Christmas Morn

Here is a few pics from celebrating Christmas at my sisters in KC.

Putting out the cookies, milk and carrots for Santa and his reindeer.
(the Christmas jammies were ALL ME!)

Santa Baby

Christopher getting what he hoped for:

Colton getting what he hoped for:

Carson eating what he hoped for: :)

Merry Christmas Eve!

So I have decided that the 12 days of Christmas countdown is just not going to happen unless we stay in Montana. Hmmm, maybe next year! I wish you all safe travels and that you all get to enjoy the warmth of someone you love! Merry Christmas!

8th Day of Christmas

Yea for cousins!

(We made it to my oldest sisters' house today!)

9th day of Christmas

It wouldn't be Christmas without candy cane Rudolphs!

10th Day of Christmas

So I can't talk about Christmas without adding traveling to the list. It has been over ten years since I left "home" and have yet to spend a Christmas in Montana! So here ya go-my piles of clothes yet to be packed.
(And if you didn't notice I am playing catch-up since this day I packed up the computer!)

11th Day of Christmas

So I can't talk about, traditions, baking, gatherings, traveling, joy, love without remembering my mom. Christmas really was her favorite time of year and this year she gets to celebrate by feasting with Jesus and dancing with angels.

12th day of Christmas

Ok, so I am hooked. And still have 15 minutes left of the 12th day before Christmas! So I will join this friend and this friend, as they take a photo a day leading up to the magical day when we celebrate Jesus' birth! So here ya go,

I am sure that you all have those moments, proud mother moments. You know, when you catch your child doing or saying something, totally out of the blue, that just makes your mommy heart glitter with pride...



This is not that moment.


Colton made his own version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".


And had his entire class singing it.


He is a funny boy. Oh, son, you crack me up!

Christmas at the Carlson's

Our first Christmas gathering of the year! There will be at least 3-4 more. We had a really great time! A full turkey dinner with all the fixins', watched Night at the Museum 2 (a rare time when nobody had yet seen), presents, and then sledding. Or sledding Grandpa-style! There wasn't very much snow, so we thought that to get everyone bundled, loaded up and try to find a hill with enough snow... nope. Grandpa hitched the sled up to the ATV and voila! I stayed on board to keep Grandpa under "mom's speed limit"! And then hopped on board the sled. (A visit to the chiropractor is in my future!) It was a blast, the kids didn't want to stop, until we told them there was hot cocoa inside!!! Man, it was cold!


Obligatory pre-present picture
(Christopher is ready to dig into presents!)


Presents!


You'll shoot your eye out! (with a marshmallow)



Christopher had to put his ornament on the tree, upside-down!


Colton with his ornament


What do you do when there aren't any hills? Sledding Grandpa-style!

Over the mountains and through the plains...

...to Grandfather's house we go. Then to daddy's in Vermont to stay for three months. Where I will home school Colton and have unlimited access to a swimming pool, and a cleaning lady (that does the dishes *squeal with delight*). And REALLY cool stuff to do. Like New York and Boston and Maine and...

and I am so excited, because I LOVE change and though it may be stressful, I still love it.

But how do you pack?

Christmas Stroll and the "Polar Express"

Christmas Stroll

Waiting patiently for the parade to begin

Colton says that candy canes dipped in hot cocoa "tastes like Christmas"

I agree!

Carson trying to keep warm

Hurray for the parade!

Polar Express

The only evidence I was there. Pic taken by Colton.

Christopher mesmerized by the "elf"
reading the story of the Polar Express

Colton writing his letter to Santa and singing Christmas carols

Colton's letter to Santa

Christopher, Mrs. Claus with Carson, Colton, and Santa
Teddy and Mooey along for the ride!

Happy little elf!
(sorry it's blurry, you gotta catch em' quick!)

Brotherly love.

And then...

I'm gonna eat on Thanksgiving Day!

These turkey (cupcakes) look nervous! Colton's class loved them!

Hey everyone! Hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving and everyone eats a little turkey!
Here's Christopher's turkey he made at library time. (music: Laurie Berkner Band)

I'd like to thank the little people

This is what you get when I am left alone all day-
every day with three little people! :)

Brotherly love.

And yes, we are having SpaghettiOs with Doritos. Dipped.

It's yummy.

MSU Bobcats night at AWANAs
I can't be shocked when someday he is doing this or this.

