Christmas 2010

CHRISTMAS 2010

 Having children makes Christmas so much more magical!  We decided to go to my mom's house Christmas morning and let Lorelai open her presents there.  Luckily it was only a 15 minute drive to grandma's house.  Lorelai was still in her snowman pajamas.  Here are a few pictures from Christmas.

Lorelai Lane (20 months)

Grandma got Lorelai a Foofa doll and a baby Elmo.  Grandma Susie Sewell and Lorelai

Taking a break from all the Christmas festivites

Santa brought Lorelai a little people house.  Grandpa Vern Sewell playing with Lorelai

Lorelai's baby doll

Lorelai giving her cousin Royal Larson a hug and kiss.  Uncle Jim Ludloff holding Royal

Brother and Sister: Jim and Susie with baby Royal (Jim's grandson)

Beautiful Jewel Larson

Cousins!  Grandma Susie got them these little reindeer hats.  Jagger and Jewel Larson and Lorelai

a 8 month pregnant mommy Melissa Lane and Lorelai

Ian and these two littles!  Jewel and Lorelai in matching jammies from grandma Susie

Winter 2010

WINTER 2010
During the Christmas season the historic Mission Inn hotel decorates with thousands of lights and animated elves in Riverside.  We love going to this beautiful hotel and walking around downtown, seeing the lights, eating treats and enjoying the holiday festivities.  This particular year, MaKayla Postoian and her school choir were singing downtown so we met up with the Postoian family to watch MaKayla perform.  The Mission Inn lights is one of my favorite Christmas traditions!




daddy Ian Lane with Lorelai (19 months)

Randy Postoian and a delicious funnel cake!  Yum!  The kids choir is performing in the background.

This kid and her cotton candy!  Delani Postoian

After MaKayla's performance we all got pizza at Antonios! MaKayla and Lorelai

Just loving these two and their hats! 

Ian was the president of the young men organization for our church, the LDS church and part of his duties was planning and attending activities for the youth.  One activity that they had was going to the snow!  So Lorelai (almost 2) and I tagged along for the snow trip!  Lorelai had never seen or played in snow and Ian even took her down a small hill on a sled!  I'm not sure how much she actually liked it.  By the end of the day she was wet and cold but was quite interested in the snow!  I being pregnant with Gwen couldn't really do much, but it was fun watching all the teenagers laughing and playing in the snow, that we rarely get to see living in Southern California. 





Daddy just took Lorelai down her first sled ride!

19 Months Lorelai Lane

Best friends!  Lorelai Lane & Elyse Jergensen

Lorelai's first sled ride with daddy Ian Lane

Thanksgiving in Oklahoma 2010

THANKSGIVING 2010

We spent Thanksgiving in Oklahoma with Doug, Amy and the Lane family.  It was so fun spending a week at their house in Yukon, Oklahoma.  Since we flew out the day of Thanksgiving, we enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with Sandy and Larry Foreman (Amy's parents), the Lanes and the Neelys (Amy's sister's family) and it also let us do some Christmas decorating after Thanksgiving as well.  We love spending time with our family in Oklahoma!

Great-uncle Doug Lane and Lorelai Lane (19 months)

Cousin Kyrstie Neely and little Lorelai

Aunt Amy Lane and Lorelai

Cousin Wyatt Lane

Amy's mom, Sandy Foreman (we have adopted her as oma)

A little Christmas tree decorating with Elijah Lane, Kyrstie Neely and Katerina Lane

Uncle Doug and Lorelai

You can never have too many grandmas!  Ian's grandma Joan Lane, with Amy's grandma Peggy Jesse and Amy's mom, Sandy Foreman

Cousins!  Elijah Lane and little Lorelai



This little ornament is just her size!



Ummmm, Wyatt there's something growing out of your ears

Sneaking off with an ornament and hiding behind the curtain.  But I found her!

Cousins!  Kat and Ian Lane.  This picture is all kinds of happy

Boston Vacation October 2010

 OCTOBER 2010

 Melissa's brother Michael and sister in law Stevie McDonald had moved to Rhode Island while Stevie was attending Law School.  She attended Roger Williams University studying law which brought them to the east coast.  Of course we hoped sometime we would be able to use this as an opportunity to come visit Rhode Island and Boston which was nearby.  While out in Rhode Island, Michael decided he wanted to return to the LDS Church which he was born into, but hadn't attended since high school.  At the same time, Stevie also decided there was something missing in her life and felt like religion was the change she was looking for.  She decided to investigate the Mormon faith with Mike.  After learning about church, and much time and prayer, she decided that she would be baptized as a Mormon.  Also, Mike now re-activated in the church was to progress in his priesthood and be ordained to the office of an Elder, within the Melchizedek priesthood as ancient times of old.  The person to ordain him would also need to hold the priesthood and so our dad, Cordell McDonald, flew out to perform this very special ordinance.  This gave us the perfect opportunity to come visit Mike and Stevie and be apart of that amazing day.  So Ian, Susie (our mom) and Vern Sewell, 18 month old Lorelai and I (Melissa Lane) flew to Rhode Island.  We vacationed there for a week and were met up with Cordell (our dad) for the weekend as he came out to set Mike apart as an Elder for the Lord Jesus Christ.  I can not begin to explain how special this was and what a fun trip we had site-seeing around Rhode Island.  We went to Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.  We visited historic sties such as Salem, Mystic, and Boston.  Here are pictures from our trip.

Grandpa Cordell McDonald and baby Lorelai Lane

Lorelai



Lorelai and 5 month pregnant mommy Melissa Lane

Melissa, Ian and Lorelai Lane



Grandma Susie Sewell with Lorelai

Walking through Salem.  Stevie McDonald, Susie Sewell, Vern Sewell, Ian Lane and baby Lorelai

Hot Dogs in Salem!  Michael & Stevie and mom

Melissa, Stevie and Susie at the House of Seven Gables in historic Salem, Massachusetts

Mom and Daughter at Mystic Seaport in Conneticut

All my favorite guys!  Step-dad: Vern, brother: Mike, dad: Cordell and husband: Ian

Miss Lorelai

Man Overboard!  Sisterly fun at Mystic Seaport

Playing at Mystic Seaport mom and daughter

Mystic Fun

Susie and Vern Sewell in Mystic



Row, Row, Row your boat!  If only we were in water.  Love my sister-in-law!

Vern, Susie, Melissa, Ian, Lorelai, Stevie, Mike and Cordell in historic Boston

Father and a pregnant daughter

Daddy and daughter

Lorelai doing some 18th century household chores

Melissa (pregnant) and baby Lorelai



Hey grandpas, do you see me sneaking off?!

Looks like my dad made some new friends

Amazing hand carved jack-o-laterns in Rhode Island

Father and Son

She has my heart

Just hanging out in Boston

One if by Land, two if by sea.  The famous Old North Church in Boston



Ian and Melissa Lane in Charlestown



Boston Common



Boston Common: beautiful park landscape with a beautiful historic city backdrop

Lorelai and Dad looking at the ducks

The duck statues from the book "Make Way for the Ducklings" set in Boston Common.  Lorelai kept petting them and kissing them!

She really wanted to take a ride on the momma duck

Beautiful Boston Common