Li'l Ballerina

Tess had her winter ballet recital this weekend. We are so glad that she enjoys such a beautiful creative expression...because we love to watch it! She is in a more difficult class this year and we see her learning a bunch. She's the youngest in her class but seems to be keeping up!   Here are a few pictures from the evening. It was great that Grammie and Papa were able to be here from Arkansas, too!

Merry Post-Christmas!

December was great fun. Here are a few holiday highlights:

    

Our Christmas festivities started with
our Supper Club Christmas Party.
The invite said to wear something
red or green.We are very good
at following directions. :)

Next was the Koopman company party.
Grandma Ruby Koopman
crocheted slippers for everyone
in the company and their families.
These slippers are awesome!
Thanks Grandma Ruby!

Our next holiday adventure brought us to the local gingerbread making event. Mommy helped the little guys and Daddy acted as foreman for Titus and Tess' house. It was a great morning...and no clean up! 

Our family Christmas gatherings began with a fun night at Grandma and Grandpa Hopkins' house. The kids got enormous fleece blankets that could probably cook a small turkey and provide a daily work-out when folding is attempted, and the boys got remote controlled cars - both a hit! Grandpa also lined up the kids and gave them each a silver dollar. Here is Titus displaying his treasure:

The next day we headed to Grandma and Grandpa Terpstra's for lunch and a gift exchange. Titus got a remote controlled helicopter that he was able to enjoy outside due to the unseasonable warm weather.  He didn't stop once we got home, and with in 5 minutes of having it home - Dave was rescuing it from the tippy-top of our neighbors tree. YIKES!

In a last minute twist we got new carpet on Tuesday before Christmas which required us emptying out the two main living spaces of our home-including putting the Christmas Tree on the front porch.  Between that and wrapping gifts we pulled some late nights! We had our our little family Christmas on Friday morning. Keep reading to find out the treasures that made their way under the tree :)

Friday afternoon we headed to Chicago to spend the weekend with Brystal's family. It's always fun to get these cousins together from across the mid-west. We enjoyed games and food and the kids' first time ice skating!  

The girls on Christmas Eve

The boys on Christmas Eve

Tessie took to it very well!

When we got back it was time to play with all the gifts. (Brystal's gift was the new camera most of these pictures were taken with :) )

Titus conquered his almost 900 piece LEGO set in a matter of hours.

Tess picked the wall paper for her new custom Daddy-built,
Mommy-designed doll house.

Trace hung out and watched Despicable Me while
wearing his new camo backpack (he also added a
camo shirt to the ensemble, as you can see.) His new laser tag
set was great fun during our week of warm weather.

In the rare minutes between playing with his new LEGO
mini-figures, Trent  enjoyed coloring with his many
new markers and coloring books.

We closed up a great break with a night of pizza and bowling here in Pella.  What a full, fun, fantastic Christmas.