Christmas in Ohio with the Neilson's

Just a day after moving Josh and I left our new home and went to Ohio to be with my family for Christmas and New Years!

I ordered pies from Marilyn's Bakery (best pies EVER) in Indiana so we swung by there on our way to Cincinnati. Even though we moved further away from my parents it's still only a 5.5 hour drive. Not too bad!

On our first night there we made homemade pasta! Talk about delicious!

Ryan, Missy and the boys came over for dinner which was so much fun! The kids  are getting older and their personalities are so cute!

[Playing the "motorcycle game" on Papa's phone]

[I hate wrapping presents. HATE IT! I don't know why. So I asked Josh to do it for me. He's such a sweetheart!]

On Christmas Eve we went to Ryan and Missy's where we had tacos for dinner (family tradition in Missy's family) and we made cookies!

On Christmas morning we went back over to Ryan and Missy's so that the boys could open their presents.

[Oranges in the stockings for good luck!]

[Making pigs in a blanket - another family tradition]

We ate a delicious breakfast (orange rolls, pigs in a blanket, eggs, etc) before the boys opened their presents.

[Dane LOVED his jack-in-the-box! He has the cutest laugh!]

After presents, Ryan and I went to the airport to pick up Luke and Andie. 

Then we all gathered at my parents house to eat a turkey dinner and open presents.

[My parents bought everyone lightsabers! It was awesome!]

[Ryan got a banjo so he could be more like Kermit]

[My dad got a BB8 droid! It is so cute! He rolls around and goes on missions!]

During the rest of the week we went and saw the new Star Wars movie, played board games, 

went bowling,

explored the Great Wolf Lodge, 

ate dinner at Montgomery Inn,

took family photos,

[Nerds!]

went to the National Museum of the US Air Force,

went to the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park,

walked around the Christmas Ranch,

[We were trying to get a picture of my parents with the boys but Dane kept trying to grab everyones hands so they could play ring-around-the-rosie! It was so cute!]

and played Monopoly on New Years Eve (Josh won!).

[The final showdown!]

We had so much fun hanging out with my family! Thanks mom and dad for letting us stay with you and thanks to the rest of my family for such a great time!

My mom wanted to send out New Years Cards (instead of Christmas cards), which is why we took family photos. The only problem with this plan is that the cards were not scheduled to arrived until after my parents were supposed to be in Europe. So I told my mom to have them sent to me and I would get them all ready to be sent out. Even though my mom sent me home with the proper stamps, a return address stamp, and stickers with most of the addresses on them (some had to be hand written), I VASTLY underestimated how much work this would be!

After about 6 hours I was finally done and they were ready to be shipped out! 

Isn't this photo so cute?! No that is not Brodee! That is Josh with his dad, George, back in the late 1980s (I'm guessing). Super cute huh?!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a super happy New Year!!