Holidays 2008 Wrap-Up

The Year Charlie Brown Visited Us

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So it's done. Over. Finished....and our life is finally getting back to the way it was before Christmas lights, trees, presents, wrapping paper, FOOD, and the Craziness that accompanies it all.

This is my adorable niece. Is her hat not the cutest ever?!?

After New Years Eve (which I already confessed to pathetically sleeping through), we had 1 more opportunity to fly our christmas colors with the annual Masselink Christmas Party. Looking back, I only shot pictures of the kids tearing open gifts and the adults participating in the annual gift exchange.

The kids. They *love* gift opening, don't they?

Then they were banished downstairs. And we started OuR party.

I won't bore you with the details. I think Jeff just said it all.

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So this year, the Masselink party was a two-fer. On Sunday the girls met over at Laura's house for Jenny's baby shower, while the guys trekked to Ed and Deb's house to watch, in awe, football on their *awesome* new TV.

I don't have pictures of the guys, as being a girl I obviously attended the shower.

This is Jenny. She is very possibly one of the sweetest people I know. And will make a fabulous mother to the baby boy in her belly. ETA: Febuary 10, although we have bets that he may arrive sooner.

Laura graciously hosted the shower at her house, newly outfitted with gorgeous carpet. Scott and Laura have done an awesome job on their house since they got married, their hard work shows. Lisa and Laura decorated it SO cute for a lil baby boy, too.

The food tasted delicious, I had to complete multiple taste tests, and everything passed.

There were games, because what is a shower without games? Elaina, good job on explaining them. You have a grand future in public speaking, girl.

And presents. And more presents. :) I have to show this quilt off. Aunt Karie has created these beautiful-beyond-words quilts for new babies as her special contribution into their life. And she makes them for special occasions. And any other occasion that may call for a great quilt. And we love them. But really, I just had to show it off because she is just awesome.

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So now, the holidays are really over. And I just have a pile of lovely christmas ornaments and trinkets and a few red boxes to pack them away in. I feel at peace. I love Christmas, but I love the peace that follows too. Yaknowwhatimean?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

The highlight of this New Year's was, for me, seeing Vanderbilt win their first bowl game since the 50's. Good job, 'dores.

Unfortunately, we have no fun pictures of this New Year to show off. I was sick in bed, Adalynn was sick and running around, and Travis was holding down the fort. Not a whole lotta fun.

But, we hope for a better and healthier New Year, for us and everyone around us. Love y'all!

Merry Christmas Peeps

Merry Christmas! I just had to pull out this picture from a year ago. Can you believe how much this child has changed? I'm pretty sure that when she's older she may hate me for ever doing this to her, but at 1month, she really didn't have a choice. Her personality really shines now. Right now she's sitting on the floor making Trav play with her. And every time he gets up to try to work a little, she cries. She is learning too quick. Oops, he just snuck off. We'll see how long this blog is now, it may just be a bunch of pictures with no explanation.

Well, we *hope* that your Christmas was as full and wonderful and lovely as ours. We spent much time with family...and eating. and eating. and eating. Christmas Eve morning we traveled to my Dad and Linda's house for a HUGE breakfast. After which we opened presents.

We got headlamps. And they are so cool. And we are so cool wearing them. I even wore mine to the barn last night, rock on.

This is my brother, Ryan. He's a little different. He got this pink hat for Christmas, he wanted something to show off his more "feminine" side....no, not really. It's our neice's and Ryan was using it as earmuffs. Us Borcks, we can be loud.

Adalynn got a movie to watch. She really took a liking to movies and pictures...Travis gave me a picture frame with Adalynn, Kelsey, and Banks' pictures on Christmas. I showed it to Adalynn and she "ooohed" and "aaaahhhhed" for almost 5 minutes. I mean, I loved it, but 5 minutes?!

The gift that my nephew, Henry John, prized most is his brand spankin' new Fender Guitar and Amp. As he told my sister, "It's so shiny black!".

Here he is getting in the groove.

And putting on a concert. Check out that concentration!

Rock Star in Training for sure. He takes drum lessons now, and I guess they'll have to add in guitar lessons too. I mean, really, can you have this awesome of a guitar and NoT take lessons?

