Ski Trip 2013: Kids' First Time Sking!

Mary, Katie, Seamus and Helena ready to hit the slopes

Last Friday we left right from the trio's preschool to head up to Boyne Mountain for our annual ski trip. This year was special because it was the first year that Katie, Seamus and Helena went skiing! They were all excited to ski since we had gone sledding after Christmas, and they were not disappointed. The pictures below are from the Ski Class they went to Saturday morning.

Katie and Seamus carrying their skis

Katie (white helmet), Helena (red coat) and Seamus getting on the "Magic Carpet."

Katie skiing

Seamus skiing

Helena skiing

After the class we took a break from skiing until after dinner. Then a whole group of us went to the bunny hill to do more skiing with the kids. Grandpa Huddas,  Uncle Steve and Aunt Melanie skied along with Mary, the kids and I. The kids did great, and skied with their cousins Drew and Clay while the adults helped them down the hill. A big thanks goes to Aunt Becca who played catcher on the bottom of the hill and Uncle John who saved Katie when the Magic Carpet bucked her off.  It was an awesome weekend and the kids are already asking when they can ski again so we may have created some skiers. Good things Mary and I just bought our own skis, we made need the practice to keep up with our children.

Finally Sledding! & New Years

The day after Christmas we finally got a decent snow storm so the next day we got to use the sleds the kids got from Santa for Christmas 2011! Mary and I got into the winter fun almost as much as the kids did. We even went to a big hill by the kids future elementary school a couple of times later in the week. It was a long time coming to get some sledding done, and a good warm-up for the kids first ever ski class at Boyne. Our annual ski trip starts tomorrow and the kids are excited to go skiing, although they are not entirely sure what it is...

Mary playing in the snow

Helena Sledding

Helena looking like a natural snowboarder

Katie Sledding

Mary giving Katie a push in the sled

Seamus sledding

Seamus Sledding

Kids in the van coming back from sledding on the big hill

This year on New Year's Eve, Mary and I went out for the first time in over a decade to ring in the  New Year. Grandpa and Grandma Huddas were nice enough to watch not only our three, but their two cousins as well so we could go out. The kids had a blast, and went sledding with their cousins at Grandpa Huddas' "country house" with Drew and Clay on New Year's Day.

Seamus sledding 

Katie Sledding  

Katie and Clay falling of the sled

Christmas Night 2012

The Murphy/McAleer Granddaughters

The Murphy/McAleer Grandsons

Our Day ended at Grandpa and Grandma Murphy's house. There we had the First Annual "Grandkid Gift Exchange" where each grandchild picked a name and exchanged a gift.

Clint getting Seamus' gift

Seamus getting Conner's gift

Jack thanking Helena for his present

Katie getting her gift from Bryan

Helena opening her gift exchange present

Aunt Kathy Murphy's "Event" present to the Grandparents Murphy

Helena opening her present from Grandma and Grandpa Murphy

By the end of the night it was another tiring day! The kids again fell asleep the second their heads hit the pillow.  It was great to spend the Christmas holiday this year with the kids. Their excitement, belief and joy make the whole hectic day a beautiful experience.

Christmas Afternoon 2012

Our first stop was at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We first exchanged gifts with Grandma and Grandpa Huddas, Uncle Mike and Aunt Kim, Aunt Becca, Uncle John and Clay and Drew just to name a few. As always we had the traditional theme dinner. This year was Michigan food, mostly what Grandpa got hunting and cooked, the smoked foods were the best. After Grandma and Grandpa Huddas' house we went over to Mary's Aunt Carol and Uncle Pete's new house.  We visited there for a little while before we headed to Grandpa and Grandma Murphy's house for dinner.

Seamus opening a present from Grandpa and Grandma Huddas

Katie and Helena opening a present from Grandpa and Grandma Huddas

Christmas Morning 2012

Christmas Presents

The Calm before the Storm

The kids were so tired after a busy Christmas Eve that we got to sleep in to almost 8:00! The morning was a blur of excitement and wrapping paper. The kids opened all their presents from Santa and we tried to keep up with the pictures...

Helena and the Barbie with clothes from Santa

Seamus with his new Super Heroes

Katie with her Merida doll

Mary with the thumbprint ornaments that Seamus and Katie made at school

Seamus playing his new Bat Cave

Helena Showing Barbie her new house

Katie sorting out the new doll clothes

Making sure Santa ate his cookies

After breakfast and playing, the kids got dressed and we headed out to go visiting.

All dressed up ready to go out visiting

Christmas Eve 2012

Helena, Seamus and Katie 

The kids had been so excited the whole month of December for Christmas. By the time it was Christmas Eve the kids we got a down to business. We started out the morning with the kids putting out  the food for the reindeer.

Katie putting out Reindeer Food

Seamus putting out Reindeer Food

Helena putting out Reindeer Food

 After making sure Rudolph wouldn't go hungry, we exchanged gifts with Aunt Kathy Murphy who was staying with us from NC.

Gift exchange with Aunt Kathy Murphy

After exchanging gifts, Aunt Kathy Murphy went to spend the day and Night over Grandma and Grandpa  Murphy's house. Mary, the kids and I later went to Church and then to Grandma and Grandpa Huddas' house for a traditional Slovakian Christmas Eve dinner and Gift exchange. Even Santa stopped by to get last minute Christmas wishes from the kids and read "T'was the Night Before Christmas." What a swell guy...

Katie and Santa

Seamus and Santa

Helena and Santa

Santa reading  "T'was the Night Before Christmas."

Seamus showing off his Christmas style

Helena Reinideer

After the long night of gifts and fun, it was time to get the kids home and in bed before Santa came to our house. The kids were good and exhausted and fell right to sleep. That was good, because we had another busy Day ahead of us.