Christmas 2011

Heading to Grandma's for Christmas.  Travis is going in disguise?

My lovely neice, Halle.  Marie calls her "boo-yah-yah."  

Travis got legos for Christmas and went right to work.  

 Then sat and relaxed, just admiring his work. 

 Eva created this style for Chris.

 Marie waiting to see what Luke got from Santa. 

 I wouldn't buy those boots for her because I said the snow would be too deep and she'd never wear them.  Grandma saved the day.  Guess I was wrong on that one this year. 

 Each time I go to Chuck and Sue's and stop at Creative Kids, I see this ridiculously priced baby doll and want to buy it each time for Marie.  But, I don't.  That is why I look more excited than Marie to tear into this doll that Grandma got for Marie.

 Buckhouse cousins.

Not many Christmas breaks that the kids have played in the sandbox.  They were so hungry for snow, they started sledding down the slide.  

Marie still hums while she eats

Bison game and pretend swimming

 Travis says "I am a very lucky kid."  Chris and I will be heading to Texas Jan 7th!

 Even luckier!

 College.  So fun.  Except for that learning part.

 Taking Travis with somewhere by himself is the easiest, easiest, easiest thing ever.  He doesn't talk, doesn't complain, smiles nicely, isn't always starving like the others, etc, etc.  Being alone with Travis shows me why people would have just one kid.  If we had just him, we'd take him with us everywhere!

 Dad making waffles the next morning.  He couldn't sleep because he kept pinching himself to see if it was a dream or not.  The kids think his waffle making is very loud.

I come home from being gone for 30 minutes.  Chris tells me "Luke decided to go swimming." (it was 40 some degrees outside today afterall.)  My thought was "what kind of mess does that mean I'll be cleaning up."   

Nope. Instead we've got these awesome pictures to embarrass Luke with for the rest his life.

Santa

Travis had a plan and jumped right on his lap.  We were the only ones there at the time,

so we got plenty of time to chat. 

 Funny that Santa has the same hold on Luke as I do in the Christmas card picture this year. 

 Oh, Marie really wasn't that sad.  I just made her put the sucker back until she told santa what she wanted.  So, with that big, fat lip sticking out she said "neigh, neigh."  Eva wasn't going to sit on his lap this year.  She just wrote a letter instead.  But, when I told her she had to show Marie, she was eager to help.