Happy New Year's

See if you can spot the difference between these next two pictures . . .

Ryan broke his arm on the most recent sledding expedition. The designated sledding spot was overflowing so rangers sent people elsewhere. The problem is that elsewhere had trees.
Thank goodness his arm hit the tree and not his head!

Ryan was getting his hair combed and missed this picture


Much better right? Ryan always tries to make his hair go straight down right after we comb it.
Complete with marker on the nose and her wispy unkempt hair (I promise I fix it when we go out . . . most of the time) She prefers not to have it fixed and will pull out elastics if they are not tight enough. OH so sweet.

I love the toothless look

Nicole plowing through her Peter and the Star Catchers series

Lots of games during the break

Christmas Eve

Curt took the kids sledding for most of the day on Christmas eve. Several other families from our ward joined them and the weather/snow was perfect. What a great Christmas eve activity! Brett and I held the fort down at home.



For a gift a friend gave us some Luminarias. Folded paper bags with sand to weight them down and candles in them. They are a New Mexican tradition. They are supposed to be put out Christmas eve in the hope that the lights will guide the spirit of the Christ child into one's home. Many people have very elaborate displays of them, and keep them up longer than just Christmas eve, but I noticed that many people in our neighborhood put some out Christmas eve as well. It made me happy since we have yet to have lights on our house.

Christmas eve PJ opening. (Will someone remind me next year NOT to take the picture in front of our "lovely" fireplace?!
Kids tracking Santa closely until they had to go to bed

Ah

All showered and ready for bed


Making sure the camera was working


O Christmas Tree



Visions of sugar plums (anyone ever eaten one of those?)

Christmas Day

Brett memorized by the spinning lights





Heidi will sit and cut for hours if she has someone putting all the food back together for her.


I have the cutest video of Heidi first playing with this bear, but it's too large . . . Mom I will find a way to get it to you! This bear has all but replaced her little night night. We also got her a baby doll for Christmas because Nicole's old one she has been playing with is too heavy but I don't think she's taken a second glance at it. Her Polar bear never leaves her side!! She even rocks, and bounces it.Ryan

Nicole got the boys plastic swords (she attended a birthday party at a place kind of like Chuck-E-Cheese, where you earn tickets etc., she used her tickets to buy them the swords for Christmas, and they ended up being one of their favorite things!)
I've been waiting for Nicole to be old enough for this set--thanks Grandma S!

Trying hard not to give any disclaimers about this picture . . .Santa came for a visit after church! Our friend from the ward didn't fool the kids


Heidi stringing her beads from Grandma S.
Isaac's #1 Christmas wish list item





Nicole has a real camera! (Traci does this look familiar?)

Sweater from G and G Peterson