S&PD

So, MBD was requesting more blog entries, but we don't have much going on. Just the usual...playdates, classes, cold weather, etc. Then I was going through recent photos and I realized that we haven't professed our love for Salt & Pepper Diner in awhile. We love it. We go there every weekend that we are home. We usually order the same things: a ham, mushroom, onion and american cheese omelet with hash browns and mini pancakes for Natalie; a short stack of pancakes and hash browns for Andrew; and scrambled eggs and mini pancakes for Eloise. However, two weeks ago I (Natalie) was really disappointed to find at least 5 short dark hairs in my omelet. We kept our cool and downplayed the occurance. In fact, forgot about it all together. We even returned this past weekend. Our memory was rudely awakened when I simultaneoulsy found a hair on my plate while pulling one out of my mouth. Disgusting. The worst part about it is that we will not be returning this weekend. I guess we'll go to Nookies, or Toast, or Feast. It's not that there are not options around here. They just aren't Salt & Pepper. We will return. And probably soon. There just better not be any more hairs.

It may be snowing outside, but...

...it's nice and warm inside. We are starting to get ready for our trip and Eloise has been modeling her warm weather fashions.

Never ending home projects...

We rechaulked the bathtub last weekend. Not a fun project. Our little do-it-yourselfer tied on her orange Home Depot apron and helped.

Measure twice, cut once

Inspecting our work

New Years Eve in Chicago

Christmas afternoon

The mood at the Hamm house on Christmas was very relaxed and a welcome change from the craziness of the morning. Santa really out did himself again this year!

Eloise and Bappa

opening our stockings in the family room
that's alotta bows!

Breton bulldog

our jumpin' jammerz

Uncle Dave and Eloise Christmas present

Uncle Dave and Eloise Christmas Past
(same pants, same sweater, same couches, same glasses, same beard, same bad breath...)

Christmas morning

Christmas morning was wonderfully chaotic with the little girls. Santa was incredibly generous to all of the girls this year. Here are Olivia (who turned 6 on Christmas day!) and Allyson just before ripping into their presents.

all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth

Maize used her present as a chin rest

Eloise LOVES the bike that Santa brought for her

Christmas Eve

We love our Christmas Eve tradition...church, followed by a delicious dinner of Swedish potatis korv and Christmas carols around the piano. We feel so fortunate that our families have so easily become one big family and we are able to celebrate our holidays all together. Here are a few shots of our caroling. We will try to post our video of Andrew, Dave, and Tom singing We Three Kings...it's really a crowd pleaser.