Christmas 2011

Christmas was extra special this year.  It just felt well, wonderful!

 The cherry on top of the ice cream sundae of life.

We packed all the presents, ate the gingerbread house, very sadly threw out the Christmas tree(fire hazard Devin said), and headed to Pendleton.

We did all our traditions. 

 Visited the Levy's and played with their train, met Jennifer's  new baby Morgan! 

Jan and Mac always gets the kids the cutest presents. 

Then To Grandma Carla's for Christmas Eve!  OH soo much good food.  Uncle Max's wife Martha always sends some good meat over from Haines.  Sirloin tip or Ham or both.

Then we talk and eat and talk and eat and talk and eat.

This year was extra special because 6 out of the 7 brother's were there.  Just missed Uncle Troy.

oh AND AAAAAShley was home from her Mission!!!! 

I love this dear sister of mine. And missed her so much.  So I was ex tactic to  see her, and hang out with her.

She is truly DA BEST!  And loves Christmas! 

SEE!

Grandpa Calvin

Grandma's tree with all her crochet framed Grandchildren.  This one is Joey!

While we talked and ate,  the kids as tradition... went crazy.

Rug burns, red cheeks and 20 different ways to slide down stairs.

Roan was hiding from my camera but I caught him up there at the top.

Lane and Gage.

Two of the cutest chunkity chunks.

Matching round tummies.

Devin and my Grandma are Kindred spirits in many a way.  

He always likes to catch up on all her new books she's been reading.

Google Santa tracker.
The kids were constantly checking to see which country Santa was in at the moment.

Then we all gather for the grand kids to open up pajamas.

Gramps is trying to kick someone in the head...of course. :)

Until your married you will have matching Pj's from Grandma.  And must pose for picture.

Ali is always so sweet to Naomi.

 You can tell how much Naomi loves getting her picture taken with her.

It was cute.

Since Hawaii, Gage still prefers Grandpa or Grandma over me when they are around....

Uncle Jay looked strong that  night.

Then around 9 or later, we go back home.  Sent out Santa cookies, take a Christmas Eve pictures.

The siblings.

The Parents

 Santa came!

As tradition since Ben and I were little, the boys and Ash were up by 3 am, playing with Santa toys.  

Since I was up with a crying baby, I had company.  Great for me!

Daylight came and they were aloud to wake up the little kids and open gifts.

Wicked tickets!

Gage was most interested in Santa's left overs.

shin guards and knee pads for the next time Dad fall off the tractor!  (Joey's gift.)

 still sneekin the cookie crumbs

pink scooter, tutu, lip gloss and a barn were Naomi's spoils.

Cache: scooter, camera and spy watch.

Gage: farm animals, diapers and a plasma car.

 OH and Devin and I made the kids blankets. With Sarah and Ashley's help :)

 "Putting Makeups on me wips."

"I'll just take the whole plate." He decided.

We went to church, which was very Christmasy and was a nice reminder after our LOOT of what Christmas is really all about.  Christ.  And I got to see lots of high school friends.

That night Grandma and Gramps came over with Bruce and Natalie to eat Trifle and try out all boys new 

xbox Dance games. Grandma is such a sport!  Natalie wouldn't let me take pics of her but she is an awesome dancer.

                                                            Great Christmas.  I don't want my kids to grow up.

Cache's new camera

What are these you ask?  Well they are the very last pictures I will be taking for Cache.

Daily he asks me to take pictures of his toys in battle.  He also loves to borrow my camera.   

But after an episode of taking pictures of Ants.( With permission)  That resulted in a broken lens worth several hundred $....  My lovely parents gifted me a new lens for Christmas and Cache a new 

"Fisher Price Kid tough camera!"  It also does video and lots of other fun features .

  This will go down as one of the best Christmas presents ever.  Cache has used it every day... for hours at a time.   After Devin established a few rules like no video anyone in underwear EVER, Cache has come up with some doozies. These videos make me laugh and laugh.  I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.   (Warning they might make you sick, but they are worth watching to the end.)

This next one was taken Christmas Day.
Naomi is talking about the dogs about how one is a boy and one is a girl.  Then she says "Gid just licked my tounge!" haha.

I also love how Cache says about Naomi "she is still just young and doesn't know everything."  He meant to add "Like I do."  Because Cache told me he knows everything and if you ask him if he is smarter than his dad, he'll confidently say, Yes.
UH OH. Lessons to learn this one has!

As I was loading videos and thinking how this camera has really brought out Cache's funny bone again.

I found this video of him.  And realized how funny Cache has always been.  Also that I don't video enough.

OH I miss the little chubby singing version of him!

Christmas at Devin and Amie's.

Growing up I still remember the tall candle my mom would get out with a picture of a fire place on it.

I can actually smell it still when I think about it.  I also remember the little toy soldier riding the wooden rocking horse.  And I remember what the snowman decorations tasted like. Because I ate them. ha.

The Christmas decor at our house has lots of meaning too.

The stocking Grandma Orton made for us.

 Nay's snow globe collection.

The snow Globe from Naomi's second Christmas.

It is Cache and Naomi in bed, with Cache's blankie. 

Cache's green blanket even has swirls on it just like that.

The Snow Globe from Gage's first Christmas.  

This one was picked because we needed a Nativity amongst our Christmas decor and we had a new baby that Christmas just like Jesus.

She doesn't get one every year, just sometimes when we find the perfect one.

 Our family stockings.  Gage's says Louis on it because he was our St. Louis baby.

This year I used the scraps from the tree to help out the rest of the house.

I was pretty darn proud of myself, and it made our whole house smell like Christmas tree!

A turtle Dove.

All of my many Garage Sale decorations.

I don't go anymore. It lost it's thrill with our move it Idaho. 

 This guy collects all the incoming Christmas cards,

 before they are read and taped to the inside of our front door.

 2005 Cache's first Christmas.

Also our first Christmas as a couple.

That was crazy.

 Some of the boys ornaments.

They are indestructible.

Perfect for little boys who like to play with ornaments.

Thus the reason only 2 are pictured.  The train and plane are lost somewhere under the tree in toys right now.

 This little ball right here is my inheritance from my Great Grandma Price.

One of the awesomest ladies that ever lived.
The single most peaceful feeling I've ever felt was sleeping at their house.
I loved their little house.  I loved them.

I don't even know if she treasured this little ball. Probably not.

But I do. 

And I think of her every single Christmas when I hang it on the tree.

That's a glimpse of our Christmas home 2011.

Somebody wanted to go to work with Daddy today.

 "But I got my coat!"

So rejected.

LOVE HIM. Love him. love him. Love him.Lovehim.lovehim.Lovehim.