Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


Oh, what a year it has been! By far the biggest and most life changing year of my life. I feel like I say that every year, but this one REALLY was:)! In fact, the big changes started no later than January 1st of 2014, the day my hubby became a business owner. Now, nearly a year later we still sometimes wonder what in the world we were thinking with that one:) Greg is in his element and LOVES his job, but it's a little intimidating (and time-consuming!) to own a business, I won't lie.
Later in May, Miss Annika turned the big TWO, and we all know everything about what that's like. Phew:) That same month we closed on our very first house and then I became a stay-at-home mom (for a year). On July 12, we left the lake and moved 2 miles down the road into our new house. Just 5 days after that, Mr. Leo was born. And I became a stay-at-home mom of two!!! Of two precious little rascals, who make my heart go boom-boom every day (in between all the hair-pulling that I do, teehee:)).
This year, my sister-in-law Tracie got pregnant (4th grand baby for the Winns is due in February) and my brother-in-law Ashley got engaged to his girlfriend Weishan.
Even though all of these changes didn't come without some challenges, I know that years down the road, this is the year we will be talking about the most and remembering it with smiles on our faces.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from our family to yours! Cheers to 2015 (the year I will become skinny)!!!! :)

Annika says...



-Annika, say 'thank you' in Russian.
- Thank you in Russian!

- J, turn on the cartoon.
- Annika, ask J nicely.
- J, turn on the cartoon nicely.

Annika examines Greg's arms:
- Daddy, why do you have those wrinkles?
- Those are my veins.
- Why do you have those veins?
- Because I'm old.
Annika looks at her arms and says:
- I'm new.

- Mommy, can I have the lady bug killer? (fly swatter!)

- Why are you itching your back?
- Not my back. The neck of my back.

- Can you put some silly raisins in my oatmeal? (she meant craisins... we may have told her they mean crazy raisins:))

- Leo is a thumb sucker.
- And I'm a paci sucker. 

- Annika, how do you say 'good night' in Russian?
- Twinkle, twinkle, little star.