Christmas 2010

Our 2010 Christmas holiday was shared between two Wisconsin locations. The first few days, including Christmas, were spent with Sara's sister and family in La Crosse. Zoe loved playing with her three La Crosse cousins!

Zoe and Norah playing a unique version of ping pong underneath the table.
Wisconsin had much more snow than we left in Toronto. There was a base of more than 20 inches - perfect for sledding! (Below = Norah, Clara, Zoe, and Ian)

Zoe opted to ride with Aunt Erin after ending up covered in snow following a ride down the hill with Mom.

Obligatory Christmas Eve photos:

Obligatory Christmas morning photos:

Zoe was relieved that Santa found her so far from home!

Christmas Dinner at the kids' table - "Cheers!"

Grandpa and Grandma drove up to join us on Christmas Day. Grandpa and the girls below.

We bundled up and braved the bitter cold on Christmas night to walk through a special Christmas lights display on the bank of the Mississippi River.

On Boxing Day we hitched a ride with Grandma and Grandpa back to the family farm - and four more cousins to play with. (Below = Paige and Zoe)

Play activities ranged from Twister to playing doctor and many things in between.

After a couple days, the La Crosse cousins joined us on the farm for an afternoon of sledding and more fun. All eight cousins together again!

An exhaustive search for the perfect hill (i.e. any hill without a barbed wire fence at the bottom) left Zoe stating rather emphatically that she no longer liked winter. This after waking one morning to exclaim that she wanted to live somewhere where the snow never melted.

Back inside warm and dry it was time for the chronological-lining-up-of-the-cousins photo. Eight cousins ranging in age from 11 to 3 (at the time the photo was taken). From left to right and in order of birth the cousins are Paige, Clara, Bree, Ian, Kelly, Norah,Ty, and Zoe.

Zoe with Maggie (belonging to Clara, Ian, and Norah).

Kelly giving Zoe a piggy back ride.

Ty giving Zoe a piggy back ride - with necessary assistance!

New Year's weekend we flew back to Toronto where we held our own celebration and opened the family gifts that we didn't transport to and from the States. Zoe was happy to participate once again.

Topping off our extended holiday was an afternoon visit from our Kaz friends, Jila and Kiana, visiting from Winnipeg. Dressed in all their princess finery, Kiana and Zoe took delight in blowing into a bowl containing chocolate kiss wrappers that subsequently flew up into their faces. Over and over.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! (Better late than never!)