Christopher talking and jumping with daddy.

The Going-ons here

Just a quick note to update every one on what been happening with us. As a wise friend said the other day "Normal is just a setting on the dryer". Well our "normal" is chaotic most of the time, but it is settling down (and getting ready to rear back up with the holidays)! But it is a happy chaos and I am thankful that my life is not boring. I thrive in happy chaos. Mostly...

Any way here's the latest scoop:

Carson getting his first taste of real food. Really this was taken a week and a half ago and he has since graduated from rice cereal and mommy milk, to rice cereal/pear juice/water. He is taking to it like a champ and we are stocked with sweet potatoes, ready for his next jump in his lifelong adventure with food! I may save the sweet potatoes for his first Thanksgiving! Yummy!

Here is Christopher, proudly holding his stamp/sticker creation-ready to send to daddy.

We have been hit with an ugly, sneezy, head-cold, congested-nose-thing and have kept low this past week. (thankfully only 1 day-mild temps) Upping our vitamin intake, keeping snuggled under fluffy blankets, and the required amount of movie watching... I think we've seen the worst of it. (Still thankful and praying against any exposure to the swine flu)

With each child, we have seen strong resemblances to certain family members. With Christopher we always caught glimpses Connie or Grandma Althea. I totally see Aunt Carrie in little Carson.

Time Audit

So with the holidays coming up, and just starting to get into the swing of things, I have decided to give myself a "time audit". I am trying to train my unorganized, unfocused, easily-distracted brain into a time concious, productive, efficient self. One thing that I have noticed with 3 kids, is that I can't really fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants anymore. Planning is good. It takes work and organization, but things run so much smoother and my focus is where it needs to be (like not on blogging when I should be figuring out preschool ideas). Anyway, I am going to intentionally look at my normal days and see where I can take time to
-focus on Christopher (preschool and crafts)
-focus on Colton (homework and before bed reading)
-focus on Carson (he really won't let me ignore him!)
-focus on me (quiet time with God, Scrapbooking, Quilt)

So hopefully I can get this all together!

Where there is no vision; people cast off restraint... (and waste time on the internet!) Proverbs 29:18

Future Rockers!

So I have been wanting to get the boys' pics done for Christmas cards, before Colton's front teeth grew, etc... So I coerced my friend Ann to squeeze in a photo shoot among her already busy schedule and we found a day that wouldn't be too chilly (for Carson's sake)! This is supposed to be a surprise for Jesse and I am pretty sure he rarely checks my blog, but they just turned out too cute to not share! I really like the "rockstar" ones better than the "christmas" ones- not sure which I'll use for Christmas cards!

And, oh, Jesse, if you do see these, I am sending copies to you to stick on your fridge... and yes, I did let the kids play with your *expensive* guitar, but Ann can attest that we took good care of it! *wink

Click here to check out the rest!

Halloween Pics

Thought I better post these before it becomes old news!
So Colton was anxiously awaiting Christopher to wake up so they can get into their costumes and hit 3 parties and trick or treat (we only made it to 2 parties and no trick or treating). He goes to get into his Bumblebee costume (lovingly purchased 2 months ago by Gma and Gpa) and it has just gotten so small that when he bends over gives him Major Wedgie! It took all of my strength not to laugh amongst his tears! He dug through the dress up box and came up with a ninja costume, so that was better. In comes Christopher that has had NO desire up until this point to dress up (I got him in it the night we did pumpkins, but only for about 2 minutes). So he was also in tears- see picture below. At this point I was ready to take off all costumes, put children in bed and watch a movie! We got to the parties and everyone had a great time!

Carson and Christopher ready for story time at the library. (Friday)

Awww!

TORTURE getting this child into his costume! I had to bribe him with candy
(even after I told him people will give him candy when he is in his costume!)

Much happier Woody after candy and jumping in the bouncer!

Colton striking a ninja pose!

Cake he won at the Fall Fam-tastic at our church.
He is totally going to be one of those people that wins stuff.
(side note- Right after he turned 2, he won a Goofy toy out of one of those Claw games! I have Never won anything out of those!)

Prof. pictures taken at the church party

(I took a picture of the picture, so they look a little off)

(really wanting to go back in the jumper)

(Colton missing most of costume and facepainted-
note to self take pics first, then play!)