Here is the beautiful river - I could not edit those pix once i picked them! Sorry! :)

Also - beautiful mom and dad! :)

Christmas Day: Pt I in Minnesota

We got up today and went to Mom and Dad's. We had brunch with Weddles, Ang and Maia and our dear friends, Maisa, Gabriella and Jeanie! These ladies ( I still would call the girls "kids") have been a part of our family since before Gabriella was born - 19 years! We had a wonderful morning with everyone - BEAUTIFUL snow!! The river looked amazing - I had to include a shot of this! Note the reflections! :) Then we were off to the airport for Florida's version of Christmas in the SUN! :)

Christmas Eve - Part II -

We got to open our gifts Christmas Eve since christmas day was set to be a busy one...including flying out to Florida to see mark's family.....

Here is our brief Christmas at home :)

Christmas Eve - at our house!

We had a great Christmas Eve - beginning the day at work for both of us - then off to church (where our Cali sang her solo). Then Our family (minus the Bairds in Chicago) came to our house for a fondu dinner! Dinner featuring mark's deer as well :)

We ate, played the dice game for fabuloius prizes :) and laughed! A fun night had by all...I also had to toss in there Mark and Cali making LOVELY faces! :)

WILD TIMES!!!!!!!

We had a GREAT time at the Wild Hockey Game last night! Thanks, Lisa and Dave for the tickets! We took our neices Maia & Lauren! Maia's first time to a game and Lauren is the FAN of FANS! :) Lauren has created a monster in Maia though! On the way home she was saying it was the best time and how she wants to start watching them all the time- tracking stats online ect... We all had a great time! Those games are the most fun to go to! Again, thanks Lis and Dave! WE WON! It was sketchy there for a bit, but we pulled it out in the 3rd!

Here are a couple of pics from our night out!

Love,

Mark, Joy, Maia & Lauren

WE"RE DREAMING OF A LYMES - FREE CHRISTMAS!

WE ARE LYME'S FREE!!!!!!!! :)

We are happy to say that it looks like Joy is done with the Lymes at this point! :) We are excited to get on with life - "post Lymes". Joy has been off the "drugs" since last Thursday and is still feeling great today (Wednesday). I was told that is the biggest test right there - how you feel (imagine that?) :) But it is good and it feels good to feel good again! :)

We are very anxious to return to life as normal again and be back to "ourselves"!

Thanks for the prayers from all of you - and always asking how I feel and things. I wouldn't wish this on anybody, and I know I have been so fortunate - having caught it early and things.......God is GOOD!!!! :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Love,

Joy and Mark

Thanksgiving is also a day of rest......

Janie Baird (5) did not feel so well for much of the Thanksgiving Day......She took a little napper on the couch - what a sweetie pie! She was later feeling better and was asking Uncle Mark to flip her up side down! After seeing her lunch in reverse earlier in the day, he was inclined to have her take a rain check - he would do that "later" :)

She did sit up and read Zach a book! :)

Angela Lauren Maia and Jane - digesting and ready for PIE! :)

Thanks much for having us, Lisa - a fun day!

Love ya!