Adalynn got this rockin' pony. It looks quite like Kelsey, and when it's ear is pressed it starts galloping (well, sounds like it is), whinnies, and then snuffles. It's head moves up and down and it's muzzle even moves side to side. Kelsey2 can even live in our home with us! She's quite easy to take care of. We're easing Adalynn into this whole responsibility thing.

After presents we bundled up and walked across the street to the golf course, where we partook in the tradition of sledding. This being Adalynn's first year sledding, she was initiated using her brand new inflatable sled with back rest. And let me tell ya, I wish I had the service she had. She was pulled out to the hill, I'd run half way down and someone would push her. She flew down the hill, being a half-pint and able to skim the surface of the snow, until I caught her as she was traveling 50mph with an "Oomph!". Or so it seemed, really. She LOVED it, had this huge grin on her face...and she she learned that she could "ask" to go again, and we were worked pretty hard. It must be easy when you're being carried back up the hill.

We spent the rest of the afternoon/evening at Travis' mom's, traveling to his Aunt Jane's house for a short while to visit his dad's side.

Nik, Keagan, Caleb, and Max were SupEr excited about their presents. It was so hard for them to wait!

Nana gave Adalynn her first ponytail. Adalynn wasn't so sure, but she looked cute.

Naomi opened her bitty baby doll, quite enamored with making sure that her baby was going to be barefoot by the end of the night.

Adalynn took a nap, and made it through 75% of LaGrave's candlelight service before we returned home.

Christmas Day...

We stayed home and made people visit us. And ThaT was a GREAT idea.

In the morning, we woke late and opened our stockings and presents.

I didn't realize that Adalynn's sock situation was in such dire straits that even she was aware and embarrassed...she was definately in love with her 2 new packs of socks. Best gift ever, I guess.

Um...hello....where did my socks go?

You have other gifts dear. Adalynn's gift from Travis and I, besides the socks, was her ball pit.

She loves it, but isn't too thrilled when the balls get away from the pit. My little cleaner-upper actually walks around and picks up the balls, putting them back in the pit. What a good girl.

Early afternoon my mom, brother, Dad, Linda, Ed, and Deb came down for a scrumptious dinner complete with ham, turkey, mash-ed potatoes, corn (whole, for sure for potato toppings, right Trav?), and Raspberry pie and brownies to polish it all off. Mmmmmm.

Later, Rennae and John came out and brought us their presents. They had found us a Wii Fit, which is awesome...except maybe the best time to do it is NoT directly after a huge dinner!

Merry Christmas, hope everyone's was Great and can't wait to hear about them! Take care.

Oh, Christmas Tree!!

We have an odd Christmas tradition. It involves poor, lost, forlorn trees who need a good home. And we give them one.

This tradition, partially born out of our really bad judgement regarding measurements and mixed with our dutch ancestry, leads us into falling for really good deals. (i.e. really big trees for little price tags.) And really, although our poor trees may look lost and small in the field, they are *beautiful* and SO full of character once we bring them home.

Our Lovely Tree. Travis RealLy didn't want to use the sawzaw (sp? I really don't know. But this is what it sounds like...) on our tree in the house 2 years in a row, but oops. It had to happen.

At least the boys provided moral support. Or they were laughing, we're not sure.

Once trimmed, Travis abandoned me for the warmth of a fire. Seriously, boys... So, up went the first line of lights.

And here's the finished product. A little eclectic. But very, very fun. And Adalynn loves it, of course. :)

Just Because

we happen to have the cutest daughter ever, you are going to be saturated with pictures and silly antedotes starring her. First she traveled to the barn with me to feed and let out Kelsey. And subsequently cried when we left. Then we drove home to let out the dogs and play outside a little longer (to completely tire her out before her nap...), and of course picture time...we don't get too many days like this in MI and we've gotta take advantage of them when we can! Soak up the Vit D! We couldn't find the sleds, but Adalynn had fun just trying to walk around.

Initially, she stood still. Dang heavy boots.

Then she started to get it...she'd take a couple of stops and then start to clap. Seriously, child, do you always need an audience?

Oops.

Seriously, isn't this the grossest picture ever? I captured the french kiss a little too accurately. Since Adalynn has had a cold, Banks has obsessed about licking her nose. It seems he loves snot. And will pick out tissues from the trash to tear them apart and chew. And yes, that is his tounge across her mouth. For the record: I do not approve.
So she cried again when we went inside, but it was sleepy-sleep time. I think this child would live outside if she could.