A few more Pagosa Pictures....

this time with Bo in them too. Some funny Bo moments -- Brandy took Bo out to visit her brother during our little trip. From what Brandy tells us, she had them rolling the whole time. One such example was that she wanted a straw to drink her hot chocolate. When the reply was "Sorry Bo, we don't have any straws." She promptly said, "Well, you didn't even look." Then (I am sure fearing the famous Bo temper tantrums) she had all adults looking through the cabinets to check for the much wanted straws.

She also loved skiing -- up and down the magic carpet like a champ. Her favorite part -- hot chocolate and fishy crackers (always a much needed snack after a long day of skiing).
Hunter became Mr. 4-wheeler. He took to the bikes so quickly and is a champion rider. It always makes me happy when Hunter is able to find something that he can enjoy with little effort. Snow boarding at Wolf Creek was much more difficult than skiing at Sunrise -- with longer runs and thicker snow, he was definitely challenged on the slopes.

Kadan took to his air soft gun like no other -- setting up targets, shooting Ian (that was so FUNNY -- he even got a welt to prove it) and chasing Harrison. He also was partners in crime with Harrison in the only 4-wheeler incident of the trip -- laying the bike down since they took the corner too fast. We are proud to announce that there were no injuries. Tuckered after a few runs of boarding, Kadan, Hunter and I ate loads of junk food, drank gallons of hot chocolate and took silly pictures and videos of each other while we rested at the lodge. Harrison -- fly swatter extraordinaire (we had a huge fly infestation at the cabin -- total yuck). He rocked at boarding -- the only kid to keep up with Grandpa B. He was an amazing help the whole trip. I keep telling him that he is my 5th child.
Addy is fearless -- riding faster and faster on her bike, sledding down the largest hills, racing down the slopes (I couldn't even keep up) and venturing on to moguls (thanks to Ian). She is definitely in her element when she is in the snow.

Yummy, I just love....

this favorite American treat -- well, not really, but I do have a funny story about it.

A couple Sunday's ago Hunter announced that Kadan got a cool treat from his teacher. Just seconds later, Kadan bounded around the corner, lifted up his cylindrical treat wrapped in tin foil and announced,

"Look mom, I got a Nick Knock?"

"A what?" I snickered.

"A Nick Knock," Hunter and Kadan said in unison.

Almost unable to control my belly laughter enough to speak I said, "You mean a Ding Dong?"

We just laughed and laughed. Sharing the little story with some friends as we walked out to our car kept the laughter alive.

Kinda sad that my 10 year-old and 8 year-old boys don't have a clue what a Ding Dong is but love how it was introduced with this hilarious mess-up!

Playing in Pagosa....

during Christmas break -- Oh, what fun. With sledding right outside the back door and snow to our knees, we play until we're frozen solid, warm up inside with a cup of hot chocolate and new clothes, then outside again for tubing and "4-wheelering" (what Addy call 4-wheeling) .

Christmas Sunday...

is always the best when we are visiting Grandpa J's ward to listen to the most beautiful and elaborate Christmas program -- I love it even more when Dad is the narrator. This year we stayed home (we are planning on a New Year's visit instead) and enjoyed the simplicity of getting dressed at home and going to our home ward. The program was simple yet sweet and I enjoyed singing in a special choir number. We were also grateful to have Harrison with us (even if he would not wear a vest to match the boys -- he, he!)

Merry Christmas to you!!!!

We wish you a Merry Christmas and all the love and joy during this holiday season.

We LOVE Santa....

and we loved going to the North Pole Experience this weekend. The kids were giggly, giddy, full of enthusiasm and all aglow during our portal experience that took us up to the North Pole. Filling our tummies with a Holiday smorgasbord of salmon, turkey, ham, roast beef and Yummy sugar cookies with elf stew (hot cocoa) then busily helping the elf's' make toys for girls and boys while caroling-caroling-as-we-went made for a Santa night to remember. We even brought our friends along (Tara and her two little gals) so share in all our fun.

Mrs. Clause Rocks!

Shining stars of Elf school :-)

Finally a freezing family smile...

was captured for our Holiday cards. Living up north with limited shopping has delayed our family Christmas pictures so despite the freezing cold (my lens was fogging over making for blurry pictures) and over a foot of snow (keeping our tootsies wet), we donned our garb (without our warm coats and mittens) and took some really fast pictures (bribing the kids that if they smiled for just one more second we would get some ice cream -- it is never too cold for ice cream). Not my best but still lots of fun. I am pumped that I was able to get one on one shots with my kids.