Friday, December 23, 2011

Christmas Activities (and treats!)

We've been super excited about Christmas at our house. The boys particularly love the lights and decorations. And the treats and gifts. And the parties and nativities....and all of it really!

The boys playing with the lights.

The boys helped me make goodies plates for our friends and neighbors. The boys delivered some of the plates and others we took around in Secret Santa style. We took turns sneaking up to the doors with the kids, knocking and running. Dash loved it, but Colt thought we were doing something illegal and was really worried a "police office" was going to arrest us. Actually, I was pretty nervous myself, but Brandan made me take my turn and it was pretty fun.


Our Rudolph treats for the goodie plates.

On the 21st, we invited some friends over for a "Cookie Party". The kids decorated cookies, colored Christmas pictures, and ran around like crazy. The Moms sat and quietly chatted and the men argued about sports in the kitchen over a plate of cheese and crackers.


The Cookie Party



The decorating table


I didn't really manage the kids during the decorating process, thus Colt used several tablespoons of frosting and a cup of sprinkles for one cookie. 

On the 23rd, we went to Hill City to ride the 1880 train to the "North Pole". The kids absolutely loved it! Dash could hardly sit still he was so excited and Colt and Sport didn't sit still for whatever reason.  The Bensens surprised their kids and joined us on the train.


Brandan, Sport, Tia and Randy

Me and all the kids
 

We stopped at the North Pole to pick up Santa.  You can see him through the window.

The kids with Santa


Sport was really excited to get his gift from Santa, but...


not to have his picture taken with him.


Dash saw this train and insisted he climb inside.

He also asked that we take several pictures of him in the train.



From several angles.

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Sunday, December 4, 2011

Nephities

The boys dressed up as scripture characters for their primary party on Saturday. Colt was Nephi. He was especially proud of his bow and arrow, as is evident by the picture. Dash was Ammon. He originally wanted to be Adam, but then he realized Adam didn't have a weapon, so... (FYI: Don't Google Adam costumes, lots of nudity and not that many leaves)
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Thanksgiving

We had a really great Thanksgiving with Dan and Jill. We got to their house Wednesday night, ate all day Thursday, shopped Friday morning, drove into Denver, attended the temple, swam at the hotel, went to the Butterfly Pavilon and did more shopping. It was fantastic.

While the rest of us were packing for the trip, Sport helped himself to a bag of chocolate chips.


This is what Thanksgiving Day looked like.  Pretty relaxing.


Brandan held Rosie the tarantula at the Butterfly Pavilon.


Dash holding Rosie. Yuck.


Colt and I touching the star fish.


Dan, Brandan, Sport, and Jill checking out the butterfly cocoons.


The crew in the incredibly hot butterfly room.


Dash admmiring a butterfly.


Colt looking super cute. You can't tell from the picture, but the pants he is wearing split out in the crouch and Dash's clothes bag didn't get packed in the car, so we ran out of underwear while we were in Denver. So, whenever Colt took too big of a step, everyone got a show.


This was Sport's favorite part of the Pavilon, going up and down the little wooden bridge.


Sport


Dash


Checking out the turtle in the pond


Baby Butterflies


The boys playing bean bag toss.


The boys in the spider web.

And now onto Christmas...
We put up our tree last Tuesday and that night Dash snuck out of bed and slept by the tree.
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