Suite life Day 7

Ben & Jerry's Factory tour

Apple Cider Mill tour

(taken by Christopher)

Suite life Day 6 continued

Christopher says "oh, Cuuuute"!

I say, "Mmmmm, dinner!"

Suite life Day 6

Someone likes to chew on his toes

Someone else is learning to (un)dress himself

Today Christopher and I went to the Burlington ice arena and did a little ice skating.
I had never seen them teach kids using 2 milk crates glued together. It was ingenious!
They balanced so well and Christopher was cruising all around the ice by himself.

He loved it and was so proud!

Tonight Jesse and I are staying in and picking up a few lobsters for dinner! We just got a few new movies from Netflix that we'll watch and hang out in our cozies.

Suite Life Day 4

So I am not ready to give you a tour of the place, gotta get settled in! But just a quick note and a few pics.

I am still trying to make this feel home-y so had to stop and get a new shower curtain liner (cause ewww, gross), a set of screwdrivers (to replace toy batteries), kids bowls and cups, a little Dirt Devil vac, an internet wifi receiver (duh), and other various random things that you take for granted when you are at home. Jesse doesn't get all of the things (and some that fell into the random category), but he gives me the sideways glance and understands that my little bit of "nesting" will make life easier for all of us! :) Thanks, babe, for not fussing too much!

Cute:
Wherever we go Christopher keeps asking "Where goin, mom?"
Me: back to the hotel
CJ:oh, yea, the home-tel

It's too cute to correct him, and he's kind of right! :)

The kids sitting at the table
Carson is very proud to be included in dinnertime!
He's been eating Baby Mum-mums (flattened rice cakes)

Little blue eyes

Carson can't help but reach out and touch Christopher's stuff.
But there are 3 other places to sit and Christopher chooses to sit next to Carson, so...

So Christopher has been pushing Carson out of "his space" and
I just let them figure it out. It's a sibling-territory thing, I understand.
(As long as it doesn't get too rough!)

Our suite life- Day 2

Here's the new look, with a temporary title!

We got in safely yesterday, right before a storm hit. Colton is visiting his dad in Colorado for a couple weeks and then they will fly out here! We're just trying to get settled in and then my blogs might be a little more exciting!

Stay tuned!

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...