Christmas 2012

Another great year for the Young family.  And might I say that this Christmas was so much better than our last.  It seems silly that decorations or a tree should make such a difference, but they do.  Actually so does furniture!

Sorry for the poor pictue.  Aurealia was in a chior this fall/winter.  They proformed at the post Christmas festivities.

Isabel not hanging out with the fam.

We had snow the week or two before Christmas, we let the cats out to enjoy it.

I can't say that Ginger enjoyed the snow but she was very concerned about it.

Enjoying a wind up toy from Santa.

Santa always brings treats for the animals.

Buddy chowing down on his meaty bone.

Once the cats get their treats Aurealia puts her sock back on.

If Isabel liked it she put it on, it's the best way to keep track.

Lincoln loving every present he got.

All Santa really needed to get Ginger was a box she could fit in.  Nox just watches her with this look like "lame".

Aftermath

Patrick enjoying his chiminea buy burning my shred docs for me, what a great guy.

We had such a great time with friends comeing over to eat and play.  Getting to Skype with our families was definitely the best part though.

 

Strasbourg, France

We went to Strasbourg on the first day of their Christmas market.  It seemed like a great way to start off the season.We didn't really shop the market, more like we took in the experience.  I really liked this market because it wasn't all in one area, every alleyway we walked down lead us to another group of stands.   

Finally free from the car.  The trip took us about 3 hours, we had a stop or two added in, but it took us another hour to park, ugh!

Aurelia needed a little more space than the rest of us.

The Ill (ill), a great view heading toward the market.

The bridge over the Ill.

View 2.

Happy Lincoln.

Waiting for a bird to poop on his lip Lincoln.

It seems so cliche, these buildings all smashed together, but I still really like it.

Strasbourg's Tree with overly large ornaments.

Just a very pretty church.

All of the store fronts were decorated for the season, I'll let you translate this one yourself!

Luigi must be on vacation.  Much to our disappointment we didn't see Guido.

Not only were the store fronts decorated, each passageway was decorated too.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg.  It was the worlds tallest building for over 200 years.

It really wasn't that dark out...just an odd time to take a picture I guess.

This was just a cool looking corner building, it was the same color in daylight.  We really should have eaten there.

The traditional Strasbourg Stork Hat.  Aurelia came home with this beauty.

Say stork hat out loud and it sounds like store cat...I though Patrick was telling the girls that they needed to get a traditional store cat, and I know for a fact he wants no more pets.

Poor, starving, Lincoln had to have the little bread man, ate his eyes (chocolate) and was magically full.

Another alleyway, well really they are streets but in America they would be alleys.

A few of the store fronts.

Mario fans are everywhere!

Practicaly a new building.

This man was nice enough to pose for me when I was trying to get a pic of the doorway.

I love how they trim trees here, so weird.

Isabel and her pizza baguette.  I had a flambe baguette and let me tell you it was AMAZING.

Every market has at least one kid ride and Lincoln always has to have at least one go round.  This time he chose well.

Well HELOOOOOO!

We were trying to push through the crowd to get back to our car when we realized we were pushing through the crowd who was watching the tree lighting ceramony.  There was light shows, dancing on the ground and in the air, singing and some fancy French speaking.

Fake moon with high flying ladies dancing around it...we weren't close.

I've always loved lights on the water.  The same bridge going out as going in.

           I would like to visit again, maybe when it's a pinch warmer.