Favorite Things

No raindrops or roses here. Actually snow is on the way tomorrow. One of our favorite things to do as a family is to go to Thunder Hockey games. Tonight was a very special game because it was Thunder Dog's (the Wichita Thunder's mascot) birthday! Jesstine has liked Thunder Dog since she first started going to hockey games outside of the womb. At each game she spends most of her time searching for Thunder Dog. We were wise not to tell her we were going until AFTER her nap. She slept until just after 5. When I woke her up, I told her where we were going. She said (in a half asleep voice), "An Uncle Seff, Noah and Ian gunna come!" Then I told her it was Thunder Dog's birthday. She said, "We sing 'Happy Birfday' to Funder Dog." Needless to say, she was excited and wanted to go right away. So here are a few shots (with my NEW camera nonetheless) of the game tonight. I have to add that for the last 10 games or so that we have attended, the Thunder have NOT won! Tonight was a different story...thankfully! And thank you to Kim (Auntie Kim) for the great tickets and especially for Jesstine's new favorite toy, Thunder Dog!

Saying cheese and getting ready for the game to start.

LOVING my new camera and the great picture I got of the first goal in the game!

Jesstine's favorite dog, Thunder Dog.

FIGHT! FIGHT! We have been to many a game lately where the officials didn't allow much fighting (which if you didn't know is a part of hockey). Tonight was NOT one of those nights. There were three fights when as we were trying to leave the building in the last moments of the game! DEFINITELY not a dissapointment.

This was the beginning of the third period, but it was the same score as we were leaving.

I think Dumpty likes Thunder Dog too!

She liked what she saw when she came to bed!

One tired girl snuggled up to her favorite things!

In Him,

The Hutchins

Santa Pictures

Oh what a difference just one year makes! Jesstine has been somewhat of a celebrity since her birth. She was a much anticipated, prayed for, wanted baby! Some of the people that prayed for her were the members of our church family. So, when our preacher started the new sermon series for the new year, our little girl was placed front and center! This was what we saw.

2009

2010

In Him,
The Hutchins

Wordless Wednesday-Woody's Bad Day.

Dear Aunt Jenni (and family),

I LOVE my new clothes! Thanks so much!

Love,
Jesstine!

Family Christmas

This year we had two family Christmases. We were able to open presents at our own house Christmas morning and then went to my mom's for breakfast where there was no shortage of presents! After that we went home and chilled as a family for the rest of the evening. The next day Stephen's brother, Seth, and family came up from Oklahoma. So after church we went to my Mother-in-love's house for lunch. After the kids all had naps and quiet time, we opened presents there. It was such a good time! There was good food, good company and presents for all. We spent most of the next day just letting the kids play with all of the new toys that they got from Grandmom. It turned out to be a good thing because between shuffling around between houses, Jesstine was really itching to play with her kitchen. Since Grandmom got one for her own house, it worked out great! To my family's surprise, I was actually willing to play games. Noah, my oldest nephew on the Hutchins side, was just old enough that he was able to play too! He actually knew more answers to the Christmas Trivia than us adults did! The boys won the first round (but not by much) and the girls smoked the boys in round two! Can't wait til next year when we have the tie breaker! That night when all of the kids were in bed, Seth came over and played video games with Stephen (or watched football as it turned out) and I went back to my M-I-L's to play games/watch movies with the ladies! We had so much fun and are so thankful for our family! Thank you to everyone who gave gifts to us. You will see in the final post that Jesstine really ended up with a TON of presents! It got to where she would hug each and every one of them after she opened them! So here are a few more pictures!

Christmas present from Grandma and Grandpa Griffee was a ball castle.

When she got her princess figurines (in a later picture) from Aunt Jenni, she had to put them in their castle!

Sunday lunch at Grandmom's house. (Jesstine and her cousin, Connor.)
Noah and Ian are big boys and sat at the breakfast bar!
PRESENT TIME!!! First is a Lawn Mower.
And a princess doll kit!
Beautiful sweater dress.
Monkey pj's (or jams as Grandmom calls them).
A dress.
Shirt with matching leggings.
I-spy type of books.
Disney princess book with play mat and princess figurines!
I love my new shirt (one in two larger sizes too so she can grow into them!).
More pj's and she loves them just as much as the shirts!
A dollhouse to play with at Grandmom's house.
Some play food for.....
A play kitchen at Grandmom's!


