Holiday Recap

Boy, has it been a while since I've blogged. To be honest, I'm not expecting many readers to still be around, but if you are, Happy New Year! (and I'm very grateful you've stuck with me) We've had a nice, albeit jam packed Christmas break, and I took the time to be completely offline (except for the occasional Facebook status update). Honestly, being offline was relaxing and I rather liked it, but coming back from the Christmas holidays brings with it catching up on emails, Ravelry, and blogging. So, without further ado, here are some favorite moments from our Christmas Vacation (queue in music from the Chevy Chase movie here):

The ghost of Christmas Present
Little Clover insisted on getting a Santa hat a few days before Christmas. He wore it every moment he was awake. I was able to capture a small candid moment as he played with one of his toys Christmas morning.

From Family

A surprise gift
Italian asked for a Bosch chainsaw for Christmas. We've been needing a chainsaw for a few years and Italian finally felt like we would use one on a regular basis and it was time for us to own our own instead of constantly borrowing one. Imagine his surprise when he got one, from his little brother no less!

From Family

The jump
Because we have a temporary "No travel" on Christmas rule, Papa and Nana Clover came down to visit with us. Little Clover was absolutely thrilled, not just because his grandparents were coming to visit, but because they would see him ride a horse. He's been taking horseback riding lessons and has loved it. He's quite proud of himself as he should be and wants to show what he has accomplished. While Papa and Nana Clover were in town, he displayed his jumping ability.

From Horse

The Southern Boy Goes North
For Christmas, Xavier Guy got tickets to the Winter Classic, the now annual NHL outdoor game. This year, the game was played at Wrigley Field, which being a Cubs fan, was special enough for Italian's family. Because Xavier Guy got two tickets, Italian got the second one. We all piled into the car for an impromtu trip to Chicago. The guys went to the game and their aunt AK took Little Clover and I to the Lincoln Park Zoo in downtown Chicago.

From Chicago 2008

While at the zoo, Little Clover pointed excitedly while exclaiming, "Look, look!" AK, her daughter, and I couldn't identify the source of Little Clover's excitement. We finally had to ask him what he saw. He responded with a smile, "It's a frozen pond!" The sweet little Southern thing was thrilled with seeing ice!

Skate
Since we were up north, we couldn't pass up the opportunity for some outdoor ice skating. Not only was this Little Clover's first time to ice skate, but we had the chance to skate in the open air at Millennium Park. Little Clover loved it (and was pretty good, too).

From Chicago 2008

From Chicago 2008

From Chicago 2008

Sue
So, what is a trip to Chicago without a visit to one of the city's most famous gals? After spending some time on the ice, Italian, Xavier Guy, their cousin the Guru, Little Clover, and I all head over to the Field museum. Although the visit was short, we did see Sue in all her magnificence.

From Chicago 2008

Yum
We ended our trip with a huge family gathering at a local Chicago family favorite pizzeria, Aurelio's. What can I say? The company was warming and wonderful, and the food was just plain yum, the best pizza ever.

From Chicago 2008

Yarn
Being away from work gave me ample time for knitting. I had so much time that I made some great progress on the Noro Sweater:

From WIPs

and I even finished a sock (more details to follow)

From WIPs