Christmas 2009

Here it is, finally!!! I have such issues with uploading these pictures, it has taken forever!! Our Christmas festivities began on my birthday (December 20th) with Christmas at Nana and Papa's with Uncle Beak and Aunt GiGi. We celebrated my birthday and opened Christmas gifts with Beak and GiGi, since we wouldn't see them on Christmas morning. The boys got electric scooters from Nana and Papa and had so much fun riding them in their cul-de-sac. We worried about Nicholas because they are really for a bigger kid, but he caught on so fast.

Posed pictures in front of the tree...
Grant
Nicholas...

Harrison...

Me with my angels...

Nana with Nicholas and the scooter...

Harrison on his new big boy motorized scooter...

Nana with Harrison (his new thing is to squint his eyes while having his picture made)...

Grant and his scooter...

Harrison loves singing Happy Birthday and blowing out candles...

My helper...

Posed pajama shot by the tree, I do have sock monkey pajama pants too (you just can't see them). I don't know how many more years I'll get Grant to wear matching pajamas with his brothers...

My sweet, sweet baby. I got a new camera and was trying out some of the different settings.

A few days before Christmas, we decided to put a Gingerbread House kit together. It was actually from last year, so I didn't let them eat anything. It was a fun activity even though the house itself wasn't too pretty!!

This picture got kind of out of order. Christmas Eve during the day, Amber came over and we went out to eat for lunch and exchanged gifts with her. Harrison didn't want to pose for this one...

Harrison posing by his tree in his room. He didn't have one last year and specifically requested one this year!!!

Christmas Eve night, we went to Pepka and Gigi's for our traditional dinner and gift exchange. Blake, Jennifer, Catherine, Brian, Jackson and Charles were all there. We had many laughs and the kids had a great time playing and making messes with all of the paper and boxes!!

The four cousins!!!

Grant and Nicholas with Jackson...

Blake posing with Grant...

Annual picture of Pepka with "Jane Doe"...

Nicholas playing with his dragon castle...

Jennifer, Grant, Ted and Brian...

Harrison with a dragon...

The three couples...

Now, on to Christmas morning. The kids were so excited to see what Santa Claus had brought them. I am so savoring the ages they are now because everything is so magical to them!!

Harrison with his Diego Train set...

Grant with his big boy (6 speed) bike...

Nicholas was all smiles...

Grant posing by his tree in his room...

Nicholas with his tree...

So sweet...Nicholas and daddy...

Nicholas' 5th Birthday Party!!

Nicholas had his 5th Birthday Party at the AR Skatium Friday night. He was so excited on the days leading up to the party and really seemed to get into it this year!! Lots of his buddies from school came and everyone had fun riding their bikes and scooters!! We gave Nicholas his new bike when we first got there and he rode it around all night. He was very excited!! Fun 5th Birthday Party!!

Grant on his scooter... Nicholas and Nana...

Aunt GiGi, Uncle Beak and Pepka

Me with my sweet Birthday boy...

The girls stuck together...

Make a wish...




Playing with Gray...

Posing with Pepka and Gigi...

Rocket Ship Cake

The Birthday Boy on his new bike...

Thanksgiving

I figured I should do a Thanksgiving post BEFORE it got to be Christmas!! This year, we had a low-key small group Thanksgiving at Nana and Papa's. It was easy for me because I didn't have to cook or clean!! The kids had fun riding bikes and playing outside after they ate. It's kind of nice to not have a HUGE group for Thanksgiving every year, we all had FUN!!

Harrison "painting" the turkey before we put it in the oven...

Branson

The 2nd weekend in November, we headed up to Branson to get away for a "mini-vacation". We stayed at a new hotel called Castle Rock that has an indoor water park!! The kids had so much fun and were able to swim late every night!! Ted took Grant and Nicholas on a helicopter ride over Table Rock lake and the boys loved it!! We went to Silver Dollar City one day and looked at all the Christmas light and rode a few rides (lines were long, sooo crowded). We all had a great time and when I asked the kids what their favorite part of the weekend was they said swimming at the hotel (go figure, the only entertainment that was free)!!

Harrison and Nicholas in line waiting to ride the train at Silver Dollar City Nicholas and I on a ride where you pull yourself up by pulling on a rope then when you let go, it lets you fall down.

One of many beautiful Christmas trees

Grant and Nicholas posing by snowmen

Don't ask me what this guy was doing...Look at Harrison staring at him...

At the hotel waterpark...

Soooo fun...

Soooo cute...

Ready to board the helicopter for a ride...

Nicholas got to be co-pilot...

Posing after their ride...

Fall Pictures

Several weeks ago we took Ted's 4-wheeler back in the woods in our neighborhood where we found a beautiful spot by a creek to try to get some cute pictures of the boys. The individual pictures turned out pretty good, but it is impossible to get a good one of all 3 of them. Anyway, it was fun and when we were done, all of the boys ended up wading in the creek!! Such a beautiful fall setting!!

Halloween 2009

This year was the best Halloween ever, hands down!! I got this idea of a trick or treating hay ride from some of our good friends last year. So, we brought our 4 wheeler and trailer home from the lake and I decorated the trailer and filled it with hay and we were all set for FUN!! We had our drinks in hand, a radio with the HOGS on for Blake and my dad, and every blanket that I own because it was kind of chilly!! The adults took turns going up to the houses and trick or treating with the kids, we had 12 adults and 4 kids!! It was a blast and we were surprised to see about 5 other trailers in our neighborhood with the same idea. We are already looking forward to next Halloween!!

Ready to go!!! Posing with Harrison-our frog prince

Gigi and Grant-Optimus Prime, Transformer

Grant, Jackson and Harrison

Nana and Papa

Grant

Nana and Harrison

Part of the crew

Pepka and Nicholas-skeleton

Blake, Jennifer and Amber