Water Helper

Magnus is always willing to help out with chores, as long as it involved water (and wearing a cool smock)

What a way to get ready for the new year!

Dylan's Birthday

Dylan's Cake-Makers

Dylan requested a giraffe cake for his birthday.  I think he was trying to be funny, but Mom and the kids decided we would make him just what he asked for!  Other than the fabulous cake, Dylan enjoyed his birthday by taking the day off of work and doing some well deserved relaxing (aka watching a lot of football).

Editors Comments: We got a fancy camera for Christmas and I played around with it on the giraffe birthday cake picture; I did a color selection for yellow only & a filter effect that added the sparkles. Neat-O

Military Bowl

On 28 Dec, we braved the wind and cold, and took the kids to meet up with a bunch of people from Dylan's work for 4-hours of tailgating and then to the Military Bowl college football game at RFK Stadium in DC, to see the Air Force play Toledo.  Dylan played football when he went to the Academy, so he was excited to see his Alma Mater play.  It was an exciting finish with the AF scoring a touchdown in the last few minutes.  The AF was still behind by one point and decided to go for the win with a 2-point conversion instead of the 1-point field goal.  but... the AF fumbled the ball in the end zone.  Doh.  So our team lost, but all in all it was a win for us, as the kids did great and enjoyed the game even though they were up a few hours past their bedtimes.

Maliah bundled up (& Magnus' hood) watching the football game!

Kitchen Sink

I finally found a good use for the sink in the kitchen island. A baby holder....

National Christmas Tree

The National Christmas Tree, which was permanently planted on the Ellipse, south of the White House,  in 1978, is lighted each winter by the President.  The first National Christmas Tree was placed on the Ellipse in December 1923. The tree was a 48-foot Balsam fir from Vermont. At 5pm on Christmas Eve, President Calvin Coolidge walked from the White House to the Ellipse to light the tree from his native state. The tree was decorated with 2,500 electric bulbs, and music for this first lighting ceremony was provided by a local choir and a “quartet” from the U.S. Marine Band. This first National Christmas Tree led to the tradition we celebrate today (http://www.thenationaltree.org/).


On Christmas night, we ventured down to DC to check out the National Christmas Tree. The base of the tree is encompassed by multiple trains traveling on various tracks and bridges and by buildings. The trains have several flat bed cars that people can try to throw coins into.  Magnus tried several times... but missed every time.  Lining the pathway around the tree are smaller evergreen trees each decorated with ornaments from all the states, territories and DC.

White House in the background

Maliah is not so into the tree.

..or perhaps she just wanted to admire it by herself.

Deborah by the Missouri tree

After taking in the tree and trains we let the kids run around the rest of the Ellipse, aka President's Park South. It is a 52-acre park located just south of the White House fence. It is open to the public, and features various monuments. The Ellipse is also the location for a number of annual events, such as the National Tree Lighting.

Maliah showing off her new found walking ability!

Christmas Morning

On Christmas morning, the first thing Magnus did when he came down the steps, was go straight to the kitchen to see if Santa ate the cookies we left out for him.  And low in behold, he had... and Santa had a cup of milk too!  Magnus was in awe!  And as if that wasn't neat enough, we reminded him that Santa had left us gifts that we needed to go unwrap. That nearly blew his mind!

First the stockings....

 Then on to everything else...

Lightening McQueen Shoes!! WhoAAaaA!

More Lightening McQueen... yeah!

Middle Sister Wine

That is not for you Maliah!

How do you get these toys out of the box

A pair of shoes, for the little walker!

Football... yeahahha!

A picnic basket from Aunt Sarah to her God-Daughter Maliah

The grand prize... a kitchen and food!

The kitchen provided fun for hours!

Maliah really likes the Santa wrapping paper....

 

And let's not forget the fabulous rug that Maliah picked out for Magnus.

A multi-purpose rug and rode for toy vehicles. :)

Christmas Eve

Maliah and Magnus helped Mom wrap gifts the night before Christmas.  Magnus was excited to wrap the gifts he selected for Dad (mini reese's peanut butter cups and gummy worms) and for Maliah (blue dinosaur plate).

'The stocking  were hung by the chimney with care..." Our 3ft tree was dwarfed by the gifts.  And we were too lazy to wrap up the kitchen, so we just ended up throwing a sheet over it. 

 

(And the kids LOVED the kitchen.  They play with it everyday.  Magnus is getting really good at making Mom blueberry muffins in the morning!)

Zoo Lights

Two days before Christmas we ventured to the DC Zoo to take in the zoo lights.  It was great fun. And we saw so many monkeys that Maliah now knows how to do the monkey sign (curl your arms up and put your hands in your armpits) and make monkey noises... ouhouhouhouhhhh.

Thanks a big alligator egg!

What's happening Quail?

 

   

Magnus will get that gopher out of his hole.....

...just keep trying, and smiling!

Meanwhile, Maliah is making friends with another gopher.

Christmas Cookies

Magnus and Maliah enjoyed the Christmas cookies that Grandma Newman made and sent in the mail for them!

Magnus' candy cane cookie

Green sugar cookie frosting... yum!

Toughest Mudder

Dylan competed in the Toughest Mudder competition on 17 Dec, in New Jersey.  This was the culminating event of the Tough Mudder events.  The Tough Mudders are, as quoted from the website (http://toughmudder.com/), hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle course designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie.The Toughest Mudder was not just one lap, like the Tough Mudder events, but rather a non-stop 24 hour competition in which the participants repeated the laps as often as they could.  (to see details go to; http://toughmudder.com/events/worlds-toughest-mudder-series-finals/)

Toughest Mudder Course: 17-18 Dec 2011

Coffins... eluding to the course being really tough.

The start line... and the ever important '1st Aid' station

There were 1000 people that signed up for the Toughest Mudder, and 980 that started... and just ONE other person that finished before Dylan!  And that person was only 4 miles ahead of Dylan.  All in all, Dylan ran for 77 miles and did almost 7 laps. Only him and the winner attempted 7 laps, then there were about 10 people that did 6 laps, and a hand full that did 5 laps.. and it petered off from there.

Dylan said he has never been so cold in his life.  Running the course at 3am he had to break ice to do the underwater events.  He thought he had broke his foot, but after the cold water froze his feet up they were numb and Dylan was able to charge on!

The 1st place prize was $10,000!!!  For coming in second, Dylan got nothing but cold, and some swollen hands and feet. Oh, and a finisher's kettle bell!  But nonetheless we are all very proud of how well he did!

Finisher's kettle bell