Day

Emerson woke us up as usual on Christmas Day....she was so excited with anticipation.  We waited in our bedroom watching cartoons until Wyatt got up and then we all headed downstairs to see what Santa brought.  We were all very lucky this year, Emmy was mesmerized by it all.  She knew and told us that Santa came down our chimney, filled our stockings and left her and Wy some great toys by the tree.  They were thrilled to say the least.

That afternoon we hosted my family and Steve's family for dinner...16 adults and 3 monkeys.  It was a full house, but everyone had a seat at the table and the meal was fantastic.  I love Christmas!

Strawberry Shortcake dress....she would not take it off

CARS race track...my boy loves his  cars

meet Strawberry Shortcake

Buddy needed a backpack like Sissy....

Eve

Our Christmas Eve was wonderful....all the traditions were carried out which makes it even better - some new and some generations old.  Family brunch at our house, church, seafood dinner at my parents house, gifts and of course Santa stopped his sleigh later that night at our home.

Christmas is my favorite holiday, but now that we have kids it is all the better seeing the magic through their beautiful eyes.

Emerson's favorite gift of the night was a MP3 boom box from Uncle Brad....lots of great children's songs loaded on it.  But, Uncle B did not forget her favorites, "Pumped Up Kicks" and "Single Ladies"....hmm it is bad my 3 year old loves Foster the People and Beyonce?  Nope!

 Oh Emerson!  Your personality is amazing :)

snow day

We got about a foot of snow a few days before Christmas.  Steve was off work already for the holiday so it was the perfect day to spend at home staying warm with a fire and of course sledding!  Our house sits up on a hill, so our front yard is the perfect sled hill.  We were outside playing and sledding for 2 hours, the kids had a blast!

pink boots and all...sorry buddy!

catching snowflakes

Santa

I would love to say I have a picture of my kids to share here with Santa, but I don't.  I caved and bought (or should I say Nana bought?) and overly priced picture of the kiddies with Santa....they would not let me take one with my own camera.  Seriously!  But the picture we got is a gem and adorable.  Maybe I can figure out the scanner on my new printer and post it?  Maybe.  Emerson walked right up to Santa and in the sweetest voice, said "hi Santa"....uhhh.  She climbed right onto his lap and of course brother followed suit.  Santa read them a book and took their wishes...Emerson asked for Strawberry Shortcake toys and she told Santa that Wy would like cars.

It was a beautiful day out, so after seeing Santa we spend some time looking at the beautiful tree and taking pictures outside!

*love*

Wyatt's new move....

so typical of our life right now...

I can't believe how grown up my baby girl is getting!

oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree

Well, our tree cutting tradition was broken this year I am sad to say!  After what I want to say has been 5 great years of heading to Winter Park with the Johnson family to cut our tree...we missed this year! We woke up Saturday morning to a lot of snow...blizzard like in Parker.  We had plans to head up to the mountains with the Kidd family....Andrea and I made the decision that morning that it would be in everyones best interest to not go.  I was bummed, but there was no way Steve, I and the kids were going to sit on I70 for hours on end trying to get up the mountain...no thanks!  Maybe, just maybe this happened because Jack, Laura and Ryan moved to Texas and without them along it would not be the same!

Our tree cutting day turned out to be one the the BEST family days we have had.  We could not have had more fun making the short trek to Silver Sage Nursery in Littleton to pick out our tree of choice!  Steve uses this nursery for the majority of his business so the last few years we have been offered a free tree from them but have always declined...not this year!  I have a beautiful 10ft tree in my living room to prove it.  I have said to Steve a few times that I really miss our Charlie Brown mountain tree....but there will always be next year.  We bundled ourselves and the kids up and had a great time at the nursery....the kids esp.  We then went to lunch and warmed up, next up was a quick trip to Target to get Emerson a sled....needed to take the opportunity with all this snow!  Once we got home, Steve built Emmy a sled hill in our front yard and she must have gone down it 20 times!  Wyatt and I were inside snuggling....perfect.

Once Wy woke from his nap we got the lights on the tree and the ornament box opened.  Quick note; the ornament box was not even open for 2 seconds and Wyatt broke the first ornament he touched!  Stinker....ahhh little boys that is for sure.  Emerson has never broken a thing (though she recently had a major run in with my makeup bag and my white bedroom quilt....that is a story for another day!).

Our tree could not be more perfect this year and I will always remember what a wonderful day we all had together getting that tree.  Family is really what Christmas is all about.....

So thankful

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year.  We celebrated the holiday at my parents home with my family...beautiful 70 degree Colorado day too!  I took the opportunity to take some shots of my darlings since the weather was so nice.  I am "thankful" for so much, but especially my beautiful family.  Steve and I are so blessed with our children....they are so amazing!


The day after Thanksgiving we headed to Estes Park to celebrate with Steve's family....the weather took a turn when we were at the parade Friday night.  The snow BLEW in out of no where!  Wyatt started crying and Emerson and our nephew Logan didn't complain too much.  We were covered in snow by the time the parade was over.  Good thing Grandma Karen had a big pot of soup on the stove for us when we returned.

trick or treat

Emmy and her best friend Kelly

her expressions are priceless

and they keep getting better....

now Reagan is in on it! 

my little duck

he insisted on wearing his boots OVER his duck feet

Emmy and Brayden....again another priceless smile

siblings....

he's free....

now this one is sweet as can be!

We had such a great Halloween this year, and the weather was perfect.  We met up with some friends and took the kids to Main Street in Parker....they shut it down and the kids can trick or street at the store fronts.  Perfect, considering our neighborhood has no sidewalks or street lamps!  They even had a jump castle that Emerson loved.  Her best girlfriend Kelly and her little sister Reagan were there with us as well as her friends....the twins, Brayden and Elliott.  Halloween is by far my least favorite holiday, so I don't make the effort I should for the kids.  They usually wear costumes that my mom has saved from when we were kids....which is perfect, but as Emerson gets older I really need to consciously try harder.  She was going to be a clown, again a costume that was mine when I was her age, but she was not the biggest fan of it.  Makes sense since my girl is the girliest of them all!  Thankfully we have some dress up clothes and Emerson wanted to wear her princess dress, not the crown, her pink headband and mardi gras beads....perfection, and her bed head of hair only adds to her cuteness.  Luckily Wyatt thought wearing his duck costume was just about the best thing in the world, other than wearing his brown boots.  He had a major temper tantrum at home before we left as we were trying to put his boots under his costume so the cute orange duck feet would show....no luck.