Yuri, with a very unhappy Rory sledding down the hill next to the cabin.
One of my favorite pictures of Rory to date...she has such fair skin, beautiful eyes and don't even get me started on those lips!
Rory and her dad on the lake - this was a rare calm moment as she hated being on the sled and hated being outside. I fear that my being a "home body" is having a negative effect on her. She does not enjoy the outdoors...yet.
After throwing a fit about being outdoors her dad picked her up and consoled her...daddy's girl all the way.
We woke up at the lake on January 2nd and were surprised by 40 degree temps outside - just unheard of this time a year in Fairbanks.
Oh...here is another fit thrown by our princess (I say dripping sarcasm). She literally threw herself off the sled. Such a drama queen.
Anyone who has ever spent any time at the Warwick cabin as a kid or even as a young adult will remember that the cabin is equipped with swings...here is Rory testing out a new, improved swing that her grandad installed for her. I think she likes it.
Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! And, we wish you all a healthy and happy new year.
Jacob, Bruce, Shannon and Dorothy opening their gifts on Christmas day. Jacob is modeling the snowboarding helmet we gave him...good thing we gave it to him as a day or two after Christmas he had a tumble on the slopes, landed up-side-down and broke his collarbone (but the helmet saved his noggin!).
Rory feeding the baby that Grandma Linda gave her...it's amazing how little girls just know to do this...I didn't teach her.
Showing off her new desk...I love the modern clean look of this thing. Rory just loves that she now has somewhere to sit in our house (other than the floor).
Christmas dinner back over at the FAMO house. Rory playing blocks with her cousin Tyson. Tyson is a year older than Rory and he tolerates her :-)
Someone obviously told Addy, another of Rory's cousins, "get in the picture". Addy is an absolute joy - always helping out and giving Rory lots of love!!!!! She is turning into a wonderful little lady (and very patient with two younger siblings).
L to R - Tyson, Rory, Quinn (another cousin of Rory's) and Bruce opening stockings the day after Christmas. The Eagle River Morgan's didn't get to Fairbanks until December 26th so we got to spread Christmas out a bit longer...great fun.
Rory had too many gifts to open up at Christmas. Not kidding! I actually put the Kibosh on gifts after a while...there were gifts for her under both our tree and the FAMO tree well after Christmas. I think she got to them all about a week after the big day. Here she is a few days after Christmas modeling her outdoor wear from my friend Dyanne - can you tell she likes it!? This kid loves clothes.
On New Year's day, Yuri, Rory and I headed out to the family cabin at Harding Lake. The weather was fabulous and it was great to cozy up in front of the fire place and just relax after a crazy Christmas. Here is Yuri, with a very unhappy Rory sledding down the hill next to the cabin.
One of my favorite pictures of Rory to date...she has such fair skin, beautiful eyes and don't even get me started on those lips!
Rory and her dad on the lake - this was a rare calm moment as she hated being on the sled and hated being outside. I fear that my being a "home body" is having a negative effect on her. She does not enjoy the outdoors...yet.
After throwing a fit about being outdoors her dad picked her up and consoled her...daddy's girl all the way.
We woke up at the lake on January 2nd and were surprised by 40 degree temps outside - just unheard of this time a year in Fairbanks.
Oh...here is another fit thrown by our princess (I say dripping sarcasm). She literally threw herself off the sled. Such a drama queen.
Anyone who has ever spent any time at the Warwick cabin as a kid or even as a young adult will remember that the cabin is equipped with swings...here is Rory testing out a new, improved swing that her grandad installed for her. I think she likes it.
Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! And, we wish you all a healthy and happy new year.
