New Year's Visit to North Carolina

Over New Year's we traveled to North Carolina to visit Julie's sister Jenn's family and had a blast. The kids were very excited to see their cousins Zachary and Alexandra. We were blessed with 65 degree weather the whole time, so we were able to spend hours playing in the yard.


Jenn planned a special birthday celebration for Jocelyn, and Jocelyn and Alexandra got to help make and ice the cake (decorated with princesses of course!).


On New Year's Eve the adults got dressed up to go out for a celebratory dinner...


...so the kids got dressed up too, to send us off!


The next night, which was the night before we came home, the whole gang piled into bed so that Zachary could read them all a story. It was pretty cool to watch!

Family Christmas Party

We had a Christmas-palooza this year. With the holiday falling on a Sunday, we not only had celebrations on Saturday and Sunday, but an even bigger one with my extended family on Monday. It was an opportunity for Ian to show off some of his fancy new Christmas duds, and to open another toy car that he loved.


Jocelyn received a big trunk full of princess dress-up outfits and jewelry, which she proceeded to immediately put on and model for the family.


Ian also loved the impromptu guitar lessons with his Uncle Joe. He loves banging on the toy drums we have for him at the house, but seemed fascinated that he could make different sounds by striking different strings. We may have an aspiring musician on our hands!


Both kids also loved getting time to hang out with their cousins, which they had been looking forward to for days! Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Day

Santa was very good to the Gesner children this year - almost as good to them as their grandparents. Jocelyn was in princess heaven. She loved the princess music player which Nana picked out for her, and loved opening it while wearing the princess dress Nana bought for her.


Ian loved the Hot Wheels tracks Santa brought for him, and wanted them to be set up as soon as possible that morning so that he could race the new set of cars that Nana bought for him.


Momma would tell you there is some question who played with them most on Christmas morning, him or me. It's pretty cool to see him so love a toy that I spent countless hours with as a boy myself.


Santa saved his biggest gift for last...an "enormous" (Jocelyn's new favorite word) bouncy house, which now takes up the entirety of our living room. Should make it easier for the little ones to get some exercise during the cold winter months - it has certainly made nap time quieter in the few weeks since it arrived!

Jocelyn's Birthday and Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve this year, we had our traditional celebratory dinner with family and a small party for Jocelyn's birthday. After the delicious feast Julie prepared, the little ones got to open just a few presents in anticipation of Santa's arrival later that night.

Nana got Jocelyn the play ice cream set she had been asking for the past few weeks...


...and it had the desired effect!


Nana also got Ian a giant container of toy cars, and quite honestly I have never, ever seen a child be that excited when opening a present. It was pretty cool to watch.


We had a princess cake (of course) for Jocelyn's birthday, which went perfectly with the new dress that Nana had also bought her for her birthday. She and Ian loved getting yet another special treat to eat.


Overall, it was so wonderful to be able to celebrate with family on such a special night!