Christmas 2008 highlights

We started Christmas early around here. We were going out of town and didn't want to drag all the presents back and forth. Luckily our kids are so flexible. I think they like that the holiday never seems to end!
-We started out with family gifts at home about a week and half before christmas. It was fun to watch Camden enjoy unwrapping gifts. He would get a gift and his face would light up! So cute:) He would very carefully turn it around until He found a seem and pull it open. Camden loved wripping up that paper! Elek and Keenan were so sweet giving gifts. We took them shopping and they bought every one gifts. When someone would open a gift from one of them - they would get so excited. "That's from me!" Elek was most proud of a little green, circle christmas tree tin he bought me, "You can fill it with whatever you want!!" It was great to watch them be so happy to give and of course to receive.

Kansas City:


Boys on the train in front of Fritz

-The big boys and I had so much fun meeting up with our friends Michelle and Landon. (More fun gifts were received) Many thanks to Grandma who picked up Camden and played with him so we could "play." We had a great time at Union Station and Crown Center. We ate lunch at a the funnest train resturant ever....for the kids. Fritz is a cute little resturant that has a train track arount the top of the wall and delivers your food to your table. As the train goes past your table the tray drops and is lowered down to your table. The kids LOVE watching the train anticipating when it will have our food! Fritz's has become pretty well known in our absents - we had to wait in a crazy long line that wrapped around the resturant. 30 minutes with the kids was a long wait. So glad Camden was having fun with Grandma!! After lunch we walked above the city through connecting cat walks to Union station. There was a rather large display of tains. There had to be at LEAST 20 different tains/tracks going around with all kinds of landscapes. The boys thought it was fantastic! On a funny note: Union Staion is an active train station. Michelle and I were sitting on a bench watching the boys watching the trains. Keenan comes up to me, crawls into my lap. Very hesitantly eyes the man siting on the next bench over(maybe 12in away). This man was a bit scary looking. I was hesitant to sit next to him, but there were no other seats. Keenan says, plain as day, "Mommy is he a bad guy?" Of couse the man notices Keenan looking directly at him and said, "what did he say? Have you ever seen a californian?" What can I say? So, I smiled and said, "nothing." I quickly and discretly as possible sent Keenan back to look at the trains:)
-All of us met up with some old friends. We met their adorable baby girl and had a lovely lunch:)
-Had tons of fun getting re aquainted with cousins and playing way, way to late!
-Grandma and her endless supply of snacks for the kids:)
-Elek and Grandpa in the play room building huge train tracks.
-Had sweet moments with Grandparents.
-Keenan and Elek were so excited to have any kind of snow. They begged to play in the inch of snow outside. Finally Grandpa gave in - He had to feed the dogs. So the boys bunddles up. It was so cold my eyes watered up when I want out! Grandpa let the boys and dogs run around and play. My boys miss these dogs. As Grandpa was putting things away getting ready to come back in - Thump! Keenan had picked up snow and threw it at him and giggled as only Keenan does:) That did it - Snow ball fight! Looking out the window and seeing my big boys running and being silly with their Grandpa was so sweet! I love these kind of moments. When you get to "look" in and see Joy:)
-Christmas presentations: My inlaws try to do these presentations when we are all together. The idea is that every family presents something about christmas. It was cute. There are so many grandchildren (17 now). The front room was crowded and festive. Seth and Melinda's family were so cute in there costumes and the "spot light" definently set the mood:) They sang a little song and each child acted out a verse. So cute!!! Good job guys! We did the symbols of christmas. The boys had memorized them, but elek was "shy" and keenan suddenly got sick:( Another family did a christmas finger play with narration. One sang a song, one played the piano and the another filmed the whole thing.
-Space jammies!

Boys and cousin in there Jammies, Thanks Aunt Brianna:)

-Lots of guitar hero and wii. I think in 10 years there will be all kinds of musical talent springing up in the world!!! National guitar hero contest maybe even a reality show!!! j/k :0
-The time was wrapped up with lots of crazy sickness. We did get an extra day out of our trip though! Which I used to go shopping!
-The fun thing about going home was never knowing when we would run into an old friend. So much fun to be out shopping and see a happy friend!!!


Christmas morning, Keenan says, "why does my hair look that way?" crazy boy doesn't he know he's only 3!

Our Christmas trip was so fun! We had so much fun seeing family and friends! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for letting us crash at your house, eat your food and watching our kids. Much love to everyone!!!

Symphony of lights

I have always wanted to go to a big christmas light display. I love christmas lights! They are so magical! :) Last year we decided to go to a display in our city than changed plans. We were going to go to a well known place that even had a petting zoo and hot chocolate. Well, plans changed as they do at christmas time. We didn't get to see any grand displays:(
This year I decided it was time to go. I found a coupon to the display in our city. So, the other night we loaded up our cranky boys at bed time and took them down to the Symphony of Lights. WOW was it fun. The weather was threatening rain, but it just misted. It was great! They're were only two other cars the whole time we drove through.
Keenan: "This is the COOLEST thing ever" followed by hysterical laughter
Elek: "I love them(lights)" *Big smiles*
Camden: little finger pointing at everything "loo, loo" His form of look:)
What a fun time:)The kids kept asking, "can we go again!!?" and yes, we will definantly go to more Christmas light displays!

