Over The River and Through The Woods

According to the Mpls Star Tribune, this was the 8th Brown Christmas since 1967. Yesterday was a record-breaking 52 degrees! Previous record: 51 degrees in 1936. Needless to say, we had quite a different Christmas weekend than the usual sledding, snow-fort making, and sitting in front of the fire. Instead we took a walk across the field and into the woods, over to grandma and grandpa's cabin.

We walked across the big field (our house is in the distance on the left)...




...went down into the woods and across the frozen swamp...


...and to the river, where we could finally see the cabin through the trees.


Grandpa was on the porch waiting for us!


View from near the cabin.


Everyone standing on the bridge before our walk back home.


Over the river, through the woods,


and back into the field, with home on the horizon.


The kids explored the silo and found a patch of green.


Even crazier was the caterpillar they saw climbing up our front steps! With a Christmas this nice, we definitely didn't miss the snow. There's sure to be plenty to come during the next 3 months.


Here are some photos of the girls' Christmas dance recital last week:

Elsa and Lila warming up before the show.


Violet, Elsa, and Lila, with Lila's little twin Bridgette on the far left.


One of the dance routines.


The dancers and Teacher Sue.


Celebratory dinner and root beer at Al's Bar across the street.


Christmas photos:

New cowgirl horsies! Yeehaw!


Playing in the tent from auntie Emma.


Opening presents on Christmas Eve day.


Elsa's Christmas hair-do.


Christmas morning. Tired Tim in the background, and excited kids! They slept in their clothes from the night before.


Christmas with the Williams side was a lot bigger this year with all the new babies! All 4 of us cousins now have children, all of them girls. L to R: Avery, Elsa, Mayson, Minneha, and Lila. If anyone has a baby boy he'll be spoiled rotten! :)


Christmas time is Shot-ski time! The lucky guys who married into this family. :)
Yucca, Mark, Shane, and Tim.


Bottoms up!


The cousins: Becky, Kelly, Jenny, me.


That amaretto is tough stuff. :)


My dear cousins Kelly and Becky, with Minneha and Elsa. Beck lives in France so we don't get to see her often. It's always great to have her family home for Christmas.