The most expensive Christmas dog!

Chinook had surgery this week and then had blood in her urine. Still don't know what is going on with her. Thank goodness Grant is home this week to help manage Ethan vs. the dog. These two like to pick on each other. Yes, Chinook has her own techniques as well!

Yes and we all still love him...even the Redneck in him!

Christmas 2010!

Christmas was fun and fabulous! Ethan's commentary made it all the more fun...the quote of Christmas this year pretending to his new basketball/hockey/soccer/baseball/football set "Momma, I love this. I so needed it!" What four year old "needs" something?




Peacock Road Tree Farm - complete with a train ride to a log cabin to see Santa and roast marshmellows!

Distroying the gingerbread house! Sugar overload for the kids...therapeutic for the great grandparents.

Papa David gets wise on us...this gift was To Papa, From Papa. My parents had everyone done and were out shopping and as my Mother described, here came "Your Father" from the toy department stating it is not for the kids! Yea, right! Of course it was a toy for the boys, just not addressed to them!

Baking Cookies for Santa! A little bit of foot dirt won't hurt the man who comes down a chimney full of ash!

"Dear Santa, I can explain!"

Great! 30 weeks and almost the width of the Christmas tree!

Feeding the Reindeer!

School work

Forget the papers from preschool or the beautiful created artwork, "Momma, I would like my Math papers (Algebra I quiz from Grant's classroom) to hang on the wall." I think we have another left brain living in our home! However I do have to say that my right brain creativity does appear every once in a while!

Shisha - take note on all the fours that you taught him!

3D Chalk

Thank you Theo and Sara for my 3D Chalk! I love it and couldn't wait until summer to use it! I also loved the sticker card, stating "oh so cool, stickers!"

Love - Ethan

I posted this on Ethan's Birthday (November 14th) and so happy that we have a picture of Great Grandma Rita celebrating with Ethan (having tolerance of all the craziness) as she passed yesterday evening. 90 years difference between the two...how blessed we were and continue to be! I also have a more "fitting" picture of her around the dining table as this women, very petite, could really eat and loved her food. Sound like anyone.....Grant?


The new truck or the box it came in? Everyone was encouraging Ethan to hold up his fingers to show "4". Noticed everyone else holding their age up. We will give the almost "94" Great Grandma Rita (in purple) a break on this one!

Ethan brings back my childhood memories!

When I (AmySue) was growing up, my Mother would always cover Baby Jesus with toilet paper until Christmas Day...apparently, Ethan thinks that Baby Jesus needs to be covered until then too!

Christmas stocking taken literally!

Merry Christmas from the Melvilles!

The Melvilles send you a very Merry Christmas! We have had such a fun year with blogging, that we are going to continue with the tradition! Blogging has allowed us to keep in contact with our family and friends on a regular basis rather then in a once a year Christmas Card! We are truly thankful to have you in our lives and enjoy having you share in all of life's adventures! We treasure all of the comments that we receive from you and look forward to hearing from you in the year to come!

This card pretty much sums up our year...due March 9, 2011! OK, so we've had other exciting things happen too...

If you have been following the blog, you have had the opportunity to grow with us in parenting Ethan! He is such a joy and makes us laugh daily (to the point of tears sometimes!)

Grant continues to be very happy at Holt High School. In the true Grant Melville style, he continues to be involved in the students lives outside of the classroom. He coached both men and women pole vaulters this past Spring and was promoted to coaching the running-backs on the variety football position this year. Grant was also recognized along with his co-teacher as "a model" for co-teachers and was sent to some special workshops to bring the techniques back to the school. Grant had some success in the northern woods this past Thanksgiving! It has only been 4.5 years since venison has been in our freezer!

AmySue continues to balance work and motherhood. She truly loves both and finds them both to be very rewarding! She continues to be active in Junior League (a women's organization serving women and children in need) with a leadership role. AmySue was honored to be elected into the Junior League Board for the 2011-2012 year.

We continue to enjoy our camping experiences and involvement in our church!

We wish you a very beautiful Holiday Season!

Grant, AmySue, Ethan and Baby Melville #2.

The elf on the shelf

The elf on the shelf has appeared in our home for the first time! And it began on a really creepy note...

Ethan 1st noticed it in the tree when Grant was in the shower and Ethan ran into the bathroom slamming the door open stating "Daddy, there is "a man in our tree". At that point Grant forgot about the elf and thought that there was actually a man in our outside tree. i could hear Grant's reaction and I almost peed my pants while standing in the kitchen. The next morning Ethan stated "the man moved mama" and "maaaama, the man is looking at me!" Needless to say, we are training Ethan to call him "Elfie" as the name "The Man" is creeping us out!

Christmas decorating turns x-rated in the eyes of Ethan's parents!

While Grant and I were busy decorating our front porch for Christmas, Ethan decided to march around the yard just like this! It's ok to think sick-minded, we did!

The 4 1/2 year drought is over! Congrats Grant!

Although this deer was never suspended from our garage rafters, Ethan was sadden that it couldn't just hang in our garage...forever!