More Squirel pictures

The day we left town for thanksgiving Shaun was helping put a few last minute things in the van. It was his turn to see the silly squirrels. He took a few pictures of his own. From the doorway. He would open the door a crack and let the squirrel come to him. The kids thought this was funny- they could hardly contain themselves.

Photo assignment #3

My attempt at doing this photo class. Even though I bought a new camera. It sucks away any batteries with in minutes. So I frantically snap as many pictures I can in the few minutes I have before the batteries die. My kids want me to take it back. They want happy pictures again. Anyways....



Assignment #3 (part of it) Reflections



I have these new(ish) christmas dishes. I love them. One reflects the tree lights and the other is reflecting in the table. The first one is the tree topper(star) I just think it is pretty :)


Ignor the date stamp. Thats is all turned off now.

Hungry Squirrel

I came home with my arms full of stuff. When I opened the front door I saw something move to the right. My neighbor has two pumpkin by his door. There was a gigantic squirrel in front of the pumpkin. The squirrel had EATEN a hole out of the front of the pumpkin and was just filling up!! I just couldn't believe it. I had to take a picture! I think this is hilarious!!!! :)

White house visitor center,Natural History Museum and lots of pictures:)

These first three are at the White House Visitor Center.
Elek with his "school book." He loved this big boat thing behind him.
My sister made the boys little activity books to color and write in and put stickers in. They were a huge hit!


Keena liked the three clocks.




I had to take this picture of Camden "just hanging out" :)
When shaun was little he sat like this in his high chair. He even broke his collar bone!


The cutest court yard ever!


We were on our way to the Natural History Museum. When my bro in law wanted to take a "short cut." I think both his short cuts were the longest possible way around!!! I counted it as my day at the gym! What a workout! Anyways..... I love this little spot. You could only get here by walking. So, the kids were safe to run like crazies without worring about cars.




I think this picture turned out sweet. I was throwing camden around and tickling him. He was really laughing:)



I told Elek to run to me. He was so excited and silly. This is also a new favorite=)



Keenan was Obsessed with the leaves. He wanted the leaves in little piles and the leaves from the trees....



My sister was playing ring around the rosies with camden. He loved being out of the stroller!



I LOVE this picture! The kids aren't looking, but it is such a great memory! My nephew is throwing leaves at us and the kids were laughing so hard. It was cracking me up;)

Natural History Museum



So I tried to explain this to my boys. I finally said, "isn't it silly that jaguar wants to eat it." They thought it was weired! Keenan thinks everything is funny if you just say, "isn't it funny!?"



Camden hanging our while everyone is doing there "school work"

Keenan holding my hair-telling me how funny that is! Me trying to entertain a cranky 3year old who missed nap time and walked all over D.C. A sweet woman actually stopped and asked if she could take a picture for me. I said no, because keenan was finally being cheerful! I was afraid to have him pose for a "real" picture.

A wall of shells. Keenan asked if he could have the shells. I said, 'they weren't ours and had to stay here." K said, " I just need one!"

This is on our way back to the car on another"short cut"

But this picture is for Michelle. Just a little up close picture in DC. Ha, Ha:) Elek is actually saying, "washington dc"

I love the sun set on this picture.

Of all the times I've been to DC I've never been this close to the white house. We were at the drive way in the front when suddenly police officers started to clear the area. I kept trying to take a picture to prove how close I was. I started to walk away. When I got here I looked back and saw what a perfect picture this would be. So I stopped and took another picture. The police didn't like this and started to yell at me to leave. I couldn't help it I was so excited to get this picture!!! If you make it big you can see someone walking on top of the white house. When we walked to the main road(where they were pushing everyone too) There were all kinds of emergence vehicles blocking the whole street and entersections. It was a little crazy.

Overall it was a fun day. After finally making it back to the van we went and picked up my Aunt, met up with shaun and my parents and brother and his family, sister and her family and friend, cousin and another friend to eat dinner. We didn't make it until and hour and a half late, but it was so fun. It is always funny to eat out with my siblings and all our kids. They see us coming and try desperatly to shove us in the most out of the way corner. We were not let down. We had our own room off to the side. It was great... food, family and tones of fun!!! ;)

Holloween 2008

Crazy amounts of trick or treating candy!



The crew afterwards.
Elek is a teridactal, keenan a spider with all the extra legs and camden was a puppy. The most exciting part for camden was his glow stick. You couldn't bribe that thing away from him. We had to peel his fingers off it to put him to bed and then he cried. Keenan loved this bag of treats that one house gave him. He would not go to the next house if he couldn't see this bag inside of his trick or treat bag. And Elek said, "It was so awesome!" and he "liked that everyone was dressed up in silly things and he liked that."




Toys'r'us had a hollween day. Bring the kids dressed in their costumes and they get to "trick or treat" around the store. The boys got all kinds of fun things. These little blinking neckless' (keenan is holding his to his eye), glow sticks, candy, re-usable-ecofriendly trick treat bags?, stickers, tatoos and other random things. They were even able to have a parade with the big geoffery giraffe. They had fun :0)



Camden wearing his holloween shirt and being silly :)

We also went to Old Navy. I received and email saying that old navy was doing some holloween stuff. So, I dressed up the kids in their costumes and brought them. The first 100 people got a coupon. The kids got a piece of candy. The kids got a free shirt for being dressed up. Any shirt up to $14.50. Then they had holloween shirts for $1. Talk about a major shopping score. I got 8 shirts for $4. WOW!!! I was so excited!!!