Best Gift Ever

I don't know how my sweetheart is ever going to top this one!

So, a couple of years ago, Jon and I started talking about wanting to buy a piece of art for our home...but we wanted it to be something meaningful, we didn't want to buy something out of a catalogue, but rather something that we just fell in love with when we were visiting somewhere or maybe support a local artist...

Well, when we were in Italy this past spring, I took a photograph out the bus window when we were in Tuscany...I just loved this beautiful stone gate out in the middle of the countryside.

Jon had this great idea to take the photograph to a local art gallery and see if there was an artist who would paint it for us (oil on canvas)! Jon started working on this last October and wanted to give it to me for Christmas, but the artist did not want to rush it, so promised it to be ready for Valentine's Day (he did present his idea to me in a unique way on Christmas morning).

We got to pick it up yesterday and it far exceeds our expectations. We absolutely LOVE it!





Isn't he the sweetest?! :-)

Another WI visit

Well, not another separate visit, but another "visit" we got to have while in WI. My Aunt Dianne and Uncle Jerry live in WI as well and we were able to have lunch and a couple of hours with them. Over the years, I have celebrated many holidays with them and my cousins Jeremy and Jonny - and have many special memories of being with them at my grandparent's farm. Jon has had the chance to get to know them well too as they lived in FL when we lived in AL and we made several trips over to see them. So glad we had the chance to connect while there, even though it was short!

New Year's Eve - Party in Sun Prairie!!!!

While in WI, we were able to connect with our dear best friends, the Martys! It was almost 1 year to the date that we had last seen each other. They moved to Poland for 1 year, but are now back in the States - although they are halfway across the country from us (living in MN), it is still so good to have them "back". The kids had SO much fun together -they had spent 4 years living 1 hour apart and spending countless hours together, and it within 1 minute it was like they'd never been apart for the year!

sweet girlies

our football maniacs! :-)

BFFs

the men (and a sacked-out Anthony!)

We found a great suite right in Sun Prairie, a couple of minutes from Bethany's parents and rented it for New Year's Eve. We had a great time playing Guitar Hero, eating, swimming and just being together!

On a separate note, it was fun to go back to Sun Prairie (where I spent jr. high and highschool) and take the kids by my old house, church, school and drive around the town and see the changes. I hadn't been back in at least 6 years and a lot had changed. I also got to go back to my old place of employment and see some of the people I worked with 17 years ago! And it's always great to go back to Bethany's parents house and see them - they are like another set of parents to me and are always so welcoming to us!

Christmas in Wisconsin

The day after Christmas, we headed to WI - drove straight thru to my brother's house, spent the night there and then headed to Wisconsin Dells the next day. We rented an awesome house/cabin that was so perfect for our family!


It was so much fun to all be under the same roof together for 3 nights/4 days - we played Wii, went sledding, cooked, played games, talked, laughed...such a great time.

This was Sophia, Anthony & Jon's first time to meet Ella!

We celebrated Danny's birthday (12/28)!!!

Cousins!

and my favorite pic from our time together....

there are a lot more but I'm waiting on Darla to send them to me (hint, hint) and since I'm so behind, I just shared some of the highlights! Now on to posting about New Year's Eve.....

oh, and 1 more thing, Jon captured this great video of Anthony playing Wii boxing for the first time...

(pause playlist music first)

Christmas Eve

Christmas 2009

Christmas Eve at Grammy & PopPop's

The boys - Anthony, Wil & Gordy

The girls - Georgia, Sophia & Lily

Sos w/ Baby Wil (doesn't he already look so much older than he did in the Thanksgiving pics?!)

Joel, Shan, Gigi & Gordy

Jer, Erin, Lily & Wil

Sos & Grammy - American Girl!

Anthony with Optimus Prime - gift from G&P

Lizzie!

Grammy & PopPop opening Kindles!

Our Christmas Project

For the last couple of years, Jon and I have been talking about creating a play area in the basement for the kids. Our basement is unfinished w/ a low ceiling and quite ugly, so I think this is why we just talked about it for a couple of years. We finally decided to tackle it as a surprise for the kids for Christmas. Until this morning, they had been locked out of the basement for over a month. Here are some before and after pics, along with a video of "the reveal"