The boys had to get in on this too!
Seth playing the piano with a little helper.
The toy that distracted the two littlest family members from opening other gifts.
Playing with the dollhouse.
Connor helping his Uncle Stephen out now!
These two are like peas and carrots! There were certainly some sweet moments between the two of them. They really liked playing together!
Time for stockings!
Jenni reads a book to all of the kids while Grandmom creates a special surprise Christmas treat!

Jesstine's haul. This is minus a few things (pillow pet from Papa, Castle from Grandma Griffee and princess popcorn tin from Uncle Greg).

Again thank you to all of our family members for the terrific holiday gifts! We appreciate you spoiling us and wish you all a Merry Christmas (a little late for that) and a Happy new year!

In Him,

The Hutchins

Christmas Day

It is hard to believe that Christmas Day has come and gone. It was a very fun and mostly relaxed holiday for which I am so grateful! We had a good time with family and just with each other here at our own house. Jesstine is SO spoiled! You will see in a later post how spoiled she is! I think she got more toys and things this Christmas than I received in all of my childhood Christmases! I would like to think that she has just been a good girl!

This Christmas was different for a few reasons. Mostly, Jesstine is just older and understands a lot more. I have to say, she is still a little timid about opening presents, but I think after opening a few, she got the hang of it. She woke up on Christmas morning to find the gift Santa had left for her. It was the one she had asked for by name! She got her kitchen! There were also a few gifts beside it all wrapped up for her to unwrap. Here is a peek at Christmas morning at home. Then I will post a little later about Christmas celebrations at the homes of our parents.

This is the first one she chose to open after seeing her kitchen. It is a Sesame Street Chutes and Ladders. I found this at a garage sale for $5, still in the shrink wrap! I was happy to pay that for a game that had the original price tag of $25 on it! Jesstine just wanted to take the figurines out and play with them!
She also got a Woody doll to match her Buzz Lightyear she got for her birthday. She said, "Oh no, Mommy! Where's his pull string?"
She got two Chipmunk movies. (Now I can free my DVR of one that has been there for a year!)
Some dishes and food to go with her kitchen.
I think this was the box she opened and it didn't have a picture or anything on it. She said, "Oh! Look! It's a....BOX!!!"
It turned out to be more play food in that box. There was a second bag with just as much play food in it too!
Already playing with her Christmas morning presents at home!
Mommy and Daddy were good this year too! I got a new camera which I took a picture of with my old camera.
Stephen got some new shoes and a gift certificate to buy a pair of running shoes. I think he was pleased!

After looking at what we got for Christmas, I was reminded of how truly blessed we are to have what we want. God is GOOD!

In Him,

The Hutchins

Christmas Eve

We started a new tradition this year. Jesstine is old enough that Christmas has become more exciting to her. She doesn't fully understand the hub bub, but mostly does. So this year we decided to do what a lot of families do. We devoted Christmas Eve to a family date. It actually started earlier that day. I had to hold off on the cookie making because Jesstine had a stomach bug the day before. So, we made cookies first thing after breakfast! Here is the work in progress as well as the finished product.

Surprisingly, no fingers were licked in the production of this cookie decorating! Just to be sure that none of us caught her stomach bug, we let her eat her own cookies!

After the tree, the star. (Her choice of course.)

The finished product!

Part of the cookies I decorated.

After decorating cookies, we all got dressed and had our favorite weekly fix of Freddy's for lunch. This was followed by a nap. After nap, we got ready and went to the mall to ride the train (as per Jesstine's request). After the mall we took a tour of the lights around town. We went to two PHENOMENAL displays in particular. One was the Lights on St. Paul. This was the first I had heard of it. We thought we would try it since I drive by it every time I go to work. It was really pretty neat! After that we came back to our own side of town and took a stroll down Candy Cane Lane. It is a cul-de-sac of houses where every house is decorated and most are decorated a LOT! No pictures of lights (our older camera doesn't do well in low light). But we did get a few pictures (albeit on my cell phone) of Jesstine's trip on the train. (Trains are a recent fascination for her. She has seen the one in the mall several times and has begged to ride it! Thus the decision to ride the train on Christmas Eve!)

We decided to dress for the occasion of a Christmas Eve family date

She is ready to go!

Just look at the joy on that face!

Mommy and Daddy got to ride with her! She chose the caboose!

When we returned home from looking at lights, we opened a few presents from some nice family and friends who gave to Jesstine. Thank you Papa, Rainbow, Konrad and Kristina! She LOVED the gifts! (Note to Papa: The pillow pet has a permanent spot on her bed now!)

Coming soon: Christmas Day!!!!

In Him,

The Hutchins