Hanging Out in January

Just a few random pictures from the past months outings...

Watching cement being poured at our friends house.

Autry Museum

Autry Museum

Fun at the Park

Trying out the swing (and loving it!)

Starting Solids

At 6 Months (back in December) Preston got to try out solid food.  He is a fan.

Who Me???  I didn't make this mess!

Colby Fire

In the middle of January we had yet another fire close to our house (the third in the past year).  It started at about 6am.  Brielle noticed it as we were sitting eating breakfast she looked out the window and saw the smoke.

We went to school like normal.  You could see the flames even from Brielle's school (about 5 miles in the opposite direction from our house and a couple cities away from where the fire had started!

James took this picture as he was biking to work.  After watching how fast the fire was spreading he turned around and came home instead.

After dropping of Brielle I had taken Ethan to speech class and stopped for groceries.  When we got home at 9:30 that morning we had police vehicles going up and down our street announcing mandatory evacuation.

We quickly got our things in the car and headed to James' parents house.  The evacuation lasted until Friday night, with the fire on the mountain directly behind our house.  The big concern was that the winds would pick up, but the fire moved backwards, so our neighborhood was not damaged, just very ashy (we had neighbors that had left their windows open a crack and they had ash inside their home.

Ethan was especially interested in all the details. He still, almost a month later continues to ask questions about what is happening to the people that started it and why they did it, etc.  He always asks for us to do 'research' to find out more details.

Rose Bowl and Parade

The New Year started out at the Parade Route.  James got a chance to dress up in his Michigan State colors to cheer for MSU at the Rose Bowl.

The fly-over is the exciting signal that the parade is about to begin.

The kids enjoyed watching the amazingly decorated floats.

and meeting some of the Harlem Globe Trotters.

Goodbye 2013...Hello 2014!

Joshua Tree

A couple days after Christmas we went on an extended family field trip out to Joshua Tree National Park.

The kids especially loved all the boulders to climb on and explore the caves.

It was a gorgeous day for hiking and exploring.

It was so great to have 4 generations together to build more fun memories.

Christmas Day

Christmas was an amazing day filled with Family, Friends and good food.

We started with our little family at our house.  Ethan had been asking for a tiger for Christmas and was SO excited to get this one that is almost the same size as he is.  

Preston enjoyed getting involved in the present opening as well.

We then went to our friend's home for a very yummy breakfast outside in their backyard...one of the great perks to not having a white Chritmas.

James and Preston show off their circus skills

We then got together will all the extended Finlay family for present exchanging and more fun.

Ate another fantastic meal together that night

And enjoyed the sunset.  Blissful Day.

Christmas Eve

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve.  We had a fancy dinner with family and friends, acted out the nativity and sang Christmas Carols together.  It was nice to celebrate together and feel the true meaning of Christmas.